I am looking to buy an affordable 3D printer. The printer will primarily be used to print clamps and hold downs to be used on a Shapeoko 5 Pro. I am not trying to print fancy objects. I want to print things that will be helpful around the shop. I have looked at the FlashForge and it looks like a good starting point. But I know nothing about 3D printers so any and all help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Keith
In my experience the bambulabs printers have been the most plug and play I’ve used.
For small shop things you might consider the A-1 or some other small form factor machine.
The other brand to check out would be prusa. They’ve got a more open approach and more community engagement.
And there are lots of other potential value propositions on the market but it doesn’t sound like you want to dive into 3d printing head first so I’d recommend sticking to the known vendors with consistent quality.
I have a few 3D printers, and if you are looking for an excuse to get one, clamps and hold downs is not the best place to start. I have printed clamps and hold downs for my SO3 XXL and while they work in a pinch - unless you are working with wood or printing with more esoteric filament like PA12-CF (Nylon filament with carbon fibers) the 3D printer work holding is barely adequate. The glass filled nylon ones Carbide sells are going to do you better in the long run.
Please do not misunderstand me dissuading you from printing them - I use my 3D printers almost daily, and they are definitely a great thing to have if you want a custom [whatever] to hold your [doohickey] exactly how you want it.
The most common filament is PLA, which is kind of rigid (compared to other easy to print filaments buy can snap when loaded) is the easiest to print with.
PETG - next up in ease of printing is more flexible and forgiving under load, but is - as previously mentioned - more flexible. Not something you want in a clamp.
There is now a company that makes PLA-CF that is more rigid, but I have never used it.
Basically - Get a 3D printer if you want one! But buy the clamps. They will be better until you figure out if 3D printing is for you and you can print them in a better filament than PLA and PETG.
I am pretty biased towards Prusa, because I have owned 7 or 8 over the last 10 years, and keep upgrading to new ones as they come out with newer models with more features. But they are not for everyone. They are on the more spendy side compared to the features you get, but for me, what I get is “Hit print and walk away” reliability without any tinkering, upgrading or tweaking. I like designing. That is where I want to spend my time. I don’t mind spending the money to - as Ron Popeil said - “Set it and forget it!”.
Some people like tinkering, with their printer - and that is also perfectly valid. They will buy an inexpensive Ender 3 and then do this little upgrade and tweak the printer settings, and then upgrade that and do something else and spend time dialing in the exact whatever to get the finish on their print they are looking for. And that makes them happy.
So there are so many 3D printer options, and you will have to figure out where you fall in the “Set It and Forget It” to “I can just tweak this one thing and get a better print.” scale.
Thank you for the information.
MadHatter Thank you for the information.
Did I miss a Ronco 3D printer?
Someone with better skills please mock up an ad for the Ronco 3D printer 
Before you buy one, check with your local library or university.
There are often free or very inexpensive options for running a 3D print job.
You can also check on Etsy. They have a wide selection of inexpensive clamps.
I think it’s pretty hard to justify a $ 300+ machine if all you plan to do is print 0.10 parts.
You can also make them on your machine.