Geri B

yes longarms are certainly not cheap....and really I think they are a bit overpriced...but what isn't these days.......look what a regular domestic sewing machine can go for.......I have an old APQS which does not have bells, whistles and I purchased it slightly used.........have had it for 10+yrs and with regular maintenance and occasional visits to mfg for complete "spa day" it has paid for itself....BUT, this last time I went for spa day and looked into a slight upgrade that could not be retroed on this sewing head the cost of the new sewing head would have been 7K, so needless to say the "ole" one came back home with me!!!!!! and will stay with me until it dies...........

Daisygirl

What's the difference between a mid arm and a long arm? Not just in price but in performance?

caspharm

I agree. I was lucky enough to afford the 26" with Lightening stitch (stitch regulator) and 12 ft frame, but still cheaper than Gammill, especially when you realize the maintenance is minimal compared with a Gammill. I used to rent time on a Gammill with no stitch regulator at at a LQS near my home, $100 for all day class (they had a used Nolting with no SR first, then upgraded to the Gammill) and $12/hr - no minimum time, but they were only open 10-4 and I worked FT.

Then we moved and the only LQS that rented a machine (Tin Lizzie) was going to require me to take another 6 hour certification class ($125) and charged $25/hr (2 hr minimum). They have now switched to a Gammill and are charging the same rates, plus a $75 refundable deposit. You also have to buy a set of zipper leads to use on your quilt.

At those rates, I figured since I had some money saved that I should go ahead and get mine and I love it. I can quilt on my own time and at my own speed. Don't have to worry about rushing to finish.

I tried on a regular machine and don't like pushing the fabric through. I also prefer to do my quilts from beginning to end, so sending it out was not for me, either. The only quilts I will do for others are charity quilts for guild, otherwise it's just my quilts.

thepolyparrot

I just bought a fully-loaded 2011 Ford Explorer for $21K. Lots of longarms and frames cost twice that much or more.

Not gonna happen for me unless I win the lottery. And you have to buy tickets for that, which I never remember to do, so those chances are pretty slim.

jaciqltznok

yep, I know a lady that has enough wrapped up in her Gammill Stadtler to purchase a very nice BMW!

kittiebug

Yes , Some are crazy in price. But I love mine

mama lyn

New Longarms can be quite costly. However, there are some superb machines on the market at very reasonable prices. Nolting machines start at around $4200 new with table and go up to $15,900. You can always get the "extras" such as hydraulic lifts, computers, etc but most don't cost anymore as an add- on down the road. My Nolting machines are my 4th brand and I wish I could go back and just buy Nolting the first time. They are truly made in America, making all their own parts in Iowa so they are never obsolete and the company and dealers give top notch customer service. They also have factory refurbished machines, at a good savings, that have been traded in on bigger machines. If I can help anyone with any other info please don't hesitate to call-913-649-2704. I also have an used Apqs Millinium, 18" Tin Lizzie, and 24" Nolting commercial machine all used that are available.
As someone else said, you can save significantly buying used. I would never been able to have even my first machine if I had to buy it new!

Michellesews

Yes, it is true...and the longarm is just the beginning. Then there are the accessories such as pantographs, pattern boards, thread and more thread, needles, etc. I understand the new Innova is around 10K. There are some cheaper, made for use at home, type set ups, such as the HQ16 and they have made many folks happy. I have the A-1 Elite and although the machine has a 23" throat area, it is a very simple machine...it just sews, no reverse, no cutter, etc. The expensive part of the set up is the table...12 feet long, three solid steel poles, etc. The table is very important because that is what keeps the quilts square while quilting it and will hold the weight of a big, king-size quilt. I started out with the Viking Mega Quilter on the Inspira frame, and I became very frustrated because the poles were weak, and once I had quilting about 2 feet of the quilt, due to the roll that produces, I only had about 5 inches of quilting space, and of course the further you go, the less you have due to the roll of the quilt. Definitely put the cobash on my artistic ideas, which is why I purchased the A-1. Truth be told, though...I liked the Viking Mega Quilter machine better than the A-1 because it had a thread cutter that cut both top and bottom threads at the flick of a switch, now I have pull the thread up and snip both top and bottom thread while leaning way over that massive table. My suggestion is to go and try out all kinds. Check for noise of machine, smoothness of the tracks, sturdiness of the table. If I were to purchase again, I would lean towards the Nolting Professional 23" machine. I test drove it at a quilt show and I was very impressed. Just my personal opinions here. I would not trade my A-1 unless there was a serious defect, and there is not, I have quilting hundreds of customer quilts on it and it has never let me down. It is easy to fix yourself, which is important since the head weighs 75 pounds and you have to take the table apart to get the machine off. I keep her well greased and oiled and she will run happily for many years to come. But yes, I could have purchased a car for the price of my table and machine...and a luxury car if you add up all the accessories I have added since.

k9dancer

Yes, and they take up as much room as a car, too.

Doreen

You can add a lot of goodies to your LA and yes,the price will go up, up and up.