Quoted from Mr_Tantrum:

Here come as many response as there are 3D printers.
If you are looking for a very solid overall experience and reliability, then the Prusa MK3S is an excellent choice.
If you are more budget conscious, then I hear great things about the Ender printers.

Quoted from mbwalker:

Regardless of what printer you choose, try get one that has thermal protection enabled in the software. Without it, if the extruder (and maybe the bed too) thermistor goes bad, it can cause the printer to catch fire.

Quoted from Darscot:

I think the big question is what do you want to print. I went with resin because I wanted to print detailed mods for pinball. They are big enough now I can print basic things that traditionally you would print in filament, like speaker rings. Sure I have to be remind myself not to drink the resin but I don't have to worry about it burning my house down. You just can't beat the quality you can get from resin printing.

Quoted from mikepmcs:

I am not advocating for any manufacturer or what's better or worse. However... I will share something.
If you are looking at the Creality Ender 3 products make sure it's the Ender 3 Pro at least. You need that thermal protection circuit. There are a few versions and they are listed here.
https://www.creality3dofficial.com/products/official-creality-ender-3-3d-printer
I have no bias. Here is prusa's site as well. https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/
There are a ton of printers out there but I found these 2 brands to have the most help on the web.
I do in fact have an ender 3 pro and knew nothing at all about 3d printing. It took me a week to get comfortable. I've had zero actual issues, that I didn't have some hand in causing, with my ender 3 pro and have only changed the hot end break because I stripped the nozzle end threads. I have no mods on my machine except the glass bed that was stock and came with it when I bought it. I recommend a glass bed.
Prusa is awesome and I'm not saying I wouldn't mind having one but I wasn't spending all that money and then set it aside if I got frustrated because I couldn't get it to work. Fortunately I waded through it and it got easier and easier quickly.
Your problems will mostly be because of setup, temperature, bed adhesion, levelling, and how well you dial in your slicer settings. Crappy PLA can also have an effect but they are mostly reliable. Most problems with 3d printing are user induced so patience and education is key. My suggestion is to start with a .4 nozzle and .2 layer height and no exotic PLA (marble, wood, etc.... ) No petg or abs or flex etc...etc.... Get used to using PLA until you're ready to step to the next challenge.
check this site out for common problems and fixes.
https://all3dp.com/
also, there are a million youtube guys out there that are extremely generous with their time and instruction.
ask questions here, we'll help you.
r/
Mike

Quoted from pinballjah:

Made by a friend for my GnR. Did a great job painting it, given the size.
[quoted image][quoted image]

Quoted from mbwalker:

I'll summarize a lot posts in this thread related to your question:
1) Pursa MK3S+ (might not have the right model number). Near or under the $1K (USD) mark. Very loyal following and also a very good printer.
2) Ender 3 (maybe the V2 version). Works decently and has some minor quirks that are easily solved. Good entry level printer to get you feet wet for around $200.
Both are highly supported in the 3D printing community which I consider very important. You'll need advice at some point and the community has likely 'been there, done that' before.
I have an Ender 3 (with some inexpensive upgrades). Other printers have been mentioned, but the ones above seem to be the most popular and mentioned the most.

Quoted from mbwalker:

I just got my Ender 3 from Amazon, but Creality (the maker of the Enders) has decent sales fairly often: https://www.creality.com The $99 deal mentioned earlier is fantastic, but I think that is 'in store' only?
You should be aware that Ender upgraded their CPU board a number of years w/some neat features along w/a safety concern (thermal shutdown enabled) that were addressed. So just be aware of possible old stock that didn't get sold. Haven't seen any in ages, just more of FYI to look out for on your end.
The Pursa gang can chime in w/respect to where to get that printer.
Edit: If you're completely new to 3D printing, take a look at this video. It's for the Ender, but pretty much other printers are similar: