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Old 07-29-2013, 03:03 PM
  #5  
feline fanatic
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 10,590
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There is no easy best LA. It is like a car, what is right for you may not be right for me. Some like manual transmission and some only know how to drive an automatic. Some like SUV and some like sedan. Some things are deal breakers and some things you are willing to negotiate or give up for something else.

Those of us that have longarms will all espouse the virtues of our chosen brand. You need to do your homework because if you don't you could end up with $10K to $30K piece of equipment you never use. You need to figure out what options you want, what your goals are (quilt just for yourself or quilt for others?) and your budget then find the machine that fits those needs that is within your budget. You also have to be willing to put the time and practice in. There are no LA machines where you will be quilting like a pro right out of the gate. Even the Computer guided set ups require you to learn how to place a digitized pattern in a pleasing and well balanced way and you will have to learn the program that runs them.

Make a list of what you want, your absolute dream machine. Include throat space, rack length (need to have room for that!), stitch regulation or not, computer guided or not, or maybe is it upgradeable down the road and most importantly, your budget then go to a show and test drive as many as you can to decide what the right machine for you is that fits in your budget. See if you have a dealer near you that rents time. You may find that LA quilting is not for you. You may not like loading a quilt on a rack or you may not be able to stand for long periods of time at the machine.

For me it was the Innova. I saved some $$ by purchasing the dealer demo. I have no regrets and I love my setup and that is what is most important.
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