The biggest learning curve for any longarm user is how to deal with tension. I don't know anything about the Q'nique, but I do know that you will find quilters complaining about tension issues on every forum, for every machine. My concern would be whether there is good support for the machine you want to purchase. It doesn't have to be local support - most issues can be solved over the phone - but you do need to know that there is someone who is capable of helping you with any issue, including tension, at just about any time.