I used to live close to the Nolting factory. I will agree they have truly outstanding customer service. I was trying to decide if long arm quilting was for me. They let me come in for as long as I wanted and just try out machines. I was there for almost two hours with them answering any question I had. I decided to get a mid arm sit down system instead, but I would have bought the Nolting if I had chosen a long arm.
With that said, I would agree that you should try out different machines first. You may find one you like even better.
Pam