3D printer?

[Timrpn]

Hi,

I was thinking about getting a 3D printer, what would you suggest for a good beginner printer? Are they worth it?

Thanks

 

[Webslinger]

Creality3D is a good one. They are fun to play with...worth it? not really

 

[KStatefan]

I like my Prusa. I enjoy designing thins to be printed Same return as any hobby.

 

[NinjaTiLL]

+1 for Prusa. I have the Prusa i3 MK2 and it's runs great. I bought as a kit and assembled myself to keep costs down. They have great support and the best free software. Just bought some Prusa filament (Prusament) PETG for making submerged parts. Have completed many aquarium DIY projects with my printer. Mainly float switch/valve mounting brackets. Biggest was an auger style auto feeder (like the avast plank); haven't hooked it up yet but it looks like it will work.

 

[TheHarold]

Yup, really hard to beat Prusa MK3s. I tossed my Crealities (sold them for almost nothing) after I got my first :)

 

[Mr_Knightley]

One I have been interested in (though I have never owned one) is the FLSUN Q5 printer. It's cheap and awesome looking, the low price I believe is because of complete lack of motors. The whole head is instead powered by 3 hydraulic pistons.
(EDIT: oops, it turns out it isn't hydraulic it's just got 3 motors on trails lol My bad.)

 

[Tathamet]

Yup, really hard to beat Prusa MK3s. I tossed my Crealities (sold them for almost nothing) after I got my first :)

interesting I was just looking into getting an ender 3 or an ender 3 v2 with a glass bed and figured I’d check r2r lol.

why do you prefer the prusa mk3 over creality? I’ve looked for prusas in the past but they seemed a little harder to get where I’m located.

 

[TheHarold]

interesting I was just looking into getting an ender 3 or an ender 3 v2 with a glass bed and figured I’d check r2r lol.

why do you prefer the prusa mk3 over creality? I’ve looked for prusas in the past but they seemed a little harder to get where I’m located.

Not sure what you mean re: harder to get where you're located. There is only one place to get them, Prusa3D, and they ship internationally.

Better in almost every way. Better silent drivers, better dual gear direct extruder instead of the bowden, precision rods/bearings instead of aluminum extrusion and plastic wheels, 49 point automatic bed leveling, automatic print bed level correction, no cheap homing switches (does it via motor current detection), and just MUCH better print quality overall. Then there is simple Octoprint integration, belt tension reporting, extruder crash detection, etc.

You look on YouTube, there are videos "The first 20 mods to do on your Ender 3"- and doing all of those still doesn't achieve the print quality and features of a Prusa. You also get a 100% warranty on Prusa printer parts, unlike Creality which will tell you to pound sand :). Ender 3 is a "chinesium" ultra budget printer- will it work? Most likely. Is the print quality and user experience even close to a quality printer? Nope.

 

[NinjaTiLL]

Better in almost every way. Better silent drivers, better dual gear direct extruder instead of the bowden, precision rods/bearings instead of aluminum extrusion and plastic wheels, 49 point automatic bed leveling, automatic print bed level correction, no cheap homing switches (does it via motor current detection), and just MUCH better print quality overall. Then there is simple Octoprint integration, belt tension reporting, extruder crash detection, etc.

Yep. All that and more. The print bed surface is top-notch and shouldn't be ignored.I really don't have any adhesion issues except with really bad-quality filament (i.e. makergeek [now defuct] ABS). My MK2 has a PEI surface and every filament sticks to it with a simple isopropyl alcohol wipe-down (or windex if it's PETG). The new MK3's have a removable steel sheet that you flex to get the print to "pop" off like an old-school ice cube tray. The auto bed leveling is a true innovation and it just works. I highly recommend.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

Here's a good comparison between the FLSUN Q5 and a nice Prusa.

 

[vangvace]

I really like my Prusa Mk3 and Creality LD-002r. My coworker has a creality 10S that prints well...


The big question though is... what do you want to create?

 

[Tathamet]

Not sure what you mean re: harder to get where you're located. There is only one place to get them, Prusa3D, and they ship internationally.

Better in almost every way. Better silent drivers, better dual gear direct extruder instead of the bowden, precision rods/bearings instead of aluminum extrusion and plastic wheels, 49 point automatic bed leveling, automatic print bed level correction, no cheap homing switches (does it via motor current detection), and just MUCH better print quality overall. Then there is simple Octoprint integration, belt tension reporting, extruder crash detection, etc.

You look on YouTube, there are videos "The first 20 mods to do on your Ender 3"- and doing all of those still doesn't achieve the print quality and features of a Prusa. You also get a 100% warranty on Prusa printer parts, unlike Creality which will tell you to pound sand :). Ender 3 is a "chinesium" ultra budget printer- will it work? Most likely. Is the print quality and user experience even close to a quality printer? Nope.

oh maybe that’s why I was having trouble finding it then lol. Didn’t realize it was only available from them on their website.

Thank you for your explanation though. Very helpful. I hadn’t heard anything bad about the ender 3 and it sounded like it would be a great beginner 3D printer for testing the waters. I’m not even sure how much I’d get into it but I’ve had a few things in mind that I’d like to make.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Another Prusa user (MK2S). I love it and highly suggest it if you are interested in getting on. It makes reefing much easier as I have been able to design my own media baskets, tubing/probe holders, filter sock holders and frag racks.

I will say that recently I have had issue debugging jams (I have to disassemble my hot end again about 3 months after replacing it) as well as a few minor issues. If you are not very technically or DIY inclined the pre-assembled is suggested over a kit. I love the thing but you have to ready to take care of and maintain the machine or you will pull some hair out. Luckily the forums, manufactures and youtube are top notch. When I save up enough to buy a newer model I will definitely be sticking to Prusa.

 

[lakai]

oh maybe that’s why I was having trouble finding it then lol. Didn’t realize it was only available from them on their website.

Thank you for your explanation though. Very helpful. I hadn’t heard anything bad about the ender 3 and it sounded like it would be a great beginner 3D printer for testing the waters. I’m not even sure how much I’d get into it but I’ve had a few things in mind that I’d like to make.

Ender3 is good and cheap but you'll likely spend $300+ upgrading it to have all the features of a prusa i3 mk3s even though your print quality won't be THAT much better than stock but thats the fun of it I guess.

 

[MrSalty]

If your not sure if it's for you and your just wanting something cheap and simple that will work, the Monoprice MP Select is awesome. $150 shipped and will work out of the box. I've been using 3d printers for around 8 years now, spent thousands on them and this is the workhorse that sits on my desk.

Here is a picture of some custom clips I just printed for a DIY spray bar setup on my 55gal.

 

[Brewtoszek]

I've used desktop FDM printers on both sides of the spectrum and i'll say what will work best for you will come down to a few things, first how much you want to spend, and two how technically savvy you are(or want to be) with your printer. You can no doubt get good results from low cost printers, but you'll likely spend some effort in fine tuning your machine to do that, and to keep it operating there.

Like many of the other folks, i would recommend the Prusa I3 Mk3(or Mk3s is the latest version). I've been using mine for a few years now both at home and at work and think its tough to beat for the price. Of the features mentioned above i think the biggest, especially for a new user, is auto bed leveling. The majority of the time i'm troubleshooting a new user's print issues it has to do with bed adhesion, often from improper leveling. Not that leveling the bed is difficult, but there is a little bit of a learning curve, and even after mastering it, its a pretty normal adjustment you'll have to keep up on.

I'd suggest also checking out the Prusa Mini, it has a lot of the same features at the Mk3(s), slightly smaller build volume, but $350 instead of $999 for the Mk3s. I have not personally used one(yet), but have watched a number of youtube reviews as well as talked with a friend of mine that has one, and it seems like an all around pretty solid unit. I've got one on the way for evaluation, should have it in a few weeks.