Hi, I have 2 Designer 1's I love them and highly recommend Viking machines. They have a sensor foot so it automatically knows whether you have thick or thin fabric under the presser foot and it regulates its presser. I hardly ever use my dual feed foot because of this nice feature. It also has the needle down position which it great for quilting too. I use my Des.1 for mosts of my quilts, it has lots of quilting and decorative stitches that are great for quilting.
I also have a Mega quilter and table for my quilting, it is a low end price range for a long arm. I would say buy the biggest and best long arm you can afford. I would love to get a bigger machine someday but this is giving me lots of practice till I can get something bigger. It is great other than I would like a bigger throat as it is not much bigger than the Des. 1. You get free training with your Viking machine and continual help so it is great for a bigger or new quilter.