I am not a CAD user but most of my friends use Fusion360 hobby or paid. They all have good things to say about it. I use art focused polygonal modeling software (Blender3d, Zbrush, 3dCoat) which I do not recommend for precise functional prints. It can do it but its more work.

Polylactic Acid (PLA) filament is "... the most widely used plastic filament material in 3D printing. Its low melting point, high strength, low thermal expansion, good layer adhesion, and high heat resistance when annealed make it an ideal material for this purpose." - Wikepedia

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) filament prints a rubber like print. I use it for custom rubber stamps for my wife's mixed media art.

I've had my printer for about a year and the very few print failures I've had were 100 percent my fault due to either bad settings or bad models that I made. I have over 10 years of 3d modeling but its been focused on cnc pattern making so 3d print modeling is relatively new to me.