so im a teen with not alot of money but i want to get into 3d printing, another community suggested the ender 3 original. it looks like a solid printer but who know im a noob after all. my budget is around 100$ or less. im looking into making mini figures and painting them or whatever nerdy thing i find. i know the budget is tight but im hoping there is something, also im debating on buying a used 3d printer because they seem cheaper.
also any tips for a noob would be great like what makes said model good or bad compared to other models and such.
My third printer, I paid $70 for, used (ender 3 pro return). It was missing several small components, one big part (top aluminum extrusion) that required some machining with a drill press, and had a bad thermistor.
I don’t think you can get a beginning printer for $100 unfortunately. Sovol and Anycubic make printers among the cheapest that are more beginner friendly (I think) than Ender, for roughly the same price. I have a friend with a Creality and an Anycubic Vyper, and the Vyper seems to be more beginner-friendly. I have two Crealitys and I love them, but both required a ton of modifications to become reliable.
Can you check your area for a local maker space? My local library has 3D printers for anyone under 18. Universities typically have a few of different technologies (SLS, SLA, FDM)
Just to add an extra data point I was able to get my ender 3 pro for $100 when it was on sale at microcenter. My experience is it works great for awhile and then I have to spend time watching videos and reading comments on how to fix random issues my ender 3 pro has. It has not been the most user friendly but hey, it was a cheap printer. I also have upgraded mine with new silicone spacers or whatever to keep the bed more level in between prints as well as a new hot end, oh yeah also the filament tube. I still love it though!