I started with an Ender 3 V2 because I wasn’t sure how much I’d use it. It worked great for awhile, and then all of a sudden it didn’t. I’d fix it, it would break. I’d fix it again, and it would work for a few prints, and then it would fail again. I started down the upgrade road, had more issues. I took all that shit off, put it back to stock, same thing—worked for a bit (or, the very next print) and would fail again.
I was hooked after the first print and knew I’d be using it a lot, I even got into designing which I never expected as I was never good at that sort of thing. It quickly became probably one of, if not my favorite, hobby of all time, and frankly one of the cheapest (B.O.A.T.). I knew I wanted to upgrade but I still was unsure about how much better something like a Prusa was, so I bought a $380 Prusa clone on Ali Express after researching everything from Voron (couldn’t justify $1500+) to Rat Rig and everything in between. The clone had some shitty parts I had to replace because I didn’t follow the advice online and wanted to do things the hard way. I have it running flawlessly now using some OEM or OEM-quality Prusa parts. I’ve also added an enclosure and can successfully print PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, and ASA (and likely just about anything else I’d try save for some exotics like PEEK). I typically buy the cheapest filament possible and notice pretty much zero difference. The only time I spend more on filament is if it’s a structural or safety issue. I often design parts in Fusion 360 and those are my favorite prints.
If you’re looking to spend time printing and designing, the Prusa is for you. I can count on one hand how many times the bed has been too small. Sure I would like a bigger bed, but the reality is I would rarely use it. If you’re looking to tinker and have endless time fixing stupid problems and always wonder if the print is going to fail, get one of the cheaper Chinese kits (Ender, Voxel, etc.). I assure you, the Prusa is worth the money. I click print, it just works. When the Prusa XL comes out, it will be on the short list.
Here’s a print I designed for my WaveRunner to mount a GPS (some day I’ll post a thread on that), some Mustang badges I printed for my nephew (not my design) and a couple pictures of my printer in the enclosure.
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