Spice

When I went looking I tried several machines and found the Nolting was the machine for me. One important thing you should consider is the service you will receive on your machine. Does it need o be serviced often? I know some do but the Nolting does not. Selfcontained and does not need to be serviced continually. My dealer is wonderful and helps whenever I have a question. A good dealer is almost as important as the machine itself. Also consider a second hand machine. Sometimes people upgrade and you can get some good deals. One thing I have on my machine is hydraulic lift so I can adjust the height with a push of the button depending on what I am doing . I found this to be a great feature.
Happy looking.

Sally Neckvatal

I spent 2 years deciding which LA to buy. I tried every one at about 6 shows, which means I tried many multiple times. Try going first thing in the morning at a show. As others mentioned, try to find a local dealer who can take time to walk you through what each machine offers and let you try it without a time pressure. Barring that, try to find some local LA quilters who would be willing to spend some time with you. A few in my area get paid by the manufacturer to give demos in their private studios. For others I offered to pay them for an hour of their time, which was only fair! I ended up getting a 26" Innova, no computer, from a dealer who worked from her home. She did not offer training, which I finally learned to regret as I didn't use my machine for a long time, until a friend became an expert on her Innova and has been teaching me. So, I encourage you to make sure you can get classes, even if you have to pay extra. It will pay off in the short and long run with your already large investment. I know LOVE my Innova.

Pagzz

I suggest you visit mqresource.com which is a machine quilter's forum with lots of good information. There is a section of the forum called Machine Quilting Research.

Check for forums with the different manufacturers where people who own the machine you are considering will be posting. I have an APQS Millenium which I bought used from a dealer and have gotten a lot of good information from the forums on www.apqs.com