You have good suggestions - Look for a good used machine. They don't grow
on trees but they do show up in ads in the local paper on a fairly regular
basis (Local = Wichita/Sedgwick County, about 500,000 population). I think
you could get into a fairly new Delta 14" for a couple hundred dollars.
This would still leave a little money to add riser block kit if you don't
buy one with it installed.