longarm considerations . . .
 

Hi everyone - i'm seriously considering taking the plunge and have zeroed in on the Babylock Crown Jewel with Quiltmotion software. on monday i will be looking at some APQS machines, but i don't think they'll be able to match the price.

can anyone give me a reason i should not go after the Crown Jewel? i played with one a couple of years ago and will go on saturday to play again and possibly leave a down payment. stop me now! :)

No, I drool over the crown jewel. its a nice machine

Here's a great article on choosing a long arm.
http://www.allstitch.net/department/....cfm?killnav=1

I have postponed my dreams of owning one since I just purchased the dreamweaver XE combo machine, let me know how you like it if you get it

not seeing long arm info, just embroidery info at that link?

Hi Fabricluvr,
I am a Jewel owner and have set up and given lessons on the Crown Jewel. They are really srturdy machines, mine is 4 years old and I have had very few problems all of which I was able to get repair by me or parts being shipped at no charge. I have a friend who is trying to sell her Crown and I am so trying to talk her out of it. She wants 6000.00 for the Crown plus the Majestic frame. She does not have the Quilt Motion but it is an easy upgrade. She completed 3 quilts and decided that she was no longer interested. You may email me for her information if you wish. [email protected]
Good luck,
JudyLee2

Is the Crown Jewel the one made by Tin Lizzie or is it the one made by HandiQuilter? I know TL makes the Janome one but I don't remember who makes the Crown Jewel - I guess my reasoning would be compare the identical different brand machine. It would be identical except for the price - which may be higher or lower ;)

Also, I'd keep an eye on Craigslist. Right now a lot more long and mid arm machines are being listed since a lot of people are upgrading after going to the fall quilt shows... You might be able to save yourself a lot of money which can be spent on fabric! :D

Thanks Judylee2 - glad to hear you have had a good experience. i'm hoping i like it. thanks for the offer from your friend, but i'm sure shipping would be a hassle.

Hi! already checked craigslist and nothing there. the Crown Jewel is Babylock.

I thought that the Babylock one is made by Handiquilter. The machine is identical. I'd look at the HQ then. I couldn't remember which one was made by which company.

i just read somewhere that they are made by brother.

I almost bought one instead of my Gammill: however, the deal killer was that the shop expected ME to take it home, set it up, and educate myself on it while they banked my money. With the Gammill, the sellers were with me all the way; they brought it to me, set it up, instructed me, didn't leave until I was as comfortable as I could get with it and have continued to support me to this day. They also offer free classes but I have not been able to get to them yet...but I will.
So, I guess what I'm saying is that there is a LOT to consider when buying a LA, not just the kind of machine...:)

That's because I posted the wrong link! So Sorry
http://r.b5z.net/i/u/10076798/f/shop...or_longarm.pdf
let me try again

Iam getting ready to buy an A1 Longarm...I love that machine. Check it out.

Dealer support should be one of your top 3 considerations when considering a LA. Dealer support makes all the difference between a great LA ownership experience and a nightmare. I had the same experience as momto5 with my Innova. Believe me, having a dealer come to your home, set the machine up, train you make sure you understand how to thread it, adjust tension, pin a quilt on, offer unlimited training etc is worth a LOT. The peace of mind you have by having a knowledgable, reliable dealer is invaluable, IMHO. Don't set your heart on ANY brand until you know up front what kind of dealer support you are going to get.

When I was buying I tried out the HQ (which is who manufacturers the babylock LA) and the Innova. The two were very close in price points however I found the Innova was a much better machine and the dealer support was just so much icing on the cake. I never even considered dealer support when I started shopping but it sure came into play the closer I got to actually taking the plunge.

I'm thinking about selling my tin Lizzie - but there aren't any LA dealers close so customer service always a problem for me -

I bought a Tin Lizzie 26" last spring from a dealer 3 hours away from me. I couldn't ask for a better dealer, even if she is 3 hrs away. I've been thrilled with the machine, too! Wow, it takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'! I'm still a beginner so it's been through a few 'user errors' shall we say? LOL

I have had a Crown Jewel for over a year and absolutely love it. I have had no problems and have done 23 quilts on it. I do not have the Quilt Motion but did use it at my 4 day class put on by Baby Lock.
The Crown Jewel is the same machine as the HQ Avante.
If it is possible for you to go to the Baby Lock class on the Jewel in St. Lewis, do it. It was wonderful. I felt so comfortable with the machine and frame after that.

thank you for that information. i put some money down on it today. i'm going to look at some APQS machines on monday, but will probably call the dealer on tuesday and have him go ahead with the babylock. i can't imagine anyone beating the price and he threw some more stuff into the package today while i was there!

while i was out and about enjoying some of the local shops, i had several comments made when they asked what i am buying. i'm convinced that everyone likes their own brand . . . :) one got kinda snotty with me and wrinkled up her nose and said i should look at the noltings. i'm tired of looking . . .

One more thing, Patty. I insisted on putting my frame together by myself. I wanted to know how it worked and be able to take care of it myself. It is true that they send it to you directly, but my local dealer would have helped me if I had asked.

That's good to know Beth. I'll be setting up the entire thing by myself (including the computer) and I'm fine with that. Feedback is that the video/instructions are really good (i've already watched the setup video on youtube).

It's important that I know how to do it because I'm not exactly sure where the best place for it is in my home, so I will probably be moving it eventually . . .

Looked at the APQS machines today but they can't even come CLOSE to the price. I just can't justify another $10k over what I'm paying for the Crown Jewel (with the computer).

You'd be surprised at how inexpensive it is to ship one FedEx Ground. It can be $300.