I'm with you sister! I just bought my Simply Sixteen with the Little Foot Frame about a month ago and I'm still dancing the happy dance myself! I've always been a handquilter and never wanted to machine quilt or longarm - didn't have the space for the longarm and hated dragging a quilt under my "regular" machine. But when I saw that simply sixteen - I thought...maybe... Took me over a year to decide, but for me it was the right decision!
So far I've changed a needle, changed the foot a couple of times, tried out the ruler base and a couple of rulers, and done a little free motion. Tension has been perfect so far - no issues with that. I did get the needle in backwards at first try - that shredded the thread pretty quick so I found my error immediately. I have only used the superior sample threads and I've just worked on sample sandwiches so far. But - this weekend I'm going to load my first actual quilt! My local dealer is FANTASTIC - can I give a "shout out" to Sherry at the Sewing Bee in Jonesborough, TN.
As far as tips and tricks - just be kind to yourself. Longarming is a learned skill - just like playing an instrument. You don't go from chopsticks to chopin in one day! Have fun! I fully expect it to take me months (dare I say years) to get proficient - but I fully intend to enjoy the process along the way. So turn on some music and relax your grip and your shoulders and breathe! Don't try to guide with just your hand/wrist - let your shoulders move your arm! You'll get much smoother curves!