<p>Stack exchange isn't a good platform for product recommendations in general, but a few sites allow it with a tight focus and control.  Some that have allowed it in the past have decided to discontinue it for a variety of reasons.</p>

<p>I expect at the start we are going to get a lot of "What specific machine should I use" or "is there a 3D model of item X I can print".</p>

<ol>
<li>Should we allow product or part recommendations?</li>
<li>If we do, what can we do to make sure they are limited, rather than open ended questions where dozens or hundreds of answers would be different but correct?</li>
</ol>

[{'answer_id': 16, 'author': 'the third dimension', 'author_id': 10, 'author_profile': 'https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com/users/10', 'pm_score': 3, 'selected': False, 'text': '<p>I agree with Jeff\'s blog post: <a href="https://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/11/qa-is-hard-lets-go-shopping/">https://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/11/qa-is-hard-lets-go-shopping/</a></p>\n\n<blockquote>\n  <p>don\'t ask us what you should buy -- ask us <em>what you need to learn</em> to tell what you should buy.</p>\n</blockquote>\n'}, {'answer_id': 25, 'author': 'ArtOfCode', 'author_id': 127, 'author_profile': 'https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com/users/127', 'pm_score': 2, 'selected': False, 'text': '<p>3D printers are, I do believe, on-topic for <a href="http://hardwarerecs.stackexchange.com">Hardware Recommendations</a> (I moderate that site, so one might hope I\'d know that).</p>\n\n<p>In terms of recommendations in general, I recommend not even trying to get them into your scope yet. As a site that\'s just been set up, and was not set up specifically for recommendation questions, getting the balance of them right without 100% focus on the subject is difficult.</p>\n\n<p>Get a good, balanced, secure scope in place <em>first</em>, then try to include recommendation questions if you still want them.</p>\n'}, {'answer_id': 46, 'author': 'Daniel M.', 'author_id': 156, 'author_profile': 'https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com/users/156', 'pm_score': 1, 'selected': False, 'text': "<p>I think that hardware recommendations are ok, but in a <strong>limited</strong> and <strong>specific</strong> scope:</p>\n<p>Bad:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Can you recommend a cheap printer with a heated bed that's at least 8&quot;*8&quot;*8&quot;.</p>\n<p>Which is better? Printer X or printer Y?</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>Good:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>What hotend can I use to print at 300+C?</p>\n<p>What are the advantages of borosilicate glass over picture frame glass?</p>\n</blockquote>\n"}]
['https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/5', 'https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com', 'https://3dprinting.meta.stackexchange.com/users/16/']