my boyfriend is lending me his breadmaker at the moment and I LOVE it. the only thing I don't love is the shape of the bread, but if that doesn't bother you, then get one. I use it to make dough a lot...just last week I made some fabulous homemade buns that were SO easy with the breadmaker, and we were both raving about them.
look around at thrift stores. often people give theirs away after the holidays when they get the latest model. you can probably find a cheap one in a place like that.
if it doesn't have a manual when you buy it (say, from the thrift store), read the instructions here:
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/br...hinemanual.htm
my boyfriend had misplaced his, and this was incredibly helpful for me.
happy breadmaking!