3DPrinting

Honestly I don't really know, and don't really care. I enjoy sporadically using it, and I've enjoyed making both useful, and some useless things.

Trust me, I've spent far more on dumber shit that I use half as often.

It would be worth it if I had an actual decent printer. As it stands now, I feel like I just wasted money because all I can print small, pla objects, after days of trial and error and adjusting settings. Saving up for a prusa, hopefully will make it worth it.

I find mine worth it. So many things I've had to replace entirely just because some random plastic part would break, but I can just replace the broken plastic part now. Custom light switch and electrical outlet covers, custom keyboard key caps, case shells for various things (like phones and controllers), not to mention all the unique things others have engineered specifically for 3D printing like the Lego-like organizing containers that are infinitely scalable.

I love it.

I'd say definitely. The first useful thing I printed was during the pandemic where all the paper towels you could get were those z fold ones you see in office building bathrooms. Suffice to say, most people don't have a container at home for those types of paper towels, so I mocked one up that was like a home tissue box and printed it out. Saved myself 80+$ on making one instead of buying one on Amazon (also they're all wall mounted and I didn't want to do that)

Since then I've printed toilet paper roll holders, plant pots, catch all bowls, insulated drink holders, tie racks, jewelry racks and boxes, all manner of things I use almost every day, and I've learned about 3d modeling as a result (not really good yet but still) so win win.

Edit: I'd say at this point I've definitely printed more than how much the printer costed in terms of things I use. Printing mini figures and scenery for tabletop games alone has exceeded the cost it would have been to buy that stuff.

Yes I have an fdm and a resin printer, but they've both got a lot of good use and yes absolutely worth it.

We made quite a few plant pots and other stuff. It's paid for itself.

Yes. I've spent far more money than I will ever save but I've had a lot of fun with it.

Also I printed a nerf blaster. Enough said.

Definitely worth it. Sometimes I make little things, like I got a new tool that has a difficult adjustment, but printing a knob made it comfortable to use. I got a new phone last week and couldn't find a rubberized case I liked, so I designed and printed one this weekend which fits snugly and provides a much better grip. I've made cases for other projects, even built a weather station. The biggest project I've done is a star tracker (OpenAstroTech) which holds my camera, most recently used during the eclipse in April. Sometimes my printer may sit idle for almost a year, sometimes it prints constantly for several weeks, but it is a very useful tool worthy of a permanent location on my workbench.

Depends on how you define "worth it." Have I spent less money on the printer than I would have buying things I printed? Probably not. However, it has been a blast and great learning experience. Most recently printed landing skids and a camera shroud for a friend's dji drone which is pretty cool.

I say to people : if you're interested in 3D printing, you need two hobbies. 3D printing and anything else. The second hobby can be repairing things, a sport (spearfishing for me), board games, electronics, etc.

I started with a 100€ very small 3D printer for years (Tina2) and that was so worth it. Now I have a Bambulab with AMS and it's night and day.

For the first 3 years I had fun designing things in CAD. I fixed up or enhanced loads of the things around the house, designed some doodads and widgets, and published the ones that I though other people might have use for. And I had fun earning Prusa meters, participating in forums, and all that kind of stuff.

Then one day, I just ran out of things to fix and inspiration for new doohickeys. That was about a year ago. I tried to print a replacement keyboard foot a week ago and found my printers not working anymore. I haven't found the motivation to do anything about it yet.

When you say you printed IEMs and ear protection, are you able to elaborate?

In my case I've only just gotten into FDM, and I'm having a lot more fun with it than my resin printer, but I might have made enough things for the resin printer that might make that a lot less of a chore.

So far, the FDM has been handy with quite a few functional prints around the house (certainly not yet enough that I can say it's cheaper than just buying the items outright, but we're getting close!), and that's been an enjoyable process.

I print figurines, busts, and diorama scenery for my son and I to paint. Sure I've got my share of functional prints but most my print time is spent so I can spend creative time with my son. So very much worth it for me.

Yes absolutely. I'm sure the hobby hasn't paid for itself, but I never expected it to. It has been worth it because of the amount of happiness I have spread with personalized gifts and a feeling of satisfaction when I make a print to fix something around the house or make life a little easier or more convenient. The little toys and doo-dads are great and the kids love them too.

It's not like I make or save a lot of money from it, but as a hobby it's been amazingly fun. Getting into basic 3D modeling has been really cool too, nothing quite hits like making something entirely unique and designed for a specific purpose, then watching your printer just crank it out in a day or two and your imagined thing is all the sudden real.

I'm sure other hobbies can do that too, but for me it was a really awesome feeling :)

Yes, being able to design something and have it in my hands it a few hours definitely makes it worth it. With 3D printing services it takes days or weeks and they get expensive fast.

I got an Ender 3v2 and for two years was trying to just get it to work properly, repairing it, and learning about printing. After all of that I've enjoyed having an okay printer, but I'm a bit jealous of everyone starting out now that won't have to deal with all of the garbage I did. And I'm sure people who started years before me felt the same when the Enders came out. If not for those annoyances, yes it's been worth it.

I didn't ultimately get around to completing the two projects that I initially had in mind, and the amount of tweaking and troubleshooting required for basic functionality was pretty substantial.

On the other hand, I did enjoy learning about the state of the technology, even if it wasn't very productive.

So, as a tool, no. It wasn't worth it.

As a hobby? Eh, it was okay.

Define "worth it"??

For many, it's a hobby. For many more, it's an adjunct to whatever hobby they do have. Hobby's don't have to save you money; and I'm militantly opposed to monetizing hobbies as a way to "justify" them.

Personally, I'm mostly 3d printing custom components (that I've designed), for R/C aircraft of various sorts. (Like, my cyclogyros, or the flying saucer powered by a 3d printed ducted fan; which is, more or less, a scaled model of the saucer from the OG Day The Earth Stood Still. or the thermal airship using toaster wire that has taken on a lot of different forms, ranging from 20' star destroyers to whale sharks to a robot named Buoyant Bob that hands out candy on Halloween.)

I also enjoy 3d printing as a hobby, in of itself, too. (and spend waaayyyyy too much tinkering on the printer. its fun.) But it doesn't have to save me money, and I feel no need to compare it to other forms of hobbies. It's what I enjoy.

edit: lets put this in perspective. This would be like asking a golfer if they found golf worth it. the only real questions are "Do I enjoy it" and "can I afford it". not "can it save me a buck".

Hell yes! I make a lot of things and having this ability really expanded on that.

I should point out that anyone interested in anything more than printing trinkets found on the Internet will also have to learn 3d drafting, at least to some extent. Bear that in mind.

I’m on my third upgrade machine after getting my first printer years ago. Very rewarding hobby, much recommend.