@spaceraser @jlw_the_jobber I've only ever used base FreeBSD and I've encountered some absolutely horrific, destructive errors over the years, and certainly desktop use is a challenge, even if it's as good as it's ever been. (There are still a wheelbarrow of issues I could bring up.) Honestly I used to use NetBSD as my desktop in the 90s and I had less pain.
Nowadays, maybe try OpenBSD? It won't get you ZFS and that's a showstopper for me, of course.
What's at the core of your wanting to really try FreeBSD? Maybe there are other ways to scratch the itch.
For me, the perfect OS was Debian before the systemd cult dominated the project. My most common desktop in the house today is Debian on ZFS with sysvinit. The six of us here use it as our primary workstations. We do have two FreeBSD desktops used regularly for various purposes, and it's getting better, but the regular bleeding over it is a challenge.
In the end, use something that gives you pleasure. Life's too short.
@dzwiedziu One of my projects is rewriting my installer. It works but requires more handholding than is ideal. But it's what I use for all the systems here that aren't running FreeBSD.
Just… Josh 
Sam D
Mason Loring Bliss
OldCoder
Dźwiedziu