(insert chuckle here) We should surely all realize that the wisdom behind "Buying your second machine first" was learned in hindsight. Many of the ones that I have heard say it the most have owned more than a handful of machines.
I have probably spoken to over a hundred guys looking to buy a CNC machine. Most profess to be doing their due diligence researching "all the options". I really enjoy the look on their face when I inform them that there are around 800 models produced by a couple hundred MFGRs being sold in the US today. No one can do that much homework!
One other thing to remember is that very few, if any of the things that seem important to most woodworkers as they research CNC machines prior to purchase, will be important to them after they acquire some acumen in the craft. As hard as it is to figure out what the best machine is for them now, it would be impossible to predict what their needs as a more advanced operator would be.
Gary Campbell
CNC Replacement & Upgrade Controllers
Custom 9012 Centroid ATC