I bought a mid arm on the 4x6 frame a couple of years ago. Trying the machines out at a quilt show was very important. Most vendors had only small samples on which to try out their sit-down machines. When one vendor let me try to do a little practice on a larger quilt, my mind was quickly made up for the standing, framed version. I still have to baste the quilt and move it side-to-side if the quilt is larger than the frame window, but for me it is still worth the investment. I've only completed about 10-12 quilts on it, and most of my quilting patterns have been pretty basic. But I'm moving out into using rulers and trying designs that aren't edge to edge. I'm not sure whether I will try to get a larger frame (our new house has the space in the basement) and computer assist, but I do want back handles so I can try some pantographs. Still happy with my decision!