Hello all!! My HB has agreed to buy me a longarm machine. The problem I'm having now is finding the right machine. Any ideas on what I should look for and which machines I should steer away from? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

if you use our search feature you can find LOTS of discussions on the subject

Nolting, nolting, nolting. I love my Fun Quilter. It is a mid arm with a 17 inch quilt space but she purrs along and I've never had a problem.:)

Take your time, as it is a big investment (both in money and time) and there are a lot of choices out there.

I recommend joining the homequiltingsystems group on Yahoo! and reading both their "files" section and back posts. Many people on that group have admitted to being overwhelmed after buying their first longarm. The general advice is to take a full year researching systems before making your first purchase. You should actually try out different systems at quilt shows, for one thing. Also it is often recommended to buy from someone local so you can get help setting up and getting started; having a shop where you can take classes is a big plus too.

One big factor - space - where is this machine going - in your house - or somewhere else. If you have any Longarm quilters in your area, go talk to them, get their feedback. Research, research, research, after U make a decision - research some more. :lol: good luck. :) :) :-)

buying a long arm is an investment- it is also like buying a car---you should do alot of research and travel- go to as many dealers as possible and try out as many as possible before making the jump. i love my machine but know a lady that had the same one - hated it and after 4 years of nothing but frustration she gave up and sold it...
you do not want to put out ten thousand + dollars to hate what you have and have nothing but frustration- do the research and test-drive until you find the machine you like in your price range- it is not a decision to be made based on someone else's likes. just like my subaru may not be the car for you...my hq-16 may not be the machine for you either.
it is an investment- and a big one- so don't make it lightly

the double posts are getting old

Ditto from me! First set a budget and try everything within that budget that you can get your hands on. Then try ones that are just over your budget and just under. Make a list of which features you need and which you would like. See if any of your local shops will let you rent time on their setups. You may find that quilting is not your thing. Also remember the physical effort it takes to stand for long periods (unless you're looking at sitdown machines) and to load a quilt on the frame.

If you are
Tucson, see if you have an APQS dealer in your area. They have used machine and can help you with whatever you are looking for. Superior hreads has a workshop on long arms.
They have long arms that you can try out without a sales persons. They are in St George Ut

I don't know about the Tucson area, but here in Phoenix there is a LA quilting guild. Yes, it is AQG [Az Quilt Guild.] The members are really neat.

You are always welcome up here if you want to attend. You can find more info @: www.azlongarmquilters.com

Otherwise, your LQS's should have some good references for you.

ali