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Regretting long arm purchase?

Regretting long arm purchase?

Old 08-17-2012, 03:38 PM
  #81  
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Trade it for an Innova!!!!! no problems with them...........yeah
Originally Posted by topstitch View Post
I too was so afraid of my LA that I thought of many reasons to get out of the agreement with the seller. I bought a Tin Lizzie and was one of the unlucky people who got a dud! Still even with the frustration of machine that constantly skipped stitches I made up my mind I would master it. Finally the store owner came to look at my LA and replaced the encoders and as if a miracle had happened all was well. I love longarming, the machine not so much. Before you give it up remember, no matter how much it cost, theraphy is probably a lot more expensive.
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Old 08-17-2012, 04:15 PM
  #82  
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I have a NewStyle 228 that was used about 5 times prior to it coming to me. I have never used it, but will attempt learning once I take it in for a check up. I got it over a year ago for my favorite price...free. It does run and was in a friend of mine's family. The mother used it 5 times and then the father died. Since he bought the machine for her, she couldn't face using it. The mother wanted someone to have it that would love it, and so I inherited a machine.

Being new to quilting and never long-armed, it can be intimidating. Luckily my LQS will come to my house and give me private tutoring for cheap.

Maybe time will tell what you need to do with your machine. I hope you decide to keep it and maybe get some lessons.
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Old 09-16-2012, 10:56 AM
  #83  
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The Nustyle machines are out of Stover, MO.
http://www.nustylequilting.com

Should you have any questions or issues, Tom and Lori are always available to help. They have great customer service!
My first longarm was a Nustyle 227, and that was a huge green monster. Taught me a lot & Tom helped me redo the wiring over the phone & by mail...sent hand drawings in with parts needed.


Originally Posted by tyoung View Post
I have a NewStyle 228 that was used about 5 times prior to it coming to me. I have never used it, but will attempt learning once I take it in for a check up. I got it over a year ago for my favorite price...free. It does run and was in a friend of mine's family. The mother used it 5 times and then the father died. Since he bought the machine for her, she couldn't face using it. The mother wanted someone to have it that would love it, and so I inherited a machine.

Being new to quilting and never long-armed, it can be intimidating. Luckily my LQS will come to my house and give me private tutoring for cheap.

Maybe time will tell what you need to do with your machine. I hope you decide to keep it and maybe get some lessons.
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Old 09-17-2012, 06:12 AM
  #84  
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Originally Posted by Boater4444 View Post
I am experiencing this feeling at the moment but only because the Dealer that I bought my 18" Innova with AutoPilot is so new to longarm quilting that my buying experience has been absolutely horrible. [snip]

Quite honestly, this experience so far has been a bit of a nightmare - and my husband, who is extremely handy and mechanically inclined, is fuming but not willing to tinker with anything for fear of voiding the warranty.

Buying an expensive toy in our current economy was a big leap of faith on my part. Now, I'm wondering what I've done. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE to quilt and have made more than 25 quilts in the last several years - many of them Queen sized on a domestic machine. But after carpel tunnel surgery last year, a longarm with robotics was the only way I could myself able to continue doing what I love. I just hope I didn't make a mistake with the choice of machine and dealer.
Boater! I'm so sorry this has been your experience, please join the TinLizzieLongarm group on yahoogroups? There are ladies who have the Innova on this group, and there are other brands as well. We help each other with problems. I'm new to using longarm machines as well, and the ladies on this group have been wonderful! The ladies on this list that have other brands of machine, so don't worry about having an Innova.
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Old 09-17-2012, 06:15 AM
  #85  
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Originally Posted by Boater4444 View Post
I am delighted to say that within hours of my above post, I received a personal phone call from Neal, the President of Innova. [snip] ....The dealer returned that same evening, and spent a solid 2 hours tweaking the carriage assembly and belt drives to my satisfaction - as well as my husband's, who is very fussy. The machine appears to now be operating solidly, although I won't know for sure about the belts until I engage the AutoPilot. But as it stands, I'm a happy camper.

I am now looking forward to learning this machine inside and out and making some beautiful quilts. As for the dealer... well, let's just say he's more salesman than techie and he's got a huge learning curve. But I'm a generous spirit and I'm willing to work with him, knowing Innova will always be there for me.

Thanks Neal.
Whew! I didn't see this in time. Never mind the previous post, this is a wonderful outcome!
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Old 09-17-2012, 06:40 AM
  #86  
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Originally Posted by joyce888 View Post
Boy this is a thread that hits home with me. I've been talking about getting a longarm for several months and my DH was all for it at first. Now he's got me concerned because he thinks I wouldn't quilt enough quilts to justify the cost. I will turn 61 next month and if I did 12 quilts a year I wouldn't do enough in my lifetime to pay for the longarm. I think he's right that I enjoy the piecing more than I would the quilting. So now I'm concerned that I wouldn't learn how to longarm to the skill level that I would be satisfied.
Check around for classes. Before I make that purchase or even start researching I'm going to take some classes and then rent thier machine to do a few to make sure it'll be worth it. I bought a Gracie Small Frame that only does up to crib size and at the time my machine was so small it was a pain but now I have a Mega quilter so my goal is that if the near future to put the quilter on it and then start practicing. I got the frame on sale and just so that I could see if I like the whole process. Since it's like the big metal ones it has sme panto boards on it and a stitch regulator and you load it like the big ones so at least I'll be ahead of the game if I get the big one. Right now I'm just getting into FMQ so one thing at a time; FMQ that I like so far. I can't afford to send them out not that I haven't seen some quilts done locally that I would have paid the 300 to get that done; it was amazing but I just can't afford it. I'm tired of seeing my quilt tops just hanging on the quilt rack; I want finished quilts hanging on it.
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Old 09-17-2012, 08:20 PM
  #87  
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I have a TL18DS and enjoy the quilting process. It is definitely a long long learning curve. Would like to have some classes but nothing close to where I live. Just keep at it!
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Old 09-22-2012, 02:42 PM
  #88  
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LucyInTheSky...
I have the TL18LS w/qbot attached. I got mine in 2009. I was set to get an Innova (loved the couching foot idea)..but hubby insisted on a local dealer & I got my Lizzie from a local (well local as we get here..70+ mile round trip).
I had a problem with the machine "racing"...part was me moving too fast, but slowing way down didn't solve the entire issue. The reason I finally called my dealer was that my hubby heard a clunking noise inside the machine (that's where it sounded like it was coming from to us). My dealer's tech was out due to an accident...so I called the TL company & Isaac got back to me within a day or two. Since I was not at home (it was 9pm almost, on Friday nite...we were at bingo) we set a time for the next morning, when I'd be home and at the machine. I laid my cell phone on the quilt top...and as Isaac gave me things to try...first was to stitch evenly & not too slow or fast right to left...racing happened...so I slowed way down...only a short amount of racing, but there...and I also stitched forward and back at an even pace...still racing. Isaac also heard the clunking noise, and asked how my hopping foot had been adjusted. I didn't adjust it, the dealers tech did. So, Isaac had me move off the quilt, put the hopping foot down, then the needle down. I loosened the foot (mine has a screw on the side, older TL18's don't), slid a dime under the foot until it touched the needle. Then I tightened the foot, raised the needle, then the foot and took out the dime (I laughed when Isaac said to remove the dime...but after many years in customer service...I knew where he was coming from). I asked if there was an adjustment for the racing...he said there was, but that he wanted to know the color of my control board...so I took the cover off the control box...and told him the color...he said he felt I needed a new board. That took a week to get...put it in...Isaac again on the phone...racing was better, but still there. I told Isaac that I knew enough about computer control boards to know this should be an adjustment...I was correct...and was told what little white screw to turn and how much. Fixed! I am sure had Isaac known from the get go that I had some computer repair/assembly experience, he would have walked me through the adjustment. Oh, and the clunking...that was the hopping foot set incorrectly.
I have had my issues with tension, and believe it or not...that's not uncommon with any machine out there. I am not afraid to turn the tension assemblies, nor am I wary of adjusting the bobbin case tension. You have to be willing to get past the cost of your machine, wether it be a low end or high end machine. Every thread type/color, fabric, batting, etc. will affect your tensions at times (more often than not). As a result, I run my tensions fairly loose & can easily adjust to most any thread out there. I've only found a couple of Coats n Clark thread colors that didn't work...but they didn't work on my embroidery or home machines either...felt rough...they are in the trash. I had one Metroemb white thread that didn't work...seemed frail for some reason. I purchased their Sukerman (I think they call it Sigma) thread in white & cream...they are wonderful to use. I've tried 60wt bottomline (bobbin) thread in the upper, regular Coats sewing thread, metallics, serger threads, up to pearl cotton...and can run them all. Yes, I have to adjust the tensions each thread change...but I have to do that every quilt anyhows.

I had only one encoder problem (I broke one). Encoders rarely go bad..but the cables that they connect with are another story...they have a tiny wire to each prong of the tiny white plug..if one of those breaks inside the black coating...you can have encoder issues. Changing the cable fixes 99% of the issues with an encoder not working.

Learn what makes your machine tick...like the encoders. They have a tiny computer chip inside...that feeds info to the computer board on the machine...which decyphers and sends the needed instruction to the control on the handle...which tells the machine how fast/slow to move the needle....so we can outrun our encoders & that will cause racing.

Originally Posted by LucyInTheSky View Post
I bought my Tin Lizzie after testing out a few machines. I had been leaning towards the HandiQuilter, but when I was actually on the TL, I knew it was the one (same thing happened with my domestic). The machine arrived last May and immediately had a problem with one encoder (the thing that registers the side-to-side movement). Okay, no big deal, they replaced it after 2 weeks. But my rep never actually trained me. She spent 15 minutes with me, loaded the quilt wrong, said "play with it" and left. I had to watch the DVD a lot and come online before I could even do anything. And then the machine still wasn't working right. In February, I finally pitched a fit with the dealer and with TL themselves, since every quilt (the whopping 6 I made in 9 months) had issues. They sent the new rep (old rep was fired) and a tech. Tech said the other encoder (front-to-back motion) was also bad, which meant it had been bad for 9 months, awesome. Almost a month later, they replaced that - still issues. 2 weeks later, they just replaced the tension assembly. On the to do list is to get a quilt on there and give her a test.

I'm sort of in the buyer's remorse category. I still felt like TL was "the one", but I'm thinking I should've bought the HQ (since one of the gals I work with has one and LOVES the machine and the tech support, plus they have classes), or even a different machine. I dunno... trying to power through it since when it works, I really do like my machine. Hang in there, do some quilts, and make sure it's not just an expensive table like mine is...
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Old 09-22-2012, 02:44 PM
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Ruby, where in TX are you? I'm in Littlefield, which is 36 miles North of Lubbock on 84 highway (Clovis Highway). We are about 80 miles from Clovis, NM. If you are close to me...I'd love to work with you. I don't do classes...but always willing to share what I've learned. Your DLS is almost like my LS (you have a digital screen, and I have dials).

Originally Posted by Ruby the Quilter View Post
I have a TL18DS and enjoy the quilting process. It is definitely a long long learning curve. Would like to have some classes but nothing close to where I live. Just keep at it!
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Old 09-22-2012, 08:25 PM
  #90  
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Originally Posted by Dar-midlife View Post
I think someone said they wish it didn't take so long to load-the pinning process? I can't remember who but I think you should consider the "Red Snappers". They are not expensive and you can load a quilt in minutes! Just google red snappers by renae haddadin and should take you to it. I will try and put a link here but not sure if it will work. I (& many others) LOVE them. http://quiltsonthecorner.com/red_snappers
!!! I don't have my longarm machine YET but I've added red snappers to my "BUY THIS" folder.

MAHALO!
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