Over the years of observing the original LabRadar in use by others at my gun club there was never a recommendation to buy, only cautions of how finicky they are. Then there are a few who've had good luck with them with an honest "occasional" missed shot, most of these have invested in additional accessories or custom stands etc adding to the already expensive cost. I kept my Caldwell optical, which works the same. The only advantage of the original LabRadar was setup behind the muzzle... which is a big advantage at a gun club but not when its the only advantage for the cost.
Since Garmin came out I waited for reviews, asked the guys at the club I saw using one and every single time the answer came back with a huge visible smile of how satisfied they were, all with an honest "never a missed shot". Ask about setup difficulty and many would just move it to your rifle and say give it a couple rounds.
I'll summarize this, @ $600 a Garmin I agree its a huge investment. But IMO anyone who's into handloading probably has more invested in their handloading press and equipment its worth saving for the Garmin.