I’m shopping for my first printer, I don’t have any experience with 3d printing but I’m vaguely familiar with the whole process and I understand there will be a learning curve and I’m looking forward to that part.
I’m leaning towards the Creality S1 Pro because I remember the huge hub-bub about the Ender 3 when it first came out and it seems like everyone and their brother suggests it as a good first printer but then when I read reviews it seems kinda janky and I’m an adult with a job so I don’t mind fussing a little but I don’t want to fuss a lot.
I picked the S1 Pro because I think it has an auto-leveling print surface and the name recognition from the previously mentioned Ender 3, but when I try to research other printers I’m completely overwhelmed by the options.
I was in the same boat a few years ago. I ended up paying the premium and got a prusa mini. I don’t regret it at all, the thing prints and prints and prints. The few times my prints failed were just because I was getting a little crazy with the settings.
A relative of mine was also looking to get a printer and I helped with the research. He ended up settling on an elegoo and so far has had a great experience with it.
Creality printers generally have the reputation of a tinkerer’s printer, so if you don’t want to spend a lot of time meticulously dialing in your print settings I would probably steer away from them.