Turntable enthusiasts aren’t being snobby when they tell you to stay away from the “all-in-one” and Crosley devices that are just junk and all made using the cheap mechanism to avoid. They won’t ruin your records right away, but the stylus is rated for a very short play-time, and you shouldn’t play records with worn out styluses. More importantly, they often have playback problems, and there are no adjustments you can make.

We don’t want you to waste your money or give it to the companies trying to rip you off.

For not much more you can get an acceptable new turntable (suggestions in this thread). If you’re willing to learn a bit and search for deals, there are great turntables from the 70s-90s that require very little service to get up and running and will last you as long as you need it—or until you decide to save for a higher priced turntable.