When all is said and done, aperture rules. If you have the space to set up a nearby observatory so you can leave your large telescope assembled — or the wherewithal to transport a large telescope to a remote site — you will be rewarded by views unmatched by smaller telescopes.

Galaxies are a great example of objects that are better viewed through large scopes. You can be the greatest observer on the planet, but if you're trying to observe galaxies with a 4-inch telescope, your observing log is going to be filled with reports of rough shapes, central condensations, and descriptors like "hinted at" and "small and faint." There's no way around it. If you want to observe galaxies — and I mean really get something out of the time you put in at the eyepiece — you're going to have to use a large telescope.