Buying a baroque flute

[Simonsky]

I am considering buying a baroque flute. I have already played the baroque oboe and am also a pianist so have a lot of musical experience.

What is confusing me is the plethora of makers as well as options for good quality synthetic resin flutes. I have given up the oboe because of some health issues and not wanting to spend so much time making reeds!

These are the questions I have:

1. Would it be better to buy a cheaper instrument to begin with or go for a better wooden model by a known maker?
2. Are the synthetic resin models (by Fabio di natale or Benolin) worth considering?
3. Should i experiment on a cheaper Aulus model first?

Any advice/shared experiences appreciated.