Hello

i would like to ask how to start and what video lessons would you advice me to start with that hobby ?

First… how much TIME do u have? If it is a lot.. you can buy “cheap” play with it and get it “dialed in”… if it’s little .. go with a higher end (bamboo -Dremel)… pretty much load File and filaments and print (kinda)…

I bought an inexpensive Ender 3 kit as a Christmas present to myself and built/re-built it over the next few months. Once I got it assembled and working I printed parts to upgrade it and further dialed it in. Repeat that a couple times and you'll have well functioning printer and an good understanding of how they work. I don't have a specific video to recommend but there are a ton of them out there. My approach was to search for specific terms as I came across them... Stuff like "3d printer Z Offset".

I think most of us just jump head first and bought a printer that we thought was good. Then search for how to fix issue that comes up like drumgod mentioned.

Things I would ask myself before buying a printer.

1. I'm a tinker or just want it to work. Do I want access to tech support?
2. What am I realistically going to print. Size and material.
3. How much money do I want to spend?
4. Do I have the space for the printer? (I never found the space for the printer an issue. It is always the millions of filament spools that I have, which I can't seem to know how to organize.)

Tell us what you are thinking. This also help on where to start doing some research.

I can relate to Voodoo's last point. I do actually have limited space for the printer itself so that was always going to be a factor for me, but I never even considered that I would also need a ton of space to store all the spools of filament I would end up accumulating over time, especially when you find you need to buy yet another spool for a colour that you don't already have.

I would start with deciding which printer you want, then look at video lessons directly related to that printer. Looking at Ender-3 videos if you bought a Prusa MK3S is maybe not so smart when you can watch Prusa MK3S videos from the start.

I took the option of wanting to print from the start instead of building a printer myself so I bought a second hand 3D printer locally. I asked the seller to print something so I could see that it all worked and bought it. This was a few months ago, it's still working so I haven't needed to learn how to replace nozzles or anything like that yet. All I've had to do is adjust a value for first layer calibration. Plenty of videos that can provide suggestions if your printer isn't printing nicely.

To design stuff yourself, there are a few free options out there. I went with Fusion 360 which is free for non-commercial use. Why I went with that is because it's what the seller of the printer used and he demonstrated quickly how it works. Since then I just searched on youtube for video lessons and now I can do basic designs. I have no idea how it compares to others. Either way there are plenty of youtube video lessons for the popular "free for non-commercial usage" software.

Is the Prusa Mini a good choice, if one wants to minimize ‘messing around’ too much ?

(04-Oct-2023, 12:29 AM)QuadFlyer68 Wrote: Is the Prusa Mini a good choice, if one wants to minimize ‘messing around’ too much ?

Prusa makes great printers. Also consider Bambu Lab A1 mini. Which I think might even be less messing around.

Sovol is running a Halloween sale if you are looking for a basic budget option. I have their older SV01Pro which is now $180 (or $200 for the SV06). It comes 80% assembled and reasonable features (auto-level, direct drive, dual z, touch screen) and puts out decent TPU prints out of the box.

Sovol has the Klipper version. I would do that over the Marlin version. One, it is faster. Two, it is so much easier to update and config Klipper vs Marlin.

(03-Oct-2023, 03:55 PM)voodoo614 Wrote: I think most of us just jump head first and bought a printer that we thought was good. Then search for how to fix issue that comes up like drumgod mentioned.

Things I would ask myself before buying a printer.

1. I'm a tinker or just want it to work. Do I want access to tech support?
2. What am I realistically going to print. Size and material.
3. How much money do I want to spend?
4. Do I have the space for the printer? (I never found the space for the printer an issue. It is always the millions of filament spools that I have, which I can't seem to know how to organize.)

Tell us what you are thinking. This also help on where to start doing some research.

Hello i will try explain much as possible.

1) I don't have a lot of free time, I have a lot of commitments and clearly if I can save some time from having to dedicate to continuous repairs or adjustments it's better, then clearly since this is a passion I'm also willing to dedicate some free time to better understand how to make the system work and asking for your advice based on the tests carried out, but if I could basically have a product that was as reliable and easy to configure as possible it would be better.

2) i Will go to print small products in TPU for drone and in standard material for other stuff but i can't know and maybe i want to print even something a bit more big just for fun like that for example :

3)for budget i don't have huge one, in mind even if I don't even know all the various features of the printers and which determine the price differences, I have got the idea that you need an amount ranging between €150 and €250 to get a good product;

4) depends, in my house in Rome could be an issue i have just a room and lot of stuff alredy inside...how much space it require ? when i don't use i could punt inside a closet ) so when it is running it works without having to be connected to the PC, why is the work program loaded onto an SD memory? ... so I could put it on my desk ;

5) "Do I want access to tech support?" for tech support do you mean assistance from the manufacturer who responds to emails?
where can you buy them? who knows if it will also be possible to buy them on Amazon which in Italy is one of the best shops for electronics and without competitors... the others may be an option... I imagine that there will be large differences in price and it will also be possible to find these printers on Aliexpress ...but who knows if there is a price difference, if only slightly better on Amazon...i live in italy.

6) these features seem very important that a printer has them "auto-level, direct drive, dual z, touch screen" as said if i have to spend 50€ more to have more features i would like to do important is that work fine and maybe also good assistance. Are there any other features that a 3D printer in this price range should have ?

7) in terms of breakages due to wear, what can break and what can be repaired? Is it possible in some cases to use generic parts or do we have to find exactly the manufacturer's part?

sorry for the many questions but I need to clarify a bit

(04-Oct-2023, 01:59 AM)voodoo614 Wrote: Also consider Bambu Lab A1 mini. Which I think might even be less messing around.

I have the Prusa MK3S only because someone sold it second hand locally, and after doing some research it seemed like a decent printer (it is), but if I was to buy a new printer today I would buy the Bambu Lab A1 mini.

OP, you are going to run into some conflict regarding your "wants and needs" with what you are willing to pay/budget.

Anything in the 150-250 euro will likely require some kind of tinkering at some point or another. There will also be no tech support from the company, you will just have to search out your answer through forums and the internet. But you can get a printer with "auto-level, direct drive, dual z motors and touch screen." in addition, wifi printing. You can send the g-code straight to the printer. With Klipper, you can can the printer from anywhere in the house. Very easy to update. Very easy to change settings. I can't think of a better printer for what you need. Maybe some one else might come up with another.

https://sovol3d.com/products/sovol-sv07-...ed-250mm-s

It is a larger printer, so space might be an issue. But like I said before, it is not going to be the printer that takes up space, it will be all the spools.

Perfect timing on that Bambu Labs A1 Mini !
I think I’m going to make that my first 3D printer.
Also think I’ll skip the AMS for now.
Many thanks Voodoo !!!

My buddy has a couple of Sovol printers (01 and 02 I believe). He had problems with one of them for quite a while - don’t remember which one though. But they printed a ton of TPU parts for us.

So far on youtube with italian youtuber i also heard talk very well about Bambu Labs A1 Mini and about Bambu as brand.
Sovol looks like produce also expensi and with good quality products.

Bambu Labs A1 Mini is cool and works great, don't looks like an issue the fact that for the Z axis this printer has only one vertical element on which the horizontal element (the head) slides.

It looks like is very easy to be configurated, i think is the same for the other like Sovol...but these printers are at 300€

I'm still to green to understand the differences between the different models, here for example on their website they have printers that go from 150€ to 300€ and more:
https://www.3djake.it/stampanti-3d-e-alt...log-navbar

in the last few weeks I haven't had much time, I need to watch more videos, what are the characteristics that distinguish a printer? i think are many, but the most importants ?