Edit: over a month in, and everything went to pieces. My success rate dropped from a wonderful 99% to 10%. The first issue came when prints would have a random or specific layer just get completely messed up, no bonding, and the rest of the print infill would be messed up entirely. Using different filaments, different Gcode files, different .stl files, the problem is really bad. So I updated my program and firmware, had an immediate jam with FlashForge red filament. Had to disassemble the entire print head to extract the piece. The same day had another jam with Hatchbox filament. Then I couldn't manage to get the build plate level or the extruder in the same place reliably, it would make an unholy grinding sound and sometimes, randomly, the build plate would be entire inches away from the head when it starts extruding.I got in touch with FlashForge support, who were mildly helpful but never got any of the severe issues resolved. Every time I tried one of their fixes, it either didn't help or got worse. It drives me mad because it WAS working amazingly well, and now is almost unusable. Entirely disappointing, I'll be returning this shortly.Notes: I have gotten successful prints, I do know how to level the print bed, I'm good with troubleshooting devices. It's my job to fix smartphones. The photos include all my recent failures, and this doesn't include the innumerable times the print just extruded into thin air, didn't stick to the plate, or was jammed so hard into the plate that it didn't print 3 layers.-end edit-2 weeks in, so far, so good. Been really enjoying using it so far, I've been printing near nonstop with it. I'd say without a shadow of doubt that this is the most newbie-friendly printer on the market. I did a huge amount of research on which printer to get, since this is my first endeavor into 3D printing, and this seemed like the best blend of simplicity and affordability. There are cheaper printers, yes, but they're usually DIY which seem very finicky and time consuming. This printer is very simple to set up, I had my first print completely done in under 45 minutes from receiving the UPS box.•SetupWhen I received the printer, it came well packaged with a lot of styrofoam and clips. Be sure to get all the packaging off. After plugging it in and setting up the packaged spool of filament (mine was red), I leveled the build plate (which in itself is a easy and guided process) and printed the included 20mm cube. It printed the cube in 11 minutes, and it was extraordinarily difficult to get off the build plate. I had to mangle the poor cube to get it off the plate. Maybe I goofed up or something, but since then I've been using 3M blue printers tape. I use a pocket knife to pry prints off the build, which works well. Side note, turning down the temperature to 210c (from my experience) helps keep the prints from fusing to the plastic.•FilamentsI tried to get a pretty wide range of colors when I initially bought the printer. I was guessing that I'd get red with the printer, as other people have, so I ordered: (not sponsored just recommendations)-FlashForge Green, 0.67kg-HatchBox Yellow, 1kg-HatchBox Blue, 1kg-ProMolt Professional Black, 1kg-Solutech Real Wite, 1kgI've had great success with all of those filaments. You can use the 3rd party spools no problems, but I'd recommend a spool holder. I got a cheap one from Hatchbox, has worked great for everything I'd needed. The only filaments I've had any issues with (and they're minor) have been the FlashForge filaments, they work good on a technical level but they're fairly transparent. If that's what you want, great, but just be aware that it doesn't look as nice for figures or statues (in my opinion).Loading and unloading filaments has been a bit unusual, I haven't figured out how to pull the filament out of the extruder head so I just cut the filament off right at the input, then select Settings > Filament > Load, wait for it to heat up, then extrude that inch or two of plastic out. It works pretty well and takes under a minute, you just feed the new filament in behind it. Haven't had any issues with the filament clogging or anything, though at high temps like 220c (where it preheats to by default) it does slowly drip out in little strings. Be sure to clear those before you print.•Print BedPrint bed seems a bit small in terms of other 3D printers, but I've made due. Usually you can scale down or slice models to fit on the bed. Be aware that 5.5" cubed isn't massive, but can get the job done for most things. I haven't tried printing directly onto the print bed since my very first 20mm cube, and I had a heck of a time getting that cube off. I've been using 3M blue painters tape since then, and have had a lot more success with it. Be sure to turn the temperature down, 220c is a bit too hot and will want to fuse with the painters tape. If I get lucky I can pop the print off the tape and reuse the tape, though usually I replace the tape every print or two.•SoftwareThe bundled software is great. It's not a 3D modeling program, but it's great to taking models and quickly converting them into printable models. It's a requirement, as far as I know, before you can print something. I use a MacBook Pro, and the software works pretty great. I'd recommend changing some of the default print settings, like turning infill down to 10% or 5%, and turning the temperature down. I'm running at 210c, though I want to experiment with 200c. The tree-like auto supports are great, they're usually pretty easy to remove and help keep complex builds nice and secure. However, I really don't like rafts. They rarely come off in one piece and are frustratingly strong to remove. Especially on models that have a solid bottom, it just fuses with the bottom. I've had no issues printing the supports directly onto the print bed, so that's what I'd recommend.The on-printer software, accessed via touchscreen, is great too. Very user friendly and easy to operate, it's nice to be able to access a bunch of settings right on the printer. Plus preheating and selecting a print is easy too. It copies the print to the printer's internal hard drive, so once the print starts you can unplug your computer or unplug the flash drive with no problem.•PLA PlasticThis printer only prints in PLA. Some would consider this a negative, I don't have a problem with it though. Personally speaking, as a newbie to printing, PLA is the only plastic I'm interested in. It's very easy to work with, you don't have to deal with a heated print bed or finicky fan speeds or anything like that. PLA prints don't tend to warp if the temperature isn't perfect. Not to mention that PLA is cornstarch based, so it is eco friendly and smells nice while printing. The smell is very subtle, though I keep my room well ventilated. PLA isn't as tough as ABS, and may not perform as well in high-stress or high-heat environments, but I haven't found anything to print that needs to be stress-tested. I printed a very thin support for an herbs plant, and the supports were amazingly flexible. For beginners, I'd highly recommend PLA over ABS.•PrintsSince this is a PLA printer, it can print at 4 resolutions: low (draft, 0.3mm), standard (0.18mm), high (0.14mm), and hyper (0.08mm). I do the vast majority of my prints in standard, and they come out looking very nice. You can clearly see the print layer, but they're subtle and very uniform. I've also printed at high definition, and at that point the layer lines start to fade. I haven't yet printed in hyper, but the time it takes to print in hyper is unreal, so only save that for when you absolutely need to.The prints usually come out very nice and clean. Sometimes there will be little strings or webs between pieces, but they can quickly be cleaned up with a knife or just your hands. Usually print problems are things I could have fixed, like an overhang that should have had a support but I forgot to add it. The printer has not EVER completely failed a print on it's own. All of the failed prints were either because 1) I forgot to add supports for an overhang greater than 45º, 2) there was a raft that fused moving pieces together, or 3) the power went out and canceled the print (consider a UPS battery backup maybe). I haven't had the printer go haywire and screw up a print on it's own yet. It helps that the software it uses is pretty solid and good at detecting problems.•IssuesThe issues for this have been minor. Once I added the blue painters tape to the print bed, no amount of releveling would get the print head to get the right height. It would drag the print head through the tape, and wouldn't print the first layer of plastic at all. To get it working better, I releveled the bed with an additional piece of paper or two, to get the extra height I need. I've contacted FlashForge about this issue, and I haven't heard back yet.Besides that, the only other issue is the on-printer screen is sometimes a bit janky. While scrolling through my flash drive full of files, it might act like I tapped twice and select something two folders deep. Some people might consider the PLA only or the print bed size problems, but I've managed no problem.In conclusion, the FlashForge Finder is just about the best printer I could recommend for a beginner or someone looking to get into 3D printing for the best time. It's no the most flexible, it's not very upgradable like a DIY printer, but it's also very stable and very easy to use. PLA plastic is beginner friendly, and I've had wonderful success with it.PROS:•Very affordable•Simple to setup and use•Minimal tinkering required•Accepts 3rd party filaments•Removable build plate (easy to put tape down on it)•No print failures due to the printer itself so far•Nice bundled software•On-board 4gb hard drive, to prevent interruption•Quite and low-smellNEUTRALS:•PLA only, depends on your goals•Build plate size, once again depends on your goals•No major upgrades or tinkering potentialCONS:•Build plate size can be a bit restricting, depending on your goals•On-board slot for PLA spool is proprietary only and only 0.67kg(side note about photos: I have printed more than just Pokemon, it's just what I had on hand)