i am really doing alot of research into getting a machine myself. i drove the HQ Sweet 16 and although i got all warm and fuzzy with the face that i had a TON of room around my needle, not like my little sewing machine here at home, i realized that you need a table around it as an extension, and you STILL have to baste your quilt somehow. which in my case i dont like doing because inevitably i end up with a pucker somewhere. you also are using your arms and shoulders to move the whole quilt around. the price was a bit over $4k but if you wanted a stitch regulator they were an addition $1k and although i can't describe this right, it was like a magnetic ball in a socket, you seperated it, slid the quilt in, and plopped the ball down on the socket again, and the light blinked as it went. so i could see myself getting all involved in what i was doing and it going off on the floor. i love the HQ Avante and what it has to offer for under $10k with all the goodies on it except the computerized stitching. The big thing that sold me on it is our sales rep; they will come to the house, set it up, spend the day with me giving me lessons, especially tension lessons she said, and she will also return once a year for its annual maintenance. as you are deciding which kind you want, make sure they will set it up, be there for questions, come do maintenance, etc. even if it is for home quilting, it is entirely too much money to spend on not getting exactly what you want. good luck in your endeavors and hope i have helped!

I bought a Nolting Fun Quilter and it is a good starter machine, hope someday to upgrade as I improve.

Test drive, ask question's, listen to sales person, walk away take time to try several, you will learn something new with every machine you try. then go back and test dive them all again. You will discover the more you learn, the more questions you will have. Soon you will be able to sort out what you really want in your machine. Do take into consideration where your closest repair shop is. Find other LA's in your area, talk to them about pros and cons of the machines you really like. Don't forget to question the tables too. Good Luck, I have a Lizzie 18, it is my first LA. I really like it.

What kind of budget do you have for the setup? A longarm setup can cost anywhere from about $3,000 to $30,000 depending on whether you buy new or used, harp size of machine, stitch regulator or not, computerized features or not, plus many incidentals such as extra handles (for micro work or pantographs), extra lighting, leaders, etc. If you know your budget in advance, this helps narrow down the options you need to consider.

Also, how much space do you have for a setup? To do king-sized quilts on a frame, you generally want a 12' or 14' frame. To be able to walk around the frame, you need at least 4' more (and 6' to 8' more is desirable). Not everyone has a room large enough to handle this kind of max size frame.

My own setup is a Voyager 17 with Hinterberg stretch frame, purchased used, 10' poles on the frame, no stitch regulator. This is a nice beginner's setup (although many would prefer having a stitch regulator). The Innova with lightning stitch, which is my dream machine setup, costs about 8 times as much as this beginner setup.

Whatever you get, you really want to get lessons with the machine. Some people who go all-out on their first setup are so intimidated once it is in their house they don't touch it for a year. Better to either start with a smaller, less fancy setup or get lessons with your investment so you feel comfortable actually using it.

I would like to stay under $10,000 in terms of price.

I do have a very large room to put it in so space isn't an issue.

I'm not typically one intimidated so I'm not worried about that aspect, just about choosing the right machine for me in my price range.

In that price range, you might want to consider this Innova:
http://www.innovalongarm.com/shop/in...ge-detail.html

It's their smallest, and comes with their regular stitch regulator (not lightning), but it would have excellent resale value if you ever want to upgrade.

You can get lots more info by joining the two Innova longarm groups on Yahoo:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/innovalongarm/info
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/innova_longarm/info

First question is what is your budget? Second question is how much room do you have for the machine? [This is a major need to know item!] Third question is do you want a computerized LA? Final question is what kind of support does the maker of the machine provide?

I know of several LA'ers. They don't all have the same machine. Yet they all feel they have the best one. Go figure.

I have a HQ16 [not the Sweet 16] with the ProStitcher. I love it. One of my friends has the Statler Stitcher and loves it. etc, etc, etc.

Like with DSM users. Some are dedicated Bernina fans, while others prefer Pfaff, Viking, Brother, Baby Lock, or Janome.

prism 99 i have the innova with a lightning stitch it is a dream .....i went to the quilt show and test drove everyone in the place TWICE keep coming back to the innova.....and yes i had to borrow money to get it but it was worth every penny

When you decide go to Longarm university and see if any machines you tried and liked are for sale used. I have an A-1. It's like the best kept secret around, A-1 and the Prodigy - I think those two machines are the best, just not real well known. Some people market their product better than others. I'm not saying I don't like the Innova, but that machine is at every show and really marketed well.

Don't buy til you try out the company American Professional Quilters. APQS They have ever model style you could want. But their product and support and spectacular. I have had one and quilted professionally for 5 years without a bit of trouble. They offer classes so you can do your own repairs with or without telephone support. We added a computer "Intelliquilter" to ours after one year for health reasons. I would not do without either one.