I totally understand what you are saying... have you thought about maybe investigating a used sit-down long arm? My guess is that you might be able to find one more reasonably priced at a dealer who also sells longarms and may have a gently used one taken in on trade. Sometimes, like with sewing machine trade ins you can leave your name on a list of people to contact when something suitable is traded in. Just a thought... you shouldnt have to struggle doing what you love and gives you joy every day!