Question about painting cedar shake siding?

So I've had a couple of painters come by our house and give us estimates on having the exterior of our home painted. Two of them said it wouldn't be a problem to paint the cedar shake. They suggested lightly power washing, wire brush scraping, 1 coat oil based primer, and two coats of latex paint. The third painter that came by seemed to be really concerned with the condition of some of the shakes where large shrubs had been in contact with the surface at for several years. They should signs of surface damage and brittleness. He is telling me they will need to be replaced or they will not last / hold paint. I don't want the job to cost a million dollars on one hand but on the other I don't want it to fail prematurely. Any painters / home owners out there have a similar experience? Can this just be sanded down? Should I save my money and throw some vinyl siding up?? :)