Is the "fun factor" to be able to do "crazy things" relevant during ab initio?
I learnt to fly helicopter in an Enstrom 280. I took that decision because during a trial lesson the Enstrom instructor demonstrated an autorotation to the ground and rammed it onto the tarmac, no issue. The R22 trial lesson instructor categorically refused to demonstrate autos to the ground.
Today I know that what I observed were mainly differences between the instructors, but at the time I concluded that the Enstrom was the more robust ship, more forgiving to the mistakes I as a student was likely to make, and autorotates in a more docile way (which all of it is equally true anyway). With hindsight, I was also very happy with the instructor decision that unconsciously I made at the same time - only to say that when you learn, choosing your instructor is more important than choosing your ship.
I did about 200 HRS on the Enstrom, and then upgraded to an R44, because the R44 was faster (more fun), had more power (more fun), had more reach (more fun), could take more pax (more fun), alternatively more luggage or ferry cans (more fun) and had aircon (more fun). Although I never had any problems with the Enstrom I still believed that the R44 would be more reliable (and I have not been let down once by all the R44's I had).
What is relevant to the discussion here (the added safety or fun factor of a three-balled rotor head) didn't play any role during the initial few hundred rotor wing hours. Now, over 10 years later, I watch with awe the aerobatics a Dennis Kenyon can perform in the Enstrom 280. However, during the first few hundred hours I had no desire to go there. While you may say that the Enstrom would be safer in significant turbulence, I can tell you from own experience that the Enstrom scares the living hell out of a low timer under turbulent conditions and you will equally reduce speed and try to get into calmer air ASAP. Main reason because as a pilot you fight the unassisted controls, the collective - even if correctly rigged for normal flight - pulls down on you with such force in up/downdrafts that after 30 min I was completely exhausted.
The hydraulics assisted R44 on the other hand is a breeze to fly, effortless even under turbulent conditions, but might give the inexperienced pilot a false sense of security.