Wow, that's a lot of helpful information! Thanks so much, everyone!
Fitting a king-size frame would be tricky without taking over a(nother) room in the house, but I do have room for a queen-size frame, with some serious reorganizing. It does sound like frames take more room on the sides than I might have guessed, which is good to know for planning.
I think that if/when I get a mid-arm and frame, I'll either find another quilting solution for any king-size quilts I make or quilt the border separately and join it with a QAYG method (thanks, PaperPrincess!).
I'll definitely be sure to get a frame and machine that go together, when I make a decision. The reason I was asking about the SR2+ specifically was that it seems to be bundled with/suggested for use with several of the machines in my price range. (I've read/watched videos about the SR2+'s two-rail frame system, but I don't know much about other frames, so maybe I'll read a little more about dead rails, etc.)
At the moment, I'm seriously considering the Q'nique 14+. From what I understand, it's the exact same machine as the Block Rockit, but it looks like one current bundle with the Q'nique and SR2+ is actually slightly cheaper than the same set-up with the Block Rockit. (Still good info, though, and the deals may change before I make up my mind.)
I have done a very, very little FMQ on my DSM, but it has such a small throat space, I knew I wouldn't want to do anything very big that way. (It's been enough of a struggle to wrestle small quilts through the DSM when doing simple straight-line quilting!) I wouldn't mind doing small FMQ projects on my DSM, but I didn't want to get too "ingrained" with that type of FMQ if I was going to end up getting a stand-up mid-arm machine, eventually, because I thought it might actually make it harder to switch styles, down the road. (It's interesting to read that the muscle memory may actually transfer from one method to the other!)
Re: used/refurbished machines, test drives/large quilt shows, and dealer support, it seems like there's always more to take into consideration! Especially if you're naturally prone to indecisiveness, you could go around in circles for years. I've already talked myself into and out of the whole idea of a quilting machine probably a couple dozen times!
(I think I've settled it with myself that I'm going to buy
some type of quilting machine, at least.)
Thank you again for all the advice and opinions. I'll keep researching and thinking!
