007, you mentioned vegetable chips in particular. I would guess that you have more flexibility here, as your source materials are probably not super juicy to begin with. I agree you probably don’t need a super-duper model.
Last year I treated myself to a Nesco FD-60. The aim was to noodle around, not save money, so I wasn’t super price conscious (FWIW, I spent a little under $50 on sale). I so far mainly use it for drying apples, and have have been very pleased with the results. It’s tough to say when if ever I’ll “break even” — I’m eating more dried apples than before, so marginal grocery costs may have actually increased.
I somewhat regret not purchasing the FD-75A for a few dollars more — simply because it comes with a few mattes that would be useful for wetter material (e.g. tomatoes, mangoes, peaches, berries). These can readily be purchased after-the-fact, though.