Thank you so much for your responses. I did live in Anchorage for many years, but recently moved to SE Washington. I am familiar with the west side of both Oregon and Washington. I do know where McMinnville, OR is so thank you Peggi for that suggestion. I am thinking about a long arm not mid-arm.

My friend has an Innova and loves it. She attended classes (out of state) about maintaining and repairing (simple things). Innova seems like they really care about their customers.

personally, I have the Bernina. I chose the sit-down table with it, but it can be mounted on a frame. I love it. I've had no tension problems and it's really easy to use.

Can someone give me an idea of the cost of an 18 or 22” Innova.
Thanks.

http://www.innovalongarm.com
Joan, you need to contact a dealer near you and go in and talk with them. All dealers are very friendly and knowledgable about their products. You might be able to get a deal on a demo machine. This is what I did and you can be sure that they will not be high pressure at all because they do not have to be to sell their product. I considered several machines and this was the one I settled on.

Boersma's posts starting prices on their website
http://boersmas.com/

But I definitely agree with pewa. Contact them, they may have a trade in or a demo.

I will check out Boersmas. There is a quilt show in Portland in late September and it looks like they will be there.

All I know is not to buy a Tin Lizzy. Every quilter that I know that has/had one said horrible customer service.

I have the 30” Statler by Gammill on a 14’ table and absolutely love it. Not only was it extremely easy to learn, but the table is built like no other. The 30” throat means fewer times I have to stop and roll the quilt, a huge time saver. If you intend to quilt for the public, the Gammill Statler can’t be beat.

When I wanted to upgrade from my Voyager, I started my search by looking here http://www.longarmuniversity.com/MachinesForSale.html for what was up for sale. Whatever was listed frequently on that list I wanted to steer clear of, as there must have been a reason. Now, I understand that people move and don’t have room or just aren’t able to quilt anymore for some reason, but when I see several of the same brand listed, it’s a red flag for me. I tested pretty much every machine out there, and Innova won hands down. It was the easiest machine to move around and the stitches were absolutely perfect no matter how fast or slow I sew.

But the #1 reason was empowerment. I never felt comfortable maintaining my Voyager. Innova gives the owner the ability to maintain their own machines, so I don’t have to worry about taking it in anywhere (my dealer is 5 hours away!). If I have a problem (which has only been twice), I just call the 24/7 hotline and they walk me through anything that needs to be done. And they stay on the phone with you until it’s completely fixed and running smoothly. There are also a couple of Innova boards and FB pages where you can get expert advice from people such as Renae Haddadin, who knows this machine through and through.

Yes, for me Innova wins, hands down.

I just upgraded, after a year with the HQ Simply 16, to the HQ Amara with ProStitcher. Most important in addition to the machine, is the dealer/rep you purchase from. Free classes, phone/in person support, and caring about you after the purchase. My dealer is there for me 24/7 to answer questions and share in the joy of my first finished quilt. I don’t think I can post dealer names here so anyone would like to know the name of my dealer, feel free to message me.

As as others have suggested, try every machine at the quilt expo and see what feels right to you. I purchased a Janome domestic years ago and it never felt comfortable. The machine was great, just not for me. Sold it and bought a Viking and it felt like home again. Purchase what feels right for you and what you can afford, not what everyone thinks you should purchase.

Good luck!