Ive got one thats been doing its thing for 2 years without needing too much maintenance. Theres a couple of mountain nodes that are surrounding where im at that have been doing their thing even longer. Its pretty cool.
Its a hobby to me but some people take it to another level. Its awesome to see what the community does with them.
I started with a couple of heltec v3s less than 20$. Theres probably better options now for beginners, but my advice is to not overspend your first couple of devices. Play around with it, get the phone apps, and try to make something work.