[Kevan]

Don't forget there's a lot of folk out there who love making a printer work better by modding it, that's part of the 3DP hobby and I can totally understand that as someone who has that kind of mindset.

[chappyman66]

I started with a Dremel 3D20 which didn't have the heated bed.  Big error, but heated beds are basic equipment now.

My Ender3 has been running for three years and has produced over 4-5 dozen different bodies, some of which have been shown here.   The reason HRW has been CanAm focused is that those of us who pushed 3DP wanted bodies we couldn't get elsewhere and we liked CanAm cars.  Now there are lots of choices in different classes of cars.


As far as printers, pick your budget. The Ender3 is eminently capable, and Prusas are as well.  But it is not plug and play.... it's a hobby inside the hobby.   There are plenty of resources though, getting help is pretty easy.   The slicer programs have different settings in some cases but our experience shows that an Ender3 and Cura can make nice 1/32 and 1/24 bodies.

Good prints start with a high quality file, consistent material, and a known slicer profile.   Without all three, any printer will disappoint.

   

[Savage GT]

Thank you gentlemen 
From this , for about the third time of consideration, again I come away thinking I don't have enough spare time to investigate this just yet 

[MrFlippant]

Getting in person help from an experienced 3DP person can jump start your enjoyment of the hobby. Sure, you can learn everything on line, and/or by trial and error, but no matter how many videos you watch or pages you see with high res photos... doing it and seeing it in person is always better. Maybe when you get to the point of pulling the trigger on a purchase, someone in the region would be willing to make a day trip over to yours to show you the ropes and get your first print going.

If I had had someone on hand to show me exactly what a good first layer REALLY looked like in real life, and how to confirm that it's good the next time I want to run a print, I would have skipped a bunch of learning the hard way. With two local friends that I helped with their first printers (actually, one was his second, upgrading from Creality to Prusa), I was there for the entire "maiden flight" part, and could ensure that calibration was on point, and explain to them what they are looking at and why it looks like that and how to make sure it stays like that.

Sorry, I can't be there for your first printer. ;-) Well.. not unless you have one by end of April early May, and I can tear myself away from sightseeing. ;-)