3D printer advice - Christmas present

Tom's Hardware has a guide. The budget printer recommended is $379, so you're not far off. I've never bought a 3-D printer, but I've been reading Tom's for probably 20 years. They're not as corrupted as Cnet and anything touched by the NY Times is, but I'd look at the lists from PcMag and Cnet just to look for outlier rankings and investigate them.

As with anything that uses consumables, (instant cameras, printers, etc.) pay attention to consumable cost possibly outstripping value up front. Some don't accept third party resin, which like with a laser printer would be a "hell naw" from me.

I had a creality when I started out 6 or 7 years ago. I purchased a Bambu A1 and love it. Its a good "no fuss" printer. Here are a couple links on this very topic a couple months ago. TD LINK TD LINK 2

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I would NOT get a resin printer.

Bambu Lab is having a pretty killer sale right now. You can get the P1S for $399 or the A1 for $279.

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It really depends on what you want to make. Resin printers are very simple these days and almost as plug in play as Bambu and waterwashable makes the next steps a lot easier.

If you are a TTRPGer or want to get into something like dice making, resin is very beginner friendly these days.

But yeah, if you just want to get your feet wet in generic 3D printing, Bambu A1 all day long.

Resin printing is messy and just all around more involved/complicated than FDM. Sure it has its place, but the people who want a resin printer aren't the people who post generic 3D printer gift advice threads without any information about what they want to do with the printer. Those people want an A1 or P1S so they/their kids can print trinkets off Maker World.

Agree, skip on resin if you’re just getting started. They maybe getting more “user friendly”, but it’s still a lot more complex than FDM in my opinion.

I have multiple Bambu printers and also have a resin printer.

I only use my resin printer if I absolutely have to for better detail. And I dread using it because it’s still kind of a PITA and messy.

Start with Bambu A1. I think P1S and X1C might be on sale since they have the newer models out now. Those would be good if you want to spend a little more for enclosed printer

Been kinda researching myself and pretty sure I’ll be going with an Elegoo Centauri Carbon. It’s for my son, but I want to use it more than him lol. He just wants to print simple stuff but I want to do more functional things for in the car, outdoors, etc so need to be able to do ABS or ASA which the A1 can’t since it doesn’t have an enclosure. Would like the P1S bc of the AMS option but don’t want to get up there in price just yet. Can always get another down the road.