I just got a Nolting Fun Quilter that I use on a table that my husband made for me and I love the setup. I purchased a used Fun Quilter with the stitch regulator and I am thrilled and what I can do now. I had a JUKI 98TLE on a HandiQuilter frame for years and I found it very limiting.
My daughter and I both make quilts as a hobby and we have about 24 per year that we finish. I do use a lot of machine embroidery in my quilts and like you, was shocked by the response I received from professional quilters. Some were willing to quilt them at a very high price. In my mind that justifies the cost of the Fun Quilter.
But way beyond cost is the flexibility it gives us. The throat of the JUKI is just to small for some of what we wanted to do. We are certainly not ready for a 24 inch long arm. But the 17 inch is not scary, and we are able to do ruler, pantograms and free hand quilting with ease. I absolutely love quilting my embroidered tops!
My suggestion is to not start to small, and not go so big that it is overwhelming to learn or use. Also, the customer service for which ever system you go with is really important for hobby level quilters. I do not want the rep thinking I am a professional and know more then I do. The bottom line is that we do this because we love it, not because we want to up our stress levels.