Looking for a guide to 3D printers and maybe recommendations for models to buy.

[CmdrRahl]

Title pretty much says it all.  I want to buy a 3D printer and I trust the community here to help point me in the right direction. 
 

I could a thread asking something similar but it was from 2013 and I’m sure a lot has changed in the last 7 years.

 

Thanks for much in advance for your time!

[sub68]

a crealty ender 3

1. very good
2. its 200 houndred dollars
3. very reliable

https://www.amazon.com/Creality-MKK-Printing-Certified-220x220x250mm/dp/B087WHQ6GH/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=ender+3&qid=1595983894&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFIRE9FNkxKNThPU0ImZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2NTMwNDIxRFZHUDhPT1ZHMTRPJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1MTExNjAxVTJYVE5aSk1NUk9RJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

[CmdrRahl]

I was wondering if that was still the go to.  I was looking at it. Thank you for the reply!  Fast too!

[sub68]

2 minutes ago, CmdrRahl said:

I was wondering if that was still the go to

I don't think so I just have one and I love it

2 minutes ago, CmdrRahl said:

Thank you for the reply!

no problem

[CmdrRahl]

10 hours ago, James Evens said:

More specific?

size, material, price range

Well its my delve into 3d printing but I would like decent quality at the same time so that 3-6 months into it I don't feel like I have wasted money.  I know the Ender 3 weighs in around $200US and I would probably be willing to go up to maybe $350+/-.  Materials are a factor so I want to be able to afford to print too lol.  My limited research suggests I may not want to start off with resin so I guess spool fed?  Size unknown tbh.  Leaning heavily on the experience of the community on this one.  I am a designer by trade and like to dabble in virtually all forms of creativity and we homeschool our kids so I thought it might be useful in that realm as well.

Thank you very much for your time and experience!

[ColinLTT]

Bang for buck: Ender 3 

Small but mighty: Prusa mini

Best performance/dollar: Prusa i3 MK3S 

With the exception of the mini I have used and owned these printers. The Ender will give you a lot to learn and improve on. The prusas are good right out of the box. If you like tinkering and want to learn the fundamentals of 3D printing the ender is a great place to start. If you want to get up and running fast and not think about how level your bed is or if your print will be OK unattended, get the prusa. 

[Thaelin]

I have a CReality 10S as my second and I love it. Was so easy to get going. Bed leveling was a bit tough but in the end glad I chose it. 

[W-L]

+1 for the Ender 3/Pro 

 

If you don't mind tinkering and doing modification/upgrades it's a great platform to get started to learn and gain understanding. For kids getting involved and such I would probably recommend the Prusa since it's more plug and play if that is more desirable. 

[ToXIc Dev]

The 3dprinting subreddit on reddit is a great resource for recommendations (they have a purchase advice thread pinned at the top) and is where I got my recommendation for my Ender 3 two years ago.