You raise a very excellent point, for what I've spent toying and tinkering with my OG ender 3 pro, I very easily could have bought a nice Prusa/ Bamboo/ Voron printer.

That said, I can't say I regret the thessian ender route either. I've learned so much about not just the printer itself and how it works on a fundamental level, but also how to model and design for the materials I'm working with and the capabilities of my machine I'm way more comfortable working with small electronics (wiring/ crimping/ soldering and am even flirting with PCB design) compared to when I first got into the hobby. I tend to be more of a hands on learner, so I enjoy the project printer (to an extent) and the learning experience that comes with it.

It very much depends on what OP is looking to get out of/ do with the printer, I 100% agree if it's more of a "I just want it to work ", a Prusa or other mid-range printer* is probably the better play than something in the budget range.

* Depending on how OP feels about Bamboo, the A1 may be a good option on that front as well (once the teething problems get worked out)