I posted that I might soon be a long arm quilter, well, short arm quilter??? Actually I think it's a mid arm with a frame. It's an older Tacsew (which is actually an industrial machine) with an older frame for $1100. Here's the link to the Craigslist ad -
http://westky.craigslist.org/art/2544627109.html

I received some responses, most seemed to think it was a little high.

Then I found this listing in another nearby location. It's a Singer that's been "stretched" into a long arm. It's pretty cool, an old workhorse of a Singer, cut and made into a longarm quilting machine.
It looks an awful lot like this one - http://www.thequiltingsolution.com/homesteader.html
It also comes with a frame and it's listed as $1300, but she will take $1000. The machine is only about 3 or 4 years old, the frame is 10 feet long, but could be made larger if needed. Here's that link -
http://nashville.craigslist.org/art/2567046669.html

Both would do king size quilts, I like the neck on the "stretched" one better since I could do a larger space before moving the fabric.

Both are willing to work with me on the payments. The first will let me take it home and make payments, the second will let me make payments similar to layaway and then I can take it home. I just don't have the money outright to pay it all at once. It's really hard being poor. :(
So it looks like I will be a long arm quilter. I'm probably going with the second one, but wanted to see what you all thought. I will travel and test before making the final decision. But I value your opinions, so please let me know what you think....

Between the two, I would pick the second one. JMHO and worth what you paid for it. :-D

i would go with the longer arm

The second one has a longer arm, right? But niether have stitch regulators. Longer throat is better, imho.

You might want to consider other options. I am! Here are some that I am looking at:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-149818-1.htm
http://machine-quilt-frames.blogspot.com/
http://www.easyquilter.com

I had an opportunity to try out the Easy Quilter at a show recently and really liked it. It is a little different than the others in that you spray baste your quilt sandwich first, so you need only 2 rolls (which the metal half-circles hold). Also, with this frame, the right and left ends of the quilt can hang off the sides. To do a large quilt, just split the batting into thirds and quilt the middle first. The machine at the quilt show was a Janome 1600P, which has a deeper throat and sews at 1600 stitches per minute. I really liked the high speed stitching (the guy at the booth told me to "floor it", and I did :D ).

With any of these setups, throat depth is an issue. On the website in the QB post, he mentions that with a domestic machine and a queen-size quilt (I think it's queen), you end up with only about 2 inches of quilting space at the end. With any of these setups, though, you can simply quilt to the mid-point and then reverse the quilt and quilt from the middle to the other side. (This can be done with all of these frames, as far as I can tell.)

My current problem is that I showed dh all of these setups, and he thinks he can do better. (groan......)

What I am currently leaning towards is having my dh make something similar to the Easy Quilter, but with the carriage assembly from the quilt board post above (because of the metal wheels). I like the Easy Quilter because it does not take up so much width. Figure I will start with this setup, then later when I have more money, purchase a fast-stitch machine with a deeper throat than my domestic machine. Figure my dh can make the frame setup for about $200. A fast-stitch sewing machine with deeper throat runs around $600.

Well, I just got off the phone with the long arm sale ad, and spoke with the husband. Turns out, he doesn't want to do a layaway. No cash - no sale. I've already emailed the ad with the industrial machine and told them I was going with the other one, so I guess no machine for me at the moment. It so sucks to be poor! I can only do so much. I give away too much, that I could be making more on, or maybe I could save some up. I basically have no job (other than the tiny bit that quilting brings in), can't find dispatch work in this depressed area, and am told "sorry, I can't help you" when I finally get a break. The wife was nice and willing to work with me (I know, I'm a total stranger) but he wouldn't. I guess I'll just struggle along on my thrift store/garage sale machines and make what I can and dream on about having a long arm. Sorry for my rant, hurting right now.

i feel so bad for you hope another one comes up soon and in your price bracket.

Sorry the deal fell through, good luck in your search.

You could still email the ad with the industrial machine and say the other deal fell through. Unlike the other one, they may be very happy to sell with payments. Worth a try.....

Well, I didn't go with either.... but, I did find a longarm. A WOW stretched Singer 201. There are pics on my posting at http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-154508-1.htm