I confess my first router was a Wickes own brand, 40 quid with 5 cutters. It did for a while - still works, but is not used. Problems with it were:
Columns weren't parallel, so the plunge was impossibly stiff
Large diameter bits actually cut into the base plate (due to the non-parallel columns).
The on/off switch intermittently didn't work
The on/off switch was a dead-man switch, so no permanent on/off, so no router table fixing
No soft-start
rubbish dust extraction.
All that sounds bad, doesn't it? But, as an introduction to routing, I reckon 40 quid for a year's use, with the learning experience, was well worth it. Even the cutters are still in use, except the 6mm one which snapped very early on!
I've said this many times in the past - although I agree with 'you get what you pay for', when introducing yourself to a new technology/skill/art, why not start cheap to see how you get on. If you do't like it, you've not wasted huge dosh. If you do get on, you can move up to the decent, expensive stuff, and appreciate more fully the better quality.