I purchased it at least two years ago and use it weekly. The machine has always performed much better than I. It was up to snuff right out of the box while I took a few months to get in the groove.

A few tips are probably in order. Learn from my mistakes. A good breakmaking cookbook makes a difference. Try shopping for them at bookstores so you can examine the recipes. The one I use might not "fit" you so I won't recommend, but the author is Beth Hensperger. I can vouch that her measurements are precise and her recipes carefully tested. That is the type cookbook you seek.

Use quality ingredients. Measure as exact as you can. Room temps on everything unless stated differently. For whole grain flours, the secret I've discovered is to keep them in an air-tight container in the freezer. They have a much higher oil content and should not be stored at room temperature else the oil turns rancid. Once that occurs the loaves will be heavy and not rise to potential.

I think any of the machines that get good reviews would be fine, frankly. Most of the expense difference between them seems to be based more on loaf size, or achieving some "ideal" loaf shape.