When I was looking for a longarm I quickly found out that the better brands maintain their value very well, so finding a later model used machine at a good price was difficult. (I wanted a later model machine to take advantage of technical improvements such as stitch regulation.) I wound up with Innova and have been very happy with that decision. I also advise going to quilt shows and trying all the machines. Keep notes on what you like or don't like, and don't hesitate to go back to ask more questions.