selecting first printer

[shaelyn]

hey there! I'm looking at 3D printers for purchase, and I could use some direction.

this will be my first printer, so I am looking for something generally easy to use. I'm looking to *not* get overwhelmed right out of the box. I realize there's a lot to this in the first place, between setup/learning the programs required to get it going and figuring out how to make what I intend, so as close to plug-and-play as possible would be fantastic. kits are right out.

I'm going to be making very small components that will be used to make a device function, and as such, it will need to be well-formed and fairly precise.
specifically, I'll make gears and a spool, and possibly other components, as part of a music box movement. the gears will be small. the spools will have small bumps/tines in them that will strike against metal teeth, causing the teeth to resonate. the small bumps have to be precise enough to hit the right notes. I expect the spools will have a lot of wear and tear from scraping against metal constantly; it's got to be strong. so far, I'm looking at ABS for this reason. also, I live in Texas where summers can get up to around 110ºF, and its possible the product will be left out in the heat at some point. I hear rumor that PLA is much more malleable in heat, and can warp - can I get verification? am I on the right track here?

since I'm working to make such small components, size is not a factor.

finding a 3D printer that has what I need outweighs price. I'm naturally hoping a less-expensive printer will do the job I want, but if I have to wait save up for the right 3D printer, I'd rather do that than find one now to mess around with that doesn't have what I need for my projects.

suggestions? I know there's a lot of good information out there, but since my print jobs need to be functional, I thought I'd start my own discussion and see what I can find out - most reviews and discussions seem to be lacking in this regard...