I'm eager to follow this thread as I ever-so-slowly prepare to buy a long arm myself.. I've made great strides learning to FMQ on my DSM during my first year of quilting but know it's inevitable I will make the investment into either a sit-down or stand-up long arm.
One thing I'm doing is taking the full day Long Arm Quilting 101 class at the AQS Quilt Week in Virginia Beach this October - the class is sponsored by Handi Quilter and is taught by a well experienced LA'er whom I'm sure will share nuggets of info on what to look for. I look forward to spending several hours on one of their machines. I'm sure I will then want to rent time on others to compare. I'm in no hurry and plan to get as much time on various machines over the next few years as I possibly can. Of course, that's if I don't do something silly and impulsive
Thank you to all those experienced for sharing such great info! And good luck Ghoney on your quest to find what works best for you
Christine