Check out the shapeoko 2. It is about $700-$800 for the full thing. You do have to assemble it which takes a day or two. Inventables donated one to the hackerspace I belong to. I've used it a few times and it is pretty nice for what it is.
There are lots of good CNCs on amazon for $800 that don't require assembly at all. If you need to cut into steel, the ones on amazon will be much better than the shapeoko.
which ones would you recommend? this appeals far more than 3D printing.