smudges Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Hi! I need some help making a decision! I have 2 options at the moment, purchase a Lenni with a 20" throat or a Millennium with a 26" throat. Now I know that seems a fairly easy choice LOL but this is where it gets complicated. If I buy the Lenni I will have money left over for threads, patterns, cirlce lord (when they are available for a Lenni), rulers, gadgets, batting, fabric, etc etc. But if I buy the Millennium I will really be pushing the limits and maxing out the creditcards and will have no money left for any of these accessories. I keep changing my mind every 5 minutes, and without having really used a long arm (other than for a few minutes at a show) I don't relaly have a practical knowledge of what the extra throat space would give me. What would you do? Thanks! Susan in Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joy Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Hi susan I bought myself a millie off sue in april this year. I did not know the first thing about a long arm machine before i tried sues, and I am not in the business. But my millie is the best and I am so glad I bought it. I also got the circle lord and it is fantastic. Also with the circle lord you can pay it off over the year if you want to I hope this helps Joy in Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Hi Susan (Smudges), I sent you a long U2U. I went to an APQS Road Show on Saturday and am passing my experience along...actually to confuse you more:) Sandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crafty Unicorn Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 What about a Freedom? You get the wide stitch space, can add the toys you want (I would suggest the single stitch) and still have money left over for toys. You can even get the stitch regulator, although I don't have a SR and don't know that I ever will. I love my Freedom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsurich Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 I have a Liberty and really like it but had been working on a Millie before and I like the lighter weight. Yes there are times when I wish I had a few more inches to roam but then I also thought that at times with the Millie. You just have to stand in front of them and move them both for a long time. One gal I know can't reach the back of the quilting area with a Millie so may as well have the Liberty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saundra Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Susan, I bought a LA several years ago. The mistake I made was to buy an 18" throat. I really am sorry that I did not go with the bigger throat. There are so many quilts that I cannot quilt the complete block. When you tie up the money, you are stuck. So I would think about the largest throat. Saundra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkerekes Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Susan, Buy the bigger throat---assuming that you are not a 'shorty' and can actually reach with a Millenium:)! You will not regret it. Once you start cruising with quilts, you'll realize how great the bigger throat size is. The larger throat will save you time in the long run, and make it easier to work on larger blocks. Jill Kerekes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigletaz Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Just 2 more cents here - the Freedom SR has the same throat space as the Millie, but less of the options. This will save you a few dollars. With the Liberty you will have to advance the quilt more often and also as above you may not be able to complete an entire block without advancing the quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 I would suggest you purchase the max with your current funds. As you get more business, your 'spending' money will increase to build your 'tool' supply. Once you purchase the LA, chances are you will not make that large of an investment again. Even the most expensive tools don't cost as much as the machine. So your biggest expense will already be made. It is much easier to purchase large at the beginning, then purchase the smaller, less expensive tools as you go along. This will also give you time and experience to make decisions on what tools you really want to work with. They all seem very good, but some just work better than others for different people. When I purchased my Mille, my husband 'made' me get all the bells and whistles available at the time. I'm glad I listened. I have been purchasing tools along since then. Some are better than others, even for me. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbishwit Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Look at the Green Millies this way you can get the best of both worlds, size and still have the extra cash for the add on toys If the green millies were available when I bought my machine in 2005, I would have gone that route because I also didn't want to break the bank on the machine alone which is why I bought my Liberty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryll Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 I was goring to buy a Lenni. I had an Ultimate 2 with the 18 inch throat. I decided on buy a MIllie from the Demo sale they are having. I got a Millie for 13,000 plus shipping. I am so thrilled to have more throat space. If you are planning on a Circle Lord you will probably want a Millie. Size Does matter. If you go small it will only leave you wishing you had more. You know those checks they send you with your credit card. I had to use one for part of my machine. No big deal I can pay it back but I wouldn't been able to enlarge the size of a smaller machine easily. Go hurry run and call Myrna at Quilter's chosce and order a demo machine. It's a lot loess and you get a one year full service. You will also get the automate advance so you don't have to keep rolling by hand. If you buy a small one you can keep it a few years but you will probably eventually want more. SIZE Matters !!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlittle1 Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 If you think that you might ever want to do this as a business, buy the Millenium. Two years ago I bought a Liberty instead of the Millenium for exactly the reason you've stated. I thought I could get the other items that I felt I would need. Now I realize what a big mistake that was. I'm in the process of trading up to a Millenium right now. When I bought my Liberty I could have purchased the Millenium for about $3000.00 more. Now in order to trade up, meaning I get the Millenium head and the legs and send the Liberty head and legs back to APQS, it is costing me twice that amount. The Lenni is probably great for someone that wants to do their own quilts as a hobby, but if you think you want to build a business, get the Millenium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sylkamode Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 I have bought my Millennium september 2006, throat size was very important for me. Because of the large patterns, wide patterns you can use at one time, in stead of having to roll on the quilt all the time. I love it! Sylvia Kaptein Sylka-Mode Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudges Posted August 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 Hi! Thankyou everyone for your great responses! I went over to the very wonderful Sue's house this morning and was able to see a Liberty (20" throat, the same as Lenni) and a Millennium in the same room, and that proved to me without a doubt that I have made the right choice by going for a Millennium A used machine was not an option for me as I am in Australia and we need our machines made specifically for us over here, we are not able to use a US model. The Freedom never really came into it as with the $1000 off a Millennium this month it made it cheaper than the Freedom. Some other factors that also came into it for me (and will differ I am sure for others) were:- 1) Less waiting, the Lenni is not ready to ship yet. 2) Proven technology - the Millennium has been made for some time, where as the Lenni is still to complete the manufacturing process. 3) Attachments, rulers, gadgets, etc are already available and proven to work for the Millennium. 4) I feel the resale value on a Millunium will be greater than a Lenni as less people will be upgrading from a Millennium (why would you when it is already top of the line?). 5) I can add features to the Millennium such as power fabric advance, hydrolic table lift, and Compuquilter that are not available for the Lenni. 6) Because the Millenniums have been around longer and more people have them than Lenni's it will be easier to find someone who has experienced any problem I have and get help fixing it. Having said all that I am sure the Lenni will still be a great machine, but I know I will be very happy with my Milli. I am soooo excited, the waiting until it is delivered will just about kill me LOL! Thanks! Susan in Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlittle1 Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 Susan, It sounds to me as if you have done some very careful and because of that made a wise decision. Congratulations! Yes, the wait is terribly hard. I was supposed to get a call yesterday telling me that my Millenium has shipped. So far no call! Aargh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingupastorm Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 I agree that the larger throat gives you more options for quiltng. I measured my machine and from the needle to the curve in the back I have 28 inches to quilt. I have also from time to time used that entire space.........................when a quilt is on the machine I do not have that entire space but do have a good area to work. I love to do large freeform designs like feathers and such so for me the larger throat size is sure nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 I have a Liberty and have never felt limited by it. Actually, I can probably quilt longer because I'm not wearing myself out pushing that bigger, heavier machine around. Check out my quilts and see if you think I'm limited. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 Linda, I don't think throat size limits peope. Your quilts are beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncquilter Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 Linda, I have admired your quilting for quite some time. It's just beautiful. You know what they say, "It's not what you've got, it's how you use it." And you use it just right. Carol APQS Liberty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epprog Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 I have both carple tunnel (know that's spelt wrong but don't know why!!!) and tendonitis. The tendonitis is quite bad now because I have been doing crazy things like mixing cement on a construction site (yes, we have boys but I'd rather mix and handle cement bags than learn to put together and cut rebar!) and I keep on reading things like "heavier" Millenium. My milli just glides and doesn't bother me at all and sometimes I quilt 8 or more hours a day. Today I spent at least 5 hours at the machine and even though my right elbow has really been acking (can't spell at this time of night!) today the machine didn't bother it at all. Now, onto something that you all didn't talk about. All of you were addressing the throat size comparison. I sometimes wish my millie even had more throat size so the Lenni 20" would be a definite negative. I have taken Dawn Cavanaugh's advise to heart and install every quilt I can sideways so that I waste less time having to advance the quilt and fiddle with getting everything straight on the sides so many times. But the real issure for me when comparing the milli to the Lenni would have to be the width of quilts that you can quilt. I do alot of extra large quilts on machine both for myself and customers. I have one customer whose quilts are never less than 110" wide and she just phoned me and asked how wide I could go. I said that you can buy batting 120" wide so you can go at least that wide, or even wider if you don't mind piecing the batting. There are too many times, with our larger beds and puffier matresses that I think the Lenni would not be able to handle the larger quilts we do nowadays. But I would love to have a Lenni around when I do wall hangings. I did 8 last week and it would have been so easy on a Lenni. Hope that helps, I personally think you made the right choice buying the Millenium. In the long run you will be able to do ALL of the quilting that you want to do, not just SOME! Cher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltaholi_518 Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 I vote for the liberty, too. Occasionall I wish it was deeper, but I know I would loose control doing custome work in the farthest reaches of the quilting field. I have a hard time with ruler work whne my arms are outstretched, and I can't imagine trying to reach another 6 inches. I too have some physical limitations-bursitis of the shoulder which I just had repaired. If I ever go to a Millie, it would be to get the CQ, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epprog Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Hi Caron, love your quilting. I was going to mention that when I do custom I just sit down on my chair and roll the guilt right near me and work that way. You're right, you can't do lots of custom reaching far away, even SID is hard when you have to reach so far over. But, I love the throat space for stuff like larger all-over meander and especially for pantos. Some of the larger pantos need every inch of space and since I don't really like densly spaced pantos I have even blown-up a few of my pantos so that makes them 16" wide so you need all the throat space you can get. Cher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Patten Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 OK here is my two cents... first, for me size matters! I have a Freedom and a Discovery but find 20 inches is just not the same as 26. Although I love them both I only use my Discovery for quick small thread art projects and could never give up my Freedom. It is a non SR but they are available with SR now and cost less then the Milli. If you went with the Freedom you would still have a little extra for some of those toys you want, but my two cents on that is that you should buy your machine and quilt for a year before you invest in any extras. Then take some gadget classes before buying gadgets so you know that you love them before you spend lots of money on them. Of course if you have any extra after the machine purchase I would have to say BUY THREADS lots and lots of beautiful threads LOL OK That's all I have let us all know what you decide on and welcome to the wonderful world of crazy longarm quilters:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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