[hrktb]

Lego bricks are fine, but you’ll still need to make custom parts to build anything mildly complex. In particular to make your motorization system hook to them (the native Lego system is pretty limited)

It depends on where you live, but the main cost of a 3D printer for me would be less the machine itself than the space and ventilation needed.

Friends who made the jump basically dedicated a room to making stuff so they can run prints overnight while ventilating (setting up a fume extractor is another option, it’s just a bit more investment in the “hobby”)

I see all of it as totally doable, but needs a serious level of dedication, time, space and money.

[sothby]

Some prefabricated unofficial Lego metal parts are listed on ebay. In the Drone space, lots of cheap diy options.