It sounds cruel to say this, but if you only have a small amount of capital, don't gamble it on a dark horse. We have heard of a few disappointments from people investing in kickstarter projects and ending up with nothing. Not saying that the people who seek backing through kickstarter are fraudsters, but "there's many a slip 'tween cup and lip" and as an investor you have not control over the project. Besides, what you invest in today may not reach a deliverable stage until next year. That 12 month lag seems fairly standard and reflects the time needed for research, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution.

Obviously, you want to get printing as soon as you can. Confirm the specifications you want in a printer (mainly print volume; open/closed cabinet, operating system - Open Source or proprietary software - filament size and supply), then look what is in the market. You should look at plug-n-play brands like Printrbot, Makerbot, or Flashforge, and the kit Brands like MakerFarm.

If your interest lies in RC cars and copters, you will be printing ABS and possibly nylon. You will want the biggest print area (currently about 12" x 12") Look for a printer that has auto bed leveling as a software feature (or the firmware can be upgraded. You must have developed good assembly skills while dealing with RC racers. I think that you would enjoy a kit printer that you have to assemble yourself. Besides letting you learn the mechanicals of these printers, the price of the kit is usually less than the price of a comparable plug-n-play.

As to problems with inexpensive printers ... as long as you buy a recognised one (look at the sub-forums for particular printers on this forum) you will have all the information you need to overcome a printer problem. From what I've seen and done in relation to printer problems, it seems that the majority are operator induced, not machine muck-ups.

Old Man Emu