Noob, straight to PETG
I'm currently trying to decide between Mk3s and Mini.
As a compete 3D printing noob, is it stupid of me to go straight for PETG without cutting my teeth on PLA.
My reason is that I wish to print durable mechanically strong parts, PLA is not much use and about the same price. Seems pointless to waste money on even 1 reel of PLA that I'll never use.
RE: Noob, straight to PETG
You get a free reel of PLA with your new Prusa. Use it.
RE: Noob, straight to PETG
There's nothing wrong with moving quickly to PETG, but I would recommend doing some initial testing and familiarity with PLA simply because it gives you a baseline to shoot for with your PETG prints. When you're figuring things out, it's helpful to use common settings and materials to compare to other results.
Other than that familiarization process, there's no reason to deal with materials that aren't of interest. Just be sure to note that you are using PETG if you have any support requests. PETG printing is a bit different, mostly in terms of stringing and bridging. Finish will be different. For bigger functional pieces, this is probably not much of an issue.
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He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
RE: Noob, straight to PETG
I did this. I didn't (and to some degree still don't) see the point in PLA as it can deform in hot sun. I started off using PETG and do not regret it, and it is still my go to material for anything other than indoor display prints.
PETG is slightly more difficult to print than PLA. It is stringier and needs something as a release agent to stop it sticking to your PEI sheet. I use Windex and have never had a problem. But PLA is prettier and easier to use. It's a case of choosing the best material for each print really.