mona202

I am looking for a used or refurbished longarm with frame. I have never longarmed and have watched YouTube videos of it and have been checking out things online but I need one that is great for beginners on a 10 foot frame with the ability to make it smaller if I need to. Any suggestions?

Prism99

I like my Voyager 17/Stretch Hinterberg frame setup. It's a good combo for a beginning frame quilter. Mine has 10-foot rollers which is pretty standard since these are the easiest to purchase from a big box store. To make it smaller, all you do is purchase shorter rollers and switch them out. Places to look are:
http://www.hinterberg.com ($4,000 for a refurbed Voyager with stitch regulator and frame)
http://www.houseofhanson.com/formerlyowned.html
http://www.longarmuniversity.com/machines_for_sale.htm

There is also a nice Yahoo group called HinterbergQuilters where you can find fellow owners offering info and support.

franklindixie

Do you want a LONG arm like a 24 or 36" gammil or a mid-arm like an 18/19" handiquilter or baby lock? How much are you willing to spend? Do you want to use it free hand or do you want an automated system? These are all consuderations

mona202

I dont know. Is the 24-36 the throat size? What does it matter if you are using a frame? I am assuming that free hand means that you have handles and direct the machine in a free motion way but moving the needle instead of the fabric?

feline fanatic

I recommend at LEAST trying one. Actually loading a quilt on and giving it whirl. Watching you tube videos is really not the way to decide to make this investment. We have some posters here who realized that loading a quilt was something they didn't want to do so did not pursue getting a longarm. Even a used mid arm setup (16 to 18" inch throat space) will run a few thousand dollars. I recommend finding a dealer or quilt show near you where you can actually try one out. Some LQS have rental programs where you take a training class before they let you rent. Watching youtube videos is really not the way to make this kind of decision. Most people research longarm machines for about a year, trying different models etc before actually deciding what to purchase.

Peckish

I highly, highly recommend you check around your area for longarms that are available for rent by the hour. This will give you a much better sense of what you want and how it works.

qltgrose

I agree with Peckish, go to a large quilt show and try various manufacturers...and look for a place that will rent you time on theirs to get some "real" time on one to see how they work. I also agree with Prism, the Voyager/Hinterberg set up is one of the least expensive mid arms. I have one and I am still bonding with mine

mona202

Thanks for the info!

mona202

Great idea. I didnt know you could rent the use of one.

mona202

Thank you for the advice. I have decided that this is the best option. I will check around to see who does rental of time and see what I can learn.