I have a Go Baby & a couple of Qube sets and some BOB dies. I don't use it nearly as often as I thought I would, as I prefer scrappy quilts. So time saved by the actual cutting is often offset by doing more fabric preparation for the dies. I do like it for cutting curved patches like apple core, drunkard's path, clam shells, etc. or for blocks with odd angles that are not found on rulers. For simple shapes like squares, rectangles, or strips I find it faster to use a ruler and rotary cutter.
With the cutter, you still need to prep fabric to fit the die. For scrappy quilts or non-reversible shapes each fabric must be cut to fit the die, for non-scrappy or if the die shape is reversible, cut a strip WOF and fan fold. Yes, there is a bit of waste, but if it really bothers, quite often those little bits can be used to make small HST blocks or strip blocks. Another thing to consider is that sometimes a seam is added to avoid having y-seams in a finished block, or in place of using a flippy corner. IMHO it's faster to make HST or hourglass blocks by using those sew-then-cut methods than cut a bunch of triangles and sew those together. As to the applique dies, they are cute, but unless you making quilts to sell or selling kits of die cut patches, how often will those dies be used? All that said, there are some BOB dies that make me wish I had a larger cutter - crossed canoes for example.
And since you are battling arthritis, I will also say hand-cranking the dies through does take some effort, so I'd suggest really looking at the electric version.
My advice on buying - consider carefully what shapes you use most often. If you use a lot of a certain size shape consider buying the dies for those and not the Qube as with the Qube, you cut fewer of each shape. There are quite a few quilters that use only the strip dies and can cut a boat load of squares in one pass with them. Check the BOB dies finished sizes, especially if you want to combine 2 or more in 1 quilt.
If you do get a cutter, pay attention to your fabric grain as it goes into the cutter. There is pressure on the die and it can stretch the fabric a bit as it rolls through. Some fabrics are worse than others - put those right next to the die if possible, there's a bit less chance of stretching there. Besides the cost of the dies, you will also need to replace the cutting mats over time. After running the fabric through the cutter - do NOT pick up the mat, static will cause the fabric to stick to it. Instead, pet the mat a couple of times and slide it off. You can find the picks to clean the dies far less expensive at the hardware store. Never leave the die on a table cutting side up - those blades are Sharp if someone happens to lean on them. There are some good videos about using the dies, not just those at Accuquilt.
A possible option to try before you buy - check nearby libraries if they have a cutter that can be used. Some are getting quite creative with offering things besides books and DVDs to increase people coming in. I've seen everything from cake pans available for checkout to 3-d printers to use at the library. And I know of 1 quilt shop that has a Studio cutter set up, and if you buy fabric, you can use it free for a short time (1/2 to 1 hour?), otherwise you pay to use it if you bring in fabric or need longer time.