Introduction to 3D Printers
3D Printer is not a machine that you cannot afford due to the price factor nowadays. The 3D printer has found applications in wide areas. Some of the prominent areas include education, rapid prototyping, production parts, manufacturing tools (gauges, fixtures, and templates), Anatomical models, customized housing and enclosures for biomedical equipment, sports equipment, consumer electronics, aerospace components, and heavy construction equipment. Currently, several vendors are dealing with 3D printers. Along with the competition, the brands and the types of 3D printers have also increased and it becomes really difficult to pick the best one for you. For your convenience, I have picked the top-performing 3D printers from the plethora of them.
3D printers are now more accessible than ever, thanks to the affordability brought about by intense market competition. These devices are widely used across numerous sectors, from education to aerospace, offering customized solutions for rapid prototyping, production parts, and much more. Explore the best 3D printer for beginners from the vast array available for a smooth introduction to 3D printing.
Features to look for in the Best 3D Printer
There are certain considerations you have to look for while buying a 3D printer. The major factors or features to look for include:
- Printing Bed Size
- Printing Speed
- Construction Material
- The range of Filament Support
- Stability of Printing Surface
- Operating System Compatibility
- Affordability
- Safety in Operation
- Price of Components (very Important)
- Ease of Operation
- Printing volume
Reviews of Top 10 Best 3D Printers
1 Tiertime UpBox
The all3dp site has listed Tiertime’s UP mini 2S 3D printer for beginners in their top ten list but here I have listed the higher end of this model. The highlight of this printer is its ability to print large-sized models. The print area of this 3D printer is 255mm x 205mm x 205mm and this large envelope size also enhances productivity since you can build a large number of smaller products in one go. The other noteworthy feature of the printer is auto-leveling which is done by a 9-point calibration sequence. This 3D printer is Wi-Fi enabled and furthermore, multiple users can share and give printing commands to the printer and you can also limit the user access through a password-protect feature. Moreover, the Tiertime 3D printer saves you from the blackout nightmare by remembering the last coordinates before the power outage. The printer will start working right from where it has left the job.
2 Official Creality Ender 3 3D Printer
Comgrow’s Official Creality Ender 3 is yet another best and most reliable 3D Printers available in the market. It is compatible with PCs and has a precise resume printing function that helps to continue printing after power cuts or outages. Apart from it, this 3D printer is easy and quick to assemble making it suitable to gift even for kids. Moreover, it’s ideal for STEM projects. It offers high-precision printing, advanced extruder technology as well a safety-protected power supply. Keeping in mind all its features and great reviews on online shopping websites and apps, it is priced decently by the manufacturer.
3 Official Creality Ender 3 V2 Upgraded
Another 3D Printer by Comgrow is the Official Creality Ender 3 V2 Upgraded. This is a quite popular pick in the market currently and is also a reliable precise printer. This printer is equipped with features like a self-developed silent motherboard which enables us to operate it with bare minimum noise; equipped with a stronger anti-interference system. It also provides its users with faster and more stable motion performance. Apart from silent printing and low decibel performance, it is equipped with UL Certified MeanWell Power Supply that is produced by listed companies with advanced yet mature technology. To make the loading and feeding filament process easy and quick, this 3D printer model is equipped with features like effortless filament feed-in. Its resume printing function is a life-saver to many users. It helps to resume printing from where it was left due to any kind of power outages or cut-outs and does no harm to the data. It is reviewed generously by its users and priced decently by the manufacturer making it a pocket-friendly purchase.
4 ANYCUBIC Photon Mono 3D Printer
ANYCUBIC is yet another renowned brand name when it comes to 3D printers. Photon Mono is a popular pick mainly due to its higher printing speed compared to any other 3D printer available in the market. It offers 2.5 times faster printing speed as well as greater 3D print efficiency than the regular 3D printer. It provides precise printing with higher accuracy and stronger stability as its LCD screen adopts a matrix parallel light source. It is available in the color yellow and its structure is made up of great quality aluminum. It comes with a transparent cover that blocks about 99.95% ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of about 405nm. The manufacturer provides a 1-year warranty on this product with lifetime technical support. This 3D printer is available at a decent price range.
5 R QIDI Technology 3D Printer
This 3D printer by brand R QIDI TECHNOLOGY is a great pick as it is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems. The body of this 3D printer is made up of Acrylic material and has a multicolor appearance. This 3D printer is compatible with a variety of materials such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, Nylon, Carbon Fiber, Polycarbonate, Polylactic Acid, and Thermoplastic Polyurethane. It offers its users 2 types of extruder assembly as well as 2 different ways of placing the filaments. It is equipped with the latest slicer software version 5:6:4. The manufacturer provides 1 year of warranty on this product alongside features such as a Double Z-axis driver, improved print quality, and print speed. It is reviewed by many customers and is also among pocket-friendly purchases.
6 Bibo 3D Printer
Bibo 3D printer is for those who value productivity at work. With two inbuilt extruders, you can create two models simultaneously with this printer and hence this is best for printing large-volume models. The printer supports Wi-Fi printing and apart from a Desktop computer, you can also give the printing command from the mobile phone. This 3D printer is fully capable of engraving on large types of material including plastic, paper, wood, and leather making it one of the most versatile 3D printers to choose from. In case the filament gets exhausted, the printer pauses automatically and lets you change the filament to continue the operation. It comes with a six mm metal frame that is more robust compared to competitors’ plastic frames. With 2 color printing and multiple connectivity options, this printer is worth buying.
7 Dremel 3D Printer
Dremel launched this 3D printer exclusively for Education Niche. The printer is fully designed and equipped for classroom coaching. It comes with all the required lesson plans, filament, build plate, four hours of Development course, and build tape. With a professional course, the instructors can teach the students to create their own prototypes. The students have the option to choose from three different colored filaments which include black, orange, and blue. It has an outer glass plate that makes the operation quiet and safe. Furthermore, the printer comes bundled with cloud software and a Dremel 3D slicer to manage to print. Moreover, you can also give printing commands through your own printing software that supports file extensions .gcode, .g3drem, or .g. Although the Dremel 3D printer comes with a one-year warranty, you can avail yourself of lifetime Dremel customer support.
8 FlashForge Review
The selling point of this 3D printer from Flashforge is its stability. To reduce the vibrations in the surface plate, the Z-axis rod is built with heavy-duty material to keep the movement steady. To save the prints from external dirt, the whole chamber is covered with an acrylic enclosure for the insulation of the machine. The overall printing bed of the printer is 225mm x 145mm x 150mm and you can give commands via SD card or USB cable. The printer is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX and the supported software are ReplicatorG, Simplify 3D, and Flashpoint. It supports a wide range of filaments that include PLA, Pearl, HIPS, TPE, ABS, EVA, Wood filled, Metal filled, ABS pro, PP, Elastic, and PETG. Considering the flagship features, the 3D printer is reasonably priced.
9 ELEGOO Saturn MSLA 3D Printer
Elegoo is a widely trusted brand when it comes to 3D printers. This model by Elegoo, Saturn MSLA works on ethernet connectivity technology and is compatible with PCs and laptops. It is easy and quick to use as well as assemble and is ideal for both home and office use. It is equipped with a 4k Monochrome printer output, UV Photocuring LCD Resin, and Matrix UV LED light source. It provides you with faster printing speed, stronger stability, larger build volume, etc. Apart from all the features, the manufacturer also provides a warranty life of 1 year on this product. Its price is a little higher than the rest of the 3D printers on our list but it’s still worth it.
10 FLSUN 3D printer
This is also one of the stable printers in this list of top 3D printers. It offers faster printing at a maximum speed of 200 mm per second. With a large color touch screen, it offers a user-friendly interface to control the operations. It is equipped with a Lattice glass base that ensures easy removal of the model from the machine. The printing size of the printer is 260mm by 330 mm which is big enough to print large objects. It has a one-year warranty and reliable customer service support that replies within 24 hours time.
Instructions to Keep in Mind While Using a 3D Printer
- The printing bed should be perfectly leveled.
- Make sure the gap between the hotbed and the extruder is optimum (Not too much and not too little).
- The print bed should be absolutely clean. If not, clean it with Acetone.
- Since the filaments may get damaged by coming in contact with air, remember to keep these filaments in airtight containers.
- Another point to remember is that there are different settings for different types of filaments so do not run the printer at the same settings for different filaments.
Use These 3D Printers to Build Wonderful 3D Models
With more and more advancements nowadays in the field of 3D printers, and the increasing number of competitors across the globe, the prices of 3D printers are already coming down. This has really paved the way for printer enthusiasts to buy them and get hands-on experience with them. It has a wide range of applications as you might have read above and one more concluding point that I would like to make is that you should never buy an old 3D printer due to damaged parts or inappropriate leveling and other settings. So do share your experience with 3D printers.
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