[RollingPanda]

So a quick backstory:

Me, completely new to airsoft (aside from reading the stickies on ASC, too bad that a portion of them are outdated) went to Toronto Airsoft to check out which AEGs would be suitable for me and my budget (<$200 pre-tax, gun itself).

I was served by a very helpful gentleman named Steve (on two separate occasions).

Day 1: He recommended a familiar name, CM16 Carbine/Raider, the new MOD-O from G&G and talked about a higher end gun just to educate me a bit. I asked about some of the Lancer's as I saw the price tag and given that he did not mention it, but he let me feel out the Lancers vs CM16s and there is clearly a different in quality. Quick research at home told me to stay away from the Lancers.

Day 2: I come in and have some questions to ask in regards to the CM16 and I see the Valken Battle Machine series for ~$25 bucks more and ended up upselling myself and asked if it was worth the upgrade. Long story short, it seemed like it was worth it, based on the specs, but there is a lack of user reviews to speak to the real-life usage of this AEG as it recently came out.

So here comes my dilemma:

Is the Valken worth the upgrade if anyone knows or has first hand experience with them?

Below are the specs from the TA site:
Full Metal Standard 18:1 Ratio Gears
Stainless Steel 6mm Oiless Bushings
Anodized Aluminum Type 1 Cylinder
Full Metal Double O-ring Cylinder Head
Full Seal Nozzle w/ Inner O-ring
Ported Piston Head
7-Metal Tooth Piston
Full Metal Spring Guide
Full Metal 1-Piece Hop-Up
Anodized Aluminum 6.05 Inner Barrel 300mm
HDP (High Density Polymer) Receiver
HDP Free Float Rail System
HDP Grip & Crane Stock
HDP Flip Up Front & Rear Sights
Metal 2 Piece Outer Barrel 14mm CCW "Left Hand" Thread
Metal Mil-Spec Buffer Tube
Metal Mag Catch
Metal Upper Receiver Threads
1-year warranty (first 90 days, you can send the gun to them at your cost, they will fix it and send it to you free. After that, they will send you the parts free for you to fix)

The bolded items were things that were highlighted during our discussion as being unique to an AEG at this price point. A concern I do have, aside from actual reliability, is that it uses 6mm bushings. A quick search showed that most modern AEGs do not use any bearings or bushings this small. Will this be an issue?

Aside from this, I was attempting to compare specs of the CM16 Raider (L or Regular) and I'm not sure what exactly is accurate on the TA site.

TA site claims that it is an 8mm bearing (no specification as to material) and some other sites specify 8mm bushings (non-specific material) or even 8mm brass bushings. So it is hard to make a clear comparison given this information that I found.

On a side note, I aim to play at Siege to start off to get more of a feel for this sport. Steve says that most of the Valkens do not surpass the FPS limit while the CM16 Raiders usually do and require a spring change, costing ~$50 including their labour. This is also a consideration I factor in, for the total gun cost which makes me lean towards the Valken if it is indeed a safe choice. Sure, it isn't a large amount and you can probably do it yourself for cheaper, but adding another part here and an upgrade there starts to add up when I consider other essentials (goggles, mask, battery, charger) and I want to draw a line at some point.

If anyone has any comments on the above, I greatly appreciate it (even if it is a recommendation for some other AEG). Thanks!

Edit: I believe the M4 style Echo 1 and JG M4A1 basic were mentioned in the convo but not recommended.
Edit 2: If this makes a difference, I have found a post online stating that SMC's metal gearboxes are inside the battle machines