Originally Posted by fabric_fancy
i knew i wanted a longarm within the first couple of months of quilting.
i hated quilting by moving the quilt and was never going to let someone else quilt my quilts for me.
i like to have total control over the project instead of allowing someone else to put their artistic voice on my work.
it took me about 12 months or so to find a used setup that i wanted.
i was a beginner when i got it since it was my first time ever using a longarm.
at this point i would consider myself advanced or professional since i make my living thru quilting.
I agree that I also realized after a few months that I love quilting and disliked shoving a large quilt through a small machine (especially when I started making queen and larger quilts). I also like total control from beginning to end, even though there are some excellent LA'ers out there.
I learned to use a LA at my LQS, where they taught a 4 hour class for a fee and then rented out the machine by the hour. They started with a basic older Nolting and then upgraded to a Gammill (neither had a stitch regulator), so I had experience with both those brands. I then tried a HandiQuilter and a Tin Lizzie.
On the recommendation of my new guild president (we moved), I went and tried an Innova and loved it. Mine is coming today and I can't wait. For now, I will only be quilting my own projects and maybe offer to quilt donation quilts for my guild. Not really thinking of going pro, at least not for a while.
Machine choice is definitely a personal one. You can buy a LA, or a machine that can do both, such as a Bernina 830, which costs about as much as a LA, but definitely go out and try different ones in your budget level.