What's your interest Chuck, and what's your budget. If you want the printer to make useful things spend more, but only spend it once. If your interest is in building, you will again spend more as the cheap parts will soon have you questioning why a sane person would build it that way.
A very nice build thread is happening now by Spudevans. Likewise the Cetus3D looks a very good starter machine in the ready built category. Have you got access to 3D printers owned by other people. It really focuses the mind chatting with other owners and seeing their machines in operation and hearing about the success and failures they have.
I could build my own machines, and have in fact made several starts in designs. BUT, in my case someone comes along wanting a part designed and printed. I make more money doing the design and prints, consistency in printing is what I pay for. It doesn't matter if the machine prints the wrong size as long as it's consistent and I can compensate for it. The cheap machines that flex and never zero twice in the same place are hopeless to me. I have mentioned time and time again about metal chassis machines.
Cheap extruders will also give you nightmares, follow the likes of E3D, they publish a lot of their parts as open source. Better still just buy the reasonable priced parts they sell to use in your own design printer.