I bought the 4th one off the assembly line and like it a LOT, BUT.....
It's my first and only lathe, so I can't compare. I've had it for about 3 years and have turned many many bowls and other things on it with no problems. Needs some ballast, which I solved with tube sand. Banjo lock levers stripped at the ratchet and also the screw threads in the banjo itself stripped out in two of the three optional holes. I am always pushing the limit on it w/ large blanks and coring. I don't ever use the swivel headstock, but have slided it on some occasions. Works nice to have a short bed for access to bowls and hollowing, then slide it back if you need to turn a longer spindle. Yes, there is a bit of hunting for really slow speeds, but it's not that big of a deal for me. Good basic lathe, especially for the money. I am not a hobby turner, and would say I'm now a production one. I will eventually upgrade, but I'm sure you can't go wrong with this lathe and Grizzly's customer service.
Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised when I turn on an upgrade, but I'm sure it's made me a better turner, sort of like hollowing free-hand before you use a rig w/ laser.