buying a long-arm is like buying a car- it is a large investment (anywhere from $7000 on up)
you should NEVER put out that kind of $$ without test driving and deciding what is best for you.
the long arm i have i happen to love- i'm used to it- it does what i need it to do- it fits me-
i have a friend who had the same machine- she got hers a couple years before i bought mine- in the 5 years she had the machine she only successfully quilted 2 or 3 quilts- always had problems- and simply hated the machine- finally she gave up and sold it-
don't let this happen to you-
if you want to buy a long arm you need to do research- and travel= go to shows and shops where they have them and try out as many as you can before making a decision as to which machine is the machine for you.