It's really funny how many of the comments here mention 3D printing, I guess there must really be something to it! Thanks for your explanations as well, I didn't realise it had become that cheap (relatively speaking, of course). Never had the money to play with it when it came out but will definitely give it a go. Are second-hand printers a bad idea in general or is it safe?
ageitgey|9 months ago
If you are on a budget, buy a brand new Bambu A1 Mini for <$250. You'll get industry-leading quality and ease of use and have a great time. Or if you have a little more tolerance for messing around but want the most possible printer for your money, you can get an Elegoo Centauri Carbon for $300 (it's a cheaper knock-off of the higher-end Bambu P1S and X1C models).
The used market is flooded with cheap old 3D printers right now because the new crop of printers is so much better that the old crop of printers are essentially paperweights. Bambu came along and totally disrupted the market. If someone offers you an old Ender 3 even for free, don't take it. It's a waste of time unless you just want to learn 3D printer mechanics instead of actually printing things. It would be like someone giving you a free horse cart because everyone has moved to cars and they don't want to have to figure out how to get rid of it.
I have a friend who has been given 5 (5!) free Ender 3 printers. It's ruining his life, taken over his house, and he spends all his time not printing things. Just spend $250+ and get something modern.