Pumpkinpatchquilter --- According to my research, HQ Avante has ALL the parts made exclusively for the Avante. Other machines in that price range couldn't say that. I went to the NWQuilt Expo in Portland a few years ago and "test drove" all of them. In my opinion, Avante was the lightest. If you have to move it around the quilt (and you do), then you'll want a light one IMHO. My shoulders still get tired when I do a lot of feathers -- I can't imagine what it'd be like on a big one. The other quilt machine that wasn't there but I hear a lot about and considered was the INNOVA. I debated between both. My decision for Avante came because we had a dealer close by (30 miles away). AND they offered a monthly class for learning. I have learned a lot from the internet (Youtube), but one on one classes are nice, too.
Oh - another thought --- the Gammils, etc, I believe do more stitches per minute than the Avante. However, because I'm old and slow (
), this works for me. I know Charisma can quilt at 3000 spm and does an awesome job. However, the Avante does 1800 spi and I can't ramp it up that fast. Just WAY too fast for me.