Hello I have been contemplating a 3D printer for quite a while now but don't want to start out with anything to Expensive/Extravigant to begin with. I am just sort of looking for a decent proof of concept (in My mind) about what I am going to be using it for.

I have sort of narrowed my choices down to the following:

Wanhao Duplicator i3 (or) Duplicator I3+ (not out quite yet) (or) the twin... MakerSelect i3

or

Tarantula i3 - Still thinking about the options in priority Auto Level, ProHead (FLEX), and long base.

I also thought about a Geeetech prusa I3 A Pro but I have read that the build quality is even less than the others and it requires more fiddling. although mush of that reading was on the acrylic models not this metal one

I know that these are essentially Chinese Cheap BUT from what I have been reading both seem to have pretty darn good print right out of the box (with careful setup) and can be pretty excellent with a few modifications. Anyway my question is which would be the better option. The Tarantula is a little cheaper but has the Auto-Leveling option but it is a Roller on Frame design as opposed to the Wanhao which is a traditional roller bearing style set-up.

Anyway any help in finalizing the decision would be appreciated and if anyone has any further suggestions in the sub $500.00 category please feel free to explain why they it might be a better choice.

Thank you
Brion