thanks abunch for the input yall! most of what im hearing here is just reaffirming what i had already thought. which to me is a good thing. a few more details:
the machine is being restored at the shop i work at. therefore ill know that the thing plays great before it comes to my house and starts its warranty.
i could have paid 1600 for the machine if i made one cash payment. however that wasnt quite in the books, and i am paying for this machine over the course of three months.
i am also getting a lw3 playfield, translite, and driver board with the deal. so there is at least some potential to save money down the line when needing to repair the machine.
and in case anyone is wondering why lw3 as a first pin? i live about a four second bike ride from an arcade with 100+pinball tables. every machine that has come through that arcade, i have played into the ground. for whatever reason, this arcade has not had a lw3. in addition to that, i have never seen any of the movies. ive even avoided looking at the game online just so i can have that feeling of fresh subject matter the first time i stand in front of it. and i know this is the exact opposite of the usual story: "played this game a million times at some point in my life and knew i had to have one" but whatever, all things considered it seems like a good place to start!!