Thanks for the replies, Watson, ThimbleBug and LuvsToQuilt. I expected people to like them and maybe even gush on about them, and it's interesting that the replies so far are not enthusiastic. I welcome more opinions and experiences.
There might be a shop where I can try one out, but it's not near me. I would definitely want to try one out before buying, but I might be as well off practicing more, as Watson said. I'm not looking for quilt show quality, I just don't want anything that's really off (those inch-long stitches that I sometimes get when I stop and start and the quilt sticks).