Help me w/reservations about taking the R2R tape plunge...

I guess this makes a more interesting diversion than the usual coffee discussions that arise when threads run out of steam.
I've got a bit lucky re a tech contact to make my journey into the world of tape more straightfwd.
Have been a bit anxious that if I'm on my own, and things go tits up , I'm left w/my pants around my ankle .
(Maybe I ought to stop here w/such imaginative images ).
But I have a guy. And I've known him for years. My crt pj tech.
He's just an amazing guy who has worked in lots of challenging audio/visual engineering situations, from the heyday of commercial crt installs in shops and clubs, often installing dozens of crt pj's a year, and setting up sound systems in clubs, bars and venues, a dab hand at the analog and digital side of things.
So just now, I talk about tape w/him, and the first thing he says is, am I getting into it because of The Tape Project?
Whoa! I've found my guy, I just didn't know it.
He's a massive fan of tape even though he doesn't run it, and has boosted my confidence levels sort of confirming tape playback can be set and forget up to a point.
He's my go-to man if I make the dive into this alien sea.
Another barrier to ownership down.