I did a LOT of looking before I purchased my longarm machine. I looked on the Web and had the same problem - no comparison site and no stores that have different brands. After finding current longarm quilters in my area, I called them and asked them if I could come by and look at their machines. They all said I could, so I went to three or four places and actually tried out the machines and talked to the owners. I ended up getting a Gammill about 3 or 4 years ago and LOVE it. While it is one of the most expensive, it is well worth it in my opinion - you have a year and a half to save for it!! :) Also, the suggestion about quilting shows is a good one. I have been to several quilt shows that had different brands to look at. I liked talking to current owners though to give me an idea of how the machines actually worked rather than listening to salespeople!! Good luck!