Originally Posted by fireworkslover
My wishes for a standard sewing machine: Needle up or down feature, a bigger bobbin for sure as well as a loud beeper when the bobbin has a yard of thread left on it, a larger throat- about a foot would be nice, speed control for fmq, bobbin winding without unthreading the machine. I'm sure I could come up with more, but that's it for now.
My Bernina 440 has most of these features, not the bobbin-running-out alarm, but I can tell a difference in the sound when the bobbin runs out. I usually ignore it and pretend that I still have thread, but I realize that's just crazy.
The true longarms use bigger bobbins, size M, and they do hold a lot more thread. I have started using Bottom Line more in my sewing machine's bobbin, and I can finish a large lap quilt easily on 2 bobbins, with no lint.
Don't forget that a longarm is much more than a sewing machine with a longer throat. The frame holds the quilt and the machine moves. And $20,000 is almost double what you have to pay for a very good one.