I have done queen size quilts on my old 1946 Singer. Getting ready to FM a King size. This of course is a bit more work, but I am always pleased with the results. No desire to for anything else here. It just depends on your needs and wants and price factor. One thing to consider, when buying a longarm or mid, will you feel you need to quilt for others to offset the cost? that is a whole new subject in itself.

Welcome and happy quilting!

I'm not sure that you have to make a "final" choice over long arm on a frame or a sit down machine. I have an HQ16 I bought used. The original owner bought the hq16 as a sit down and later converted it to work on a frame, with a computerized software/hardware combination.

So ask about that before you purchase anything.

There are pros and cons to either set up. The decision was made for me by my fibromyalgia, inherited neuropathy and the back, shoulder, arm and hand pain I would be in if I were to free motion quilt on a table. Just not possible.

I still deal with pain on the frame set up, but I can sit down after I get each row lined up to quilt and start the machine. (I do have to stay with the quilt while the machine does it's thing, because, well, stuff happens when you walk away.) On a good day, I can get 3 - 4 rows of quilting done on a quilt. On a medium day, I can usually get a quilt mounted, and maybe a row done. Some days, i don't quilt at all.

My HQ16 has not been professionally serviced since I bought it used in 2010. My DH takes it off the frame every 18 months and cleans it, makes sure everything is where it looks like it should be, and so on. My timing was off for a while, but it turned out a straight pin had managed to get itself into the needle area and was causing some ugliness. After it was removed, all was well.

It has not needed oiling anywhere but at the bobbin hook, and that matches what the manual says. It is greased inside, not oiled. Usually, the only dust/lint found in it is in the needle/bobbin area. I use Connecting Threads polyester cones for quilting, and it works well.

The bobbin area needs to be cleaned after every 8 hours of quilting, but it is easier to remember to do it after you finish a quilt. I usually take the needle plate off while cleaning, so that is as clean as can be, too. Note that when quilting flannel or fleece, the bobbin/needle area need to be cleaned more frequently.

Tension problems can/do occur. At this point, it usually means I threaded the machine wrong or put the bobbin in backwards. Sometimes it means that my thread is extra linty, so it doesn't feed correctly. However, tension can be a huge problem when you are learning to use your machine, because you are learning to use your machine. The last time the tension was a big problem for me my bobbin case had worn out. It looked ok, but one day it just fell apart.

That was a clue! I bought a new bobbin case - it was like a miracle occurred!

The only thing bad I can say about the HQ16 is that the manual is way too skimpy. It gives very high level instructions, but doesn't go into great detail about anything. Fortunately, we have the internet and You Tube...

I did a king sized quilt using her method on my older Bernina. The throat is quite small on this machine and it was still a bit of a challenge, but I was able to do it.

For now you might want your budget and space available to help make your decision.
I've quilted a large quilt on my DSM. It was a bit tedious. Since then I've only done one other very large quilt. The rest are large throws.
I do have a HQ Avante and love it. 5 years no interest loan. Glad I got it. Though thereis no longer a guest bedroom in my home. There is now a studio.

Guess it would depend on your budget. I machine quilt all my quilts on my domestic machine, even king size. I have a Janome 6600 with a 9" harp space so that helps.

THANK YOU EVERYONE for taking the time and sharing with me. I have learned so much reading from your expertise, knowledge, and suggestions. I will keep all of this in mind. I didn't know about renting time; I definitely will be checking into that as well. THANKS again.

I glue baste and do my quilting on a sit down Sweet 16. I have not encountered any problems. I spray basted a few times and it gummed up my needle so I was constantly having to clean it off.

I have the Tiara. It was a learning curve but the price was right compared to some of the other options. I just need more space on either side for bigger projects so I could exten with folding table etc (sewing room is cramped)

Thanks, crzypatcher. I've been curious about that myself, so thanks for chiming in.

I would definitely quilt on your DM for a while before getting anything bigger for quilting. You need the practice to learn the mechanics of FMQ before jumping to a longarm, or you may be disappointed that the machine does not just do the quilting for you.

Have you considered Quilt As You Go as a technique for quilting big quilts on your DSM? It gives you a great opportunity to learn free motion, without having to struggle with the weight of a big quilt. I've had great results with it.