Sean,
You’ll get opinions from fans of all makes, but the Ender 3, in any version, is about the most common and customizable. If you’re really nervous about getting started, the Qidi Xmaker Tom got me for my birthday last year is simpler to use and comes with a customized version of the open source Cura software. They have both been reliable and give us decent results. (Occasional spaghetti piles are to be expected and don’t always mean you did anything wrong.)
If you need a very small, very quiet machine, a Monoprice might do the trick despite its small flaws. It’s supposed to have Bluetooth but doesn’t, USB connections don’t work, you need to download projects to an SD card and move files manually. Ours sits here in the bedroom and doesn’t wake us up while it runs. We use only PLA in it, so there are no stinky or dangerous fumes. DaVinci is still producing its printers in many sizes from “you need help to lift this” to little desktop cubes suitable for classroom use. The Ender can be modified to laser engrave, among other possibilities.
There are a lot of sales going on right now. A basic Ender 3 from the company or a reliable reseller will cost you less than $200. No matter which you choose, think about what material you want to use and how much space you have. Ventilation is key if you’re going to print in ABS; besides being smelly, the fumes can have health hazards. Go over to All3dp, read, watch and decide, but don’t be afraid to try it. We surprise ourselves with how often we use ours. Last week I needed a couple of buttons and was grumpily considering how I was going to get them with everything locked down, then looked up at the Monoprice and said “Oh...yeah.” Twenty minutes later, the buttons were printed and installed. The endless possibilities for train parts are great, but having one of these around can make the rest of life easier, too.
