Canning or Hot Water Bath - Fowlers v Canner - S/Hand Or Buy New?

So my next venture is to finally after putting it off for ages, get a Fowlers Vacola kit and preserve away (this is where the post began... it changes further down).  I can't wait.  What I don't know is what to look for in a secondhand kit or indivudual items.  I see some with plastic lids, some with enamel outers, some with stainless steel... what lids or jar sizes are most used and how many clips and things will I need and do they come in different sizes too?  I don't want to use an electric one... so a stove top one... I think, is what I prefer.

If you've already posted your wonder-experience with preserving, please link in the comments to what you use and what you think is the best to look for in second-hand.  I'm going secondhand for cost (and eco) reasons so would like to minimise purchasing 'oops' as much as possible please!  That's what I'm thinking so far...

Bring on the water bath, I was initially thinking.  Posts I was checking out to learn more before I start:
Slow Living Essentials: Fowlers bottled peaches (plus a severe case of preserving addiction).
Eat at Dixiebelle's: Preserving in a Fowler's Vacola Kit - Equipment, Resources, FAQ and Tips.

I have been looking forward to doing this for ages and my Nanna is keen as well. When I'm all organised, Nanna said we can have a rip snorter bottling session together.  Looking forward to it!

eta OR would you personally recommend brand new OR would you personally recommend a pressure canner (ie not a pressure cooker) rather than a water bather? 

And this is when I edited the post.  Because I did some more reading and read a bit more about low acid canning.  Now, I wasn't intending to try and hot water bath low acid stuff (no way), I was just going to only hot water bath higher acid stuff.  Then I read a bit more and started to lean towards a canner.  I don't want to can fish or meat or anything (just cannot quite get my head around that), but I'd like to use the canner to do jams, fruits and passata (or at least the last two).  So now I just have to try and make sense of everything that's out there and choose.

I am currently looking at the 'Presto' 23quart pressure canner.  But am really very open to (and hoping for!) suggestions and feedback.  Off to blog browse some more...