Fine I will bite, since I seem to be the only one with a real full blown bidet
I got the Toto Neorest 500 back in 2010, best money ever spent. Bought it online for around $2100 USD, think at the time it came out to like $3600 shipped CAD. I only shit in one toilet in the house, the one that has this puppy. Shitting anywhere else is like being a caveman as far as I am concerned haha, i travel lots and shit at work so still do it, but nothing compares to feeling clean like a bidet. Regarding using TP and fingering yourself, I don't know if you really save much toilet paper, when I use mine I follow up with TP, but I always get a good lengths and fold it over a few times, so that it doesn't disintegrate while wiping and if it comes out clean, we are good to go, if not, I sit down and move around a bit more for those extra sticky shits. The trick is to move your ass around a bit so that it coves your whole asshole while it sprays. Mine does have dryer function as well but I don't like using it, TP is a much better verifier that you got everything. On top of the usual heated seats and all the spray functions like oscillation, pulsating and heated seats, mine also warms up the water so it's warm water to ass, it tankless, and the lid auto opens when you walk up to it (and closes shortly after you leave). You can also press a button on the remote to lift the seat as well so you can take a piss like a prince. Has eco-mode as well where it learns when you usually use it and keeps the seat warm during those times only.
So why did I spend this much money on a bidet, well, wife is JDM and we go to Japan often, and I love me some bidet. We also have a costco one upstairs in my wife's bathroom which is just an attachment to a normal toiler, and that works well for her, but the few times I tried it I didn't really like it in comparison to the Toto. My mom has another cheaper model and it works as well, just isn't the same, but I would highly recommend any kind vs none at all. I have told a few of my co-workers who are building homes to get electrical plugs installed near toilet, one is Indian and understood the value right away, the other is getting it as well but he is thinking all fancy Toto's in each bathroom...that's baller. I will def have plugs installed in mine if I build again, in my house I was able to fish wires in walls to get the power in each location.
Now to clear up some misconceptions about these things. The wand doesn't go under your asshole directly, so all the poop water drips down, and the wand shoots at an angle. Mine does have auto clean so when the want retracts it sprays itself as well. I have no problem using these in public places in Japan.
Here are the pics from my house:
Remote (with flip down face for more functionality and settings:
Man that sounds rough. My guess is that some holes on that one were plugged up or whatever, and it was creating too direct of a stream, like a pressure wash. Some are definitely gentler than others and have different spray patters. Don't write them off completely, they change lives.