30 Jul 2014
Insight
If you’re looking to buy your first 3D printer, you may find that the number available to home users is somewhat limited. We drew a short list of possible choices arranging them based on price, so that you don’t have to spend an entire day quizzing Google. You can thank us later.
All of these printers read and print from the same standard file format – STL, so no matter which model you choose, you will be able to use the same pre-designed libraries of 3D models and print them using the same materials. Obviously, the quality, speed and size of the objects these printers can produce varies from type to type.
Although it may seem complicated, domestic printers usually work in the same way, by melting plastic onto a base and building up a three-dimensional object layer by layer. Most 3D printers use the same materials, filaments of either polylactide (PLA) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) ( more about it here).
Printers
Da Vinci printer from XYZ printing is the best choice for those on a tight budget. Priced at $529.99, it’s a full-featured printer that is performing well in the market. It seems that creating and customising your home with the push of a button is now easily achievable.
Filament: ABS, available in 12 colours
At the price of $599 , Printrbot Simple Black 3D printer is one of the best-selling printers on Amazon and given it’s reasonable price, high quality prints and the fact that it comes fully assembled, it’s fair to say that it is great for beginners. It may need some babysitting at first until you’re fully comfortable with configuring and calibrating it, but after that – printing is easy.
Filament: PLA
Cube 3D printer is a very smart pick for those who can afford paying $1099. It can print in over 20 colours and it comes with two cartridges of PLA plastic to fuel your dual colour designs. You can also mix and match dual-colour and dual-materials. What’s best about it if you’re new to this technology is that Cube 3D printer is ready for printing straight from the box.
Filament: ABS, PLA, available in 20 colours
KentSrapper Galileo Smart at a price of $1,110 comes with impressively low energy consumption of just 60 watts of power and low noise emission. It’s available in 3 colours: black, red and yellow, and customers can also add their own custom logo or lettering to the printer. Ideal for hobbyists, engineers, students,architect, designer and for all those that want to enter in the 3D printer world.
Filament: PLA & ABS
A desktop 3D printer The MakerGear M2 is a precision machine. It’s high-quality, reliable and available at a reasonable price of $1,775. The printer has generated some smashing reviews online and is enjoying a lot of positive attention, so we believe it’s a safe and smart choice for someone looking for the best 3D experience.
Filament: PLA
LulzBot TAZ 4 slightly differs from the standard desktop 3D printers, since it allows printing in common plastics like PLA, ABS, and HIPS and some exotic materials, such as nylon, wood- (Laywood), stone- (Laybrick), and rubber-like (NinjaFlex) materials, to name a few. Specifically designed to improve print quality and consistency, the latest evolution of LulzBot’s Taz desktop 3D printer is a good choice if you have $2,194.95 to spend!
Filament: PLA, ABS, HIPS, nylon, wood, stone & other
MakerBot Replicator 5th Gen printer is perfect for consumers that like to lead a hassle-free life. The printer promises a new level of plug-and-print consumer experience, smooth-to-the-touch surfaces that don't need sanding, finishing, or post-production and a very high resolution and speed of prints. Priced at $2,899.00, MakerBot Replicator 5 th Gen is a smart choice.
Filament: PLA
Perfect for any skill level, the Ultimaker 2 is an aesthetically pleasing 3D printer with premium features and high-quality results. If you can spend $2,999.99 on your first printer, than this is your perfect pick. Lightning-fast print speeds and the superior precision of the Ultimaker 2 work together to craft impressively detailed creations.
Filament: ABS
You may also like The ugly truth about 3D printing
Disclaimer: All images are copyright to their respective owners.
Comments