wow, talk about 'horns of a dilemma'. I've been looking at the 4200XL, the Kat, Barebones, and now Magom for a first excavator. I feel confident enough to be able to finish the Barebones and the Kat. Budget is a concern for me and I still think a guy can bring one of these in for around 2 grand or just over that. I think if a guy is gonna spend much more than that, he should go with the 4200XL. I don't think I'm out to lunch on this, but I appreciate the opinions of those who have gone before me...