Beginner 3d Printer

[Reddax]

Hi,

I'm looking at purchasing a 3d printer as a beginner. I'm brand new with 3d printing but I want to have a play around.

I've had a look at a couple of the cheaper ones such as the ones listed below but I'm not sure which one is the best or if I should be looking for something else maybe a little pricier?

 

Thanks.

 

• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Comgrow-Creality-Ender-Printer-Aluminum/dp/B07BR3F9N6/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1531132833&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=3d+printer&psc=1
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Geeetech%C2%AE-Acrylic-Pro-Unassembled-excellent/dp/B01GJDO9I0/ref=sr_1_5?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1531132833&sr=1-5&keywords=3d+printer
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anet-Upgrade-Printer-Printing-Reprap/dp/B06XXHRL8Y/ref=sr_1_6?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1531132833&sr=1-6&keywords=3d+printer

[AskTJ]

The last one as it's printing size is the biggest, and also has a free SD card. Note - They are all kits so you will have to assemble it yourself. About a weekend is good.

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, Reddax said:

Hi,

I'm looking at purchasing a 3d printer as a beginner. I'm brand new with 3d printing but I want to have a play around.

I've had a look at a couple of the cheaper ones such as the ones listed below but I'm not sure which one is the best or if I should be looking for something else maybe a little pricier?

 

Thanks.

 

• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Comgrow-Creality-Ender-Printer-Aluminum/dp/B07BR3F9N6/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1531132833&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=3d+printer&psc=1
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Geeetech%C2%AE-Acrylic-Pro-Unassembled-excellent/dp/B01GJDO9I0/ref=sr_1_5?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1531132833&sr=1-5&keywords=3d+printer
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anet-Upgrade-Printer-Printing-Reprap/dp/B06XXHRL8Y/ref=sr_1_6?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1531132833&sr=1-6&keywords=3d+printer

They all have an acrylic frame, I would look for one made of metal or something stiffer then acrylic.(better precision) The one I bought was metal, and prints very good quality.

[Reddax]

27 minutes ago, timl132 said:

They all have an acrylic frame, I would look for one made of metal or something stiffer then acrylic.(better precision) The one I bought was metal, and prints very good quality.

Isn't the Comgrow Creality Ender 3 Aluminium? (in the name)

Got any recommendations? I'm happy with spending a bit more for better quality

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, Reddax said:

Isn't the Comgrow Creality Ender 3 Aluminium? (in the name)

Got any recommendations? I'm happy with spending a bit more for better quality

The ender 3 is indeed aluminium, I would take that one. Is more stable, and breaks less fast.

So I would take the first one, didn't notice it first.

[Hackentosher]

I like the wanhao duplicator i3 or the monoprice maker select v2. Those two are pretty much exactly the same. For $300, I was amazed at the quality of the machine we got for my robotics team. Went together with 4 bolts and just worked. 

[tikker]

Going for the biggest print volume is kind of judging a book by its cover. Depending on your project, try to think whether you really need that space. Cheap printers may not perform that well for very large prints due to wobble induced by the bed movement, acrylic construction etc. I own a Creality CR-10S myself, but that is a bit out of your price range. It has a large bed, but so far I have used maybe half of what it's theoretically capable of.

 

I've read mixed reviews about the A8 about it being finnicky, needing a lot of mods and just being a fire hazard due to the way the heated bed is connected (fixable with a mod/upgrade of the bed, but well that costs extra money).

Out of those 3 I'd probably go with the Ender, because of the aluminium frame. That should make it a little sturdier.

[makersmuse]

Ender 3 is the best in that list by far and you won't be fighting to assemble every nut and screw (and wire mains voltages, YUK), but it's not without its problems. Mine had QC issues but they've since resolved it.