Primary System: race | result
Backup system: Finish Lynx System
Together with all the accessories -- you cant really cheap out -- youre looking at a $18,000 deposit. Laptops, software, chips, bibs, and timer experience add to this total. Ive seen High Schools buy FinishLynx systems to do it themselves and then meet day not be able to turn the thing on. This is why contracting a timer is to the benefit of the customer actually. Yes, you'll pay $1500 to $2500 per typical meet but you'll get a timer who has done this more than once per year and other services that have been tested and used successfully many times before you. Plus that part of the set up and tear down is on them.
If you happen to invest in race result I will tell you that their results interface ans live results interfaces are total crap so you'll have to hire a developer to implement something better (like a mocked version of hytek) using the developer api.
If you use the numbers I have provided you wont really feel the ROI on timing equipment investment unless you time about 20 meets per year. Add to that the risk of having to replace items in the event they underperform or simply malfunction (which you wont find out about until 5 minutes before the gun goes off).
TLDR - Contract the timer and dont try to do it yourself.