Just to offer a contrasting viewpoint on machine ownership - I own a Meg's DA, along with the requisite pads and polishes. All told, I spent around $300 on it - that's about 12,000 pesos (though you can easily get a machine and sufficient pads for around $200). However, I am planning on using these for a long while - I can easily see them going five years, maybe more. Big Bert's offers machine polishing for around 2.3k - at four one-step polishes a year, you're talking about just 5 instances, or a year and a quarter, and you've already broken even in my case. If you have more than one car, then that period goes down pretty drastically.

That's without taking into consideration the other uses for the machine, such as for your pre-wax cleaner application (every four to six weeks), or being able to do spot polishing, on a section or a panel (which I've done a few times). So here's my take - if you're willing to take the time to polish yourself (which admittedly is not the case for everyone), and are rather OC about swirls and scratches, it's worth considering getting a DA, especially if you have more than one car to maintain.