The M1 is the only deck I've ever owned, but it is a great little deck. The analog in is pretty sweet for the size, great for stealthing as well. For open taping, it has a nice clean display which I use often, because my UA5 does not have VU meters.
Bought mine new, never looked back. I might think about going with a JB3 to replace my little MD deck, but I'll never get rid of this DAT.