Long arm opinions
Hi Everyone!
Hope everyone is well! I know I know..Yet another person (me) posting and asking advice on a long arm, but I'm at a bit of a loss. My mom and I have an HQ that we purchased last year, that has sadly wound up being a machine we cringe at even using. It was finicky with thread from day one to where we could barely go for 10 minutes without thread break (until we found just the right thread that finally worked). Then other issues that basically made the desire to use the machine unpalatable. We worked with the dealer that we purchased the machine from regarding the thread breaks, etc. but ultimately we spent more time fixing issues then we did quilting. And yes, it could very well be us in that once we grew unhappy, it was hard to bring us out of that.
Anyway, we still love the idea of a long arm and are looking around. We saw Gammill at a quilt show and my mom was in love. Of course, the machine on display was stitching perfectly and the sales person was nothing but gushing. But, I've learned my lesson that salespeople aren't there to tell you the truth. So even though I know Gammill is a big/good name, I still worry. I've been talking with a rep who has given me a good price on a pre-owned machine and wants me to put a deposit down, but I'm just nervous. So, I'd love to get other long arm owners opinions on the machines they like/use.
I should stress that my mom and I don't FMQ too much. We'd love to learn, but for now we mainly want good robotics that are intuitive for edge to edge, fill, etc. I did really like the Pro-Stitcher software, so it's frustrating that we had so many issues with the HQ.
I'm seeing a lot about Innova and there is a dealer a few hours away that offers service and support, which is important. Can anyone offer insight on service with their brand? I've seen a few posts regarding Gammill owners who have trouble getting service. That turns me off, especially considering the cost.
I just don't want to make another costly mistake considering the prices, so I would really love some honest feedback and advice. Thanks in advance!