I've been interested in 3D printers for years but never actually bought one and went for it. Think I am going to get one now and I am trying to decide if I should just spend the extra money now and go for a Prusa like you.
I have a Prusa Mini. I don't "love" the Mini or 3D printers in general, but mine has seen a fair amount of use.
Many people buy a 3D printer, pump out a few test parts (the usual benchy, etc.), and then it just gathers dust. The difference between those folks and people who get a lot out of a printer is the degree to which one invests the time and effort into learning to do 3D design. Learning to use Tinkercad, for example, is easy. For relatively-simple structural projects (as opposed to character models, etc.) it is satisfactory and all you need. Stay in the hobby with ever more elaborate projects, though, and you will want a more professional CAD program.
Another expectation that you should go into understanding very well is that print times are ridiculously long! Even a tiny part will take an hour, modest-sized parts will take 8 hours or longer, and large parts can take a day or more. The good news is that once a print starts off properly (it's wise to watch that first layer), the rest of the print usually completes just fine without issue.
Another fact of life: The long print times can make a project time consuming due to trial-and-error. I almost always have to redo designs since something almost always doesn't fit quite right, etc. My discards pile is much larger than my keepers!
Then there's the size of the printer to think about. I bought the Mini since I hadn't used one before, I didn't want to invest much more, and it was big enough for the project I had in mind at the time. However, my current project pushes it right to its bed-size limits, so I partly wish I had gone with the Prusa I3 or a clone with a larger bed.
Another thing to think about is the types of filament that you will be using. I print 50/50 PLA and PETG, and the Mini handles these just fine. PLA is easiest and most reliable, and it usually produces the best looking prints, but it's a relatively stiff and fragile material that doesn't handle stress or impacts well. PETG is just a little harder to print, with potential problems showing up such as raised corners on bed-filling prints, but it's a much tougher material that's far better for structural parts that must bear loads.
On the other hand, my attempt at using "flex" material was an utter failure (the i3 would handle this better), and higher-temperature materials usually requires an enclosure. My opinion is that on a machine like the Mini and lower-cost options, one needs to be satisfied with PLA and PETG.
Another important consideration is bed adhesion. Prusa's printers have excellent, magnetically-attached, bed options: Spring steel coated with a smooth, medium or rough surface for different materials or surface finishes. I have the smooth and rough beds (typically used for PLA and PETG, respectively). Printers with beds made with materials like glass will have significantly greater issues with bed adhesion.
Finally, one has to decide if the level of documentation, support, firmware reliability, general ecosystem, etc., is worth a premium over the many clones and budget printers. Many low-cost printers will have cut corners and will eventually drive one towards upgrades, or they will be extra-noisy, etc. In my case, going with the Prusa was well worth it.
3D printing is a geeky hobby to get into. But if you have the need and patience for it, it can be a source of inspiration and a very useful tool.
