I recommend at LEAST trying one. Actually loading a quilt on and giving it whirl. Watching you tube videos is really not the way to decide to make this investment. We have some posters here who realized that loading a quilt was something they didn't want to do so did not pursue getting a longarm. Even a used mid arm setup (16 to 18" inch throat space) will run a few thousand dollars. I recommend finding a dealer or quilt show near you where you can actually try one out. Some LQS have rental programs where you take a training class before they let you rent. Watching youtube videos is really not the way to make this kind of decision. Most people research longarm machines for about a year, trying different models etc before actually deciding what to purchase.