3D Printing can be quite expensive if we factor in both the cost of the printer, and the materials required. Their price range can go up to $10000 or even more, but this article focuses on those who want a decent 3D Printer too and not want to go in debt as well. With that being said, the following is a list of 8 printers with adequate prices and high proficiency.
FlashForge, a Chinese manufacturer, is well known for its production of highly capable printers. The Creator Pro is one fine embodiment of this.
Being one of the most affordable and efficient printers out there, the Creator Pro is a great choice for people with zero prior experience. Not only the inexperienced, but its level-stable build plate and dual nozzle make it a worthy option for experts as well.
Since it comes pre-assembled, not much effort is required to get into it. However, it does not support the feature of automatic bed-levelling which may seem complicated to beginners at first. Therefore, the printer requires high precision in that regard.
Having a 7 inches long and 9 inches wide print bed, the spaciousness makes printing a comfortable and rather, uncomplicated experience.
To talk about reliability, the consolidated build structure of the Creator Pro makes it a highly durable machine. Along with that, FlashForge’s customer support is second to none in providing an excellent service.
If ordered directly and encountering an issue, emailing them on their official website makes them respond the very same or the next day. If ordered from Amazon, the printer’s manual contains an email specifically for customer support.
The spare parts of FlashForge’s printers often go on sale too on their website. This form of reliability adds more value to the Creator Pro’s distinguished price tag.
Customers from all over have given great reviews by labeling the Creator Pro as easy to use and extremely durable.
The second printer on the list is the highly convenient 3D20 from Dremel’s DigiLab Division.
Dremel is more commonly known as an American brand producing power tools but ever since they stepped foot in the world of printing, they brought along with them the innovation of producing quality printers with the idea of keeping it simple.
The 3D20 comes pre-assembled and is ready to print as soon as it comes out the box. The guys at Dremel have made up their mind to produce printers that make printing seem like anyone could do it.
That’s exactly what the 3D20 offers. It’s originally made to be for hobbyists and casual use. However, it does possess potential beyond that.
The fact that it only supports PLA filament provides novices the freedom of experimenting around and getting more adept as they venture on their journey with the 3D20.
People have reviewed this printer as child-friendly as it comes enclosed. That’s one of the main reasons why it’s highly recommended for K 6-12 classrooms.
Although the main function of a printer would appeal to some as just getting the job done nicely, the Dremel DigiLab 3D20 not only does just that, but looks good as well.
The 3D20 comes packed with replaceable LED lights that glimmer whenever the printer is in use. Therefore, deeming itself a decent looking and a good working machine sitting on your desktop.
It is to be noted as well, that some users have experienced difficulty in availing the automatic filament removal option of the printer, therefore, causing them to remove the filament manually which may be a bothersome experience.
Sometimes, people become frustrated and grow bitter of 3D printing because they yearn to go in-depth too early. That’s the primary reason for their failure. Printing is an evolving process that comes to one with the passage of time.
To start off with the basics is a great idea and that’s where the 3D20 comes in. For this price, the magic machine from Dremel packs a really heavy punch.
The Qidi Tech X-Plus is a printer that offers utter versatility and is something for everyone. Being the second printer on the list hailing from a Chinese background, the X-Plus is as good as it gets if one talks about value for money.
With an enlarged build volume, sleek design, and extra compatibility for various types of filaments, there’s nothing to hate and everything to love about Qidi Technology’s X-Plus.
The greatness comes from the company itself which strives to develop printers with decent price tags and top grade features that other printers can’t compare to.
The X-Plus comes off as a specialist, equipped with two extruders that operate differently. The pre-installed extruder A is targeted towards printing general materials such as ABS and PLA while extruder B takes account for printing with high temperature filaments such as Nylon and Carbon Fiber.
This goes along with its another unique feature involving two methods of inserting the filament. Inside accommodates sublime printing when using ABS and PLA while the outside flows effectively when using filaments like Nylon and Carbon Fiber.
Combined with the above average printing volume that makes it easier to print bigger stuff, the X-Plus from Qidi Tech makes it one of the best printers out there under a $1000.
What makes the Monoprice Maker Ultimate stand out is how it manages to add up a bundle of features within a very reasonable price and does quite a fantastic job at it.
Its extremely solid build is one for the highlight reel, which makes printing smooth and calibrated at a speed of 150 mm/s.
One of the top attributes of this printer is its ultra high precision, focusing with detail as low as 20 microns. This results in the production of highly refined prints.
The Monoprice Maker Ultimate’s high compatibility makes it easy to use since it comes with the standard software and is capable of dealing with everything thrown at it.
Moreover, due to the flexibility in temperature management of the printing platform and nozzle, it is able to work with a variety of filaments such as ABS, PLA, Nylon, HIPS and many others.
With that being said, the Maker Ultimate does require some manual adjustability here and there since it does not support automatic bed levelling.
Additionally, the Maker Ultimate has anti-jam capabilities which make sure feeding the filament to the extruder is a smooth and fluid process and one’s whole effort is not ruined by a jam in filament feed.
If one ever needs a part replaced, Monoprice Maker Ultimate’s spares are easily available online.
Somewhere near the $500 price range, its fine print quality is more than satisfactory and is a decent pick for people on a budget. For not a lot of money, it does have a lot of features that make it worthwhile.
When it comes to the literal definition of ‘more bang for your buck’, the Creality CR-10S Pro V2 will always be found highlighted.
Here’s the printer that features automatic bed-levelling. A hassle that needs not be addressed anymore if one’s got their hands on a CR-10S Pro. The machine intelligently determines the optimum printing settings on its own by measuring the layer height of the printing platform in many places.
Getting it out the box and setting it up isn’t a problem at all. It comes highly organized in the box which makes for easier setups. After the initial process, the printer is more than ready to get to work.
The overall look of the CR-10S Pro V2 makes it an advanced piece of technology with a fully functional touch screen that’s able to help the user operate the machine with its friendly user interface.
Due to its large printing platform, the capability of the machine is boosted, enabling a consumer to make a print as big as a helmet straight off.
Creality machines are highly reliable, the CR-10S Pro V2 being one of them, is even more. It’s smart design and a fully polished hot-end makes printing a piece of cake. The printer comes with a V2 4.1 motherboard for a unique experience and a stable performance.
What people really love about the CR-10S Pro V2 is the agility and the performance it offers with incredible speed. For this price, it’s hard to find a parallel of this printer from Creality.
The Ender 5 Pro, is yet again, another printer on the list from Creality.
It’s been straight up known as “The Best 3D Printer Under $500” with more than a 100,000 sales according to Creality.
The Pro model arrives with a DIY kit that’s easy to build. The only work that’s required is lining up the Z-Axis and wiring up the printer and that’s it. It should take about 30 minutes for assembly.
Being a substantial upgrade from its predecessor Ender 5, the pro edition packs a few surprises. It is stocked with the all new V.15 motherboard that amounts to quiet and smoother printing.
Its 260° C extruder temperature makes it avail a wide variety of filaments, thus providing flexibility to the user.
Moreover, the double Y-Axis control system, unique to the Pro model, focuses on removing any vibrations during the printing to avoid any nuisance.
The metal extruder frame, another new feature, allows more pressure to be exerted when thrusting out the filament.
Moving on to the usability of the Ender 5 Pro, the highly convenient Capricorn Bowden makes its mark as the filament tubing of the printer, which makes sure the filament loading and extruding process is clear and smooth.
Another highly distinct feature of the Ender 5 Pro, is its magnetic, although manually optimized, print bed which is easily removable. This allows for convenience in retrieving models. It’s also self-adhesive which means it can go back in anytime and attach with ease.
All in all, the Ender 5 Pro is the choice for a lot of people around the world and that’s pretty appealing since it comes with a very handsome price and lots of industry-grade features.
By now, it’s pretty apparent that Creality is very much determined to take the game into their own hands since this is the THIRD printer on the list, from the Chinese manufacturer.
The CR-10 V2 has structural shape similar to that of a triangle but this has a reason behind it. It’s because the Z-axis brace connects the frame’s top to the base, making it assume the shape having three sides. This amounts to a solid build, reducing any unnecessary vibrations and allowing for more fluid finish.
Creality cares for feedback and is also known for having great customer support. People complained that the printing platform took a prolonged amount of time to become fully heated but since the CR-10 V2 comes with an all new Meanwell 24 V/ 350 W power supply, that inconvenience is a thing of the past.
From noise-free printing to dual part cooling ducts, the end product looks really smooth. The CR-10 V2 is added with a couple of tech savvy features as well such as the ‘resume print’ and the ‘filament run-out sensor’. Both of these combine to provide a highly efficient user experience.
Although the bed levelling is a semi-automated process and can require a manual touch regardless, the interface of the printer also needs time to be put in to be understood properly.
Day in day out, this printer has the ability to prove itself for entry-level users, at a fine price.
8. AnyCubic Photon S
Specifications and Features
Printing Technology – LCD-based SLA 3D Printer
Technique – LCD Masking
LCD – 5.2-inch 2K
Build Volume – 115 x 65 x 165 mm
Z-Layer Resolution – 25-100 microns
XY Resolution – 47 microns
UI – 2.8-inch Color TFT touchscreen
Connectivity – USB
Build Platform Leveling – Manual
Materials – Resins Suitable for 405nm LCD-Based Printers
Weight – 5.9 kg
Bed Levelling – Manual
Printing Speed – 20 mm/h
Product Description
Another popular 3D Printing brand is AnyCubic which is featured here because of its marvelous Photon S.
To begin with, the Photon S uses a different type of printing technology, SLA. This consists of a vat of liquid plastic which gets cured by a series of specific UV wavelengths, thus, allowing the resin to assume a solid shape. Therefore, it’s possible to form specific structures from there on out.
The Photon S can print many layers at once, unlike printers hosting FDM technology. It’s far more accurate than printers in the similar price range and that’s why it’s highly competitive. However, since a resin is put into the equation now, there’s always cleanup involved after printing.
The design of the Photon S feels really compact. Everything fits nicely making it look pleasing overall.
The main selling reason for this machine is its superb print quality. Even at the setting of 100 microns, it’s less likely to see any visible layer lines.
Although it’s equipped with dual fans to eradicate fumes from the enclosed printing chamber, the characteristic smell of the resin is something objectionable. Nevertheless, for a resin machine, the carbon filters still do a great job at minimizing the stench and make it tolerable to be in the same place as the printer while its running.
If the printer’s method of printing suits a person’s style, the scent of the resin does not bother them to a frustrating extent and they have no problem with cleaning up, then this printer is solely for them at budget price which is quite brilliant for entry-level SLA printers.
The Verdict
All things considered, the printer that can give the best value for money is Qidi Tech X-Plus. Not only it delivers excellent quality but is highly capable and versatile.
Qidi Tech is also known to have one of the best customer services as well which increases reliability and puts the customer at ease. Because the printer supports an extensive range of filaments, the X-Plus brings double the trouble due to its highly specialized dual nozzle build.
At a stunning price of $639, the beast from Qidi Tech is beginner-friendly and can be set up in a matter of minutes. The multi-talented nature of the X-Plus ensures a fantastic printing experience and a terrific learning opportunity side by side.
Moreover, it’s also to be put in consideration that the X-Plus has become the people’s favorite with over 250+ positive reviews on Amazon.
Many people at work tried to compare their Qidi Tech X-Plus with other printers such as the Prusa i3 Mk3 and found out that the X-Plus outperformed every other printer in the same class.
It’s also really efficient that even though it does not support automatic bed levelling, only one point needs to be adjusted to make the magic happen.
All in all, the top pick out of the 8 best budget printers remains the X-Plus from Qidi Technology.
Michael Dwamena is the founder of 3D Printerly, a platform dedicated to simplifying 3D printing for hobbyists and professionals alike. Owns over 20 3D printers (filament and resin) and has plenty experience 3D printing. Michael has authored over 900 articles, helping millions navigate the exciting world of 3D printing.
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