sandy l

I have a Voyager 17. It's a great machine, and wasn't outrageously expensive. But the company that made them, as I understand, was bought out by Nolting and has since been discontinued.

Shelbie

Before you even consider buying any long arm, I'd strongly suggest that you find a long armer and spend some time working with them. My LQS has a mid arm set-up that they rent out for $50 per day. After spending time on the mid-arm and spending a day with my quilt buddy who has a LA Gammil without a stitch regulator, I decided that this long arm business was not for me. It was all harder and a lot more work than I expected and it definitely was not a new career option for me. I have a whole new respect for people who do this for a living and I now know why they charge what they do. Spending the time experimenting with these machines saved me from spending a whole lot of money on something I would have regretted. I am now investigating an HQ sit down machine but may ultimately just stay with my domestic machine.

momto5

I have a Gammill Premier, no computer but I love, love, love!! it! I use a lot of pantographs and do lots of free-style quilting with mine...works well. Have a twelve -foot table also.

An Arm Long

I have a Baby Lock Crown Jewel with a 10 foot Grace Majestic frame. A 10 foot frame will not do a king size quilt. You would need a 12 foot frame for that. The Crown Jewel is wonderful - it is the same machine as the Handi Quilter Avante. I do not have the computer but may get it later. I am having too much fun with free motion, pantographs and rulers.

The 2 most important things, I think are to consider what you would use your longarm for and then try out lots. Go to a large quilt show and try them all out.

And second, consider the space you have to put your frame. You have to have space to go around to the back on both sides and to work from the back. That means 16 or more feet by about 9 feet for a 12 foot frame.

You also need to have a nearby dealer who can service your machine.

Best of luck to you. I hope you find what will work for you and enjoy it!

ckcowl

before making such a large investment you should travel around to dealers and try out as many machines as you can- many shows will have them set up to try out too- (test drive) as many as you can find before making a decision- it is an investment- and not a cheap one- you don't want to put out the $$ to get it set up and realize it is just (not for you) I know a couple people who went through this--bought- then spent 4-5 years of frustration- before selling it for alot less than they had put out- that is so---sad- don't let it happen to you- test drive- and do lots of research before commiting

hhquilting

I have a Gammill Optimum Plus and LOVE it. You can always look into the Statler stitcher which is made by Gammill, that is the computerized one.

margecam52

I have a TL18LS (2009) and Qbot quilting robot setup...Love it! I also have the 4D Quilt Creator software (Qbot 4D upgraded)...and it's everything I need to do what the big guys do..and from watching the how to video classes for Statler, Intelliquilter, QuiltMotion, Shirley Stitcher, etc....easier to use also. Definitely easier to setup.

I'm on a limited budget, so when hubby bought me the TL18LS, I was sure that was all I'd ever be able to afford...well, saved some bingo winnings, did a few quilts for others...and came up with enough for the used Qbot...have not regretted it since.
Join a few groups on Yahoo for the different machine types, robot types...and see what others say.

margecam52

Forgot to mention...on the Qbot...you don't have to disconnect anything to do freehand quilting...don't even have to turn the Qbot off...it only engages when you have chosen a design and told Qbot to stitch it out.

mytwopals

With an unlimited budget, the ultimate setup for me would be an A-1 machine with Intelliquilter. That combination is $30,000+, depending on the options selected. With a more limited budget, I would select an Innova 18" machine with Lightening Stitch option and Qbot. That combination would run around $16,000, including the computer software to digitize your own designs. By the way, I currently have an older Tin Lizzie 18 with Qbot. A used setup like mine would run around $10,000, or less.

But do some thorough research on your own and try out each system for yourself. Each person has their own likes and dislikes. It is quite a bit of money to put into one of these systems, so be sure to find the one that fits YOU best.