I was in the same boat at you Skuff. Been tattooing for 13 years and finally made the switch! Definitely say my Spektra Halo is hands down the best B&G rotary for me so far! Was smooth gradients with an easy turn of the knob to smooth out the peppering and yes my V3 is great at it too but I use my V3 primarily for lining and color work. But if you do tight technical work then the V3 is great for those small rounds for getting at those small corners and textures! Good luck on your endeavors and welcome to the addiction!