I’m a 3D printing wanna-be, not even an amateur. Have seen a few printers, helped assemble one long time ago, played with the software a little, though I have never actually printed anything myself yet. I decided to spend some saved money on a printer for myself.
My goals are getting hands-on experience with printing and being able to use it as a tool in projects/everyday life. I’m considering an FFF one rather than SLA one, mostly due to the toxicity of resin (and costs). Printing speed is unimportant. Print quality matters, but only to some satisfactory degree and it’s not paramount. I imagine I might buy another one in a few years, so I don’t need a printer for life, but it needs to serve sufficiently for this period. I’m open to the possibility of repairing/upgrading it, if it can be done reliably by an amateur.
I’m strongly considering Prusa MINI+, but it’s not a final decision and I’ll be happy to hear your feedback. I’m posting this here in hopes that if I’m making a mistake, people more competent than me will stop me. If there’s anything else you think I should know, I’ll be happy to hear it.
Personally I have a Prusa Mk3s+. I’m not a hater or a fan boy. There are definitely things I don’t like about it and they are expensive, but the thing I think most people like about them is that they just sort of work. This is very valuable, especially when you’re just starting out.
But what I really came here to say is that to 3d print, you need to do more than just buy a printer. Don’t forget, unless you just want to print doohickies you find on the net, you also have to learn how to use 3d graphics programs. The most common is probably fusion360. It’s free for hobbieists but there are some drawbacks. There is easily as much to be learned about this drafting as there is about the printer. There is also another free program called FreeCad. The learning curve for both of these is a bit steep to get proficient, but not too bad to get started.
You also need to learn about the filaments. When I printed something using PLA, the default material often provided with the machine, my dimensions were spot-on. Unfortunately, most of what I wanted to print either was used on a car or needed to be transported in a car. I live in a hot environment and PLA simply won’t stand up to those temperatures. So I started printing with ASA and regrettably this is difficult to print with and my dimensions are always a bit iffy. This material and many others require an enclosure to print, something else to consider. You also might need a way to dry your filament and keep your filament dry.
I’m not trying to discourage you. All of these things can be overcome. I just wanted to inform you.
If you go onto YouTube and watch some videos, you can get a lot more info. I recommend the following:
Thomas Sanladerer CNC kitchen Zack Freedman
Enjoy!
Can you clarify what happens that causes the dimensions to be off with certain types of filaments? Is it warping or something?