I don't know where 'difficult to set up' came from, other than needing more than two seconds of thought to decide where to install them. UV lights at the level ball pythons use (6% UV bulb) with a properly installed guard will not harm a ball python -- by the time the light gets through the guard, its effectiveness is already reduced by half. They are a yearly expense, if that, of $35 dollars -- not very much in the grand scheme of things. As with most things in the reptile spectrum, the setup is probably the most "expensive" part (around $100-150), and the maintenance is negligible after the fact.
Consideration: where is the main basking area? You want the light to cover maybe half the enclosure so the animal has the choice to get away from it. You want at least a foot without a guard, to 6 inches with a guard, of distance from the light to the top of the animal's back at minimum -- anything closer would be where the danger zone is, but installing a light that close to an animal isn't recommended regardless of what kind it is. The snake WILL climb the guard while the light is on, and that will NOT harm the snake for such a short duration. How do I know? From personal, lived experience.
If you are in the US, I would recommend looking at Reptile Basics as they usually have the T5HO kits with the Arcadia bulb. Arcadia is currently the best UVB light on the market and the bulbs will last a year before degrading to need replacement. They also sell the appropriately sized guards for those bulbs that will protect your snake from direct contact. If you are NOT in the US, then shopping around for Arcadia's light guards and lighting equipment would probably be easier.
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