Originally Posted by Scissor Queen
There is no one best longarm machine anymore than there is one best car. Try out as many as you can. Pick the one that works for you best.
She is right, what is right for me - Innova - may not be right for you. Personally, I like having a machine that I oil in one place at the end of the day (bobbin area, 3 drops), I have 24/7/365 free tech support (I have called on Christmas day), a company that listens to their quilters and makes changes to the machines according to their input, a machine that can go from 0 to 3,000 stitches per minute in one push and all the stitches are the same length, a machine that can use even threads the manufacturer says is for bobbin work as a top thread, a machine that needs timing once a year or so, that can hit a nickel (I was adjusting the height of the hopping foot and forgot to put the needle down and bumped the needle down button with my arm) and only put a divot in the nickel and shatter the needle, easy to move and control, and makes my quilting look good!
Check out Renae Haddadin's article on buying a longarm
http://quiltsonthecorner.com/renae_haddadin where she gives you things to think about and ask about while on your hunt. Yeah, she does have an Innova, but her article is not directed to a specific machine brand.