Long(er) Arms
 

I know this subject comes up all the time. I searched it :) and here's what I found:
Bailey 13 $1,599.00
Bailey 15 $1,899.00
Sunshine 16 $1,750.00
WOW 16 $1,899.00
HQ Sweet Sixteen $5,195.00
Voyager 17 $2,400.00
Bailey 17 $2,499.00
WOW 18 $3,099.00
Homesteader 19 $2,695.00
George 20 $6,400.00

I have 7.5 inches on my domestic. I see no point what so ever to upgrade to 9-10 inches. But it seems like there is a huge jump to 9 inches then again to 13 inches then they creep a little slower. However, I know there will be a lot of people suggesting machines with 9-10 inch arm. I'm looking for a sit-down machine, so this list is concentrated on ones I believe are sit down (and frames).

Did I miss any? I didn't include any that I couldn't find a price online.

Innova has a new sit down machine. Go to their website and take a look.

The Voyager is not normally a sit down machine and it has been discontinued, I believe, at least as it was originally sold since Hinterberg has merged with Nolting. There was also a Weekender 10" machine and I believe a Quilting Bee or something similarly named. Definitely check at the Nolting web-site.

I have never seen the WOW as a sit down machine but the makers of the WOW quilter will stretch the Juki/Brother/Janome/Pfaff/Babylock 9" straight stitch only machines to 18".

The Janome Horizon 7700 is an 11" domestic machine and was being sold brand new for $2,000 when it was first released. I don't know if the price has gone up or down since then.

The ABM Innova may be able to be adapted to sitdown sewing. And the Crown Jewel by Babylock, possibly. I believe I also saw the Tin Lizzie setup to be in a table however they call it a Queen Quilter in that setup. Since the Viking MegaQuilter 18 x 8 is the same machine, it could theoretically be set in a table, also.

There was a post a day or so ago about a Juki 8700 industrial machine that is being marketed at quilters. I believe the price on it was around $2,200 setup.

Nustyle is another one I can think of off the top of my head. They are sold by a store in Stover, Missouri or in that area.

There are also older/discontinued/home-made machines that are in the 10-16" range. You may stumble across those in your research. DAQ (Design-A-Quilt) had an interesting history, Versaquilter made a bright yellow Tweety Bird and a Purple Monster.

KenQuilt is still around although I believe they recently merged with another company.

Wow, Beverly! You really know your machines!! Is this the same Juki? http://www.sewingmachinesplus.com/se...FQbznAod_VUwXg If so, I'm buying one tonight!!!

I think I heard somewhere that the feed dogs don't drop in those industrial machines. Might be wise to call before you buy to make sure. Thank you for all that great information you and Beverly posted previously! I've been trying to get that kind of information for ages!

I'm trying to get all the information together in one place on the board! I have a spreadsheet that keeps growing!




From what I've read if you're using an industrial for machine quilting only, remove the dogs!

This information helps me to know how much I need to save for! I knew I couldn't afford a $30,000+ setup but the ones in your post are attainable! Thanks again!

Re feedogs: DUH!!!!!!!!!! lol!

I'm such a nerd, I even put a column on my spread sheet that tells price per inch... I figure if you're paying for extra inches, that's the best way to figure your best deal!

The Sunshine 16 is the cheapest at $109.38/inch, BTW lol

You know, in one of her videos, even Leah Day hinted to the powers that be that it would be wonderful to have just a regular domestic machine with a long(er) arm. Wonder if anyone listens?

NO..this is an industrial machine...made to go like H*** and not slow down.....

Ok, here's my crazy idea. Could someone stretch their own machine.. if they had half of a clue of what they were doing? I know they stretch motorcycles for a few hundred bucks... wouldn't stretching a little sewing machine be easier?! I have an old Singer 206 that I'd be willing to let someone experiment on... if someone could add 5-6 inches to it... I think I'd be happy!

AshleyR, there is a fella that stretches machines. It is the WOW and if I remember correctly his name is Rick. Also, there is a waiting list and the last time I saw a post about it they were waiting about 6 months...

Also, Billy on this forum (vintage machines) Lostn51 is his forum name has instructions to stretch machines. My DH wants to try one and he has a machine waiting for him to get busy....

Do you happen to know where that post is? I searched for it and can't find it.

Wow the new Innova machine is beautiful, but not cheap. $5995 and with stitch regulation $6995.

It's less than the George.

I couldn't find that one. The cheapest machine I saw is 18" for $9k

Weird, it's not easy to find any more. Here's a video on it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBxT49mFsTQ

I have a Janome Horizon 7700 with an 11 inch throat. I love it! Works really well for FMQ and it also fits perfectly on my Grace frame for larger projects. I got it for Christmas and my husband paid $2500 for it, but I think they've gone up now to $3,000.

And that is NOT a sitdown machine. That 9K includes the frame.

http://www.innovalongarm.com/new_pro...vaSitDown3.jpg

Here's a link to the innova sit-down machine. I haven't tried it but I love my Innova 26

The HQ 16 sitdown model is great. I know of several people who have already traded up ... so there are some used models out there in great condition.

ali

I don't know. I saw a web-site somewhere about that model that said they were packaging it up for an in the table quilting machine with foot pedal but it wasn't clear if they were really talking about that model or a different one. I would definitely call one of the shops that sell it and ask.

5,000 rpm really isn't out of the range for the more industrial type sewing/quilting heads. My Voyager will go that fast at it's top speed but I never crank it up that high. I can see how someone with lots of experience and simply doing a meander would be able to manage it at that speed though and I can see how someone like Diane Gaudinski could use it at that speed while doing meanders on a sit-down version. My domestic machine will do 1,500 rpm and when you're just sewing long straight lines--it seems slow. My older and as far as I know most domestic machines will only do 700 to 900 rpms.

Machines made specifically for quilting don't have feed dogs. In the 9" straight-stitch only machines which are "semi-industrial", I know the Janome 1600p did not "drop" the feed dogs--it came with a cover plate.

I lusted after a mid-arm for 3 years before I stumbled across a deal on ebay. I was a complete nerd about it also and had the spread sheet and all my pros & cons of each model. My Voyager is NOT the machine I lusted after but I couldn't pass up the chance and I don't regret it.

ABM Innova was a new player in the hobby/home quilter market when I bought my setup but folks were raving about it. ABM made commercial quilting machines before dipping in the hobby quilter market.

Is Babylock still selling the Crown Jewel? There was also a Crystal Quilter but I can't remember who was selling it.

I just notice Nolting's FunQuilter isn't on your list. That has been an extremely popular beginner level mid-arm for a long, long time. It was one that I was really lusting after. The 19" Indigo is also missing.

There were 2 yahoo all-makes machine quilting groups that I lurked on for years. I think that's where I got my first spread sheet and just added to it as new machines were added to it.

I just remembered the B-Line 18 for the Canadian's among us. http://www.tobequilting.com I think it is still being made although I have heard through their yahoo group that the wife of the maker has been very ill. They started out with very nice wood quilting frames--a table top model and a free-standing one. I bought & learned on the free standing one when I made my first foray into quilting my own tops. Jorst later branched out and stretched a Janome (I think) into the B-Line 18 and made a special hopping foot that the Voyager owners were going crazy over.

I have a sweet sixteen & with the table it was only $3.000.00

i didn't see the tin lizzie 18 sit down quilter listed. i forgot how much my lqs said the price was.

http://tinlizzie18.com/esp-long-arm-...zie18-sitdown/

I fell madly in love with a sweet 16 at a quilt show in April. It was on sale, with table, for $4,000. By the time I realized what an amazing deal that was, of course it was sold. Who am I kidding? My old house desperately needs painting outside, needs a hatch door for the basement, etc. etc. Now that machine has been upgraded and price went up about $2,000. Dealer has my name in case someone wants to upgrade and get rid of one, but I just don't see a possibility regardless. Sigh.

A used Viking Mega Quilter sold on eBay. I have one. They have a 9" throat. I had it on a frame then bought APQS Millenium. I sold the frame but kept the machine. They have knee lift, great stitches and a cover plate for feed dogs. I have been using mine for piecing but am thinking about selling it as we are getting into collecting vintage machines. I would think they would make a great fmq machine.

I'll add it to the list: $4699.00

Here's some interesting comparisons: http://www.newjoyquilting.com/machine_choice.html

I just found the Juki 8700 model setup on a quilting frame with speed controller (handle mounted) but they may have alternate solutions for a table model. And they saw the "throat" is 11 3/4". You might want to add their Juki and a similar Tacsew to your spreadsheet. http://www.nustylequilting.com/quiltingmachines.htm

I started with the Janome 6500/Elna 7200 they have listed. Their figures for quilting space are a little misleading because by the time you have 5" rolled up on the take up roller, you are at the end of a large queen or king size quilt.

Quilting large quilts with a 9" machine can be done but the quilt designs have to be adjusted or re-designed to do it with the limited space. You can stop, needle-down, and roll the quilt back & forth; some designs you can break in half and quilt it in 2 passes; you can do 5-6" passes up until the middle of the quilt--baste to the end--turn the quilt and start from the middle back toward the takeup roller; simple meanders, loops, puzzle pieces, stipples, etc. can be done easily--you just have to roll the quilt more often with the smaller machines. It is a pain but paying a longarmer is a pain in the wallet for simple quilting. Crawling around on the floor to tie or baste a quilt is a pain in the knees & back.

For me, hunching over my sitdown machine and pushing/pulling a bed size quilt was a pain in my shoulders & hands. Even a baby quilt, which I will still occasionally do on my domestic machine, hurts me but not as much now that I have the 9" domestic & it is set into the cabinet and I learned to put tables and books all around me to help support the weight. Where there is a will---there is a way!

For quilting on a frame, there is also I gizmo I used called a Max Throat which you might be able to find used. They don't make it anymore but I know there are still a bunch of them out there. It would roll the quilt back & forth on the take-up roller for you allowing you to get up to 16" in a single pass with a 9" machine. I loved mine but I will admit that it takes constant vigilance to make all the parts work together.

I have seen similar fabric/quilt advance gizmos but they have all been on the true long-arm machines. I'm sure there is some tinkerer that could figure out a similar idea to Max Throat for the home users.

Janome has an 11" machine - the Horizon. It's a sit down. I am not sure how much they go for but that one would have feed dogs. I know it isn't what you were looking for though... it is a smaller necked machine.

I have a Bailey 15" machine on a frame. I do not enjoy frame quilting as much as I hoped I would but then I haven't really pushed myself far with it. I will make a point to really get in to it this summer... maybe I can designate the boys' reading time as my Bailey time... maybe it will grow on me.

It is a great workhorse of a machine. It does not have feed dogs so it is free motion only.
You CAN stretch your own machine. There is a tutorial online to do so. I would suggest getting a cheap machine from a second hand store to do it on though just in case ;) There is a pdf in the homequiltingsystems yahoogroup that shows you how to do it yourself- It's in their files pages called stretching a machine - it's the Purple Monster. If you are handy, you could give it a go but like I said, I'd get a cheap kicker machine that works from a second hand store before doing it to a better machine.....

The George. I'm not sure who makes it.

I currently have a Grace Start Right frame with a Juki 2010. Space prohibits getting a larger frame, but I am testing the waters for a longer/higher throat space. So far, the 2 that interest me the most is the Nolting M.A.Q 14 and the Bailey's Home Quilter 13. Big price difference. The Bailey's looks like it has a regular sewing machine tensioner system, while Nolty's has the industrial tensioner system. My Juki has a more industrial tensioner and it works really well. The Nolting also has an 8" harp height, which I think will give more quilting space toward the last rolls. (and it's purple, which is so cool!!) I live in Central Texas and there is a dealer within about an hour's drive for the Nolting. Not so with Bailey. Then there's the money aspect. I quilt only for myself and am just getting into frame quilting. So much to think about. Glad I found this Quilting Board.

I bought my Sweet Sixteen "used", it was a store demo and half the price. I have never had a problem with it!s