I "posted" something at the TQS forum but it didnt show up!
CONGRATS on you decision on buying a longarm. It is way more fun than you can imagine:)) AND go for the 26" harp! When you are doing micro work you will work close to the bellybar anyway, what ever size the machine is. But, if you see big quilts in your life go with the 26". My Lucey is 26, and I just LOVE the room she offers. And, when doing rulerwork, the base eats up some of the space, a total of 8-10", so with the 22 you will only have like a good 10" to play on.
Being able to do less turns on quilts means a lot to me too as it is fewer times to line the quilt up to make it straight...means the possibility to mess up is eliminated by a few steps:))

Hi MK,
Go to http://www.gammill.net and they should have the weight in the specs. I have the Classic, which has the 26" throat, and I think it weighs between 50 and 60 lbs.

Thanks for the advice, Ladies!!!

I have been trying out different long arms quite a bit over the past ~3 years (including with my friend, Margo, above!) I have honed in on Gammill for a number of reasons that are a good fit for me, so know it is narrowing it down to the specific machine and the options that I want.

I am planning to go with a hydraulic lift - I have been thinking that the ease of adjusting the height based, on whether I am sitting, standing, or ?, will be easier on my back.

I think I became ready for the purchase once the Breeze system became available, as well as I spoke with the dealer in Springfield, MO/St Louis, MO and know that I will feel very good about making the purchase from her (Merrily). I just can't make a purchase this big without feeling good about who I am buying from and know that I am going to get good support after the purchase. The dealer is 4.5 hours away, but that's the reality when I am in Memphis. It is likely we will be here one+ more years (have to graduate the DD from HS), and then we will be off for the next adventure.

@Betty Jo - thanks for sharing your recent testing with me - and I am excited for you as you are getting ready to buy your long arm! How exciting!!!

Again, thanks, Ladies! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me!

Have a great Saturday!
Mary Kay

Mary Kay, I went today to the Chantilly, VA Sewing and Quilting Expo and tried out a Gammill 26-10. I was talking with the sales woman about the tiny stippling and landscape textures I like to do and she asked that I try it. If you get the new Breeze enhancement track system, I think you would be really happy regardless of which size you buy. I LOVED it so much I'm thinking of buying one (22-10). I will have to have the frame cut down to a 6 foot frame to fit it into my home, which she said they could do. That will work fine for the quilts I make and quilted garments I plan to make. I encourage you to find somewhere you can try several brands. Today I tried the Gammill the HQ and the Baby Lock long arms. I tried the APQS a few months ago. For my style of quilting, the Gammill is leading the pack right now, but think they all are wonderful and it depends on how you work which works best for you, so you need to try them.

Hey Mary Kay! That might be a question best answered by a dealer or someone from the Gammill web site.
There is a "contact us" link under MORE INFO/ABOUT US on this web site. Maybe you can get a definite answer about the weight from them?

http://www.gammill.net/

I do not have a Gammill but I do have an A1 Elite (which I love and have used professionally for the last 8 years).

I recommend that you try lots of longarms before you buy. Weight of the sewing head is only one factor. And it may not be the most important factor. The only way you can know what to buy is to try out alot of longarms. It's like buying a car... some prefer Toyota, some prefer Honda, some perfer Ford. They each can be excellent cars, but only one is the 'fit' and that's the one that is bought.

In my opinion, the handling of the longarm is vital, ie, the way it moves on the tracks. Ergonomics is vital too. If you are tall (over 5'5" let's say) you will have a longer arm reach than someone who is shorter. I am only 5'1" and when it came to using the longarm, I cannot use the longest ones out there. When you are quilting from the front, and your arms are fully extended because you are using a machine that has a longer reach, and you are doing more quilting far away from your core, that is harder on the body, and even perhaps harder to control for detail work.

My A1 is 23" with a quiltable space of 17" max. The Gammill 22 would be similar. The 26" machines can quilt a larger area before having to advance, perhaps 3" more. But you need to be able to handle the machine well at that depth. So not only the weight but the way it handles is very important.

Ergonomics as I mentioned is also important. I have a hydrolic lift and I can change the height of my table as my body aches dictate. I raise and lower it as needed. I can sit to quilt by lowering it, or raise it up an inch above my usual, which changes the angle of my neck and shoulders enough to buy me a bit more quilting time before I tire out.

You said you like to do detail work... I would recommend buying a machine with a lift, and one you can sit at easily for detail work. The Stitch Regulator is also important... it needs to be able to respond quickly and smoothly for you.

There are so many factors that go into this purchase. Ease of maintenance, dealer support after the sale, warranty, training and setup, ease of use, Stitch Regulator quality, tension quality and ease of using many different threads, quality of the table and tracks, etc.

Good Luck! HTH

I am trying to make some decisions regarding a long-arm. I am specifically interested in the Gammill Vision 22-10 and the 26-10. Does anyone know the weight of each machine?

I am thinking I would prefer the 22-10, as it will be easier to move around and do the micro work that I am most interested in doing. But don't know whether the weight difference btwn the 2 machines would tell me that they are so close in weight and just to go with the larger machine - the 26-10.

Any other factors that I should consider between the 22-10 and the 26-10?

Thanks for your help and advice!

Mary Kay