How to choose your first 3D printer (and not regret it)
What I tell every student who asks me where to start with 3D printing: what to buy, what to learn first and which mistakes to avoid. My short guide from the Dominican Republic.
In 2017 I bought my first 3D printer for a very simple reason: the university’s printers were always busy or broken. I had no idea that purchase would define my projects, my talks and even the way we solve problems at Cosmos today. Since then, the question I get most often after a talk is always the same: “Which one should I buy?”
This is the short answer I always give.
1. Start with a simple FDM printer
There are two big families: FDM (filament, the kind that “draws” layer by layer with melted plastic) and resin (more detail, more smell, more cleanup). To start, go FDM. It is cheaper, more forgiving and the material (PLA) is safe to use at home.
Look for an entry-level printer with these features:
- A bed of at least 220 × 220 mm. That lets you print anything from small parts to sections of a 5-foot rocket (in pieces, of course).
- Auto bed leveling. It saves you 80% of the frustration of the first month.
- A big community. If the model has thousands of users, every problem you run into has already been solved by someone on YouTube.
- Easy-to-find spare parts. Nozzles, belts and fans get replaced; make sure you can buy them without drama.
My first one was an Ender, and it still works through the night while I design the next part. Today there are more modern options at a similar price; what matters is not the brand, it is that it checks the list above.
2. The material: PLA and nothing else (for now)
PLA is the filament for learning: it does not need a very hot bed, it barely warps and it comes in every color. Once you master PLA, move to PETG for parts that need to survive sun and impacts (like the vehicle mount for satellite internet we designed at Cosmos).
Buy a 1 kg spool from a known brand. Cheap, damp filament is the number one cause of “my printer is broken” when the printer is actually fine.
3. Learn to design before you learn to print
Printing is pressing a button. Designing is the slow part, and it is where the value is. My recommended path:
- Tinkercad (free, in the browser) to understand shapes and measurements in the first week.
- Fusion 360 or SolidWorks when you want real mechanical parts. I got certified in SolidWorks (CSWA) and use it for anything with tolerances.
- Cura or your printer’s slicer to turn the design into instructions. Learn three settings: layer height, infill and supports. The rest comes later.
Today I use artificial intelligence to speed up design: sketches, calculations and variations of a part. But AI does not replace understanding how an object holds together or why it lifts off the bed.
4. Your first three prints
- A calibration cube. Boring, but it tells you whether the printer measures what it claims to measure.
- Something useful for your home. A hook, a phone stand, an organizer. When the part solves a real problem, you get hooked.
- Something that excites you. I printed scale telecom towers. Today those towers travel with me to every talk and they are what gets the most questions.
5. The mistakes I see every time
- Buying the biggest printer “just in case”. Start small and learn.
- Changing ten settings at once. Change one, print, observe.
- Giving up in week two. Everybody has a horrible week two. It passes.
What about the Dominican Republic?
It can be done. More and more stores bring in printers and filament, and whatever you cannot find here arrives by courier in a few days. What is scarce is people who teach, and that is why I give these talks: I want more young people to discover that the future is printed, programmed and built from here.
If you buy your first printer after reading this, message me through the WhatsApp community and tell me what you printed first. The best parts end up on the podcast.
