Phantasm is correct. It's about the fun factor. Some of my best finds could have been made with a $49.95 machine, just how the targets were in the soil.
No need to bash someone else's machine. That's really pretty juvenile. So what if someone can only afford machine "X"? You going to make them depressed and make them unhappy they can't get machine "Y" due to their budget? Come on already. I get really tired of the "my machine is better than yours" syndrome. I am not specifically referring to anyone, but if the goal is to go and find stuff, well, go and find it!
And as Tommy said "I would rather have a reliable car then one the breaks down a lot." Wonder which kind he was referring to? Maybe my Impala which never breaks!
And there's a reason some of us have different machines. For a couple of my spots a $49.95 machine works just fine. I'd want another for underwater, etc.
There is no magic wand out there. Go PLAY!