i have one and i can tell you the pros and cons of my particular one.
it only like certain threads. especially king tut which is costly.
it can run away with you. it goes very fast on the lizzie stitch.
raising and lowering the take-up bar is a pain.
the clamps will need to be replaced with better ones. big deal!
with the right thread it sews without breaking any thread.
i use it on manual and control the speed myself. very easy.
unless you pay for a computerized machine, they all need to be raised and lowered by hand. sorry. this is no worse, maybe better.
it's very easy to replace the clamps, and schambers has a wonderful
technique for very even tension. definitely use this.
it's a little ticklish on the wiring that controls the left-right controls. they
answer all calls and walk you through any problems. they have
good tech help.
all in all i am very happy with it. it takes time to set it up for each quilt. the tension changes, the thread changes, etc. you should test each quilt to make sure everything is set up right.
like every other sewing machine, when it's good it's very, very good and when it's bad you want to stomp it to death. if it needs repair (has not happened to me since i own it -over a year) it's easy to pick up and take to the dealer.
if you have the opportunity, buy it at a show from the owner, ernie. it will cost less and you can bargain for things like extra needles, even though he says you don't need extras, or extra bobbins. you can still bring to a dealer if you need to. at a show, you might get him to swallow the tax. remember the shipping costs and mentally add that onto the price.
are you getting the computerized one? if not, last year's are all on sale.
since i won't spend the big bucks on a gammill , i think i did the right thing. NONE OF THEM IS PERFECT. THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN.......
PERSONALITIES. i would do it again. practice makes perfect here.
also be sure and join the yahoo group above. there is one especially for lizzie owners. you'll read about every problem and answer.
mine is the TL18SL. good luck with your decision.