I too am a bigger is better kinda guy. Have a coupla KTs, they move a lot of metal, and I have a Bridgeport series II. When I got the KT's I though I might sell the Bridgeport but I've found that they are different machines and do different work quickly. The KT vertical is a 310 S15. 10000 lbs, very rigid and very accurate. Moves a lot of metal. Need a sign plate to do some of the work the BP will Do. I've done some machining inside of transmission bell housings. Hung them off the side of the table on the BP turned the turret to center over the bell housing to center and performed the work. Cant think of a way to have done the job with the KT. Could have performed the job on a horizontal machine. There are certainly bigger machines than BP's that have the versatility, and bigger is stronger, but that style machine, with the tilting, nodding, head and the rotating turret, makes a very versatile machine. I have also seen machines that have both a horizontal, and a vertical spindle, those machines are also very versatile. A horizontal machine with a vertical cutting attachment is another way to go. So depending on floor space, anticipated types of work, a Bp type machine is a lot of bang for the $. And tooling is every where.
Tim