My favorite part of FreeCAD is that it is scriptable. It's very satisfying to define shapes via some math (or I/O) in python, then turn them into a solid in FreeCAD, then export for 3D printing.
As an engineering tool, though, it still feels rudimentary (and sometimes buggy) compared to e.g. Solidworks. Keep going, guys!
I need a simple, low brain space but open source solution for 3D printing. Would you recommend FreeCAD?
I am a software dev for a living so what I mean by low brain space is I don't really want to be messing about with config files, setup and complicated UIs. I already have far too much brain space dedicated to Blender, but I just can't seem to get it to work well for precise measurements and CAD style work.
If you're a developer have a look at openscad: you can "program" your model. if you need fancy features like fillets however, that's rather difficult in openscad.
Fusion360 used to be free but that appears to be ending, also cloud-based lock-in(files are on server).
freecad used to be quite buggy, but latest versions are quite workable.
I mself started with one or 2 tutorials in fusion 360 (they appear to be more clear to me compared to the freecad tutorials, and concepts are the same). Then switched to freecad, and this seems to work fine.
The parametric sketching (although a simple concept) took for me the most time to really grasp and understand the significance.
I haven't used it but it's been popping up in other threads since the licensing changes for Fusion360.