When I was looking to move up from quilting on a domestic machine, I was lucky enough to have a manufacturer not far away. He let me play on a number of long arms for over 2 hours. I was surprised to find I didn’t like them! I missed the feeling of fabric in my hands. I ended up with a Sweet 16 stationary machine. Everyone told me I “needed” a long arm, and I had the space and money for one. I do have issues in basting large quilts though since I can’t get down on the floor anymore, and long arming is faster, but I have never regretted my purchase of the sitdown. My recommendation is to try out types of machines extensively, not just for 10 minutes. Going to a quilt show as soon as the doors open or on a weekday is a good approach.