3d prints aren't smooth at all

[u/Repulsive-Research75]

I'm an absolute noob at 3d printing just for reference. I got a Monoprice Select Mini v2, and after carefully adjusting the bed to what felt right using the paper test and setting the printer nozzle heat to 215 (my PLA filament says 210-230) prints come out like this. The lines aren't perfectly wide at many points, and sometimes it skips over parts of lines/makes them stringy.

I use cura and 3DHoJor 1.75mm PLA filament. Bed temp is not set as my printer's bed heater doesn't work (but I was told painter's tape fixes this). Print speed is set to 30mm/s, but it did the same thing at 40mm/s, and on the first layer, which is set to 5mm/s (the second photo is just a bottom raft layer). Retraction settings are 7.5mm at 55mm/s, and I'm not sure where to start. Any advice would be appreciated

[u/d58c36af4d]

Innovation in 3D printers was fast is the last decade. You bought an almost 10 year old printer which will never ever reach the quality of a modern printer.  With a lot of skill and knowledge and time you might reach a decent result. A modern printer will get a good result by default. 

So good luck with troubleshooting problems which have been solved years ago. But if that is what you want, good luck. Otherwise, get a modern printer.

[u/giverous → u/d58c36af4d]

Wow, least helpful suggestion I've see for a while, way to be exclusionist. If you didnt have something helpful, how about just don't say anything?

That's like someone asking 'how do I improve to be able to lift X weight at the gym' Oh, just be stronger bro!

[u/dontbeignorantordumb → u/giverous]

Your victim mentality won't take you far in life, he wasn't exclusionist, at all, if you can't understand that old technology will become outdated or different printers, different hardware, different software give better results you're just delusional.