Several years ago I leapt enthusiastically into the realm of 3D printing by buying a massive, expensive delta-type printer. I had to put it together myself, which was fun, but after that I struggled to get it to print well. Even simply trying to get the prints to stick to the bed were difficult, leading me to add huge brims to all my parts which were a pain to cut off afterward. Eventually I gave up fiddling with it and it’s been gathering dust ever since.
I know that a lot of you treat the hobby as an opportunity for endless tinkering and optimization, which is great, but I think I’ve realized that what I’d prefer is something that just works out of the box with a minimum of adjustment.
I’d personally look for a used Prusa i3 MK3[S[+]]. Part of that is personal bias, it’s what I still print with (specifically the MK3S variant, I haven’t bothered to upgrade it to +), but in all the years I’ve had it it’s been an absolute workhorse and has very much thrived on the copious amount of neglect I’ve given it. The only things I’ve ever done to it is install firmware updates and occasionally smear some grease on the smooth rods with a finger. Still, every time I print with it, it just works.
Prusa just announced a new printer so there might be a little wave of them being put up for sale.
I’ll second Prusa. I suspect that no affordable entry level 3d printer is really hassle-free, but my Prusa felt more reliable than my level of experience probably deserved at each stage of my journey.