Help! Boston UP118S vs. Yamaha P22 vs. U1/U3

[wwtsui]

I'm in the process of buying a piano -- our kids (7 1/2 and 9) are starting lessons, and I'm thinking I might too (have played various string instruments in the past, but never a piano), so we're thinking of getting something decent that will encourage the kids (and maybe me) to stick with it.  I'm hoping to keep the price in the $3-5K range, might be willing to go a little higher if it seems "worth it" (which I know is subjective).  Have pored through Larry Fine's Piano Book (am picking up the 2005-6 updated today), but was hoping for some additional input from all you knowledgeable folks.

In visiting the local (Boston suburb) piano dealers, we've listened to, and have been recommended:
- Boston UP 118 for about $5800, at a store (Steinert) that seems a bit high end for someone just starting out
- Yamaha P22 for about $4400 (Boston Organ & Piano) -- they actually seem to recommend against the U1/U3 as being more difficult to resell (they're asking $6-7K these new, and have a used U1 for about $4500)
- Surfing around online, it seems that used U1/U3s are often available for $3000-3500, though mostly they seem to be refurbed institutional instruments

My questions:
1. In the Piano Book, the models listed above are all rated the same on performance and confidence; the U1/U3/U5 are rated a little bit higher on quality control.  However, in the specific issues noted in the detailed writeup sound a bit scary to me (the admittedly uninitiated) -- bent tuning pins, poorly made coils, tuning instability, etc.  How worried should I be about these problems -- i.e., are they easily dealt with by a repair person if needed?  The problems seemed a lot less prevalent in the Japanese U1/3/5 models -- does that by itself make the extra $ worth it?
2. Do the prices above seem reasonable?  The Steinway dealer seemed insistent that there was no room for negotiation on the Boston (whose tone I preferred slightly -- not sure it's worth a 33% premium at this point, though).  The same dealer also said something about Yamaha having 5 tiers of pricing or some such -- does anybody know anything about that?
3. Any experiences with those dealers?

Thanks very much in advance for any insights!

[Axtremus]

Looking at it purely from the angle of getting a piano good enough to let your family start taking lessons, your cheapest option (the new Yamaha P-22) would work just fine. It's squarely within your budget and it will work. Five to seven years down the road, if your kids (and/or yourself) stick to piano, you can upgrade to a grand. I see no reason why the P-22 won't serve you at least that long.

Nothing against Steinert, but a shopper simply shouldn't take everything a competing salesperson says about his/her competition without some amount guarded cautiousness. So what if Yamaha has a gazzilion tiers of pricing? If you as the customer get a fairly good piano at a fair price, why should you care how Yamaha prices its products elsewhere? How do you know Steinway's pricing structure is "better" and why should you even care if you're not offered a piano at a price within your budget?

Is P-22 the "best" in the bunch? Probably not (at least I personally happen to like the U-series better, and I haven't make up my mind about the Boston 118). But, bottom line, the P-22 will work for your intended purpose. Whether to go with a "better" piano and bust your initial budget, that's your judgment call.

Don't get too hung up on buying the piano -- just get one, and move on to learning how to play. I think playing the piano is more important than buying a piano.

Good luck.

[wwtsui]

Thanks very much for your help -- went & bought the P22 this afternoon, since the kids' lessons start this week.  It was interesting how much variation in tone there was between the 3 they had on the floor -- I think we got one that actually isn't too bright, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  Thanks again!

[arensky]

You made the right choice, Bostons are not well made.

[pianopitchman]

wwtsui,
Congrats on the new piano.  I think you purchased a good, solid instrument that should serve your family well.

arensky,
I quote,
"You made the right choice, Bostons are not well made."
What exactly do you base that on.  In my experience, Boston's are very well made.  Do you have any first hand facts to back up your negative claim?