:) welcome from se TX

Welcome from the Kansas prairies! Yep, I agree with everyone else, the bigger the throat the better. You can never have too much space!

Howdy & welcome from Texas. My machine has a 6 1/2" throat & it's a real struggle to get it quilted. It's a good thing I really like the "quilting" aspect of making a quilt otherwise I would have a lot of flimsy quilt tops & no completed quilts. :D I say the bigger the throat...the better. The needle up/down button is a really good feature for me also. Have fun with your new hobby.

Welcome to the board!
I agree with the others. Get the largest you can afford.
Having said this- my Bernina was a lot more expensive than my Juki and the Juki has the wider throat so it's not only about the cost.

Buy the machine with the biggest throad space and other features that you can afford. The throat space is the space between the needle and the right side of the machine. the widest and deapest span gives you more space to quilt without moving the quilt a lot. Good luck and welcome aboard. Check out Leah Day's website, she has lots of info on quilting FMQ

welcome! :wave:

Welcome from NY!

Welcome!
Usually, if the machine has a big throat, or "harp" space the manufacturer will mention it as it is a selling point. Like others when I went from an older machine to a newer machine with an 11" harp space it was so much better! It makes a huge difference in free motion, as you can move the quilt more easily and "puddle" the quilt around the needle without having it all jammed in around your hands.
Best of luck in your search.

Watson