3D printer recommendation

[Smokeshow]

I used tinkercad to make a simple stand for my protien skimmer and used cura to slice it. It started out good but not its got these waves going.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Bed leveler for whatever your get!

Feeler gauges. Know your machine.

 

[Smokeshow]

I used a piece of paper lol. But I got the sonic pad with my ender and used the 25 point auto bed leveling after I did the manual level

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I used tinkercad to make a simple stand for my protien skimmer and used cura to slice it. It started out good but not its got these waves going.

This looks like it may just be the infill in a normal pattern for the inside of whatever item you designed that pattern and density can be changed in the settings before you slice

 

[Projects with Sam]

What is your print speed set at? Check your rollers; you may have something stuck to a wheel. Thats why linear bearings are nice...

If you carriage is too tight the wheels wear over time then gunk accumulates on the races and then transfers to the wheels.

 

[Smokeshow]

That one was printing at 60. Creality PLA + at 190c 60c bed. Was also before I added the sonic pad. Ran a temp tower and found 205c was the best. And made the bed 65c. I printed a 3/4 turbulent flow last night and it turned out perfect. Started some 3/4 loc-line segments before I left for work. Have a blink camera set up to monitor it while I'm out but won't know for sure how they turned out until I get home.

 

[CWalters]

What‘s a good, semi-affordable, good, maybe upgradeable, good 3D printer? I read a comparison article between several printers, and the one they liked the best was the Prusa. Which of course I had never heard of, and isn‘t sold on Amazon. Creality seems like the most popular on Amazon. It does not have to come from. Amazon, I just shop there a lot. I have no experience at all with 3D printers, but I was an IT tech for years, have done a fair amount of coding and played with Raspberry Pi a bit. I want something I can learn on, but not so limited I would want to replace it within 3 months.

Do you have a microcenter near you?

 

[HighlandReef]

Spend the extra money and get a good core Xy printer.
Bambu lab p1p is $600, well worth the money.
I have been 3d printing for a while now and originally came from the world of creality bed slingers. I easily spent at least half of my time leveling, adjusting, etc. never doing that again. I now spend 99.9% of my time printing.
Prusa makes good printers but bed slingers are slow in general.
Core xy will be a much faster printer.
Creality makes a core xy but their customer service sucks. I had an issue with one of my creality printers that was still under warranty, creality was worthless. I got stuck having to fix it myself on my dime.
That’s when I went Bambu lab and never looked back.
Micro center also sells Bambu labs or you can just order direct.

Do your research before buying and don’t just go off of YouTube reviews.
Most are getting those printers for free from the manu, with the understanding they will review on their YouTube page.
Most won’t post negative review, the manu would cut them off from free product.
I’m a systems engineer by trade, I won’t stear you wrong.

 

[reddogf5]

A note on resin printers:
You do NOT want to use resin for anything aquarium, the resin is toxic to aquatic creatures. I don't know how it is toxic, but if the manufacturer prints a picture of a dead fish on the bottle, you know it is bad. And yes, even the "water washable" resins are toxic.

 

[cilyjr]

Spend the extra money and get a good core Xy printer.
Bambu lab p1p is $600, well worth the money.
I have been 3d printing for a while now and originally came from the world of creality bed slingers. I easily spent at least half of my time leveling, adjusting, etc. never doing that again. I now spend 99.9% of my time printing.
Prusa makes good printers but bed slingers are slow in general.
Core xy will be a much faster printer.
Creality makes a core xy but their customer service sucks. I had an issue with one of my creality printers that was still under warranty, creality was worthless. I got stuck having to fix it myself on my dime.
That’s when I went Bambu lab and never looked back.
Micro center also sells Bambu labs or you can just order direct.

Do your research before buying and don’t just go off of YouTube reviews.
Most are getting those printers for free from the manu, with the understanding they will review on their YouTube page.
Most won’t post negative review, the manu would cut them off from free product.
I’m a systems engineer by trade, I won’t stear you wrong.

I agree.
And share similar experiences with bed slingers.

Though I stuck with Creality and went to the k1.
I found it to be a fantastic machine and spend all of my time printing. Instead of adjusting. I easily switched through different filaments and have no problems switching from ABS to PETG to TPU.
Make sure you get a Gen 2 version with this printer. There were a lot of problems with the hot end before they change it.

 

[exnisstech]

Bumping this since its been a couple of years amd maybe some new info? I've been kicking around getting a printer but there is so much info it worse than trying to get recommendations on what's the best reef lighting lol.
I've never even seen a printer in operation so I'm totally ignorant on which to choose. Being new I'm looking for something beginner friendly. I don't need the best but I also don't want just. I have the buy once cry once mentality but also don't want to break the bank.
Any recommendations for a user friendly unit as a first printer? I'm fairly handy at tinkering as an ex auto tech of 35 years. TIA

PS I really have no idea exactly what I want to print other than stuff for the tanks and around the house but I doubt I'll have trouble coming up with ideas.

 

[mpatterson42]

I'm really liking my new Snapmaker U1 but that's definitely geared more towards people who do multi color printing. I do print stuff for my tanks in PETG but only in a single color and it's a bit overkill for that.

My suggestion would be to check FB Marketplace or Offer Up for used Creality CR-10 or Ender 3 or any Bambu Labs printers and see if you can get a good deal on something used. They should be cheap enough that if you only decided to mess around and print a few things it's probabaly worth it. And those printers have tons of resources (YouTube, FB Groups, etc) available.

 

[mpatterson42]

Also if you want to go new I'd get the Bambu Labs A1. There's a version that doesn't do multicolor for $300 that you can upgrade later down the road to add multi color if you want.

 

[firechild]

Bumping this since its been a couple of years amd maybe some new info? I've been kicking around getting a printer but there is so much info it worse than trying to get recommendations on what's the best reef lighting lol.
I've never even seen a printer in operation so I'm totally ignorant on which to choose. Being new I'm looking for something beginner friendly. I don't need the best but I also don't want just. I have the buy once cry once mentality but also don't want to break the bank.
Any recommendations for a user friendly unit as a first printer? I'm fairly handy at tinkering as an ex auto tech of 35 years. TIA

PS I really have no idea exactly what I want to print other than stuff for the tanks and around the house but I doubt I'll have trouble coming up with ideas.

If you want to print ABS, which is probably a good option for aquarium use, the Qidi Q2 is one of the best options. Enclosed, heated chamber, hardened steel nozzle. There's no other printer at the same price point that print pretty much all materials better.
If you want multicolour prints, my experience with the Qidi box have been pretty poor (though others have had different experiences) so I'd look at other options.

 

[Pen3]

My first printer was an Ender 3 that my brother got me into the hobby with. I probably spent $300 modifying it with xyz linear rails and other parts. Such a waste of money. So my second printer was a second hand Qidi Q1 Pro off fb marketplace for $250 and wow, what a huge jump in everything.

If you buy new, get the Elegoo Centurian Carbon 1, if second hand, get a Qidi Q1. Theres also many good deals on second hand Flashforge 5M if you dont plan on using ABS.