Hi Folks,
I've been lurking these forums for a bit of time and I'm getting ready to buy my first 3D printer as a christmas gift for myself.
I've used Makerbots and Ultimakers at school and work, but I can't afford what those machines go for when I'm trying to save up for a house.

I've been really drawn to the Folger Tech kits for the the Kossel 2020 and the 2020 Prusa I3. Mostly due to the price point and location- they are only a half hour drive from me, so if I need parts it's not going to be a huge problem. I enjoy building things and have quite a bit of electronics/maker knowledge so I'm not particularly concerned with building one. I like a challenge.

My question here is the quality difference so drastic between the Folger Tech kits and the next step up, would I be doing myself a disservice in buying a kit?
Would I be better off buying the Monoprice I3 copy already assembled for $100 more?

Also, I can't find this on the Folger Tech website but how is connectivity achieved with the Kossel 2020? Is it just straight connect USB? I need this to have an SD card input as I can't leave my laptop attached to this thing for a whole print cycle. Can their display PCB be attached to it like the I3?

Thanks!