Used HQ Sweet Sixteen
 

How many stitches is considered A LOT to be a deal breaker on purchasing a used HQ Sweet 16?

That's not something I ever considered when I was in the market. I looked more at the reputation of the machine, brand, and dealer; the service records; condition of the machine and frame; features & options, ease of use, etc. It is very very very easy to have a LOT of stitches on a longarm, too. I have over 1.25 million stitches on mine (which I bought brand new) and I've quilted maybe 10-12 quilts on it.

When it gets to about 12 million, it's time for a thorough cleaning, re-oiling and re-packing the bearings.

If it does not have the stitch regulator, get the serial number and contact HQ. Early models needed an upgrade to use a regulator (new controllers/circuit boards/etc.) With the switch to the InSight table, that upgrade might not even be available any longer (and a machine without it won't work with the InSight table).