Hi all, I want to buy my son a 3D printer for his 20th birthday. He is a third year computer science major, so has no issues with the software side. I have no idea where to start, or even what questions to ask. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Prusa is the obvious recommendation and have really god quality printers. Another option would be Qidi, they have some great value options (I heard the Q1 Pro is decent?) or recently Elegoo with their Centauri Carbon.
However, I would advise that you don’t get a Bambu Lab printer, as someone who owns the Bambu A1. They print fine, but Bambu is locking down on their ecosystem by blocking third party software and hardware (e.g. PandaTouch display), and it won’t be long until they go full Apple/HP-like (they already have RFID tags on their filament, what’s stopping them from dropping an update that blocks non-Bambu filament like HP did with ink?)
For filaments, PLA is the simple choice that works for most things as long as they aren’t in the sun for too long (e.g. decorative models, phone stand) but aren’t the best for outdoor stuff (think garden signs and such). Some people also like PETG, which is another good general purpose filament.
ABS/ASA are tough and strong, good for mechanical parts and things that require strength, but remember to have good ventilation since they can produce nasty fumes that are not very nice to breathe in. You’ve also got TPU, which is flexible (so phone cases and stuff), but you need to make sure it stays dry.
I have personally only used PLA since I don’t print too many things that need the strength of ABS/ASA or the flexibility of TPU.