HeidiP

This is from APQS.  I cannot attach the actual .pdf file, so here is my best rendition cutting and pasting the images.  Edited to include images from pdf file.
Cagey
 
 
 ELECTRICITY AND YOUR APQS MACHINE 
With more and more electronics being used in quilting machines, electricity supply is more important than ever! If the incoming power fluctuates, the circuit board will starve certain functions in order to keep the boards powered, and the motor can be affected as well. 
The printout below shows the incoming power here at the APQS factory. Notice how much the power dips towards the end of the printout – we are on the same power grid as Pella Windows, and at the time the power dipped in this printout, Pella had a large motor blow up. You can see how much we were affected by this, and it wasn’t even in our building!

 Even different types of power supplies can vary the incoming voltage to your home – solar, hydroelectric, wind – these types of power vary greatly, and the circuitry on your machine will suffer the consequences. 
The next printout is from a customer of ours in Colorado. He was having problems with his needle positioner acting up at times. He asked for this printout of the power supply to his home over a 4 day period, and was greatly surprised at the varying voltages and amperages that was powering his home.

Purchasing a battery back-up or UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) for your APQS machine is a great ”insurance policy”. APQS has done extensive testing on battery back-ups and found one type that is capable of running both the motor and supplying the needed power for the circuit boards as well. 
Most battery back-ups or UPS’s output is a square wave. This wave type will not keep both the electric motor and the circuit boards running in a voltage drop situation. It will keep the circuit boards powered, so it is fine for other electronic equipment.

The UPS systems that are recommended for our machines are able to output a pure sine wave, which is capable of keeping the electric motor running and keep the circuit board powered at the same time.

With these UPS devices, you are able to even unplug the cord from the wall outlet, and run the machine for a period of time – which can be very handy during power outages!! 
Technical information from the UPS devices we tested is on the next page. There are several companies on the web that sell these specific devices, and prices vary from site to site. The models listed on the next page show a variety of options; however, one is NOT pure sine wave so it is not recommended. The others are Dual Conversion backup systems, which are slightly different than the standard ‘Standby UPS’ battery backup systems. 
Dual Conversion On-Line UPS is the same as the standby UPS, except that the primary power path is the inverter battery instead of the wall outlet. The incoming power from the wall outlet is stored in the battery, and the battery supplies the power to the machine – this keeps the incoming power consistent, without having the delay that is caused by normal battery backup systems when they ‘kick in’ to supply power. The Dual Conversion On-Line UPS provides nearly ideal electrical output performance.

Be aware that UPS units can look very similar so it can be easy to select the wrong one. Look for a unit that is a PURE SINE WAVE output. For added advantages, choose one that is DUAL CONVERSION.
The CyperPower CP1500AVRLCD unit above left does NOT have a pure sine wave output and would not be a good choice. Lower priced units typically are not pure sine wave units. Read the product descriptions carefully before buying.
 
End APQS pure sine wave pdf.
 
I spoke with SYCOM, and they told me that they do not have any Dual Conversion / Double Conversion units that would meet the price points above.  Theirs would be more in the $1000 range.  They did review all three items above, and suggested the Tripp Lite as  having the best power factor.  That is to say that how much power does the unit use to provide electricity to the quilting machine.  The Tripp Lite is 0.8, the Minuteman is 0.7, and the CyberPower is 0.6.  To clarify what I just wrote, the Trip Lite uses about 20% of the power to provide the pure sine wave coming into the unit.  The Minuteman would use 30% of the power to produce the same sine wave, and the CyberPower would use approximately 40% of the incoming power to produce the pure sine wave output.  Their units run in the 0.9+ power factor range, which increases the cost.
They did go on that by using the device you would hypothetically extend the life of anything plugged into the device by 50%.  This is because unlike with most surge protectors with battery backup, there is a lag time for a surge or lag to be experienced before the unit switches to battery power.  With a pure sine wave generator, the item plugged into the device is somewhat always being run off the battery.  The unit is constantly soothing out the highs and lows of the electricity coming out of the wall plug, and providing a very pure power source to the output plug and the quilting machine/anything plugged into the unit. The battery backup run time is to allow you time to shut the item plugged in, without damaging the device.  
 

I've hand appliqued many quilt tops in the vehicle and that keeps me happy when on the road.
Here is a pic from Pinterest of a woman sewing in her Ford Pick up on a featherweight!

I'll be praying for you Rita, along with the surgeon and other hospital staff. You have always been special to me. When I started on the Forum you were the first to greet me.

If your machine is just experiencing normal wear after lots of use, an APQS Dealer, who has gone through the 4-Day intensive Dealer Maintenance Certification class, should be able to give your machine a Spa Treatment.  If you are having electronic issues, a trip to the APQS Service Department might be necessary.
 
A Mini Spa would include a thorough cleaning and sanding off any burrs.  It would also include replacing the check spring, pigtails, hook assembly, including the hook finger and timing your machine, motor brushes, wave washers for the thread cutter, and packing fresh grease in the gear box.  Call your Dealer.  They should have a set price for parts and labor. There will also be a charge for mileage, unless you deliver the machine to their studio. 
 
A Deluxe Spa would include the above, plus replacing the needle bar, needle bar bushings and rocker assembly.  Your Dealer should have a price for this service also.  
 
The price for parts is $150 to $200 more if you have the large M bobbin, and both should be much less than the quote you received from the Service Department. 

Many of the APQS Dealers have been trained at the factory to do spa treatments in your home or their studio, depending how involved. They give it a thorough check up and replace parts worn from use. A few examples might be motor brushes, needle bar, rocker arm, hook assembly, re-packing the gear box.
A good indicator of what your machine might need would be how many hours it has been used for actual quilting. It may just need a thorough cleaning. In your manual is a maintenance chart you can follow to keep your machine running smooth for years.

I'm going to chime in for a moment.  I'm totally partial to APQS.  Our machines are easy to use and have few problems you can't fix yourself.  Customer service is exceptional and second to none.  I've called one of the company reps on a weekend and we troubleshot the problem over the phone, yes I held the phone up to the running machine.  She knew what the problem was and I had parts by Monday.  If you can't reach a rep, someone on this forum can usually talk you through a resolution.  Used APQS machines sold through the company are completely checked out and refurbished/updated with grease etc.  They also come with a warranty.  You can trust most used machines sold by the owner.  Like Helen stated, machines are sold due the things she mentioned, other's trade-up to newer models with more features or throat space.  APQS machines devaluate very slowly and last forever, as long as you maintain them.  We can tell you what we love about our machines but you really need to "test drive" them to know exactly what you want.  Any APQS quilter in you neighborhood will usually invite you over for a test run.  I think you're on your way,  asking questions like you have here is smart.  Have fun on your adventure, hope to see your quilts here in the near future.
 
PS:  What other company lets you be a member of their forum, no matter what machine you own?  Need I profess again, CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!! 

You could always check out a used Millie. I purchased a used Millie that was 4 years old at the time I purchased it. I absolutely love my Millie!! I have never had any problems with my machine at all. In fact I have owned 3 APQS Machines, all purchased used and never had any issues with them. My first was a non-stitch regulated Ultimate 2 (same throat size as the Lenni), I upgraded to a Ultimate 1 (same throat size of the Millie) with an add on stitch regulator and finally up graded to a Millie. After having my Millie it would be really hard to down grade to anything else.

Mary, I bought the queen Swirlz for $225 used and felt I got a good deal. I intentionally skipped the squares and went back and free handed flowers, angels, stars..with matchine glow in the dark thread. The grand kids love to turn the lights off and count the objects.They glow for hours! It's a fun and quick board!

I've been working rediculous hours at work with even more rediculous expectations for 7 months straight.   I think the amount of stress I was under added to the medical complications.  Now that I am decompressing,  I realize just how tense i was for so long.
 
I got a new position this week and feel that God has truly interviened and rescued me from this situation!  I am so utterly thankful and in awe.  God is so faithful and loving to His children!