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Millie vs Classic


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I am steadily doing research into these 2 machines. From the very beginning I have wanted a Millie over a Classic and I have not touched a Millie yet. However, I'm wondering about the difference in price between the 2. Can anyone tell me why a Millie is $1,600 more than a Classic. They look very similar in many ways. I'm just trying to justify spending $1,600 more for a Millie. I plan to purchase a machine within the year. I'm going to Houston and will test drive both machines, but in the meantime just wondering why such a big difference in price.

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I'm not sure, unless it is the materials used. The Millie is aircraft aluminum (I believe) and the Gammil is probably cast aluminum. The Millie is much lighter, weiging in at just about 49 pounds or so. There is no vibration in a Millie...I felt the difference at MQS in a class where they were using Gammils. I had heard they had lots of vibration, but didn't realize how much until that class. Also, the Millie is made in America, which clinched it for me!!

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I too was looking at both of these machines. For me it was customer service and it is worth every penny to me to know that I have an excellent board of experts available around the clock and APQS is wonderful! There is a difference in the weight of the machine and noise too. You need to drive both and make your decision. I drove both and it was a simple choice for me. At the APQS booth I had undivided attention and they entertained all of my questions and let me quilt whatever I wanted. At the Gammil booth I had to keep trying to get the persons attention and they wanted to show me their predesigned demo. I have never regreted my decision and I've had my machine 10 months now.

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I briefly drove a Gammill before I made my choice, but once I grabbed hold of a Millie, I knew which one to get. The Gammill was noisy to me, and I have sensitive ears. As MB pointed out, the Millie is much lighter making it easier to quilt with for longer periods of time.

I would second exactly what Heidi said above about customer service. Also check my note about Having such a good day yesterday. Even though the factory was closed in Iowa yesterday due to a storm and power outage, I had a phone call back within 20 min. Before I even had a chance to try the solution that I read about here. I simply cannot sing the praises of APQS loudly enough. Of couse, I am biased.

Good luck in your choice.

Beth

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I was a Gammill Classic owner for nine months when I first started longarm quilting.

I took lessons from Sherry Rogers-Harrison and in her studio was a Millennium.

I fell in love with the accuracy and control and when I got home I put my Gammill up for sale.

Loved it so much I bugged APQS to death to make me a rep.

Classic is heavier and the wheels are vertical, the Mille's wheels are horizontal and they lock onto a track that distributes the weight and vibration to give you a smoother feel.

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elkayr,

It is a tough decision on which machine to buy. I have had 2 APQS Ultimate Is and a Gammill Optimum Plus currently. There are differences. Mary Beth is correct when she says that Gammill are cast aluminum, maybe that is what makes them heavier, and they are heavier. I'm sure that you have checked all the features on both machines.

My only advice is that you have to drive them both and see which one feels better to you. Find somebody in your area who has one that is willing to let you drive it. Dealers can give you test drives too. I have used several machines in classes at shows and been disappointed. The machines in the vendor area are usually better setup for you to feel the way they glide. I know that $1,600 sounds like a lot of money, but in the grand scheme of things, how you feel about your machine is more important than the $$ difference.

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One thing that the others haven't mentioned is table design. I really like the way the APQS table is, specifically the roller position. Everything is up high, you are not leaning on your quilt as you work from the front. It is so easy to load in this position without having to bend over to roll your quilt up onto the quilt roller. A big big plus too is the fabric advance feature and not having to undo locks on cranks to roll or unroll your quilt. Also the lexan top is really cool cause it gives you a giant light table.

Yes, I am a rep for APQS and I am biased :P but before even becoming a rep I was a shopper like you and chose the Millie over the Classic. I too had a hard time justifying the price difference, but when my husband saw my face after test driving the Millie, he said "That is it, you are getting the Millie". :)

Patty

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When I was shopping for a long arm I looked at all the machines. I was torn btwn the Millie and the Gammil. The table is what sold it for me.

I have had no regrets AT ALL!!!!! I love the Millennium and am so happy I got it. It is amazingly easy to maintain.....

When I was talking to the Gammill dealer I asked him about maintainence and oiling and service........... he put his arm around my shoulder and said "Honey, we teach you all that in our training class". He would not give me a straight answer!

EEEWWWWWW!!!! So condescending and gross.

Now, I know not all dealers are that way but he lost my business with that.

Elkayr - You need to go with your gut feeling on which machine will be the best fit for you. Good luck!

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I did four days of quilting on a Gammill at LongarmU. I learned tons, but I also learned that I didn't particularly like the Gammill. Too much vibration and I didn't seem to have the control I had when I "test-drove" a Millie two weeks later.

I love my Millie...and I love this group and all the support. I live in the sticks, so I have to be able to do things for myself.

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Millie vs. Gammill. Both are good machines and I also ooked at both carefully prior to my choice. Millie won out hands down.

Easier daily up keep on the Millie and much less oil, plus the oil is not an issue of dripping on the quilt or back table

Millie is smooth and study feeling vs Gammill seems to be very loose and seems to want to jump around. Feel like I have less control.

Millie is much lighter

The table and quilt loading on the Millie makes more sense to me - don't have to fiddle with the level bar, can get into the bobbin area at any point on the machine even if a quilt is loaded, bobbin easier to pop in and out - to me just a better set up. I can see where I am quilting in relation to the bars - the front bars on the Gammill are hidden by the quilt.

threading is easier on the Millie

love having all the controls right at my finger tips vs. on the Gammill some of the controls are on the head of the machine

There are a few more reasons, but these just come to mind right away.

Finally and biggest reason - support, support, support - company, forum, dealers - there are all there when ever you need help and every one is happy to help!!!!

good luck,

Meg:cool:

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I spend many months looking at machines and finally ended up toying between the APQS and Gammill also. Both are superior machines. I was so lucky to have exceptionally good dealers for both machines nearby, so this never was an issue.

By this point $$ weren't an issue, as I was simply going to buy whichever Machine was the best FIT overall for ME ME ME.

For me it was a Gammill and I love it. I'm so glad that decision is over. I spent so much time worrying over it.

All I can say is "just do it". Go for whichever brand is right for YOU and makes You happy. You'll be so excited on delivery day:D:D:D

Terry

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I'm a rep and very, very partial to APQS. I did drive a Gammill before buying "Millie". The Gammill was heavy and not smooth. Aircraft aluminum is more expensive then cast aluminum but lighter. APQS includes the auto feed on it's tables, when I tested the Gammill I was told it was extra. I'm short, and couldn't live with out the electric feed. Those big steel handwheels on the Gammill turned me off and looked complicated? The APQS rep were really friendly and anwered every question I asked, however, the Gammill rep seemed to avoid my questions. I called APQS many times before purchasing my machine and while I waiting on delivery, they were cheerful and had answers. If I had a question in the evening hours the LA quilters here had answers. Buy what you heart tells you to buy. When you're discussing thousands of dollars get the best for your money, even if it costs a dollar more and you can afford it. The important thing is no matter what machine you get, we''re excited for you and invite you to continue using this forum.

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Originally posted by Gator

The important thing is no matter what machine you get, we''re excited for you and invite you to continue using this forum.

That right there is the important point: whatever machine you choose to buy (and I am also partial to APQS!;)), please continue sharing your joys and woes with us here on the forum. Purchasing your first longarm is like buying your first car - you have to find what fits you. But the fellowship and advice you will find here is second to none, no matter what brand you choose for your first longarm.:P

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Purchasing a longarm machine, all the goodies to go with it, etc... It's a big investment, so honestly, considering a little more money: $1,600 should not be the final decision-maker for you.

Definitely take your time and test drive them all. Test drive them several times in different venues, if possible. They are all very nice machines and people do beautiful quilting on all of them; no matter what brand. It boils down to what you like.

For me, what I like about my Millennium is: Fabric advance features. It's wonderful! I use it all the time. Fabric advance is a super sweet feature.

I have a broken foot (broke it Nov. 2006) that aches terribly if I stand up too long, so I also like that I can skooch up to the front of the machine and sit on a drafting stool and quilt (no long time standing or aching feet). I even sit on my drafting stool while doing pantographs from the back of the machine. Easy peasy. I can see the panto and I can also see my quilt top where I'm quilting.

I like the clear lexan top for tracing (use it as a light box). Super easy machine to maintain. I've had mine a year now and never any troubles with it.

Recapping what I said before, do more research on all the machines, play and have fun and don't let $1600 be the end factor.

Even if you do decide to buy.... OMG!! :o :o "THE OTHER BRAND" :o :o we still like any and all quilters here on this chat...no matter what machine they use. No discrimination here at this happy safe place! We are all here for the same reason---we love quilting, quilters, quilts, etc...

Happy quilting. Take your time and enjoy the shopping experience.

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First, let me say that I love my Liberty! When I bought it, though, I let the price difference between it and the Millie sway me. Now, I think back...any machine is costing a lot of money, I kind of wish I'd spent the bit extra on the top of the line!

That said...I really don't have room for a bigger machine right now, I don't know how I would have fit the Millie in. In a couple of years my youngest will be off to university and I'll be ready to make a decision then to upgrade.

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Something else to consider that most people don't think about or think to ask about are the "extra" charges some companies add.

1. APQS has NO crating fee. Others charge up to $700.

2. APQS charges only what the shipping company charges, no added "handling fee", and they shop for the best price. Most of my machines are delivered to the west coast of Canada for between $380 and $550.

3. Although APQS offers professional set up, it really isn't necessary because all of our machines are pre-tested at the factory.

4. APQS sponsors a FREE day of training with the dealer of your choice, or with Dawn Cavanaugh at APQS headquarters.

If you're considering the Millennium, it includes the automatic fabric advance feed. If you removed that, the dollar amount would be almost even.

So, it's really important to make sure you're comparing apples with apples and not apples with applesauce. :P Not sure what that means , but it sounds good! LOL

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One other point I forgot to make is that APQS has designed a machine that is pretty much "customizable" to the way YOU want to quilt.

You can adjust:

The wheels - loosen or tighten to give the feel YOU want. They HUG the track like a monorail system, rather than like a train sitting on a track. Smoother ride, more stability, less vibration.

The handles - My handles move like soft butter. Just a little something extra I do to them before using a new machine lets me move them "on the fly".

The tension block - I have my tension block tightened just enough to hold the roller position, but not so tight that the quilt can't advance with a push on the foot pedal. I never have to lift the lever on the tension block and that saves a lot of time when doing detailed custom quilting and SID work.

In addition:

The new (Millie 2008) black/white LED lights change with the flick of a switch and give superb visibility.

Did I mention that set up is a breeze? The table ends are all one piece! AND the table is SO stable, there's no way you could accidentally pull it over on yourself. Think that sounds silly? Someone on one of the longarm lists actually did that a couple of years ago. Got trapped under the rollers and was found by a neighbour hours later, fortunately only badly bruised, but unable to get out from under.

Whatever machine you're looking at, make sure you check the stability of the table.

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Have you considered a Green Millie? If the big thing that may sway you is the cost, you could get almost the exact same as the Millie, but for closer to the price of the Classic. I don't know if it is just me, but it seems like the APQS just have less problems. I've been looking as Sharon Schambers website lately and she had done so many things to her Gammill. (rice bags, foam, side leaders, extra thread quides, switched out the tensioner) I think that if you're going to spend thousands of dollars, it should work right from the beginning. Just my thoughts...

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