Hello,

First time poster looking for some guidance. I've looked at various printers and I was hoping some of you can guide me towards the best for my situation and needs. I'm looking to start printing mudbox/zbrush designs of figures from fantasy-scifi genres ranging from 12-24" inches. I'm an experienced modeller and garage kit builder and what to delve into making my own designs using digital software. This is for non-commercial purposes just as a hobby. SLA is too expensive in terms of material and build volume so filament is what I'm steering towards.

I don't mind piecing and assembling parts after the fact as that is definitely not be new to me. I will be making everything with the intention of primng and painting. What I want the most is the highest quality print first within the constraints of filament quality to minimize sanding and prepping. Possibly to where I can make molds of my designs to recast them and perserve detail within figures that will be within 1/6 to 1/4 scale. User friendliness of the printer and ease of maintenance second. Build volume is the third priority. Cost in itself is not an issue as I am a believer of buy once cry once, but I don't want to over purchase something with features that I realized I don't ever will need after the fact.

These are the models I've been drawn to based on reviews and print samples I've observed online only.

-prusa i3 mk3
-Cr-10s maybe s5 as well
-zorthrax m300
-raise 3d pro plus 2

Larger build volume could be awesome as I might want to start making cosplay helmets, armor erc. It's a big gap in terms of price...my dilemma is I don't want to spend 3-6k when a 1k printer would have done everything that I prioritized. Will the mk3 print quality be the same as a raise 3d?

Thanks for your help!