I have a Nolting long arm. I bought it from my mom when her health no longer allowed her to stand to use it. I really like my Nolting. I am lucky enough to live about an hour away from their factory in Hiawatha so if I need any help, I just call or stop in.

HQ support is truly wonderful. Their technical service is friendly and helpful. When I had trouble with my 10 years old second hand bought machine and couldn't had it repaired locally (HQ dealer here being awful, as we both now!) they simply told me to ship the head to them. Within one week, I had my machine back, all checked, repaired and serviced. The HQ are lightweight enough to be shipped (that's not the case with bigger machine).
I do an average of 100 quilts per year for my Etsy shop. It's a part time business for me. I like it this way. I've drooling over larger set up/machine like Gammill, Innova, AQPS. But the availability is a main problem. You can't find any second hand machine in the area for sale, and the table/frame is quite hard to dismantle/move as they are often one large 10 or 12 feet piece. So you need to buy it new from a dealer who will come to install it in your home.
On the contrary, HQ are easy to move. You can buy a second hand machine anywhere and bring it back without any trouble.
For us in Eastern Canada, I've done the math and couldn't find a way to justify the extra cost of getting a larger commercial set up.
I think HQ machine are to big commercial set up what you Juki TL-2010 is to industrial sewing machine (I own a Juki TL-98Q): a lighter/home use version, but still work horse machine and great tool.

Definitely go to VQF IN Essex Junction Vermont and try out the different machines. MQX is also a good size quilt show held in Manchester NH each April offering a variety of vendors and it might be closer to you than the show in Toronto.

Yes, MQX is a great machine quilting expo and there are many classes and demos on a variety of longarm machines. I was bummed to miss the April 2018 show as I was in California...

I have had the opportunity to rent time on an APQS Lenni and HQ Avante. In my experience, the HQ had way too many tension issues for me. I was hoping to make a LA purchase this winter but I am waiting for a demo on the Bernina Q24 and Innova. There is a Bernina dealer in Portsmouth, NH but I don’t think there’s an Innova dealer close.

Try all the machines at a show and see what feels best to you. Follow up your decision with dealer support and budget.

I wish I had made my long arm purchase sooner- it has been the best money I have spent. For me, being very new to quilting and after spending hundreds of dollars to have my quilts quilted for me, I purchased a Simply Sixteen/10foot frame and fell in love with free motion. Just a over a year later I sold my SS16 and purchased the Amara with ProStitcher. The Amara is an amazing machine. I changed dealers with my second purchase and couldn’t be happier. Good luck!

Hello, I have a new Amara Handi Quilting machine and love it. I had a Avante and traded it in. I wanted a larger throat space and it just fit in my room . This machine is more user friendly than the Avante . The Gammill was way to large for my space, and way to much money for not being in the market to do other peoples quilts . Make sure you have enough room to go around to the back of any machine you get, having fun quilting is what it is all about.

As you can see each of us love the machine we have. I would second anyone who recommends going to a large quilt show to try out as many different brands as possible before purchasing. I tried out the A-1, the Nolting and the Gammill before purchasing the one that "fit" me best. That was 18 years ago and hundreds upon hundreds of quilts ago. Purchased my Gammill May 24, 2000 and jumped right into quilting for myself and others. Still quilting with that same Gammill Classic, no computer nor stitch regulator, and it keeps running and running. No problems with it, just keep it clean and oiled. Love the sturdy metal table that is easy to adjust. Learn all you can about each machine, make a list of what features you want/need and go for it!

Innova is a great machine! ABM has been around the longest....1947
24/7 support! I love my Inova!

Put me enthusiastically in the Innova column. I originally bought a HQ Simply 16 and while I liked that machine, my first choice was always an Innova and I eventually got one. I first tried an Innova at a quilt show and loved the way it moved and stitched (both perfect) but since I was not going to quilt for clients and was trying to save money, I purchased the HQ Simply 16 instead. And it is a good machine. My biggest problem was with the rails - they are not continuous. They come in smaller sections that fit together with a continuous rubber cover over the entire rail that the carriage wheels ride upon. Unfortunately every place where the rails connected under the rubber, my carriage would jump a little bit causing my stitches to bobble. It wasn't such a big deal, but just aggravating enough to justify buying the Innova, which I should have done in the first place. I ended up finding a used one on the longarm university website and it has been the perfect longarm for me. So my advice is buy a used Innova if you can find one. If you have time to wait, keep looking online and eventually you'll find one available near you. Then pounce!

I'm debating between the Amara and Avante. The Amara (including the addition of rear handlebars) is only an $1K more at my local dealer. Since you have experience with both, I would love to hear your opinion on the differences and if the additional cost is worth it.