Welcome from the Heartland of Florida. I was born and raised in Miami, FL and I think this is the furthest north that I could survive a winter. I have 4 sewing machines but none of them have a large harp. I did have a Janome 6500 that I loved but they no longer make parts for it. I don't feel like spending thousands of dollars for a new machine and I figure if I make a large quilt it would be cheaper to take it to a long arm quilter than pay for a new machine. Good luck with your choice.