3D Printers - Recommendations

[ducatiman]

I am seriously looking at the purchase of a 3D printer...................who has got one and any recommendations including anybody thinking of upgrading.............

[ProtoTipo]

I am seriously looking at the purchase of a 3D printer...................who has got one and any recommendations including anybody thinking of upgrading.............

If it was me Andy, I'd be asking Chris Savage.

[NoCorseChris]

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice……

@ducatiman. A complicated question! I bought one of the cheapest out there. Available now for way under £200 and much improved over when I bought it. Alternatively, you can spend closer to £1k and opt for a Prusa. There seems to be something of a Locost/Caterham thing going on there though. Yes, the Prusa has some better components in it, but at a price.

Some basics I suppose. What size of parts do you want to print, what will they be for (what material) and perhaps most fundamental, how involved with the thing do you want to get - will it simply be a tool you want to work out of the box or can you see yourself deriving enjoyment from messing with it?

There are some pretty impressive kits out there now too, so a self-build is certainly a good option and gives you the chance to tailor your machine.

Happy to go into great(!) detail if you like, either on or off line. Of course, I can only speak to my own experiences with my cheap machine.

I found it interesting that Retro Power have what many would consider a very budget 3D printer, but it seems to work well for them.

[NoCorseChris]

To actually answer the original question without the tedium of talking to me:

I have an Ender 3. In it’s original form it worked pretty well. The mods I’d consider highly desirble are an all-metal hot end and an auto bed leveller. Stuff I did that is less essential was to change the controller board and fit ‘silent’ stepper motor drivers (later versions have them as standard) and printed a bunch of additional parts like cable chains and part cooling ducts etc.

If you fancy a project, don’t mind spending about £1k but want a really capable machine then look at a RatRig. Be prepared to do extensive homework before specifying which components you want though.

If you want something out of the box that gets consistently good reviews, look at a Prusa.

[susuibu]

I'd go with the original Prusa I3 MK3. They work very well, are well supported, good for beginners and are very easy to use. There is also a huge community behind them.

https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-printers/180-original-prusa-i3-mk3s-kit.html