I think the throat space is less than 9" on that one. You are going to loose 2-3" when you load the quilt to allow for the take up roller, then as you roll the quilt you will have less and less space to work with. Having said this, there are lots of folks who do wonderful work with a domestic machine on a frame. If you tend to do smaller projects, or are willing to QAYG in sections, then this may be a good option. Personally, I would check around and see if you can rent time on a long arm to see if you like it and save the money you would have spent on a frame for the down payment!