Sketchup requires a plugin to export STL, but it's not an issue to get it or use it. I'm a SU user myself.

My printer is 8^3, and it ran about 600. There are better ones out there than mine, which is the Davinci, and has been a fairly dependable pain in the ass to run printer, but it got the job done. But if I had to buy for the first time again, I'd go another route.

2500 would get you a very nice machine. Good machines can be found, in your size range, for under a grand.