You have to take some of the advice you get here with a grain of salt as well. Contrary to what some believe, Creality make some very good machines that do not require endless tinkering.

That being said some i3 clones are definitely excellent machines. If you don't want to tinker, be warned that the Geeetech machine Aardvark recommended, while a good machine from what I've read, comes in pieces and has to be put together. So that one starts with tinkering. A good starting printer in your price range that I would recommend looking at is the Anycubic i3 Mega. I had one and I really wish I wouldn't have gotten rid of it. Very little to put together to start. Screw the gantry to the base, screw on the spool holder, level the bed and your printing. One bonus of the i3 Mega is it's printing surface. It's called an Ultrabase. When heated prints stick like glue and once the bed cools prints pop right off. No messing with glues or tape. Plus print quality is excellent.

While your searching I would also recommend you speak to folks who own printers to see what they like and don't like about their printer. It's easy for someone sit behind a computer and give info about machines they have no actual experience with. Also speak with some reputable dealers who sell multiple brands. They can give you the pros and cons of various machines. A bonus is if you buy from a reputable dealer they will be able to provide support as well if you need it.

Good luck in your search.