Hi,

I am new to 3D printing. I have built a CNC router from a kit (1 zillion easy to assemble pieces, and X-Carve from Inventables), so I'm a little familiar with the fun of squaring up parts, tensioning belts, and the like.

I have about 500 bucks to spend on a 3d printer. I'd prefer one that doesn't require a *ton* of tinkering but can still be upgraded over time. I'd like to at least be able to get started and do some things before I start playing with upgrades and such. I'll be honest that after spending several hours reading articles and looking at video reviews I am at a loss to pick from all the options out there, so looking for a bit of guidance. I understand that every printer has its fans, and none are perfect.

So far, I've been considering printers like...

Creality Ender 5
Creality CR-10 V2 or V3
Tronxy X5SA

Not in that particular order and those brands only because I see them listed so often. So, happy to hear about other providers as well.

I've read that if you want to print ABS, you need to have an enclosed printer in order to control temperature. Is that true? Not that ABS is required, just keeping my options open.
I've read that a self-leveling bed is a good thing. True? do they actually work?
Same idea with heated beds. Same idea with restarting print jobs.
I've heard that some use older firmware versions?

I get that some of the pricing is based on the volume that can be printed.

While I've done a bit of programming with my CNC router, I admit that I mostly look for pre-written code I can use for my own projects with minor modifications.

Maybe I'm asking way too much here, and if so, I apologize. I'm more than happy to do the homework if someone can point me in the right direction, but it'd also be really helpful to have some "I have this one and have good experience with it", or "everyone alive thinks this one sucks". Basically is there any consensus on which ones are good ones to work with that don't require a degree in electrical engineering (well, okay, I actually have a degree in electrical engineering, but that was a long time ago; I was more a software guy, I'm retired now but I've got a soldering iron and know how to use it :-)) to start working with.

Thanks for any guidance you might be able to provide.

Ron