I would love to be able to take classes to learn how to use a LA - just to see if I had any talent for it and enthusiasm for doing it if I did have any talent for it.
As far as renting a machine to do my own quilting - I don't I would become very proficient just from taking the "how to" classes - I would want to do some practice on "oh, well" quilts before trying to quilt something that really mattered to me.
I think I would be a "take a class" person and then - maybe - buy my own machine.
Then I would want my own set up - because I am a slow worker - and I tire quickly - and I would want it conveniently located - like in my own house.
There are exceptions - some people just seem to have an innate ability to do beautiful quilting.