The constant maintenance thing is complete FUD. If it has reliable power and internet then you’re good to go.
I’m running Start9 on a BeeLink mini computer and it’s been solid.
This is what I’m using but any mini pc that reaches the mini requirement for Start9 or Umbrel will work just fine.
https://a.co/d/95g0XFi
If you can do a V4V music podcast you can run a lightning node. 🫡
Also @Spencer is working on a video tutorial for how to set up a node.