This is probably a dumb question but: If a person had limited space, and only made a few quilts a year, but found a steal of a deal on a frame that uses a home sewing machine, such as a Hinterberg or handi-quilter frame or other brand, how difficult would it be to take down the frame when it wasn't in use? Would it have to be set up at all times, or could you make a few tops, set it up, quilt, then back it goes into storage.

My husband wants me to have a frame and I have seen some good deals, but this has been a question I need answered. I know they don't fold so it would have to be a complete tear down.

i have a hinterberg stretch frame. i am a senior citizen and i've taken it down and put it up again twice. takes less than an hour. with the hinterberg, you buy your own poles, so you can make it any length you want/or have space for. my poles are 9.5 feet.

I would think there would be some sort of info on the different companies sites. try there too.
I've been trying to find my Hinterberg box i bought. have the metal bars already but my hubby never put it together for me. hope i didn't put it in my charity stuff.

some are more portable than others- when looking you need to do some research to see if the one you are looking at is easy to set up/tear down or not- some are made to be put together and left= some are made to set up=use & tear down.
i know a couple ladies who have ones they bring to the sewing group meeting- takes minutes to set up- it gets used during our 2-3 hours= then is back down and in the car.
check out the flynn frames too.

Many of the machine quilting frames are fairly simple to break down & setup again. Since you buy your own poles for the Hinterberg Stretch & SuperQuilter ProFlex; you can make them any length you buy poles for. Some of the other frames can be put together with different combinations of pieces like the B-Line and I believe one of the wooden Grace frames to get different lengths--4, 7, 8, 10, or 12' for the B-Line but I have only taken my frames (started with a B-Line Studio & later got a bargain on a SuperQuilter ProFlex) down to move them from one room to another. The ProFlex is easier than the B-Line as it has fewer parts. I know others who take down & put up the tabletop HandiQuilter & B-Line on a regular basis but always at a given length--8' because that is the size of the banquet table they clamp the frame onto. The smaller, wooden Grace standing frames also appear to be simple to setup & take down.