<p>Questions like:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>x</em> 3d printer is good?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>or</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>if it is my first printer, which model would you recommend</p>
</blockquote>

<p>or</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>What printer model to buy?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>are on-topic?</p>

<p>I think if you ask</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>I can not do <em>x</em> with my 3d printer,  what printer to do <em>x</em>?</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Can be on-topic</p>

[{'answer_id': 86, 'author': 'Tom van der Zanden', 'author_id': 26, 'author_profile': 'https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com/users/26', 'pm_score': 0, 'selected': False, 'text': '<p>I don\'t think any of these types of questions should be on-topic. They\'re all heavily opinion-based. I think even the last one ("What 3D printer can do X?") isn\'t a good question, because possibly very many printers might be able to do it, and then the answers quickly devolve into subjective recommendations.</p>\n\n<p>It would be better to ask something among the lines of "I want to do X with printer Y, is it possible?" - but even that might turn into a subjective discussion quickly.</p>\n'}, {'answer_id': 90, 'author': 'kenorb', 'author_id': 20, 'author_profile': 'https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com/users/20', 'pm_score': 0, 'selected': False, 'text': '<p>In general product recommendation on SE sites is off-topic since they\'re opinion based and can easily end up with a long discussion.</p>\n\n<p>However there is special site dedicated for that: <a href="https://hardwarerecs.stackexchange.com/">Hardware Recommendations SE</a> (tag: <a href="https://hardwarerecs.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/3d-printer">3d-printer</a>), so it\'s actually on-topic there. And similar for software, check for <a href="https://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/">Software Recommendations</a>.</p>\n\n<p>To read more about product recommendations on SE sites, please check:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>FAQ: <a href="https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/162123/191655">How do I ask a question that may require recommending a product?</a></li>\n<li><a href="https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/259189/191655">Is answering with a product recommendation considered spam, or something to flag?</a></li>\n<li><a href="https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/158809/191655">Why are “shopping list” questions bad?</a></li>\n<li><a href="https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/108745/191655">Is “useful” Spam allowed?</a></li>\n</ul>\n'}, {'answer_id': 109, 'author': 'Mark Booth', 'author_id': 63, 'author_profile': 'https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com/users/63', 'pm_score': 1, 'selected': False, 'text': '<p>These are shopping questions, plain and simple. They are such obvious <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory" rel="nofollow noreferrer">broken windows</a> that it is important that they are closed as quickly as possible.</p>\n\n<p>On <em>Robotics</em> I have the following <a href="https://robotics.meta.stackexchange.com/a/177/37">canned response</a> for shopping questions, and I would highly recommend adapting it for 3dprinting:</p>\n\n<p><code>Welcome to *robotics* XXX, but I\'m afraid that *[shopping questions](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/11/qa-is-hard-lets-go-shopping/)* really aren\'t a good fit for a stack exchange site. We prefer *[practical, answerable questions based on actual problems that you face](https://robotics.stackexchange.com/help/dont-ask)*. Take a look at [ask] and [about] for more information on how stack exchange works, and the [*Robotics* question checklist](https://robotics.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1302/37) for details of how to write a good question.</code></p>\n\n<p>This renders as:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n  <p>Welcome to <em>robotics</em> XXX, but I\'m afraid that <em><a href="http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/11/qa-is-hard-lets-go-shopping/">shopping questions</a></em> really aren\'t a good fit for a stack exchange site. We prefer <em><a href="https://robotics.stackexchange.com/help/dont-ask">practical, answerable questions based on actual problems that you face</a></em>. Take a look at <a href="https://robotics.stackexchange.com/questions/how-to-ask">How to Ask</a>, <a href="https://robotics.stackexchange.com/about">tour</a> and the <a href="https://robotics.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1302/37"><em>Robotics</em> question checklist</a> for more information on how stack exchange works.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I then close the question as "Primarily Opinion Based". These questions are almost never edited to adhere to community guidelines, but at least I have done my best to welcome people to the community and minimise the risk that they will leave and never come back.</p>\n'}]
['https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/77', 'https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com', 'https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com/users/126/']