How noisy are longarms?
 

Are longarms noisy, or is it about the same as a sewing machine (which are a bit noisy)? I'm not looking to buy, I'm just curious. If it's in the same room as a TV, can you hear the TV?

I know I wouldn't make the time to learn to use one, so I'm not in the market, but I think I'm looking for other reasons I can't get a longarm. :D

They are noisier to me than sewing machines

They're noisier

They are noiser, and mine had a stitch regulator that sounded like a tractor so I stopped using the regulator and when I got the machine repaired with new boards it is not quieter and now no stitch regulator.

Noisier, but that is expected for a bigger machine, bigger motor, and on a frame.

You could if you cranked up the volume enough. I regularly listen to music when I am longarming and I have no difficulty listening to music while quilting but I do have the volume up. I won't wear earbuds because I want to be able to hear if my machine is making any weird noises. Plus I am not a fan of earbuds. My LA is upstairs and my DH reports when I am going fast he can hear me downstairs but I believe what he mostly hears is the vibration.

I suspect if you were longarming in the same room that someone was trying to watch TV, the watcher could get annoyed and miss parts of the dialogue on the TV. They are most definitely louder than a regular sewing machine.

They are definitely noisier than a sewing machine. You might be able to raise the TV volume up enough to hear as background sound for yourself, but the longarm noise would be very annoying and distracting to anyone else in the room trying to watch TV.

Some are noisier than others. I watched a demo of a machine, I think it was a Nolting, and was absolutely turned off by how noisy it was. Innova and Handiquilter seem to be a bit quieter.

I don't watch tv while sewing and quilting, I watch Netflix on my computer with noise-cancelling bluetooth earbuds. The buds form a seal in my ear canal that greatly reduces outside noise, which means I don't have to turn the sound up as high. :thumbup:

I had to buy wireless headphones in order to hear my TV while running the longarm. Unless I want the volume so loud it's painful when the machine stops, that was the only option for me.

Reasons not to buy one (I have two longarms, so just playing devil's advocate here to help you out ;) )
1. loud
2. space
3. cost (think of all the fabric you could buy)
4. uses electricity (more cost)
5. the lint (omg the lint! Somehow it seems worse than my regular machine)

had to laugh at your post, Krista!
Yes, definitely louder, but I do watch (or rather have it on and half-way listen) to tv or music while quilting.

I have an Innova, which was quieter than most others I tried out. I always have the TV on (it’s across the room) for background noise. You can’t watch it while LA quilting anyway, so I like listening to the director’s commentary on DVD movies.

I think mine is a little bit noisy but husband just turns volume on his tv doesnt bother him.

I didn't even know about the lint! Now I REALLY don't want one. :D

Thanks everyone for all the replies!

I have this idea that if I ever practice FMQ on my machine enough that I'm not terrible at it, then I can think about getting one, and so I've been wondering if it would even be possible (or maybe the word I want here is practical). Let's see, we could put the longarm in the master bedroom and then sleep in the hallway ...

DVD commentaries are a good idea. I listen to podcasts while I sew, but when I spend a lot of time sewing I run out. I can't hear them well when I'm sewing on my regular machine, so it has to be something I enjoy listening to that I don't mind missing parts of.

I listen to music while I am on my longarm without having to blast it, the volume is unchanged from any other time. As for the lint issue that is because of the thread your using not the machine.

My longarm is the focal point of my living room, and a loveseat that the dog occupies to keep me company. My TV is in the bedroom. When I am using the longarm I want no other distractions around me, no TV, no music. I love the rhythmic sounds of the machine whirring away. Mine is computerized, so I can busy myself in the nearby kitchen while still listening for any issues that may come up. As far as lint, I wouldn't consider it any more of a problem than the dust in the house. I live alone so am not concerned about it annoying anyone else in the house. I think the biggest issue is the space it takes up, but if you want to quilt bad enough you make space.

I'm new to LA quilting, but I absolutely cannot let my attention stray for even a second. In my sewing studio, I always have the TV running, but I will never put a TV in my quilting studio because I realize that I cannot split my attention for even a second. I actually enjoy the soothing sound of my quilter and find it relaxing.

If the concern is for someone else in the room you could get those tv headphones for the other party. If for you, yes they are louder and your head is right by the motor area if doing a pantogram. If from the front side and doing your "own thing", then you are on the opposite side of the motor and it's not 'quite' as bad, but noisey none the less. At least on my Gammil it is.

I was thinking if someone else were in the room watching TV, but it also serves as a gauge in trying to describe how loud something is (probably better than "louder than crickets but softer than a jackhammer").

As a comparison, when I rented time on a longarm, there was a second one in the (relatively large) space that was in use during one of my sessions. The noise from the other longarm was extremely distracting to me. I don't see how someone could watch TV while a LA was in use in the same room. Now, this was not a computer-guided machine so the sounds varied during the stitching, and in particular the irregular noise really started to get on my nerves.

The rentals were APQS Millie and Lenny.