7x12 is fine but you need to spend A LOT of time to set it right, mine was great had it for 3 years, if you look at one pm me ill help you out, i got a 13x24 now and after a month or so im still setting the gib's after increasingly heavy cuts seem to settle things out. i started out not wanting to save for 5 years to get started, by taking the risk and going for what i could afford first, It was worth the gamble, I got hooked! not everyone can afford things of the latest and greatest variety as some others seem to, if you can great! If not start small and build the skills in an inexpensive and size Conscious way, you can always sell and upgrade. In the mean time you develop skills that tranfer to all machines anyway .... and patients, lots of that