One thing I would suggest is that you get machines that rarely have problems and when they do have problems, that the company offers 24/7/365 free tech service so they can walk you through the fix. I bought my Innova 9 months after piecing my first quilt and love that I can call their tech service, any time, any day. I don't have to call them often because my machine rarely has any problems. Another cost to consider is thread...I use Superior Threads, expensive but so worth it! I would suggest selling pre-wound bobbins for a price that includes the cost of the top thread - it is easier to count the number of bobbins purchased then to try to figure out how many yards of thread have been used and you don't have to worry about winding bobbins. Superior sells pre-wound bobbins at a decent price, especially when you have a business account. Oh, when you are considering which brand of longarm to buy, I would definitely suggest one that uses the M bobbins...when you have the L size, you are constantly needing to change the bobbins.