I don't know about other machine prices, but I love my Gammill Premier. It's an 18" throat, and it will do all I want to do in my lifetime. I didn't get the stitch regulator as it costs more, and I did get the home pro table, 12 ft.

My DREAM machine would be the Innova. They make an 18", 22" and 26".

I have a gammill quilting machine on a 14' frame. My brother bought it used for me from Stitch-n-frame from Vicksburg MS. I live about 125 miles from Vicksburg. They came and set it up for me. I've owned "Flo" now for almost 3 years. I love her and we have loads of fun together. She cost $1250.00 delivered and set up. I do not like the pantograms. I stipple. This is a heavy metal non computer machine, just what I wanted.

Look at the advertisement on the inside cover of American Quilter magazine July 2010 or go to www.flynnquilt.com $130
I purchased one and it is great great. On line you can watch their video it is 45 min and very informative

Look at the advertisement on the inside cover of American Quilter or go to www.flynnquilt.com $130
I purchased one and it is great great

The FIRST thing you should do is try a variety of longarms to see which ones you like. Some of the machines mentioned prev here are mid-arms, not longarms. If you know some longarmers, ask to take a test run. Try as many as you can at quilt shows, they are MORE than happy to let you play !
The LAST thing you want to do is buy only based on price or hearsay - or a brand /model you've never touched before ... It's a BIG investment no matter what you spend - you need to be sure you're getting what you want in a machine :)

Hi:
Just to let you know I am on my second gammill longarm, and
I wouldn't have any other machine. My first I used for 14 years, and only miner problems. I just got my second one and it is a stitch regulated, optimum model. I got it used from a lady in GA, and it is like new. Hope this helps.

I have the Hobby Quilter which is a lot of fun but no stitch regulator. Why do they have to be so much? One would cost me almost $3000.00 just to have one for my machine and I only paid $5000.00 for machine.

Not sure. I have the Hobby Quilter by Nolting but not the stitch regulator.
Where can I find one for around $500 - $700?

As a "short (mid) arm" machine quilter, it would be worthwhile to
rent a UHaul and get the Kenquilt at $1500 as a starter machine.
You can then decide after doing lots of projects on this type,
if you want to invest in a Long Arm. It will at least help you develop
initial skills of loading quilts, buying supplies, adjusting tensions,
and solving other minor problems... plus finding out if there is a
market in your area to warrant a Long Arm .

That sounds like an old longarm or one of the older stretched machines. The newer styles are more like a domestic machine in that you only oil the bobbin race. Some of the more industrial looking ones have little oil holes that you put a drop in before you start every day. My Voyager has the little holes and I believe the Noltings do, also.

Quilters Cruise Control used to be $500 but it is machine & frame specific. You'll have to check with them to see if it will work. Nolting did upgrade some of the HobbyQuilters with needle positioner but I don't know about stitch regulators. Nolting is a very one-on-one type of company and I'm sure they'll point you down the right road if you call them. They are very friendly & approachable at the quilt shows.

I have a Tin Lizzie 18LS. It has the stitch regulator. My dealer is many hours away. She does a good job with answering questions and sending replacement parts. Having a dealer close to you is a big plus however. There's a big learning curve with a longarm. Taking LA classes would be SOooo helpful.
Lastly, buy the best you can afford. As in many things, the more expensive item may be the best built. I do enjoy my TinLizzie. But, after 2 years, there is still much to learn.

Keep us informed as to what you decide to buy.

Cynthia

I looked at lots of machines before I purchased a used Voyager 17 from a gal on this board. They were all very nice machines - each had good points and short fallings (I could not justify the amount that a Gammil would cost as a starter machine). We brought it home (yes it weighs a lot), took the rails and cleaned and polished them with steelwool, leveled the frame and installed the machine.

It works like a charm, moves smoothly (I do not find it heavy to sew on at all) and the whole setup (machine, frame, regulator, Fat Foot, needles, loads of bobbins and a bobbin winder) was well under 4K. Is that a lot? yes - but not as much as a new longarm or midarm machine with the same bells and whistles.. I love it a lot. Works beautifully, AND if you have questions or need help - the folks at Voyager are fantastic. I am getting the hang of it by donating my "learning time" for Linus Quilts and some charity quilts for the guild.

Now - the only thing that I do not care for on the Voyager is the L-Class bobbin which holds less thread than some of the other machines which have a M-Class.

As with purchasing any machine - take all these recommendations and go play on machines near by. My DH is remarkably handy and can even fix a rainy day occasionally so I did not worry about local service but that might also be a part of your decision making process when choosing a machine.

Good luck! and let us know when you take the plunge!! :thumbup:

Betty, so happy to hear that you are still enjoying your machine.

I Bought a Bailey 15 in April..have it on a Minni Penn frame..It does a wonderful Job!...don't have the stitch regulater..but, doing OK with out it....i was really hesitant on buying it, all the girls on the Baily forum gave it all a thumbs up..and its a great machine..Chuck Bailey is really nice and will answer any questions..and there from Ny...

I have the HQ-16 sit down model, I think they are pretty economical. No frames to buy.

I love the Bailey. It is the most affordable that I could find and now comes in a 17" throat and works great. Some have even adapted it to the computer software that is available. There is a yahoo group, sign up and check them out. Chuck, at Bailey in NY, is great to talk with as well.

Yes, but your state is so beautiful.

My friend and I set it up by ourselves and started to learn the Lizzie stitch. Doing pantogram is simple. But we wanted to do some hard things. We stitched out a rose on a piece of fabric, saved it and used it as the design on the final quilt. It was fantastic. There are several Tin Lizzie groups now with great ideas. Only problem, the thread winder is supposed to refill itself as you quilt. It doesn't quite do that so we bought a commercial winder and now no problems.

my Bailey..

to feline fanatic: The Innova is exactly what I want. Decided at the quilt show here in Omaha. It has a very easy movement and doesn't seem as heavy as some, line the Gammell. It will take a couple of years, but I will have one. Right now I have a Janome 1600P on a New Joy frame. It's good for starters.

I bought mine brand new off of ebay. It's a Tin Lizzie 18 and has a stitch regulator, laser for panographs, there's a button for setting stitch length and needle position (up or down). It came with all of this, the frame and a couple of rolls of pantographs. I bought mine a little over a year ago and paid $4995.00. No taxes because I bought out of state and they offered free shipping. So that was my total cost. It's a great machine and I love it. Now learning from my mistakes -- It took my husband and I 2 days to set it up. Then it took a while to learn how to load the quilt. If I had bought local it would have cost a little more but I would have had a Tech to deliver the machine and show me all the things I had to figure out on my own. They would also have set the machine up. I would have learned in one day what it took me nearly a month to figure out on my own. But I still love my Lizzie.

I got sticker shock when I went to the Gammill web site. I am glad to hear about others that are less expensive. I have wanted to check out the new Janome Horizon. Snce I am totally ignorant on this subject, I have a question. Is the Bailey etc a long mid, or short arm machine. Are the regular sewing machines (like Janome) called short arms? Is the mid arm more like a small long arm? I wat to get "one" but know it will never be a gammill, because I want all the bells and whistles and my first house cost less than they do.

Just about 15 months ago, I purchased a Babylock Jewel from my local dealer. It has a built-in stitch regulator, and stitches an 18" depth. the frame is by Gracie, and will accommodate a king-size quilt. I purchased the Quiltmotion this past spring, also thru Babylock. The Jewel is made by Handiquilter for Babylock, the Quiltmotion is made by Gracie company for Babylock. The Jewel is quite user-friendly, and only requires minimal maintenance-oil on race hook every 8 hours. The Quiltmotion is the computerized part of the deal, and is very user friendly. Babylock has awesome on-line classes for $20/hour that are worth every penny! The whole thing, Jewel, frame and Quiltmotion were $13K. Big investment, but I love it! The frame is 10' long-so you'll need to plan space accordingly! Babylock and Gracie Co have been excellent for support! Good luck in your quest!

Well, reading this with interest and it sounds like a whole different language. But I want one, probably a home style like Flynn and I think I'll go look at them now....:0)

I had a Kenquilt, went to the factory in Wichita, Kansas and tried them out and bought it. They delivered it and set it up. Had it about 7 years and had to sell it because of my arthritis. Didn't have many problems. One time I messed up the tension really bad and broke, called them, made and appointment took it to them and they fixed while I waited. For other regular maintenance my regular sewing machine repairman worked on it, he comes to the home, that is really nice. I've been using him for about 20 years and only one time did he have to take my sewing machine back to his shop to fix it, all the other times he fixed while he was here, 30 minutes usually. Not expensive either.

Wow! I'm gonna look. thanks.
Yall have all given me some very good information. I can't wait to start shopping.

Wow!! I wish I could get one but that will be a long way off if at all. Was a little intimidated by all the various machines.

I had a Viking Mega Quilter and was not satisfied till I broke down and got a real longarm. I bought the Handi Quilter Avante18 and love it. It is the newest model out so right now you can find lots of the HQ16 with Pro Stitcher for sale. Check out www.Handiquilter.com in the Forum section.
Patty

I purchased an ABM Innova 18" Longarm complete with a 12 foot frame.

It is an absolutely fantastic machine and the quality of both the machine and frame are excellent.

As mentioned in another forum member's response, the only place you need to oil is in the bobbin case.

Another fantastic feature on the Innova machines is that the needle head assembly can be released via a release lever and the whole assembly will swing up to the side and allows for fast, easy changing of needles, inserting extension tables, etc.

I purchased my machine from the ABM Innova website (after doing an enormous amount of research on every Longarm on the market) and the sales rep was exceptionally helpful in assisting me in making the best choices to suit my desired quilting needs.

I live in Ontario, Canada and my machine was shipped to me from Texas at an extremely reasonable $750.00 shipping rate (the entire shipment consisted of 4 crates.

In addition to the high quality machine and frame, the shipment packaging was amazing. All components were packed in wooden crates with plenty of interior foam buffers.

I also purchased a few extra add-ons. The machine is VERY user friendly and quilts like a charm.

I love my machine and frame and will be turning out many quilts for use personally and as gifts for friends and family.

Hope you find the machine of your dreams - everyone has their own personal preferences but I would suggest you check out the Innova Longarms.

In my opinion, they are the next best thing to a Gammil but cost less without sacrificing the quality and in some areas, the Innova exceeds in features you would not find on a Gammil.

I've attached some pics of my "baby" - maybe it will help in your decision.

Good luck in your purchase.

John Flynn uses his sewing machine. Ck. under John Flynn.

thank you for your input FERSID. Gorgeous setup. Price range?

My personal preference is the Innova by ABM International. It is a family owned and run business that has been making industrial quilting machines for 70+ years and make a wonderful longarm for home quilters, whether for business or just yourself and they have a real, live person 24/7/365 to call if you ever have a problem or question. You should check out Renae Haddadin's article on shopping for a longarm:
http://www.quiltsonthecorner.com/inc/sdetail/1349

You have to "buy" the article for $00.00 and then you can access it. It is worth it's weight in gold (or stash). She knows the questions to ask, ones I didn't know to ask before I bought my Innova (still would have bought the Innova!), but it would have made the process so much easier for me.

17" and less are mid-arm machines. it's my understanding that long-arms begin at 18". if that's what you mean, and you want to include a frame as part of a package and nothing more, no bells or whistles or computers, then you can buy a brand-new tin lizzie 18" long-arm with a stitch regulator for $7,000. you'll get the regulator, the light, the laser, the panto shelf, the leaders, the machine itself and the sled it slides on, as well as the good-looking wooden frame. that was important to me. if you don't want the regulator it will be $1000 less. i don't even use it and could have saved the money, that's how smooth i find it. it comes with a manual and an instructional disc, forever phone help and extra needles and bobbins. it's a family business in utah, not china. you will not get the poles, because that ups the shipping costs considerably, as well as the price. you have to provide the pipes from home depot. no big deal. you can stretch it to 140" with the right length poles, or keep the poles short. you can have more than one set of poles. you get the best deal at the big shows. there are a few of us here who have them and we are all very happy with the quality and the price.
i haven't seen anything in that price range that size. everything else was that extra inch shorter. the lizzie lets you quilt a 14" block without trouble and with space around it. the shorter the arm, the smaller block you can easily quilt in one run.
whatever you want to spend, try them all out at all the shows. they're all there, tying to sell, and the competition is fierce.

the hard part of reading articles is trying to get anyone to give you a price.

EDIT: there is a forum for every machine. not the website, but the forums. read them. you'll see all the good things and bad things people say.
i also forgot to say that the lizzie frame that i have is made by hinterberg.

My delivered price to me in Ontario, Canada was US$9,543.00.
The Innova comes with many standard features included in the above price and they also have a wide range of optional accessories.

As mentioned, I purchased some extras:

Cross Hatch Ruler attachement which also included a separate rail for easy adjusting.

Open Toed Presser Foot

Magnifying Lens

20 "M" Bobbins

20 #16 Needles

The machine comes with a very impressive array of features and attachments (which are part of the base purchase price).

Then you can choose to add-on/or customize your machine (right down to having it painted your own special colour - how fun is that?)

I plan to purchase a light frame for my machine as well as lockable casters and eventually, I may even go for the computerized stitching system and the Encording System (ya gotta check out Innova's video on the Encording - awesome!!)

The price may seem a bit steep (it did when I first thought about buying a longarm but the more I reviewed the machines out there and compared the features and quality of the machines, when it came time to buy mine, I was convinced then and still am, that the Innova gives you the best BANG for the buck and is a superior high quality machine.

Even better, this machine is manufactured by a reputable company that has been manufacturing for and supplying to the commercial quilting industry for many years so they know what quilting is all about!!!!

This was one of the most important items on my list of things to look for in a machine.

A machine manufactured by a company that knows and understands quilting NOT a company selling GLITZY mediocre machines that end up frustrating you by not enabling you to do the quilting you had expected and even worse, realizing you've spent an large amount of money on something that is inferior?

Hope this helps and good luck in your Longarm travels.

I don't have a longarm as I am a new quilter but I saw a handiquilter frame for sale. so I went nline to check it out and I can use my regular machine with it so it will have to do for now. I haven't tried it yet but when I do I will post my results.

Thanks for the link.

Further to my earlier posts, for anyone wanting to investigate the Innova Longarm, here is a great video link that provides great info on the machine.

http://www.wellcomemat.com/video/UT/...wn/08D462D229/