I have a chance to get a 5 year old Juki TL-98Q with a 2 year old New Hope frame. Comes with laser, stitch regulator, and additional feet/accessories for $1000.

Is this a good deal? Pros? Cons? I think it would a good way to break into this type of quilting. Any input would be appreciated.

It is a good deal ... why is it being offered?
If the quilter is upgrading, find out what she is upgrading to ... I don't know anything about the frame you are talking about, but I do know Juki ... and it is an industry giant! <wave>

Yes she is upgrading...I think she mentioned a Baby Lock Jewel??? She has all the receipts and the frame was over $900 new.

We are going to take a look at her tomorrow evening, the seller is going to have it set up with a small practice piece so I can try her out. Ooooo, I am sooo excited! 8-)

Trying it out is a great idea!
In the meantime, why not visit a sew center site that sells the Juki with a quilt frame to see how it lines up price wise.
She is upgrading to an eighteen inch mid-arm quilting machine, I suspect because she found herself limited by the size of the quilting area ... the Juki is barely bigger than your portable machine in the throat area.
Have you ever done any quilting before? You might want to practice with a pencil and paper, doing some quilting designs with those tools before trying out her set up ... it will give you an idea of the limitations that the seller ran into.
The last time I priced the Jewell, it was about $7,000 with a frame ... keep that in mind when you are quilting with this configuration ... when you start out quilting, you have about six inches of quilt you can quilt on. By the time you get to the end, you might find out that you only have two inches to work in ... it takes some pretty good understanding of starting and stopping the quilting design to make it all work out, but it is do-able.
I have a Grace Pinnacle frame with a Babylock Quilter Pro on it. While, sometimes, I feel frustrated with the limitations, they are not insurmountable, and the more I practice, the more I can do. <wave>

http://www.sewvacdirect.com/grac-stu...iq-cruise.html

just for some comparison shopping ... <wave>

and, another thing!
It is really nice to be able to piece a top with one sewing machine and use another one to quilt with ... just gives a craftsman more options <wave>

Yes, I know what you mean. I would probably still use my Bernina to piece and the Juki to quilt. I agree, that the distance of the harp width wise is not much larger, but I think the fact that the height is at least 2 inches more is the thing that makes it a little better. My theory is that once I have the set up, I can learn and improve and practice and then most likely use the frame with a longer arm machine. I really would like a Bailey, but still more money and thought this might be a good start.

Thanks for all the input, it helps so much.

I love my Juki 98Q and GMQ frame. Together they were $2100. Already i know I want a long arm, but I can't afford it and even when I can, I will not give up the Juki. I LOVE her. I'm a beginner in the machine quilting department and my set up is great for learning. Yes, you have between 5-6 inches of quilting space at a time, but its still more freedom than I have known. For me it's the next step and one I wanted to take before buying a machine that equals a car payment. It has let me know that I like doing it, that I am comfortable with a frame, and I have learned tons in the past two months while getting used to her.

I would go for it for the Juki alone. Just remember the magic words "Juki Loves Oil" and all will be well.

Thanks for the advice. Am having trouble setting up a time to meet as it is about 2 hours from my home. :(

The price sounds very good if you have the space for the frame. The Juki is well worth it!

I have a 3 yr old Juki and LOVE it! I have a Little Gracie II frame but I don't use it because it just took up too much space.

Also, Pfaff has a 17" or 18" long arm that only cost $4,000. I tried it out and it seems like a really good buy, especially in price compared to others that size.

I personally like FMQ and don't think I am going to invest in a long arm.