Pffft, like I know anything.
All I know is every time I go out into the garage there's a new test doodad on the worktable.
I only know he started with a very cheap "kit" then once he knew what was what, he started buying separate parts that combined with printing some of the supporting parts, he built his own. I guess. That's what he says anyway. That's the way he is (takes apart a phone then remakes it, type) (the blue parts are what he printed)
The main limiter with most of these home 3d printers that I've seen (whether $300 or $3000) is build size, which seems to run between 5 inches and 8 inches (height, width). The hot end can only go so high up the rails with most of these designs. So no 5 foot tall Yoda.
Edit: the thing hubby struggles with the most is how smooth the print ends up - there's always this one line or two that looks funny. Calibration stuff. You could smooth it out after of course but he wants perfection I suppose.
Edit Edit: Hubby just woke up - he says the three main issues with build size are stability of the rails (taller they are), keeping the print platform hot the (bigger it is...) and weight bowing of the horizontal bar (longer it is). One company made a $500 one that's fairly large (not necessarily super-pro quality printing but if size matters...) and of course you can make your own. Which hubby says he's been thinking of doing. So one day I'm going to go into the garage and find a printer taking up half the room, right?
Tell your hubby this: slow printing will make for the greatest quality even if your layer height is not the best. If you're printing ABS you want to have a high buildplate temperature as well as a brim to keep the print from warping (low infill too). Aside form that sandpaper and grey primer and filler are your best friends when it comes to fixing prints. You might also try some epoxy putty or some other type to smooth the areas where the support touches the model.