Introduction from a Clueless Newb

[Amateur Maker]

Hi, I'm new here. I don't own a printer yet.

I'm an IT worker by trade, I also haven't made anything but meals in decades.

I'm planning on getting a Creality Ember 2 for my first, low budget printer. It's gotten a lot of really excellent reviews on YT. Hoping to purchase prior to July.

Second printer (assuming I like this and want to stick with it) will be a Prusa i3 Mark 3. From what I've read it's pretty much the gold standard for your basic 3d printer.

The 3rd printer I'm looking at, waaay down the road, is a Voxel based on a Duet3D control board.

Expect me to come in here tearing what's left of my hair out and crying piteously when I print half a kg of spaghetti.

Until then, I'll be reading and asking questions. LMK if I'm being a pest, that's not my goal.

[Roberts_Clif]

If you ask will try to answer, If you become a pest might not respond. So let's hope you do not become a pest.

As a first printer I would choose this, maybe because I already did make the choice twice now.

HICTOP Prusa I3 DIY 3D Printer Aluminum Frame Desktop Computer FDM Printer Support PLA/ABS/Wood/HIPS/Flexible Filament $269.00

[Amateur Maker]

That's certainly the least expensive dual filament printer I've seen. Is it dual filament or dual extruder?

[curious aardvark]

it's optional dual extruder - actually pretty pricey for a basic i3 kit Although it does aluminium frame.
Doesn't have the touch screen - which adds the non-interruptible, wifi etc. Also has dirt cheap motherboard. Which may or may not be a future issue should you want to add a touchscreen.

[Amateur Maker]

I will almost certainly stick with the Ender 2 for my initial printer. I've found it for $175, though that might be a questionable site.

I'm flexible on the Prusa, I like the idea of a 4 filament head, though I'd probably rather pay the extra expense of a 4 extruder print head. You're going to pay for multi material printing, either up front or in wasted filament.

[curious aardvark]

why the ender ?
It's essentially an i3 with just one vertical support. Also a pretty small build volume.

[Amateur Maker]

I haven't seen another printer with a heated bed for under $200. The smallish size (6" x 6" x 8") doesn't bother me, it takes up less room and my initial prints are not likely to be larger than that. I do expect to outgrow the printer, and I expect to have multiple printers in the long run. The reviews I've seen show a really high print quality despite having a less fine print resolution than more expensive printers. It uses the same print head (extruder?) as the CR-10 series.

Ender 2 is currently $175 here, with $10 off for Easter weekend for a final price of $165. That's a whole lotta bang for very few bucks. My only concern is that I know nothing about the site, but I do know enough to avoid Gearbest like it's the plague. Still, I can get it for $215 at TinyMachines3d, and they are extremely reliable.

I'm a big fan of comparison shopping, so if anyone has a printer in the $200 range with a heated bed and it has reviews from multiple reviewers showing a high print quality, I'm interested in seeing them.

On a personal note, I've been unemployed for 10 months out of the past 24 and I'm still playing a bit of catch up on the finances. I'm almost certainly going to miss the Easter sale on this beast.

Edit:
I've mentioned good reviews several times, I thought I'd post one of them. In this YT review the reviewer has problems and has to perform some minor troubleshooting and inexpensive repairs on his new printer. But with no/minimal modifications it appears to my untrained eye be printing beautifully.

https://youtu.be/vJCa_Gasdyw

[DivePADI]

I haven't seen another printer with a heated bed for under $200. The smallish size (6" x 6" x 8") doesn't bother me, it takes up less room and my initial prints are not likely to be larger than that. I do expect to outgrow the printer, and I expect to have multiple printers in the long run. The reviews I've seen show a really high print quality despite having a less fine print resolution than more expensive printers. It uses the same print head (extruder?) as the CR-10 series.

Ender 2 is currently $175 here, with $10 off for Easter weekend for a final price of $165. That's a whole lotta bang for very few bucks. My only concern is that I know nothing about the site, but I do know enough to avoid Gearbest like it's the plague. Still, I can get it for $215 at TinyMachines3d, and they are extremely reliable.

Now I'm a big fan of comparison shopping, so if anyone has a printer in the $200 range with a heated bed and it has reviews from multiple reviewers showing a high print quality, I'm interested in seeing them.

On a personal note, I've been unemployed for 10 months out of the past 24 and I'm still playing a bit of catch up on the finances. I'm almost certainly going to miss the Easter sale on this beast.

Edit:
I've mentioned good reviews several times, I thought I'd post one of them. In this YT review the reviewer has problem and has to perform some very inexpensive repairs on his new printer. But with no/minimal modifications it appears to my untrained eye be printing beautifully.

https://youtu.be/vJCa_Gasdyw

My first printer was the Monoprice Select Mini v2 (aka Maylan 200). I have to say it has been a really awesome little work horse.

Today my Tronxy X5S arrived. I got it on flash sale for $239 and free shipping so I am hoping if I study all the upgrade videos and take all the advice here that it will turn out to be a decent hobby printer for making cosplay stuff and car parts (which the Monoprice was excellent at). oh please oh please be worth the $$ lol

Passing down my Mini to my son in hopes it motivates him like it did me.

[curious aardvark]

ah well if you're looking for cheapness, features and quality - monoprice mini delta is currently in a class of its own.
https://mpminidelta.monoprice.com/
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_...seq=1&format=2
$159.
If they were selling them in the uk I'd have bought one already. Have looked into getting a mate in the states to buy one and ship it to me. Might actually work out cheaper than they'll sell them for over here. But until they do start selling them here - no clue :-)
They'll defnitely be a lot more expensive when they go on sale over here. But I'll still get one.
Very cute, good for small hi resolution prints. I've got a 0.25mm nozzle I'll stik on mine for intricate and small prints.
It'll be perfect for items with built in moving parts, captured hinges etc.

Heated bed, auto levelling, totally portable. And a delta: so quiet, fast and higher quality prints.
Small print volume - but about as close to plug and play as you can get at the the moment.
Hell I might not even need to slap a sheet of printbite on it.

Pretty much universally excellent reviews and lots of stuff on youtube.

If they hadn't been watching it so closely at tct last year, it might have accidentally fallen into my back pack. I suspect they knew this as there did seem to be a stall-person permanently guarding it - it's just so really really cute and neat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qHEP9T2OzA&t=68s

Cool video as he also explains some of the basics of 3d printing.

Also has wifi :-)
Mine will actually live on top of my he3d k200. So won't even take up any deskspace :-)

[Amateur Maker]

You have my attention. High quality in a small, relatively inexpensive package is what I'm looking for. I'll dig deeper. Thanks man!