Skeat, I did not like rolling up the quilt and tugging and pulling it through the arm of my 20 yr old New Home machine. I did some research, joined 5 quilting forums, asked lots of questions, printed out much information and then, when my sewing room was completed (we were finishing the basement of a new condo) I ordered my Bailey 13" Home Quilter and a GMQ Pro. I have not regretted the day I did this.
I will admit I was intimidated by the speed and the fact I had to know where I was going and how to move it, but in time I got the hang of it and enjoy free motion more than anything.
I did not spend more than $2500 and I felt that was reasonable. I am almost 75 and had I been 40 I would have bought the 15" arm, but this has worked fine for me. In free motion I have learned I do not need 15 inches. There are times when I use about 6 or 8 inches. Or, I can do a pantograph that is 12 inches. I am perfectly happy with this size machine, and rarely do I ever run it on full throttle. It gets my quilting done just fine.
Doing business with the Bailey family is something a person cannot duplicate with some big box company in Texas or California. They are home town people and proud of the machine they developed.
I would never want to go back to lugging a quilt through the arm of my machine. My joints just can't take it.
As they say "to each his own" and mine is Bailey. I love it.
June