A friend of mine has been a longarm for approx 12 yrs..she started with a used Nolting FunQuilter...eventually sold it to purchase a Nolting longarm with a 24" throat. She loved her FunQuilter and just recently bought one just like she had previously to use along side her full size machine. She loves her Noltings. She had purchased a used Handi quilter 16" throat machine but has since sold that as she prefers the Nolting machine.. I think the Nolting will stand up to years longarm quilting..it's a very sturdy machine and should work hard for you for years.