How hard is it to boil down in a turkey pot and get a decent result. Want to fiddle around before going all in.

I used a water bath canner on a fire my first few years. The moved to the turkey fryer because the fire didn't work well in the rain.

The problem it it takes to long because there is not enough surface area like with an evaporator pan.

Last year I bought an evaporator pan and made pit lined with concrete blocks and a grate across the top for the pan to sit on. Fuel was wood. I angled a piece of pole barn tin above it on 2x4s to keep rain off. It worked well. I could go through sap 4x as fast.
It used a lot of wood and tending the fire took more attention than I liked.

Once it gets close I finish it in the house.

I have been going cheap for years we only make between 3 and 6 gal a year.