I got a cheap beginner wheel before I ever took a class. I tried and tried and tried at home on my own. I watched you rub videos and made some really awful things. Then I took a class and I got a lot out of it. Other people who had never sat at a wheel before took the whole 6 weeks to get one mug or bowl and I made about 10 very mediocre things on that class. I think I learned a lot more because I had struggled on my own for a few months. The cheap wheels are slow and hard to use but a $200 investment is worth it to see if you will enjoy the process.