Throat space is the spec
Price bands are dealer or maker prices we saw on 2026-09-29, not averages; the full list with sources is in the long-arm cost guide. Speed is the maker's motor figure. On a frame, the stitch regulator and your hand set the working speed: the Handi Quilter Moxie's regulated range is 50 to 800 spm against a 1,800 spm motor.
Domestic straight-stitch quilters
The Juki TL tier and the Brother PQ1600S: up to 1,500 spm, straight stitch only, 8.5 to 8.7 in of throat, drop feed dogs and, on the Juki, a knee lifter. It handles lap and throw quilts on a table and pieces fast. You keep a second machine for zigzag. Computerized quilters such as the Janome Memory Craft 6650 trade speed (1,000 spm) for stitch variety and a 10 in flatbed workspace.
Sit-down mid-arms
A long-arm style head mounted in a table, so you move the quilt, not the machine. 16 to 18 in of throat without a frame's footprint. The step for people who quilt whole tops on a domestic and want room, not a room. The Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen (16 in, no frame) is the model we cover, and the maker no longer lists it, so buying means remaining dealer stock or the used market.
Stand-up long-arms
The machine rides on a frame and you move it over a quilt loaded on rollers. A 15 in head such as the Handi Quilter Moxie is an entry long-arm on a frame; 20 in and up is where professional quilters work. Budget the frame, stitch regulation, delivery and floor space. Handi Quilter says a 10 ft frame wants roughly 12 to 13 ft by 7.5 to 8 ft; a dealer guide gives 12 by 8 ft, with 2 ft clear around the head and a walking path.
Pick by what you quilt
Where the labels mislead
- A seller's "long arm" is not a measurement. Some retailer titles call the 8.5 in Juki TL machines long-arms; by throat they are domestic.
- Published tier ranges disagree. Two guides put mid-arm at 12 to 17 in and long-arm at 18 in and up. By that rule a 15 in frame machine is a mid-arm, yet Handi Quilter sells the Moxie as a long-arm and Grace dealers call the Q'nique 15R a midarm. We call 15 to 16 in heads on a frame entry long-arms and 16 to 18 in sit-down heads mid-arms.
- Usable depth is less than throat width on a frame, because the take-up roller and clamps take part of it. The maker puts the Moxie at about 10 in usable of its 15 in. No maker publishes a usable-depth figure across the category, so treat any single number as soft.
- Max spm is a motor figure. Compare regulated working ranges where the maker gives them.
What else decides it
- Stitch regulation: built in on the Moxie and Q'nique 15R, an optional foot on some Bernina domestics, and not available for the Juki TL class.
- A knee lifter, needle up and down, and a walking foot: check which are built in. Feet are not interchangeable across brands.
- Dealer support: long-arms are sold and serviced through dealers, and owners of some brands report uneven dealer support. Ask who services the machine before you pay for the frame.
When to move up
- You have run out of throat on a domestic on more than one quilt.
- You quilt whole tops for others, or several a month for yourself.
- You have the room, and the frame will not be folded away.
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