You can get more bang for your buck on a Handi Quilter or Innova. I worked at a Bernina dealership for 16 years, and when the Bernina longarms came out, we didn't carry them.
The Bernette machines are made by Brother. You might as well get a Brother and save yourself a lot of money.
I own a Bernina 590, and I absolutely LOVE it! I didn't think I would use all the bells and whistles, but I do. The "hover" is my absolute favorite feature. The thread cutter doesn't really work. It always cuts the top thread, but I cut the bobbin thread right down to the feed dogs and it's just fine. I got the 34D foot to use for 1/4" seams. I bump the needle position over 3 bumps to the right and guide the fabric just inside the right feed dog. It can sew through tough fabrics without a problem. It has a jack hammer feature that gets through the super thick parts. I sewed 10 layers of denim and it didn't skip a stitch.