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Newbie question: Is vibration normal?


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Hi,

I'm new (first post) and I am very excited because I am planning on buying a machine next weekend at the Long Beach International Quilt Festival (CA)! So far, I have only tried the HandiQuilter and the Baby Lock Jewel, which I didn't like because they vibrated a lot! Is this normal with longarms? Does it happen with the larger machines, like the Millennium and the FreedomSR, A-1 or Gammill? I am leaning heavily towards the APQS machines, but I want to try all the brands at the show just to make sure. (I'm a Pisces, and the fish swim in both directions, so I always need to see and try all my choices!!) Thanks for your advice.

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Any motorized machine will have vibration--it's just a matter of what you consider acceptable. The "tinnier" the table/machine, the more vibration with translate to your hands and arms. The APQS machines have a great sturdy, heavy frame and a well-built machine head. The SR is superb and all the add-ons are icing on the cake.

That said, try 'em all! You will find the fit for you.

With the excitement of the show and the crowds around, try the machines with your eyes closed.

Put in SR if they have one. See how much effort it takes to start and stop the machine. Listen to it's sounds. Resist the temptation to stitch out a gorgeous feather or flower!! Push left to right and stop. Then back again. Stitch back to front and back again. See how easy it is to stop on a mark. Try to stitch a circle. See how the machine feels as you try to stitch on the diagonal--don't worry--no one can easily stitch on the diagonal!!! These little exercises should give you information for comparing different brands. Now you can stitch a feather or write your name!!

Take extensive notes of all the feelings you have and your favorite features. Move on to the next booth. When the vendors see you taking notes, they will probably leave off the sales pitch until you get a feel for the machine. If not, ask them to let you stitch for a bit since you are planning to make a purchase during the show!! That'll get their attention!

We all love whatever machine we have chosen--defense mechanism I suppose. Have a great time at the show--we don't care what machine you choose as long as it is right for you.:)

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Dear Newbie: I'm one of those people who bought my Milli at last year's Houston show. I have to say that I tried lots of machines at many year's shows. Some were adjusted better than others, but by in large, I found the least vibration in the heavier frames. The size of the machine seemed to matter less than the stability of the frame. There were some lighter weight, skinny frames I found let the machine head hop when I drove in certain directions. Most noticeable , I never found a wooden or 2 piece frame I thought would pass the test. I ended up with a Milli because it was so smooth, but more for the stitch quality and tension adjustment system. I'm very happy with mine, have been practicing like crazy, in my case, any problems there are are almost always due to inexperience, (operator error:D) I'm having a lot of fun, hope you find your dream machine, this forum is great for owners of any brand. Great shopping, Pat

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srstahl,my lenni is housed on a solid frame and is heavy, heavy. I get very little vibs. I once tried an HQ16 and was blown away by how it shook. I asked the store owner who said it would shake until it got to a certain "speed" then would level out. Don't know why that was but I don't get that shake.

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