Creality K2, PLA Outdoors?, Tool or Tinker? and MORE!!!

This Episodes Questions:

Last Spring I printed a simple 100mm cube with a centered 25mm circular hole out of black PLA using standard slicer settings (2 walls, 15% grid infill).  I intentionally left it outside on a black metal surface all summer, where it was exposed to plenty of heat (over 100 degrees some days), rain, hail, etc.  Today the part seems to be in essentially the same good condition as it was the day I printed it.  Yet I seem to hear that a lot PLA is not suitable for outdoor use, that other materials such as PETG and various others should be used for anything other than indoor decorations. 
What are your thoughts on the durability factors of common filaments, and is PLA getting a bad rap?Thank you!
Justin

Hey all. I've just gotten into 3d printing. I have the a1 mini and have been thoroughly enjoying it. I'm not really into exploring the tinkering aspect of 3d printing, but I'm curious: Just in terms of dollar cost, are there savings starting with a cheap tinkerers printer and then trying to upgrade to something like bambu level reliability? Loren

What is a common “mistake” you see in personally designed 3d models which make the prints less likely to succeed with good quality? How can a model be uniquely designed for 3d printing rather than traditional manufacturing methods?
Ben