@Jtvann 's story is similar to mine, only we didn't end up with the same gear - of course! (That's why hobbies are personal)
I started with 5 gallons, a propane burner, a cooler mash tun, two kettles, fly sparging, and a DIY gravity-based wood brewstand. That's what the books said I needed, so what did I know? Once I learned how to physically make wort, I realized that there are a million ways to achieve the same end. In the ensuing years, I've tried many configurations, because I like to DIY and tinker and experiment.
My big epiphany along the way was that I wanted to brew smaller batches, and that ultimately drove me towards certain options. There are very few turnkey systems for 2.5 gallon batches, but that's slowly changing. I did invest in an all-in-one system (Braumeister 10L) that I really like. It's small, yes, but that's
exactly what I wanted. Same with the 2.5 gallon kegs. Nearly the same price as the bigger ones, but... exactly what I wanted.
I just bought a Clawhammer 120V setup to experiment with, since it's confirmed to be able to brew 2.5 gallon batches in addition to larger ones. And unlike the Braumeister, which is 220V, I can take it anywhere and that's an option I wanted to play with.
I actually prefer using two vessels, with a separate boil kettle. I feel it produces clearer wort into the boil than the all-in-one systems are capable of. And while that's not strictly necessary, I like it that way. So I also employ a small kettle on a 220V induction burner.