judyr Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hi..............I am thinking about purchasing a longarm machine and would appreciate feedback. I have been looking at APQS machines and HandiQuilters. I would like a machine that would hold up and not break down all the time if I decide to start a business. Thank you for any advice or opinions !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherylannie Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 Go with APQS....you won't regret it. It is a commercial machine that lasts many many years. Mine is a 2003 and going strong. Cheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Row Studio Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 love my Apqs Millie(2005)...have you test drove the machines? Would be a good place to start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 Do test drive both machines before making your decision. Some other things to think about is customer support. You can be sure you will get top notch customer support from APQS whether you purchase your machine from them new or used from someone else. Check with others in your area on the HandiQuilter - have they had many issues with the machine, was it easy to fix and did their manufacturer or dealership come through with the appropriate support? You'd be surprised how important this is if you have questions or are a beginner longarmer like me. Of course I would recommend APQS because of the quality and support I have received however do your homework before committing to a machine so you feel confident in your final choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaniceC Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 You are asking this question on the APQS forum, so perhaps it won't come as a surprise that most people here are happy to recommend APQS. I have owned both, and am now very happy with my APQS Lucey which I purchased last October. I was not happy with the performance of my first machine (HQ) and didn't really know where to begin to get support. Although Handiquilter are sold in quilt/sewing machine stores - in Canada anyway - that doesn't necessarily mean that the owners of the stores are knowledgeable or trained on the machines. I did not find the HQ forum to be very useful as there did not seem to be a large number of followers on it, and it seemed to be only sporadically managed by HQ staff. I also found the telephone support to be poor. Those, of course, were my experiences only and are perhaps not reflective of other users opinions. You really should try to test-drive as many machines as possible, in as many different venues as possible. Big quilt shows are a great place to see all the different brands, but be aware that the sales people are there to sell - they have their high-end machines available and can be very intimidating with buzz-words and top of the line features, which you don't absolutely need to have. Don't let the lower price of some brands be your only determining factor. Good luck in your search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningThreads Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 APQS has some machines that have been traded in and refurbished. They will perform as well as a new machine and come with a decent warranty. http://www.apqs.com/quilting-machines-used/ These will be close to the price of a new Handiquilter but are a much superior unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquiltit Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Also APQS gives you support, no matter if the machine is new or used. Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumpkinpatchquilter Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 I tested HQ machines, Gammil, Tin Lizzie, Innova, and APQS machines before purchasing...JaniceC up there is right, we are a bit biased here! But in all honesty I have nothing to gain by being untruthful or misleading anyone to APQS. I think the stitch regulator is better on an APQS for one thing...and I think the machines are just more heavy duty. Also - you can work on your own APQS machine while HQ machines require yearly servicing (in addition to any issues you might have - I just think small wear and tear things are par for the course with ANY brand machine). That could be a bonus or a negative depending on your preferences. Do I think HQ machines are junk? Not AT ALL! I almost bought one! But I think there is something to be said about the quality of APQS machines. Truly, we are all different - while some are fond of Fords others are fond of Chevys! Long arms are no different. I think between the customer service/support, the quality, the value for your dollar, and the warranty...my personal choice is APQS. That's not to say you won't be happy with another brand...but I don't think you'll be displeased if you go this route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 Judy: If your choice is between an APQS and an HQ, go with the APQS. IMHO the HQ's aren't even in the same league. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cagey Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 While George is technically a longarm, even though you sit-down and move the fabric, I believe the old adage "you get what your pay for" holds true with APQS. Even though I purchased a used APQS George, everyone at the factory has taken the time to answer all my detailed questions. While I wrote this yesterday on a different forum thread, I believe it explains why all of us are more than happy with our APQS purchases. Speaking of APQS, I asked Amy a few weeks about mounting a new model George LED light on my George. I was told that there was no 12 volt power source on my George, so this would not work. Guess what, Amy tells me one of the employees there is working on a ring LED light system to go around the needle bar/hopping foot assembly for my older model George. She said it is super bright. Probably brighter than the LED light on the new George. Hopefully APQS will have something come out of the testing phase in a month or two to be purchased. I am looking forward to it. Other manufactures may possibly behave this way, but I have no idea if it is true. I do know that APQS does go above and beyond in their customer service. While it may make business sense to design a new LED light system to retrofit all older model APQS longarms, it took the person away from performing their primary job, to come up with a LED light system I asked for. I only got George in January, and in hopefully less than two months I will have a newly designed LED light system specifically made to fit him because I simply asked if I could buy one. I will sum up all the the pros and cons of APQS in one short sentence. When you purchase APQS, you join the family (the dove says it all) of outstanding products, with customer service that goes above and beyond what you ever expected. Good luck shopping. Cagey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mswings Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 You definitely want to test drive as many different brands you can and then make your choice. There are many good machines out there. I have a 2008 Millie and have not regretted this choice ever! The customer support is amazing. I've even had members give me their number to talk me through my learning curve when APQS was closed during the weekend or on a holiday. I can't say enough good about the brand or the support they offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted May 27, 2015 Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 Good or Bad, I had a stretched la before I bought Penny my Lenni.. What I did to decide was, first: how many years of quilting do I still have in me? How many quilts did I think I would do in one year? Did I think I could quilt enough quilts per year to keep the cost down, or so few the cost would be up in the sky somewhere? What was the top dollar I wanted to spend on a new machine? Who had best forum, and folks who would offer help? How did the various machines sound? Did they clink, clatter, pop, chatter, sound in general. I didn't want to have a noisy machine. These apqs machines make noise, but not as loud as others I tried. There is a sound I couldn't bring myself to buy as it just sounded tinny and like a junker, even though new. I'm sure there are other questions folks have for making their decision.. like does it have a nice stitch. Is it easy to balance, is the machine touchy with more than one or two or three threads.? Which machine has or comes with a nice bobbin winder. I have the Turbo Winder, a bit pricy but to me well worth the $$ Rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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