I bought a fairly cheap dehydrator from Wallyworld and use it once or twice a month. I make chicken jerky for the most part, it's cheaper to buy and easier for me to slice fairly thin (boneless chicken breasts and I trim off all the fat, fat doesn't seem to dehydrate too well, at least for my cheapo machine).
Usually run the dehydrator for about 5-1/2 to 6 hours, switching the order of stacked trays every hour or so (not sure if that's really necessary, but I want to make sure everything cooks evenly). Store the finished jerky in the fridge and it lasts for 2 to 3 weeks.