What's the most key point when you decide to get a 3d printer

General
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As the title said, what's the key point when you want to get your first 3d printer? Speed or others?

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If you ask me it should be easy to assemble, should use off the shelve parts so you can repair everything, use an open source firmware and should be affordable.

I wouldn't go all in on my first printer. Speed is nice, but not everything.

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Thank you, but I think assemble for me is difficult. I want one which no need to assemble. And the speed should be fast, but why speed is not everything? I would like to learn more.

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Speed in 3D printers is much like speed in automobiles. How fast do you want to go? How much are you willing to spend?

My top criteria would be popularity / reputation. I'd want to own a printer that has a good reputation and has a large population of users. There's a good chance you will have questions and being able to get answers will make the experience that much better.

Some assembly required should not be a deterrent. When completely assembled, most 3D printers have a huge volume of empty space in the middle (where your 3D prints will be generated). That space can often be compressed significantly by requiring some assembly (i.e. 30 minutes worth). Some printers are advertised as "kits" requiring multiple hours to assemble and you probably want to pass on those if you are adverse to assembly.

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I've been through a lot of bumps in the printing road as a newbie, blindly buying cheap "professional" printers that claim to be beginner friendly based on advertising and herd effect, poor manual leveling has caused me a lot of pain, along with constant mistakes, burnt material, machine failure, hell knows what I've been through?
I don't want to be using bad stuff forever, even at a speed I can't imagine taking a day or even a few days to finish each print, which would cause me to realize after the final dye drawing that I've already spent a lot of time, and those brands that claim to be able to reach 150mm/s are lying to me! It simply can't be done!!! no....

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I see many machines go with 150mm/s, but some users say that actually they only go with 80-100mm/s. How to choose?

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Thanks, I also saw many poor manual leveling machines. Any machines no need to do manual leveling?

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I would suggest that you google "buying your first 3d printer". You will find reviews, videos, etc.

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For me the key issue is size. "Size matters, don't let anyone tell you otherwise." (Quote from Iron Man).
I needed it to print something almost 300mm so the Ender 3 Max is what I got.

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Yes, stability and speed these are the most essential things of the machine.

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  1. You need to know what kind of material you want to print out.
  2. You need to have a good idea about how you want to use it.
  3. You need to make sure that you have enough space to store it.
  4. You need to find a reliable supplier.
  5. You need to make a budget plan.
  6. You need to have patience.
  7. You need to learn how to use it.
  8. You need to know where to buy it.
  9. You need to know how to maintain it.
  10. You need to know if it is worth buying.
  11. You need to know whether you should buy a new one or not.
  12. You need to know the pros and cons of each type of printer.
  13. You need to know which one suits your needs best.
  14. You need to know its price range.