2 things I haven't seen mentioned yet:
1. See if you can take a "beginning longarmer" class near you. The Innova dealer in my area offers beginning longarming classes
specifically for people who are in the market for a longarm, have just purchased a longarm, or are renting time on a longarm and need to learn how to use it. You do not need to own one to take this class. It's $125 for a day-long class, and you really get to work a lot with the machine, as opposed to playing with one for 20 minutes at a show. This is a fantastic way to test-drive the machine and find out what you like and don't like about it.
2. I have a couple of friends who find the 26" machines uncomfortable. They are petite and the machine is too big for them to move across the entire depth of the frame. This is not something husbands consider very often, at least not MY husband, who thinks the new couch is perfectly fine, while I struggle and squirm to get comfortable on it.
