Hi, I am totally new to 3D printing and want to have a printer. Budget is 400€. My background is computer science and programming and I want to be able to hack the device if I want but it should work fine OOTB (or with minimal effort). Which device would you guys suggest to me?
I actually had a pretty good experience with my Ender 3 V2. A lot of the cheap printers (including the Enders) work just fine out of the box, but you have to temper your expectations as a beginner. Don’t expect a 2D printer experience from a 3D printer. Even the more expensive machines require some maintenance and tuning from time to time. Most printers are going to require at minimum some bed leveling and minor calibration to be running the way they should (tweaking flow rates, calculating e-steps, etc). The Bambu printers look to be some of the most ready out-of-the-box printers, but even they are going to need some maintenance from time to time. There are a lot of consumable parts in 3D printers that need changing out from time to time (nozzles, thermistors, heater cartridges, etc). Some printers make that easier, but it’s not fool proof. As a beginner, I’d honestly recommend getting a cheaper bed slinger to learn the ropes. Learning to troubleshoot on a cheaper printer with inexpensive replacement parts can be a good thing Make sure to get something that’s new and not used starting out (unless you are into some major troubleshooting). You also probably stand to benefit from one of the more popular printers with a strong online support community as most problems will have been encountered by someone already. Hopefully that’s helpful. Good luck if you decide to jump in!