I looked at lots of machines before I purchased a used Voyager 17 from a gal on this board. They were all very nice machines - each had good points and short fallings (I could not justify the amount that a Gammil would cost as a starter machine). We brought it home (yes it weighs a lot), took the rails and cleaned and polished them with steelwool, leveled the frame and installed the machine.
It works like a charm, moves smoothly (I do not find it heavy to sew on at all) and the whole setup (machine, frame, regulator, Fat Foot, needles, loads of bobbins and a bobbin winder) was well under 4K. Is that a lot? yes - but not as much as a new longarm or midarm machine with the same bells and whistles.. I love it a lot. Works beautifully, AND if you have questions or need help - the folks at Voyager are fantastic. I am getting the hang of it by donating my "learning time" for Linus Quilts and some charity quilts for the guild.
Now - the only thing that I do not care for on the Voyager is the L-Class bobbin which holds less thread than some of the other machines which have a M-Class.
As with purchasing any machine - take all these recommendations and go play on machines near by. My DH is remarkably handy and can even fix a rainy day occasionally so I did not worry about local service but that might also be a part of your decision making process when choosing a machine.
Good luck! and let us know when you take the plunge!! :thumbup: