I have no regrets in buying the current mid arm machine for a number of reasons. There is no need to sandwich or baste a quilt top before loading it on the frame. Also, the quilting space works well for me since I am very short and there is no way my arms could handle a quilting space of 22 or more inches
. I also find FMQ is much easier for me than it would have been with a sit down machine or a DSM.