I bought a 26", 12' Innova, made by ABM International, in December 2009. I shopped around and found out that I could get that machine, loaded the way I wanted, for a decent price - about what I would be paying for a used Gammill, which was my other option. And I liked the Innova better. ABM hasn't been making longarms for very long, but they have been making industrial-size quilting machines since 1947. They have taken many of the concepts (and patents) developed for the commercial market over into their longarm product. Service for the machine is excellent and 24/7/365. What might interest you, Billy, is that there is a MacGuyver-type owner who has invented a number of very cost-effective DIY projects for the Innova. He posts on the InnovaLAQ Yahoo group. (And yes, I hated yahoo groups too, but I joined the 2 for the Innova because there is so much useful information there.) The choice of a longarm is very personal, but I hope you will check out the Innova. I think you will be impressed by its engineering, price, and features. The machine itself is lightweight and easy to steer. The stitch regulator is awesome and you can't outrun it. The frame is all metal and rock-solid, but it doesn't weigh a ton. The design is such that (at least so far) you can upgrade your machine with any feature, rather than having to buy a new machine. As a novice, I've had almost no problems with my Innova so far, and the problems I did have (user error) were solved by a phone call. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions. Oh yes, one of the nice features of the Innova frame is that you can lift up the bar holding the top to check that the back and batting are nice and flat before you start quilting a section.