Background: I just got my first printer (Bambu Lab A1 mini) last year. I am also not an engineer and, like you, don’t want the printer itself to be the hobby.

Based on my experience, and what I’ve seen others say online, Bambu Lab is still the king of “it just works”. If you’re not as ideologically motivated by right to own as I am, I’d say go with Bambu.

While I have zero experience with the company, Prusa seems to be the most consumer friendly, though they have their own issues. If I buy a second printer, it’s likely going to be the Prusa Core One.

I bought a KX3 as a reward for completing a very difficult certification. I earned that $2500 radio, but dang if I’m not scared to actually take it anywhere because it feels so fragile for how expensive it is. I included the battery compartment when kitting it out, but ended up removing the batteries and relying on an external LiFPO battery because I didn’t like cracking the radio open like a clam every time I needed to change them.

Something like this would make a whole lot more sense for my QRP needs. It’s far, far cheaper and looks a bit more sturdy.