[DrTiTus]

I have the UP Mini v1. The build volume is the same as the 2 (120 x 120 x 120), and this can be a bit limiting sometimes, although I managed to print most of an Inmoov on one (the legs need a bigger bed). It is ready to print out of the box though, and the software automatically adds supports (plastic underneath elevated parts of the model so the nozzle doesn't print into thin air) and a base layer (raft) to the print model which were touted as features. I'm not 100% sure if other software does this - I've seen some STL models online that say "comes with supports" as though that's a thing some printers need, but I imagine other software would/could do it these days. I've just not had another printer to compare with. After sales support from 3dprintingsystems.com is great too. They sent a free replacement board for something in the top that failed (I forget what exactly, it was a couple of years ago). It prints on perfboard, while I've seen others print directly onto a glass plate with masking tape or something? Glass might give a nicer smooth finish to the bottom of the model but can be harder to stick to [apparently] - sometimes with the perfboard its hard separating the base from the model (if it's a big flat part), and you pull off a layer or carve into the plastic.

I do like having multiple perfboards so you can quickly whip one out and put another one in for the next print while you deal with the previous one.

The tools I mainly use are a glove on my left hand and the putty knife thing that comes with it to remove it from the board and separate from the raft. I've stabbed myself with the corner of it several times, which is where the glove comes in handy! You'll need plenty of acetone too (Bunnings) to melt the excess filament/buggered prints into "poo glue" (I dunno what the real name is) that you can use to fix things up and stick things together. I make it in little glass jars from Briscoes with rubber seals (preserve jars?) so it doesn't dry out.

Nozzle cleaning filament is useful when going from one spool to another (say changing colour or types) - I found the nozzle was most likely to block when switching filaments. You can get very fine drill bits (0.4mm) to unblock it, but I found removing the nozzle and holding it in the flame of a cigarette lighter (outside or near a window) would eventually burn everything out well enough to run a wire from a twist tie and then run a cleaning filament through. The drill bits snap very easily, and it's hard to drill out solid plastic by twisting this fine little bit with your fingers.

I bought a bulk lot of half used filament spools from Trade Me which came with a whole lot of colours and a mix of PLA and ABS, but I am not a fan of the PLA, I just got used to the properties (and smell) of ABS and it felt to me a little more consistent/reliable. YMMV. I stuck with ABS after that, and found a supplier in Auckland with filament that worked for me, so I stuck with them.

I found everything worked better once it was "warmed up", so for the first print of the day I'd just do something small, and make sure everything was calibrated and running right before leaving it overnight to do something large. Otherwise you come back to a birds nest of filament. I might just be impatient and should be leaving it longer before running it, but it just became a ritual.

For making my own (geometric) models, I use OpenSCAD, because I'm a developer not an artist, so I prefer describing things with text and parameters and shapes rather than drawing them with a proper CAD tool (too lazy to learn and too budget to buy CAD software). Tolerances are a thing, so if you want say a 10mm shaft to fit through/into a hole, you need to make it slightly larger - I'd usually add another 0.4-1mm depending on the desired fit and whether the other part is also printed or some other material like a metal rod that actually is 10mm than 10.something.

I tried getting a DIY bigger bed printer (i3 Prusa or something from memory) in the last Black Friday specials, but it was such a good price that they said there was like a 3 month backlog (felt scammy), and I just got a refund instead. If you do get a DIY style printer, I'd be interested to hear how it goes! I got the UP initially because a friend had borrowed one so I was already familiar with using hers, and wasn't at the point where I felt comfortable putting my own one together from bits (calibration etc). At the time the prices hadn't come down as much as they have now, so there wasn't as much incentive. I'd be happy building one now since I have more experience with how things are supposed to work, but it hasn't been a priority - I haven't printed much in a while.