My perspective is different, so far. Mine is still under warranty and I've cleaned around 400 LPs with it. The only issue is sometimes a droplet or two of water left after the drying cycle. I use Nerl Reagent grade lab water in mine which leaves little to no residue after drying. The droplets I blot with a microfiber cloth if present and leave the LPs to sit in a plastic dish rack for a while so I know they're completely dry.
The big advantage here is the convenience. For me, that can't be overstated. I no longer waste weekend afternoons cleaning 10-12 records. Records no longer pile up waiting to be cleaned. It certainly doesn't hurt that they sound every bit as good as with my former labor intensive methods which included steaming. I also have essentially no problem with static anymore until I pull out an LP that was done on my VPI cleaner.
So yeah, it's pricey and I assume it will need repair at some point, most everything does and this is a complex device. I'll gladly do what it takes to keep it going though. I can honestly say that no piece of audio equipment I've ever purchased has changed my life for the better to this degree.