Let me tell you, weeding vinyl is no fun and if you have dreams of doing a lot of glass, or intricate designs, you are going to have second thoughts before long. But it does work well, if you set your expectations accordingly. An inexpensive cutter should be OK for occasional stuff that doesn’t have super complex artwork.
Here is something else to consider: a film you put on your glass, then you put the item in the laser and blast away the film where you want the etch effect; then etch as normal. It looks really cool and easy, but it is expensive, and you are limited to items that you can fit into the Glowforge. I am dying to try this stuff!
http://www.rayzist.com/store/LaserMask_Laser_Engraving_Film.php/100ft_LazerMask
There is one other major category of glass etch masking available, and that is photoresist. You print your artwork on a good quality laser printer or inkjet printer. Then, you place the artwork and a special photo-sensitive film into a UV exposure unit. THEN, you use a high-pressure water spray to wash out the un-exposed film, leaving you with a mask that you can apply to your object.
https://www.rayzist.com/Film/SR3000.php
This is neat because there is no weeding and you can reproduce fine detail, even halftones. But a good exposure unit is a few hundred bucks, or requires ~$100 and a DIY commitment. You also MUST have a decent printer. A tired laser printer with a streaky drum will not set you up for success.
Anyway, on cutters… I have a KNK machine and it is very nice. They come in various price points and are a step up from the Michael’s-grade Cricut machines. If I was looking at ~$300 for a Cricut I would definitely consider stepping up to a KNK.
US Cutter and other commercial-style shops carry more serious gear too. I honestly do not know much about the brands carried here but have gotten a generally decent impression over the years.
https://www.uscutter.com/Vinyl-Cutters?view_all