Husqvarna lily 555 accessories

I've gotten a couple of used feet for my Husqvarna Viking 1+ through eBay. I'm on a YAHOO group for the 1+ and sometimes members post items for sale; I've picked up some things that way also. =20

There are a few Viking dealers on eBay and on the web who sell new feet, but add the shipping costs and it ends up being about the same as a dealer.

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

--------------

Excellent machine. I have the newer Platinum Plus. The feet are expensive I have to agree. I managed to persuade my local dealer to give me a discount - you may be able to negotiate something similar with a large enough order.

In my case, I traded in my HV 425 Freesia and HL 910 for the Platinum Plus and a HL 936, and bought about 15 feet at the same time. I wangled a 10% discount on the feet.

Can't help you with any other sorces. If anyone can, Kate will, she owns a 555 and has an excellent dealer. I'm sure she will pop in and answer your question as well.

HTH,

Sarah

They still fit the newer machines, so if someone was upgrading, they would hang on to them because of the price. I've never seen them used (I've had a 550 [exactly the same except for the colour!] since 1998).

If you quilt, the quilting kit is a good way to get the quilting table and some feet at a better price: though the kit is expensive, the cost of the bits separately is much higher. And look out for shop-soiled bargains - I got the ruffler at half price because the box was damaged.

Hi Irene,

How do I find that Yahoo group?

Thanks,

Jen

Hi,

Do you find that there are wide differences between dealers then? I live half a mile from a dealer which is great. However, the people in the shop are really downright rude to me everytime I visit. I think it's partly because I got the machine from a magazine advert instead of from their shop and partly because they're just like that. They refuse point blank to tell me what they stock and what the prices are. I'm thinking of getting all my stuff by mail order from Nottingham since they're very nice on the phone. They even sent me a complete price list in the mail as soon as I asked.

By the way, I chose the machine after reading all the positive comments on this discussion list. Thanks for all the advice there. It was really helpful. I'm delighted with the machine.

Thanks,

Jen

Jen, This should get you there:

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

--------------

Thanks, I've got that now. :-)

Jen

Hi again,

I just noticed on some other postings that people are using old singer feet on Husqvarna machines. I have a 1953 singer machine and a load of feet to go with it. The singer feet are attached with a screw on the side of the post. Would these be safe enough to attach to my Husqvarna

555 then? I wouldn't want to risk damaging it.

People are talking about the length of the 'shank' on the machine and I'm not sure what kind mine is.

Thanks,

Jen

The Lily plastic ankle unscrews and you just fit the old Singer foot in place. They *should* fit, but test carefully... Be aware that the difference in feed-dog pattern may mean that things do not feed as well as they would on the older machine. Some will not fit. You also need to ensure that they are Low Shank fittings. This means that the foot presser bar that you screw the feet into is the longer type and that the shorter ankled feet fit it.

Oddly, the after-market Singer style walking foot I bought for my Singer machines fits the treadle and the 66, and the silver Viscount 2000, but doesn't suit the 99 so well, and doesn't fit the Featherweight at all! The Husqvarna walking foot fits the Featherweight perfectly! I have yet to try it on the 99... It sometimes really does pay to shell out for the right one, but do try things before you do this. BTW, the Singer ruffler doesn't fit the HV... And the HV one is just as well made and works beautifully - well worth the £40 or so it costs here if you are likely to use it a lot. Mine really paid for itself doing 36m of ruffles for the gold ball gown I did this spring.

Jen,

That is downright ludicrous. The HV accessory prices are well known, and as far as I know fixed across the country. And all accessories can be ordered in by the shop from the UK HQ if they haven't got them in stock in the shop.

Have you got the Accessory Guide?? (If you can't get one off your rude dealer, I'll send you my spare for P&P - I've got 2 because my dealer gives them away!). In fact I even have a slightly out of date price list you can have as well!

I'd be very tempted to mail order with the company that have been nice to you - and let your rude local dealer know why they aren't getting the business!

One place you may want to look at is:-

've not purchased from then, but in the past when I was looking at buying from them, they did answer a couple of queries for me via email promptly and politely. You will find a full list of accessories and prices though!

They are the one place on the internet that have UK prices for HV machines published that I found when I was researching buying my two.

HTH

Sarah

Yes I see what you mean. I just tried the narrow hem foot and ruffler foot from my singer on the 555 and they really don't work. The feed dogs are further back on the 555 so the material doesn't feed past the hem foot. The ruffler foot just doesn't seem to fit properly. Ah well. I better start saving for the new ones then. :-)

Thanks,

Jen

Put them on your Christmas Wish List! I find that things like the quilting kit (about £120 when I got my replacement Lily in 1999) are 'prezzy from hubby' prices, and things like the ruffler (about £40) are 'prezzy from Mum' prices. Rolled hem feet, the roller foot, and the other small things (usually under £10) are stocking-fillers or 'prezzy from James' prices (his dad buys it for him to give me). This way I have accumulated over 30 feet and gadgets in the last six years, including the ones that came with the machine.

Yes that's a good idea. I'll do that. :-)

Thanks,

Jen

Hi Sarah,

I have accessory guide that came with my machine which is good. It's a little out of date but not too bad.

I really like that URL you sent. It's by far the most helpful site I've seen. Do you think that the prices are definatly the same all over the country then? I wondered, when the sewing machine prices seemed to vary so much.

I think I will definately mail order with that site or the shop in Nottingham for now at least. I've been down to my local shop several times and had two reasonably vigorous exchanges with them in front of all their other customers so maybe I can train them in time. :-) They said that I can't see their price list since they don't understand it, and I was sorely tempted to offer to translate if for them for a small fee. :-) It seems to me that there is scope for fun there.

Thanks for the advice.

Jen

Hi Jen,

The two accessory guides I have were obtained about 18mths apart, and are both identical, so the chances are that yours may not be out of date. BTW the Accessory Guide covers all accessories for all machines right through to needles, and is an absolute must have book, because the machine specific instruction book doesn't cover the feet.

When I've compared my dealer's prices for accessories to Elgins they've been within a few pence - maybe a pound or two different at worst.

As for machines, that is where you have to be more careful, and look at what the special offers are. What I found when I was buying my first machines was the dealer might be advertising price X with button hole sensor foot, and another place might have the same machine at price Y with ruffler and teflon foot (for example). You also have to check you are comparing apples to apples in terms of the actual machines - although that is not a problem with the HV's.

You may also want to look at HV's website

I found with HV is the machines sell at a basic price with a certain package of accessories. There are then extras that you may or may not get on special offers or at the dealers discretion. The trick is to be aware of what comes as standard, what the current offer is, and what those extras are worth. When I bought my first 2 machines, my dealer tried to sell me the Freesia 425 without the button hole sensor foot (which I really really wanted and costs £45). I knew that elsewhere dealers were throwing these in for free (thanks to Elgins IIRC), so I put my foot down, told the dealer I knew other people were getting that deal, pointed out the value of my custom and told them I wanted a 'sweetner' in order to buy the machines - and got the the button hole sensor foot, the gathering foot for the serger and a packet of needles thrown in free. It pays to bargain!

LOL! I'd say so ;-) They don't understand their price list????? What planet are they on? My dealers have their HV accessory price list freely available next to the till! It's listed in the same order the parts appear in the accessory guide, has all the reference numbers, description and all the prices - simple!

Can we tempt you to name and shame this local shop of yours?

Sarah

Ah that sounds good then. :-)

Yes I'm not sure what that's about. The first time I went they did show me their machine price list which has an entry for the set retail price and then another entry for how far they're prepared to go down for each machine. That was quite an eye opener to me.

Yes I would have thought that would be a more sensible approach. :-)

I better not. :-) I think that might be libel. I'll just keep going down each Saturday and infuriating them with price-related questions until they become sensible. I think it's good practise in negotiation skills.

Thanks,

Jen

Main Entry: 1li·bel Pronunciation: 'lI-b&l Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, written declaration, from Middle French, from Latin libellus, diminutive of liber book

1 a : a written statement in which a plaintiff in certain courts sets forth the cause of action or the relief sought b archaic : a handbill especially attacking or defaming someone 2 a : a written or oral defamatory statement or representation that conveys an unjustly unfavorable impression b (1) : a statement or representation published without just cause and tending to expose another to public contempt (2) : defamation of a person by written or representational means (3) : the publication of blasphemous, treasonable, seditious, or obscene writings or pictures (4) : the act, tort, or crime of publishing such a libel

TTBOMK, truth is a pretty good defense against a charge of libel. (But, I am not a lawyer, so don't take that to the bank.) ;-)

HTH,