It seems like they're all really expensive, with most halfway decent ones being over $1000. It also seems like they're really finicky and hard to get working consistently.
Are there any 3d printers that are actually a refined product, something you can just get and start using? I don't want to spend most of my time fiddling with the settings and having to buy a ton of upgrades in the hopes of getting it to be a functional machine that can actually be used to print out parts.
If there are any out there that are basically self-maintaining or highly automated in terms of configuring themselves correctly, is it only the really expensive ones, or are there more affordable sort of "get and forget" printers that you can just set up and start using?
List of 3D printers, with their pros and cons. You can just skip to "Top Picks"
You can fiddle with the settings as much as you want to fiddle with it. I use the Sovol SV06+, and after assembly (which you can't go wrong with because it's just near impossible to place things the wrong way), the prints worked just fine with PLA and the default profiles in the Prusa Slicer. You can leave it like that, but if you enjoy building, you'll enjoy fiddling and starting to explore things like different materials, settings, etc.
Also, what and how are you planning on printing? Are you making your own models or downloading them? You will end up having to fiddle with models regardless for printability (for example, printing something tall and thin will result in fail prints in many cases).