What do you guys and gals out there think? Any experiences with any of the machines or recommend any others? I'm aware of the wide range of DIY open source based to preset builds. And I'm not a true greenhorn here, I've had my hands dirty before, but I'm just kind of stuck on what to do.

What I want in a 3d printer....

1) Precision of .1-.2
2) Easy-access customization
3) Multiple filament options
4) Great Support and community/Troubleshooting
5) mechanically durable
6) budget is max of 1700$

What I've scoped in

1) Makerbot Replicator 2 (USED)
2) Lulzbot TAZ 3 or 4 (USED)
3) Flashforge Creator Pro (NEW)
4) Reprap variations (NEW)

My experiences so far...

I've had to return a Used Replicator 2 due to a defective control board (left cooling fan port was just blown), but when it worked it was great! Not to mention I wasn't screwed out of my money I got a full return. I just wished I could of fixed the problem myself and I also wished I could switch and swap parts (maybe you can? I'm not aware of any real mods for it)

I've had a complete ripoff from Mixshop in the past where their original G1 was just...bad as a kit. No real instructions...No organized parts. The parts that were 3D printed were just horrible quality too I had to sand down the holes or forcefully push every rod in. The wires would constantly break and the community behind it was just going through hell trying to get the extruder to work never mind the others stuck on the wiring. And in the end it wasn't worth going any further seeing how the best prints I saw were just horrible to mediocre quality. I've seen very few with good quality prints. I learned a lot out of it and enjoyed the time put in, but it just sucked that I could never get it to work. Also the support team was just horrible/spotty. I still have all the parts disassembled though.

Thoughts on the Top 5 list

- Lulzbot - great support and community, many mods yet durable framework, fast and precise, many filament options
- Flashforge - Geoff's troubleshooting pages and experiences alone speak volumes. He's the main reason why I'm considering it.
- Reprap - I know saying Reprap is like saying I want to make a car... what type? the car type. But I wanted a Reprap variation that's obviously well supported, durable, and with great accuracy. I could go out and design my own, but right now I don't have the time during the semester.


Anywho....

What do you think is the best bet based off what I mentioned and really just based on your own experience and expertise? Is it good to buy a used 3k machine (assuming good support/returns) or better to get a new 1.5k machine? It would mean the world to me to have even the smallest advice/feedback.