Originally Posted by ckcowl
buying a long arm is an investment- it is also like buying a car---you should do alot of research and travel- go to as many dealers as possible and try out as many as possible before making the jump. i love my machine but know a lady that had the same one - hated it and after 4 years of nothing but frustration she gave up and sold it...
you do not want to put out ten thousand + dollars to hate what you have and have nothing but frustration- do the research and test-drive until you find the machine you like in your price range- it is not a decision to be made based on someone else's likes. just like my subaru may not be the car for you...my hq-16 may not be the machine for you either.
it is an investment- and a big one- so don't make it lightly
Ditto from me! First set a budget and try everything within that budget that you can get your hands on. Then try ones that are just over your budget and just under. Make a list of which features you need and which you would like. See if any of your local shops will let you rent time on their setups. You may find that quilting is not your thing. Also remember the physical effort it takes to stand for long periods (unless you're looking at sitdown machines) and to load a quilt on the frame.