I just went through this agonizing decision.
I "shopped" for four years. Test drove every major brand at the Quilt Expos in Georgia and Florida and read everything I could, paying special attention to what QUILTERS said. I considered buying used, but due to my inexperience with longarming, I decided I wanted the security of a warranty and technical support.
I finally decided on the Innova with AutoPilot this past March when ABM International had a great promotion happening. I had wanted a 22" but settled for the 18" in order to afford the AutoPilot. I had my right hand operated for Carpel Tunnel 2 years ago (quilting too many Queen sized quilts on my domestic Bernina 440QE) and am now having arthritis and nerve problems in my arms, so robotics were important.
I love my Innova, even if it is only 18". I can't imagine the reach you'd need for a 26" or larger. I like the fact that ABM, who manufactures the Innova, have been around since 1947. They just broke into the domestic longarm market, having manufactured the larger industrial machines for mattress tops. The Innova isn't the prettiest machine out there - it does have a rather industrial look to it, but it's solid. And the customer service is first class. My dealer is very new to longarms and mine was the first AutoPilot installation he'd ever done, so we had some very tense moments during the installation - so much so, that I vented rather loudly on this forum at one point. Not more than 2 hours after posting my experience, the President of Innova called me personally from Texas, assuring me that he would fly an ABM technician from Houston to Toronto the next morning, if necessary, to ensure that the unit was installed and up and running to my satisfaction. I was definitely impressed.
As far as value for the money, you'll find Innova is extremely competitive. And I do know that it can handle just about any thread you throw at it, whereas I've heard other major brands are very thread sensitive and require far more oiling and have more tension issues.
Good luck with you decision and keep us posted.