I've had my HQ for almost 10 years so far- even though I would like to upgrade sometime in the near future I have to say it is still working well- I've had very few problems with it over the years. when anyone is looking into purchasing a long arm I ALWAYS recommend visiting every different dealer you can find, check out quilt shows with different machines set up- try them out- then purchase the one that you like best- meets your needs & fits your budget- it is a large investment and much like buying a car- should be researched & 'test-drove' to get the one that is right FOR YOU. most of the dealers I have visited have a machine all set up & loaded up for customers to try out- some shops even offer a certification class where you learn the machine- then you can rent time on it to quilt your own quilts.