You'll be surprised at what you can make with the most common sized ones (about 10" x 10" x 10"). I have made many, many things to help organize my toolboxes, gadgets around the house, cool gadgets to use/give away. I have a Bambu Lab A1. It is not recommended for the really strong materials like ABS. You are supposed to get an enclosed printer for that type of material. I didn't want to spend as much as the X1 Carbon costs. I'm happy with mine. There are many brands that are good now, Bambu Lab is the most popular, Prusa and Creality are good also. Bambu Lab is really refined, easy to use, and the wear parts are easy and inexpensive. Once in a while you'll want to switch out the nozzles to print finer detail, it's a one minute job on the A1, without tools. The larger ones (and they don't go much larger for consumer models) are really expensive. One of the reasons the Bambu Lab printers are so popular is that they work reasonably trouble free and they are a very good value. For $500 you can get the A1 like I have with the system that automatically prints four colors. I would highly recommend that if you're going the Bambu route. Even if you don't print multi-color prints, it's real handy to have different colors available without switching rolls.

I'm currently printing some containers for sanding discs, recently a shield for spraying door hinges with lube, battery holders, phone stands, quarter holders, some custom pads for an end table with metal legs to protect our wood floor. I'm always thinking of things to print. If I'm stumped for a while, I peruse websites for random things and always find something (that's how I came across the hinge shield).

If you aren't going to take the time to learn at least some basic CAD skills, you will be limited on what you can come up with for specific needs. But there is an astonishing number of things other people have designed on many different websites that you can download the files to print. I've been drawing with CAD software for 20 years, I enjoy drawing and making things, so this has been a good hobby for me. Certainly some of the things I print are of no value, or could be purchased, but I enjoy drawing things and watching them being made on the printer. It's really an amazing little machine. I have a little machining background as well. This thing is a little CNC machine, it's just fun to watch it zip around and make a part.

Get whichever one you feel comfortable with. If you get a Bambu, order some extra nozzles with the printer. Their new SuperTack cool plate is really good too. One of the biggest challenges is to get your first layer to stick to the bed. This plate makes that pretty easy. Get some decent filament and a drier for it, moisture is your enemy with filament. I have alot of Overture filament, but recently had a few problems with a couple rolls of that. Probably needs to be dried. eSun has been working very nice for me


Be ready to learn and be patient. As good as they are, you're going to need to troubleshoot bad prints once in a while. Tons of info out there.