Innova seems to have 24/7 telephone support. As with others, I have seen only glowing reports about their support. Their techs seem to be able to troubleshoot over the phone and talk you through issues step-by-step. There is an Innova group on Yahoo! you might want to join. They are mostly frame quilters, but some may have the sit-down model.

I have an Innova, but it's on 12 foot frame. I love it! I have used the 24/7 telephone support a few times, and it was wonderful. When you call, you're talking to someone who knows the machine inside out (sometimes to an owner of the company), not to someone who has been lightly trained to answer standard questions. I really can't speak directly to the sit-down machine, but the Innova I have is constructed so that it doesn't need more maintenance than I can give it, which is usually just oiling (only one spot), changing the needle, and cleaning. For my DSM I feel that it's important to have a nearby dealer, and I even have a service policy so I can take the machine in for frequent cleaning and adjustment, but that isn't necessary for the Innova. If I were going to buy a sit-down machine it would be an Innova for sure.

Innova would be my choice.having a dealer nearby is not necessary with a quality machine.Their tech support is there 24/7 and very helpful with our learning curve.hands down Innova for me

why so few innova sit-down owners vs Sweet 16 --at least that i know
 

I was concerned that if i have tension issues, wld something in the machine need to be adjusted that i cld not do myself.
i had heard that innova has 24 hr support.
there do no seem to be many people who have the sit-down model--especially in comparison to the Sweet 16 so i wondered why.

I have the BL Tiara and love it. I spent a lot of time researching, test-quilting, and thinking about what I wanted before spending this money. While I would love a long-arm on a frame, at this point in my life, I still work full-time and do not have the time it would take for me to become as proficient with that, as I am with my sit-down model. I also love free-motion quilting. So I decided to buy something I could enjoy right-away. I went with the Tiara since my local dealer is one I have experience with and trust.

And yes, be assured, you will have tension issues since these machines are quite different that home sewing machines. But with You Tube and various message boards, you can learn so much.

I have an Innova - an 18" frame one - had it for 5 years. You don't need a dealer close to you - there is wonderful 24/7/365 free live tech support just a phone call away. Love the Innova - never a problem with it that isn't my ignorance! And it loves all of the Superior Threads as top threads too. If you want any questions answered about the Innova, I'll be happy to chat with you on the phone about it too! I'm not a dealer, just love my Innova!

I use all different threads in my Sweet Sixteen and it works like a dream...no issues whatsoever with tension. You can also use any size needle between 12-20 with the Sweet Sixteen. Telephone and email support is stellar from HQ as well. I would stick with a big company that has dealers and support. I would also sign up for several yahoo groups on the machines you are interested in and read the boards they are really informative.

The Innova sit-down machine is relatively new (at least in comparison to their frame models), which may be why you're having problems finding someone who has it. Anyone with a longarm of any type will have tension issues from time to time - just as with a DSM - and you will need to learn to adjust the tension - but you can do it yourself, without help from a technician.

Innova has a group on yahoo - http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/innovalongarm I agree, join groups that have all the brands you are considering...there you will get the good, the bad and the ugly on the machines from the owners. Read back in the messages for as far back as you can go. I know with Innova there used to be 2 different groups that went into one...and all the old messages are gone. On the Innova group, you can ask questions and get the answers by owners as well as the office manager goes through and reads the messages as well...there have been a few surprised owners who were having a problem and they got a call from tech support to solve their problem. I know of a few ladies who were having issues that got personal visits from tech support - they were an hour or so away and just popped over to fix the issue (even when they were on vacation).

I just looked at the Innova sit down machine on youtube and it sounds like a versatile machine. Do you know how much it costs including the table?