You say "something not right with the timing of all this", but what does that mean? Do you mean that the machine's timing is not right (that can be fixed) or that it's not the right time for you to be making this purchase? If it's the latter, then it's probably something that you have to sort out alone or with your family, because we don't have the information to offer reasonable advice. If you mean that you're having trouble making the machine run as it should, then perhaps you could talk to the service department about your machine, or take classes. It does take time to become proficient on a longarm. I've had mine for just over 2 years and I know I haven't practiced as much as I could and should, but I still enjoy using it. Are your expectations for yourself perhaps too high?