I fell in love with 3D printing during my residency at TXRX Labs, so of course I had to get a 3D printer for my office! I chose the same model used at TXRX for years - the Prusa i3 mk2s. This printer is developed in Germany, it's open source and upgradeable with multi-material heads. Many of the printer parts are actually 3D printed pieces as well. I assembled the printer from a kit a parts (which took about 5 hours!) and the kind folks at Prusa were thoughtful enough to include a pack of gummy bears with the installation kit!
I'm excited about printing custom components for projects - custom cases for electronics and sensors, custom angle joints for the PVC frames in the Smart Garden, replacement parts for tools - the options are truly endless. Let me know if you would like to collaborate on any 3D printed projects!