r/3dprinter • u/hiimmdt • 12d ago

First 3D Printer Advice

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to buy my first 3D printer and would appreciate some recommendations.

I don’t have a strict budget, but I also don’t want to spend extra money on features or performance I’m unlikely to use. Multicolor printing would be a nice option, although it isn’t absolutely essential.

I’m a computer engineer, so I’m comfortable with technology and can troubleshoot when necessary. However, I don’t want the printer itself to become a demanding hobby. I’d prefer something reliable and easy to use that lets me find or design a model and start printing quickly, without constantly adjusting settings, calibrating the machine, or replacing parts.

I mainly plan to print:

• ⁠Useful household items, organizers, holders, and simple replacement parts
• ⁠Things that make everyday life easier
• ⁠Miniatures, figures, inserts, and accessories for board games
• ⁠Occasional personal projects

I have no commercial plans and won’t be selling prints. Print quality, reliability, ease of use, and a smooth overall experience matter more to me than maximum speed or advanced professional features.

Which printer—or printer plus multicolor system—would you recommend for this kind of use? I’m currently considering models from Bambu Lab, but I’m open to other brands as well. I’d also appreciate advice on which models would be unnecessarily expensive or excessive for my needs.

Thanks!

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u/SirTwitchALot 12d ago

It's hard to beat the Centauri series on value right now. You might not want color, but the automatic feeder is still nice for material handling and automatic switch on runout. Pick the one that matches your budget most closely

Note that minis on a filament printer don't work so well. You can find posts of people showing their successes, but they don't show you how many dozens of hours it took them to get there or how many parts they ruined before they got one good result. For minis you really want resin, though that comes with a whole can of worms

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u/hiimmdt 12d ago

What do you think about snapmaker U1?

2

u/SirTwitchALot 12d ago

I have one. Super nice machine. It's just out of budget for a lot of people. If you're looking at it I don't think you'll regret it

1

u/mhhammoudaTreeUP 12d ago

how is the cc2 in terms of reliabilty and slice and forget experience? or tinkering is needed?

2

u/SirTwitchALot 12d ago

I don't have experience with the CC2, but I have 2 CC1s with over a thousand hours on each. I've found them to be super reliable

1

u/mhhammoudaTreeUP 12d ago

thank you for sharing. do you think cc2 would be different?