The Singer 1512 Promise II is a basic preset-stitch machine. On a factory-serviced offer, the buying decision has two parts: whether those controls suit your sewing, and whether the particular unit has been properly checked and supplied with the parts you need.
Resolve the adjustment claim first
Singer’s 1512 feature sheet specifies preset stitch length and width. Its instruction book shows a pattern selector with several straight and zigzag choices rather than independent length and width dials. An offer describing freely adjustable stitch dimensions should therefore be questioned before purchase.
Singer counts 13 built-in stitches, including one four-step buttonhole. The practical issue is not whether that total sounds generous: it is whether the available settings cover your seams. If a project requires a length between the presets, the selector cannot create an adjustment that the machine does not provide.
Simple controls still require a sequence
The 1512 uses a removable front bobbin case and a manually operated reverse lever. The phrase “automatic reverse” on a feature sheet does not mean it automatically locks off every seam. You control when reverse sewing is used.
For a buttonhole, follow the four numbered stages with the proper foot. Mark and test the complete opening on the actual fabric and stabilizer before sewing the garment. The manual also uses a darning plate for its documented special techniques; do not assume there is a drop-feed lever.
What “factory serviced” does—and does not—tell you
The retailer’s factory-serviced description refers to returned, demonstration or similar units that it says have been restored and checked. That is a seller condition statement, not this site’s inspection of the machine you will receive.
Ask who carried out the work, whether the unit is complete, what cosmetic wear remains and which written warranty and return terms apply. Do not apply the new-machine warranty from an old Singer feature sheet to a refurbished sale without confirmation.
- Request the correct controller, cord, bobbin case and specified bobbins.
- Confirm the standard, zipper, buttonhole and button-sewing feet against the actual inventory.
- Check whether any advertised extra needles or accessories are current, not remnants of an old promotion.
- Establish the cost and deadline for returning a unit that fails ordinary sewing tests.
Test normal sewing before the hardest repair
Begin with a straight seam on stable woven scrap, then reverse, zigzag and a complete buttonhole. Reload the bobbin and repeat a successful sample. This tests setup repeatability as well as whether the motor runs.
A clean exterior is not proof of correct timing, and cleaning is not a substitute for service when a machine binds or strikes metal. The cleaning guide explains the owner-maintenance boundary. For more adjustment, compare the Singer 3221’s different control layout.
Documentation review, not hands-on testing. Checked September 9, 2026: Singer’s 1512 instruction book and feature sheet, plus the seller’s condition description.