I am constantly asked about which 3D printer is worth buying. In order not to answer everyone, I decided to make a mini guide in which I will describe my thoughts and arguments. So that it is clear how to choose the right model, what to look for and how not to spend a lot of money on a useless purchase.
So, you have decided to buy a 3D printer. First, you should decide on two important parameters. The first is the budget. How much money are you psychologically ready to spend. The 3D printer model will depend on this. And the second parameter is the tasks you want to solve. Because the printing technology you need will depend on this. But I will make a reservation right away, in this article I will talk about 3D printers that work using FDM technology (in simple terms, this is a printer that melts a plastic thread and squeezes out the molten plastic through a nozzle). There are also SLA technologies and similar ones, in this case, printing occurs by layer-by-layer exposure of photopolymer resin. From here we move on to answering one of the questio
What are we going to print?
If we want to print figures for coloring, souvenirs, keychains and other so-called “artistic” products, then we need an SLA printer. Printing with photopolymer resin. If you are new to 3D printing, then I strongly advise against taking SLA as your first 3D printer. SLA printing has many nuances, features and in general can push you away from 3D printing completely. In addition, for SLA, you need to buy very expensive resin to print technical parts. This should also be understood. In general, if you are new to 3D printing, then we look only at FDM printers. Yes, they are not as good in terms of detailing of finished models, but they have other advantages.
For those who disagree with my opinion, I would like to clarify that this advice is specifically for beginners. If you have experience in 3D printing and understand the difference between SLA and FDM, then that’s a different story. If you understand why you need SLA, then you can and even should buy it.
What budget is needed to buy a 3D printer?
This is the second question. How much money do we have in our wallets, and how much are we willing to spend? I’ll put it this way. The cost of a normal 3D printer now starts at about 30-35 thousand rubles. Anything cheaper is a set of compromises. For example, now I generally do not recommend buying dry-tables. These printers are inexpensive, but have design features that cannot be changed. And when you understand the topic, it turns out that you want to print a lot, with different materials, complex figures. Then the dry-table will show you its nature. And you will simply be forced to sell it. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. I’ve had more than a dozen printers through my hands, and I also communicate with many printers. Most people leave dry-tables when they run into its limitations. Therefore, it is better to immediately buy a normal 3D printer than to spend even more money later.
Well, what is a “drygostol” anyway? It is a 3D printer with kinematics that came from the very first commercial Prusa printers. Structurally, in such printers, the heated table moves forward/backward along shafts, and the print head moves left/right and up/down. The most popular example of a drygostol is the “people’s 3D printer Creality Ender 3. This model has won the people’s love due to its simple design, low cost, availability of various mods and modifications. But even the most sophisticated Ender always remains a drygostol.
So, if we choose a new printer for ourselves, we immediately take note: “Don’t take dry-tables!”
Well, now I will describe my personal opinion of what is currently on the market and what is worth buying. I built my experience on the basis of a sample collected in several communities, communication with dozens of people, as well as received from reviews and impressions.
So what to buy?
At the moment there are only 3 manufacturers on the market whose products I can recommend. These are FlashForge, Creality and of course BambuLab. And the choice is actually quite simple. If you have a lot, no, not even that. If you have a LOT of money, then buy a Bambulab X1 Carbon 3D printer with the AMS system.
This printer is great. This is the standard that most manufacturers are trying to achieve now. It is really an iPhone in the world of 3D printers. And the only downside of this model is the price tag. This model costs about 150 thousand rubles. But believe me, it is worth it. This model has a lot of cool technological solutions that make 3D printing very comfortable. And with the AMS system, you can do multi-color 3D printing.
If we have less money, but want to print, then we can look at the Bambulab P1S.
onclusion
And now, experienced printers will say ” but what about **** (insert your model)?! ” And I will answer. And other models of 3D printers on the market have a lot of sores. Really. All require revision, and some require very strong alterations. I am not saying that the above models are 100% ideal. No, but they are the best for beginners. Take FlyingBear as an example. They seem to be affordable, popular printers, but they are morally outdated. Slow, a lot of glitches. They can print, but without steady hands they will not do it very well. Two trees announced their SK1. I looked at the reviews, they have a weak frame, a not very productive hotend and in general the printer raises a lot of questions. If you look at the Kingroon KLP1, which was actively advertised, there are a lot of problems there. A very weak frame that bends even during transportation. Strange decisions in the print head. A lot of marriage with the switching board. In general, a bunch of real childhood illnesses.
Therefore, there is not much to choose from. Only the models that I named above. These are already proven printers, tested by hundreds of people. And I personally think that they are suitable for both beginners and experienced users. Only experienced users can choose based on experience. And beginners listen and watch different reviews, and then gnaw on a cactus.