Longarm recommendations?
 

Hello,
I am a quilter and general sewist considering the creation of a home-based longarm quilting business. I have sewn since I was a child, and have quilted since the early 2000s. Right now my sewing practice is made up of garment, home dec, pet and quilting projects. So I feel that I know my way around a home machine pretty well. But I don’t really know much about longarms.
I have rented a Gammill at one of our LQS, and I did really enjoy using it so much so that I am now starting the process of researching what kind of machine setup would work best for me. I have many questions, but I will start with one in particular: computerization. Since I am interested in starting a business with this machine, how “essential” to the bottom line is it to have a computerized setup? Right now for myself I am more interested in doing free-motion work, but I can see how having a computerized machine could be very valuable in working on customer quilts. For those of you with experience, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
And also, I’d like to know what brands you all are liking and why. Another huge topic.
Thanks everyone in advance. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences.

I have no experience with long arming as a business, but I have met several gals who do. They love their Innova's with the computerization. One lady that I saw her setup was 3 of the Innova's. She had all three running when I visited her to pick up a friend's quilt. And had at least 30 or 40 quilts ready to load. She said she could do at least 6 a day if they weren't huge. The cost of the computerization is big, but how much is your time worth? You still have to load and roll the quilts, but it seems to save a large amount of time and the designs are extremely accurate.

If you want to go into business....you want a dependable and sturdy machine. You also want to think about repairs and maintenance of the machine. You don't want to have to pull the machine off the frame and send it back to the company for repairs. I have an APQS Lucey but I do not quilt for others. However, a lot of maintenance and repairs can be done by the owner as the company offers a lot of video's and a manual. Also the techs can often help over the phone. One of my friends had a longarm which she had to send back to the factory for anything but simple fixes. When you have to do that....you are down for weeks if not months. The best longarmers in my town have APQS machines....some are used for freehand work and one is used for computerized. If you truly love freehand work, you can always start there and add the computer later. I would probably checkout and use if possible, APQS. Innova, and Gammill's. When I was trying to decide, it was between APQS and Innova. Basically, I chose APQS because they had a demo sale and I got a good price and also, I like the looks of the table better. I am glad I got the machine I did although it is one of the lower models. I do mostly freehand overall designs which are fairly quick to do and get the job done of quilting the quilt. Most fancy custom work is also done freehand and with the use of rulers. I basically like either of these two methods rather than the look of computerized quilting. Oh, and I did upgrade to "bliss" which makes it super easy to move the machine.

Automation generally adds about $10K USD to the cost of the setup. Plus it does require the user to learn to operate it. You may want to factor in the cost if you are looking at doing this to have the setup pay for itself.

Also research what services already exist in your area - you may find more longarmers than work (or vice versa).

And do some serious soul-searching as to whether you would be comfortable quilting for someone else, on their schedule.

The longarm companies love to show you how "quickly" your quilting will pay for itself, but in reality, is there that stream of unquilted tops and potential clients to make it a viable business in your location, and do you want to deal with customers?

Also understand that if you use a longarm for business, you homeowner's insurance won't cover it.

As to brands, which is better - GM, Ford, Mercedes, Tesla? Longarms are like cars - highly person-dependent as to what is good, what fits the budget, what is comfortable. And just like cars, never buy without test driving first to make sure it fits you and your needs. And by fit, check ergonomics and vibration. I cannot stand an Innova for more than a few minutes (although on paper I love the brand) because every one I have tried at a dealer translates a lot of vibration into my hands and wrists and causes pain in my joints.

This is a good read. https://www.colorwaysbyvicki.com/the...-matter.html#/

Food for thought is right!
 

Peggi,
Thank you so much for sharing that link! The issues she discusses are very much in my mind as I go through this process. Having a machine that does what it is designed to do without a lot of drama is a huge part of having a positive sewing experience for me. There is such a difference between having to cajole a machine to do what you want it to do and having one that does the same things without a struggle. I will never forget the feelings of liberation (and elation) I had when I sewed on a Bernina for the first time in the Leary 2000s after mostly knowing my mothers 1970s Kenmore. For me, it felt like I no longer had to battle the machine and I could just happily sew to my heart’s content. Since then, I have had similar experiences with other makes and the feeling is always the same when you and the machine are in sync.
I will keep this and the advice others have shared in this thread as I dive deeper into this journey. I am very grateful to all who have taken the time to comment.
Sibyl

Cost Recoup
 

My motivation in this endeavor is not to get the machine to pay for itself ASAP, but I get why the manufacturers stress that potential in their sales material because it helps people to justify the cost. For me, I want to develop the skills so that I can offer a service I can feel proud of. My interest in computerization is more so that once I really get going in businessI will still have some time to do my own thing. Right now, I am leaning toward going robotics-free for a while and then adding them on once I am ready to do so.

Thanks so much for weighing in on this. I

i will admit that I am increadsi gay looking forward to visiting our local Innova dealer.

I was fortunate enough to purchase a used LA about 3 years ago. It has the computer and I love that. The computer work is gorgeous. I have tons of sewing experience, was a home ec teacher and have had great success at quilting. But, I tell you, learning LA is a whole different thing. I thought I could pick it up easily and I do okay but I'm still not where I'd like to be. It's not the machine's fault. I need to spend more time at it, true, but I'm not good enough to do quilts for other people yet. Will I ever be good enough? I don't know.

The one thing I'd suggest to you is that you're going to need a LA dealer close enough to help answer your questions as they come up. And, they will come up. I've been in the middle of a quilt several times when I needed to call my LA dealer for help and they've been awesome to give me instructions over the phone, etc. I have a Handi Quilter machine and the techs at Handi Quilter are pretty awesome, too. My quilt guild at my summer place has a Tin Lizzie and it has never worked well since the day they bought it. And, they can't get the company to fix it, they are so unhappy. Who needs to spend that kind of money on a LA and then not be able to use it? Check on dealers close to you, that's all I'm saying.

And, good luck.

Regarding starting a longarm business: What is the longarm quilting community like in your area? Do you have guilds, local quilt shops, other longarmers; how much demand is there for longarm services? Have you written a business plan, figured out what you want to make, how much you need to charge, how many quilts you need to quilt each month to hit your target gross? Are there a lot of other longarmers in your area, or are there hardly any? Do you plan on getting most of your customers locally, or are you willing to promote yourself and get customers by mail? In my area, there are a lot of longarmers who are computerized or do pantos by hand, so pricing is fairly low. On the other hand, hardly anyone here does really good custom quilting, so that can be quite lucrative. Custom is almost always hand-guided, often with ruler work. Some computerized systems can be programmed with custom stitching, but be aware that can get very time-consuming.

Please don't think that you will buy a longarm, load a quilt on it, and start quilting and making money immediately. There is a huge learning curve even with computerized systems. You.Will.Need.To.Practice. How good you get and how fast you get that good depends entirely upon you and how much effort and time you put into learning and practicing. Practice every day and take classes.

Regarding purchasing a longarm: People will tell you to go to shows and test drive them. First of all, since shows are being cancelled left and right, that's hard to do. When I was test-driving machines, I invested in classes. A good 5-hour class will take you through loading your own backing, batting, and quilt top, winding bobbins, adjusting tension, troubleshooting and solving issues, then doing some actual quilting. I had a great teacher who also brought a bunch of rulers so we were able to test out different kinds and styles. She had a sampler quilt of all different kinds of quilting patterns and techniques, and she challenged us to replicate it, then helped us when we struggled with how to. You don't get the experience of loading your own quilt, adjusting the tension, etc. on a machine setup at a show. Invest in classes.

I have a little gang, a group of about 15 local longarm quilting friends. We get together monthly and have meetings, we have day-long sew days, we have week-long retreats. When we first started meeting, a lot of our discussions centered around issues we were having. Our machines ran the gamut - A1, Gammill, APQS, Tin Lizzie, Nolting, HandiQuilter, you name it, someone in the group owned it. There were a lot of frustrations with some of these machines. Gradually over the years, the Tin Lizzie, Nolting, and A1 machines were replaced by Innovas. Right now, our membership consists of 1 HQ owner, 1 Gammill owner, and the rest of us are all Innova owners, and we are very satisfied with our machines. The conversations have moved off of "how do you handle this problem" to "check out what I did". The great thing about Innova machines is they are designed to be owner maintained, meaning you can service it yourself instead of shipping it off to a dealer for service and being down for several weeks. The 24/7 support is excellent and they will walk you through how to do anything.

Here's another article to read. https://longarmuniversity.com/Inform...ne-Choice.html
After you read that, click on "machines for sale" at the top of the page.

Peggi,
Thank you for taking the time to share these additional thoughts. I found the Longarm University post to be valuable and a reminder to me that I need to spend more time at their site. I am definitely leaning toward the big-girl machines as I really don’t want to struggle against a machine that is not particularly competent at its job and I also don’t want to go through the trouble of re-how I g such a machine once the honeymoon is over. The more ai read about Innova, the more I tend to think that is the direction I Want to head in.
All this said, I want to emphasize that I am not laboring under the illusion that this is a skill I will need little-to-no time to develop before hanging out a long arm shingle. Knowing myself, I will need to practice for a good while before I will feel confident enough to offer services to others. Quality is definitely something I care very much about. My question about computerization/robotics was not asked out of a sense of money-making urgency, but rather from trying to get a sense of what role that technology is playing in others’ businesses.
As for my local scene is concerned, I have been getting a handle on that for about the last year or so. Pre-Covid, I had been attending monthly meetings of a long arm group at one of our SM dealers and networking with the other members there. We also have a MQG chapter here as well as a general quilt guild and again, Covid has slowed things down a lot as far as meetings are concerned. I also took a half-day class in order to rent the Gammill at one of our LQSes so I know the basics of their non-robotic machine. I do need to have more specific and pointed discussions with other pro quilters in my area, but initial discussions suggest that there still is room in the market for another pro long armer In the area. In a nutshell, I have started the kind of local research you describe but I am not done yet.
Your generosity with your knowledge is very much appreciated.

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Thank you mkc

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when I was researching long arm machines, I narrowed it down to either the Innova or an APQS. I ended up getting a demo APQS Lucey which is a basic long arm, stitch regulated, down/up, and a manual horizontal channel lock. I opted for the 12 foot frame. Main reason I chose her was the price. At the time, the Innova's for home use were relatively new, no used on on the market and seemed to be a bit more pricey then the APQS. new APQS machines come with a lifetime warranty and the company has created many videos, and most of the time, the owner can do any servicing that needs to be done without the head having to be sent into the shop. As they weigh 45 pounds, that is a plus not to have to ship. My machine has needed very little done to it over the 10 years I have owned her. I only have about 60 some quilts done on her as I only quilt for myself. Good luck on your search, take your time, try them out if you can find one to do it on. My friend just bought a new Lucey with the computer after having worked on mine. She is very pleased with it so far.

sorry, I just noticed this is an old thread.

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Although the thread is old, I'm glad you posted and hope others might as well. I am new to the group (thank you to admins for allowing me to join :-) ) and am hoping to narrow down choices in my research / planning for buying a longarm. Thank you....

If you do a search, you will find lots of threads on this topic, and you are also welcome to start your own thread to ask your questions. Happy hunting!

I am also looking, and found the thread helpful. My Regional Gammill dealer said they will be having a significant price hike on July 1st. I am currently thinking Gammill or APQS…

Thank you!

Being new to this group I'm still finding my way around, and I'm sure i'll find lots of helpful information here. So far I've been considering Innova, APQS, Bernina, and Handi Quilter. In my area (New England) I haven't identified any Gammil or Innova dealers so I might not be able to consider them. I am a hobbyist, so I think it makes sense to consider some machines targeting the "home" user as well as the more professional systems.
Let us know whether you make a decision and if so how it goes!

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I'm not sure who would be interested, but one of our local quilt shops is closing. It was a great shop, too. The mom died and the daughters tried to keep it going. I think Covid finally got them. They have two tin lizzies for sale. The shop is Pieced Together Studio in Mesquite, TX (a Dallas suburb).
bkay

I too am new to the board and am appreciative of the input on this subject.

SewQuiltyElf, shopping for a long arm can be daunting. It took me almost two years to decide on a purchase. A lot depends on how much you want to spend and the feel of the machine…if you can, test drive them. It also helps to have a dealer or service near you.

I started with a Qnique 15 with no computerization. After 2 years i realized i was not happy with the set up and upgraded to an HQ Amara with computer. I LOVE IT. My sister and i have finished so many quilts.
I attended a longarm class just to learn more and realized i would be happier with the electronics. Got a deal for attending the class. Traded in my Qnique set up. I am about as happy as i can be! Is there a learning curve? You bet! But as long as i am loving it I am ok. Have you seen AdamSewFun? He is great and he says: It’s quilting and as long as you are loving it . . .