So where lies the middle?

On one hand you have the Trumpf, Mitsubishi, Omax and the "name brands" that command such high prices. Then you've got the Chinese manufacturers who may or may not have good products, but seem to have questionable tech support. Who sits in the middle? If someone wanted, say a 3000 watt machine with a 1000 x 3000 bed and safety screens with reliability and tech support without spending $200K plus where does one go?

There was a guy near me - around Petaluma, CA who'd bought a machine close to my specs from a Chinese provider. After a few minor teething problems, he was having a good time of it and..... he disappeared. I've wondered if that meant that everything's working and he's happily making money, or if he started having problems and got disgusted.