Best 3d printer for beginners reddit

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Welcome back to another purchase megathread!

This thread is meant to conglomerate purchase advice for both newcomers and people looking for additional machines. Keeping this discussion to one thread means less searching should anyone have questions that may already have been answered here, as well as more visibility to inquiries in general, as comments made here will be visible for the entire month stuck to the top of the sub, and then added to the Purchase Advice Collection (Reddit Collections are still broken on mobile view, enable "view in desktop mode").

Please be sure to skim through this thread for posts with similar requirements to your own first, as recommendations relevant to your situation may have already been posted, and may even include answers to follow up questions you might have wished to ask.

If you are new to 3D printing, and are unsure of what to ask, try to include the following in your posts as a minimum:

Your budget, set at a numeric amount. Saying "cheap," or "money is not a problem" is not an answer people can do much with. 3D printers can cost $100, they can cost $10,000,000, and anywhere in between. A rough idea of what you're looking for is essential to figuring out anything else.
Your country of residence.
If you are willing to build the printer from a kit, and what your level of experience is with electronic maintenance and construction if so.
What you wish to do with the printer.
Any extenuating circumstances that would restrict you from using machines that would otherwise fit your needs (limited space for the printer, enclosure requirement, must be purchased through educational intermediary, etc).

While this is by no means an exhaustive list of what can be included in your posts, these questions should help paint enough of a picture to get started. Don't be afraid to ask more questions, and never worry about asking too many. The people posting in this thread are here because they want to give advice, and any questions you have answered may be useful to others later on, when they read through this thread looking for answers of their own. Everyone here was new once, so chances are whoever is replying to you has a good idea of how you feel currently.

Reddit User and Regular u/richie225 is also constantly maintaining his extensive personal recommendations list which is worth a read: Generic FDM Printer recommendations.

Additionally, a quick word on print quality: Most FDM/FFF (that is, filament based) printers are capable of approximately the same tolerances and print appearance, as the biggest limiting factor is in the nature of extruded plastic. Asking if a machine has "good prints," or saying "I don't expect the best quality for $xxx" isn't actually relevant for the most part with regards to these machines. Should you need additional detail and higher tolerances, you may want to explore SLA, DLP, and other photoresin options, as those do offer an increase in overall quality. If you are interested in resin machines, make sure you are aware of how to use them safely. For these safety reasons we don't usually recommend a resin printer as someone's first printer.

As always, if you're a newcomer to this community, welcome. If you're a regular, welcome back.

Reddit - Dive into anything

Welcome back to another purchase megathread!

If you are new to 3D printing, and are unsure of what to ask, try to include the following in your posts as a minimum:

Your budget, set at a numeric amount. Saying "cheap," or "money is not a problem" is not an answer people can do much with. 3D printers can cost $100, they can cost $10,000,000, and anywhere in between. A rough idea of what you're looking for is essential to figuring out anything else.
Your country of residence.
If you are willing to build the printer from a kit, and what your level of experience is with electronic maintenance and construction if so.
What you wish to do with the printer.
Any extenuating circumstances that would restrict you from using machines that would otherwise fit your needs (limited space for the printer, enclosure requirement, must be purchased through educational intermediary, etc).

Reddit User and Regular u/richie225 is also constantly maintaining his extensive personal recommendations list which is worth a read: Generic FDM Printer recommendations.

As always, if you're a newcomer to this community, welcome. If you're a regular, welcome back.

Best resin 3D printers of 2022

Buying a 3D printer can be quite intimidating, especially if you don't know much about this hobby. Best polymer 3D printers cost between $200 and $2,000, so it's no coincidence choice. Before you make a purchase, you need to think about what exactly you want to use it, as it will greatly influence the choice of printer. For example, if you plan to create large miniatures or prototypes tools, you will need a printer with a large build volume. you also you need to decide what level of detail you want from the printer, as this greatly affects its value. While a 4K-capable printer in our days is quite affordable, 6K will raise the price significantly.

Build volume is a measure of how how big a product a 3D printer can produce. If you want to do something large, you will need to purchase a printer with a large (or even very large) print volume. Generally speaking, printers with large build volumes require a bit more fiddling (and can be more error prone user) than their equivalents with standard volumes.

3D printer LCD resolution will determine the level of detail of your beautiful miniatures. Printer 4K in these days is considered the standard for all but ultra-budget models, and its more than enough for most projects.

Monochrome 3D printer LCD masking is better than a printer with RGB (or color) masking LCD display. Monochrome transmits UV light better than their color alternatives, which means each layer is scanned much faster.

Ultimately, it's up to you which of the above features is more important to you. Each of the following polymer 3D printers excel in one area or another, often several.

	ANYCUBIC Photon Mono X	ANYCUBIC Photon Mono 4K	Elegoo Mars 3	Prusa SL1S Speed Bundle	ANYCUBIC Photon M3 Max	Creality HALOT-ONE
Assembly volume, mm:	192x120x250	132x80x165	143x89x175	127x80x150	300x298x164	130x82x160
Resolution:	3840×2400 (4K)	3840×2400 (4K)	4098×2560 (4K)	2560×1620 (2K)	6480×3600 (6K)	2560×1620 (2K)
Print speed:	60 mm/h	50 mm/h	50 mm/h	1. 3 to 2.4 seconds per layer	60 mm/h	1-4 seconds per layer
Printing accuracy, mm:	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.01
Resolution along the XY axis, mm:	0.05	0.035	0.035	0.049	0.040	0.050
LCD, inch, monochrome:	6. 23	6.23	6.66	5.96	13.6	5
MSRP, US$:	480	250	380	2000	1300	200

ANYCUBIC Photon Mono X offers the best vital features for the price of any 3D printer consumer grade polymer-based.

Premium feature set, reasonable price, speed. But the disadvantage may be that it is not as easy to use as entry level models.

Mono X function set for head above normal. With dimensions 7. 5x4.7x9.8" Mono X build area more than enough for any thumbnail you might want build. It also offers high speed, 4K resolution and better Z-axis support than similar models.

ANYCUBIC Photon Mono 4K excellent copes with the creation of standard thumbnails quickly and easily, and it is not difficult master.

Among the advantages are the price, speed and ease of use. Cons - standard build volume and possible problems with the touch screen.

He may be smaller than his older brother, Mono X, but it still packs a punch.

Excellent 4K resolution and standard build volume make it a very good option for users, who want to make a large number of standard miniatures without much fuss. It is fairly easy to set up, even for beginners, and its compact size means he can stand at the small end of the table without attracting a lot of attention.

Elegoo Mars 3, perhaps the most a well-known 3D printer among beginners and experts.

Pros: very popular and intuitive, good resolution, slightly larger build volume. Minuses: more expensive than analogues.

Overall, Mars 3 lives up to its reputation as the easiest-to-use resin printer, and offers a robust set of features. Mars 3 is slightly better than its main competitor Mono 4K, in almost all significant categories, especially in terms of volume assemblies. However, reviews show that over time it is not as fast as the Mono 4K. However, due to its popularity on Reddit and YouTube, one can find absolutely a ridiculous amount of tutorials on how to use Mars 3 and that gives it slight edge in the beginner-friendly category.

Best high-end: original Prusa SL1S Speed Bundle.

Pros: speed, really professional level, supports simple post-processing. Cons: price, some deprecated features.

The world of resin 3D printing has hobbyists and small businesses. If you want to make serious money by selling your thumbnails or other products on stores like Etsy and you already have some resin printing experience, the Prusa S1LS Speed is a good option. Thanks to support for bath tilt and Prusa's ultra-fast scanning speed is suitable for both for precision industrial work (for example, for the manufacture of dental molds), and for the fastest production of miniatures.

ANYCUBIC Photon M3 Max is high quality resin 3D printer that supports massive builds at a pretty reasonable price.

Pros: Incredible build volume, very high resolution, massive screen. Cons: big and bulky, expensive.

Size has some flaws. The Photon M3 Max weighs over 57 pounds, it takes up a lot more places than entry-level models, and its extra-large builds will set you back a small state of resin. In addition, its rated power of 120W is almost doubled more than smaller models.

Creality HALOT-ONE - perfect starter machine for price conscious customers who want try a new hobby.

← FlashForge launches new Artemis FDM 3D printer | Zaxe continues to expand in Europe with distributor OKM3D →

12 common 3D printing mistakes from easy to hard.

How to avoid them?

1. Underestimation of the importance of the first layer. 2. Don't ask the 3D printing communities for help. 3. Random entanglement of the filament. 4. Fast assembly of your 3D printer. 5. Incorrect table and nozzle height calibration. 6. Using the wrong slicer settings. 7. Using a high % infill to reinforce details instead of walls/shells. 8. Don't use support when needed. 9. Never replace worn parts. 10. Lack of 3D printing monitoring. 11. Neglect of safety rules in 3D printing. 12. Buying a bad 3D printer out of over-enthusiasm. Conclusion.

There's nothing worse than 3D printing for days, weeks, months and years only to find out you're making common mistakes.

We're sure many of you are familiar with that feeling, which is why we've written this post to get you back on the road to success by outlining some common mistakes to avoid on your 3D printing journey.

Here you will find both small errors that you did not pay attention to before, and serious errors that can lead to a complete cessation of 3D printing.

Join our research to identify the most common 3D printing mistakes, as well as simple solutions to fix them quickly.

1. Underestimation of the importance of the first layer.

Too often 3D printing fails in the middle of the process due to poor adhesion of the first layer.

Definitely keep this important factor in mind if you want a successful print.
This is a mistake that is made too often, and it causes people to chase ghosts, trying to figure out what the problem is.

All this time, the reason was the bad first layers, which did not have a strong enough connection with the working platform.

Although your first layer is held at the start of printing, adhesion decreases as the print head moves. It is likely that your print may shift or fall off after a few hours if the first layer was not well extruded.

Solution .

Make a few test prints ahead of time and see how well the material adheres.
Use an adhesive such as 3D Printer Varnish or at least a glue stick.
Increase the flow rate (extrusion multiplier) for the first layer so the material has a better chance of sticking to the printer bed.

2. Do not seek help from the 3D printing communities.

Every user of a 3D printer has encountered a problem that required some effort to fix. Some people took on entire projects just to solve a 3D printer problem, when the solution was easy to find.

3D printing communities are known for helping people solve their problems, so be sure to check out these free resources. From 3D printing forums to Facebook groups and YouTube surveys of other 3D printer users, the options are endless.

When we first started exploring 3D printing, we noticed that many people mention how helpful other 3D printer users are, so we immediately registered on all kinds of Russian and English resources, Facebook and Reddit communities and joined this space .

In most cases, people will offer the right solution and will be happy to help you try various troubleshooting options.

Not only can they help you with troubleshooting, but they can point you to some fun projects to try, as well as some of the latest innovations in the world of 3D printing.

Solution .

Join active Facebook groups on 3D printing and your specific 3D printer.
Subscribe to news feeds of authoritative 3D printing resources.
Be sure to check out YouTube 3D printing bloggers who post new and interesting content on a regular basis.
Find groups in Viber and Telegram. This is the fastest way to get an answer to your question.

3. Random entanglement of the filament.

We read a lot of reviews about 3D printer materials including PLA, ABS, PETG, etc. and some of the negative reviews mention tangled filament.

Unfortunately, in most cases, the thread becomes tangled due to the fault of users.

As a general rule, when the thread is wound onto the spool, there is very little chance of tangling, much more often after you take the spool out of the package.
If you loosen the windings in the winding and then wind the deflated windings back on the spool, you could accidentally wind them unevenly and create an overlap that will ruin your prints.

Solution .

When storing the filament, make sure that the end is securely fastened and cannot be easily loosened.
If there are already tangles on the spool, unwind enough thread and wind it tightly again so that it does not cross over.

If you are still unlucky, and you have purchased plastic of inadequate quality, during the production of which all technological cards were violated, then here is our advice: buy plastic for a 3D printer from trusted brands. The $100 price difference is infinitesimal compared to all sorts of other 3D printing costs.

However, this 100 UAH will save you not only from problems with overlaps, but also provide a stable diameter and color along the entire length, the absence of ovalities and smooth feeding.

4. Quickly assemble your 3D printer.

We were all very excited when we got our first 3D printer and it came to building it, but being overly excited can cause your 3D printer to build too quickly, resulting in poor print results.

This may not be immediately noticeable and you will get good quality prints within a few months.

What can happen gradually is wear due to incorrect assembly.

Ask yourself these questions before starting your first print.
Was your belt tight? Did you properly and securely fasten each wire? Is the Bowden tube installed correctly?

When it comes to a 3D printer, every little detail counts, so don't fall prey to 3D printing problems because of a quick and careless build.

Solution .

Find an authoritative YouTube video tutorial from an experienced 3D printer operator and follow assembly.
There are always a few little tricks they advise you to do for durability and high quality prints.
Even if you've already built your 3D printer, you can fix some things you may have missed.
The correct and high-quality assembly of a 3D printer actually leads to higher quality prints.

See also: How to set up your new 3D printer.

5. Incorrect table and nozzle height calibration.

Of all the layers in your 3D print, the first layer is the most important and it depends a lot on how well you leveled your platform and set your nozzle height.

It's not as easy as uploading a 3D model, sending it to an SD card and starting printing.

The software side of things is important, but the hardware side is just as important.

Many 3D printers come with manual platform calibration, so you have to raise or lower each corner yourself.

Your 3D printer doesn't have a perfect feedback system, which means it can't always check where the print head is.

The best he can do is use the X, Y and Z limit switches to make sure the printhead is 0. 00mm in each axis.

What your 3D printer is very good at is extremely precise movements in the X, Y and Z axes, but if the nozzle height is not set properly at the beginning, everything falls apart.

The Z axis is height, so the nozzle must be properly adjusted so that it smoothly extrudes the filament along the surface of the build, neither too high nor too low.

Solution .

Learn how to manually calibrate the table.
Once your table is properly calibrated and the nozzle height adjusted, you can expect good prints.
It might be a good idea for you to invest in an auto leveling system like BLTouch. We at our 3D printing studio in Odessa prefer manual calibration.

6. Using incorrect slicer settings.

The slicer settings you use to print are some of the most important things when it comes to successful 3D printing.

Of the hundreds of setting changes you can make, one wrong setting is enough to ruin your print.

Fortunately, there are printer profiles and default settings that give people a basic starting point for printing.

After a few prints, you will start experimenting with different settings such as temperature, line width, flow rate, and so on.

Some of the misapplied misconfigurations are related to changing materials.

Whether PLA or ABS or PLA of different brands and/or colors, temperature recommendations will vary.

Make sure you set them correctly.

Slicer settings can either help you or break your 3D printing, so use them wisely, preferably with some kind of guide.

In most cases, when you load a model from Thingiverse, for example, designers create a list of settings that generally work well, but don't blindly follow them and be careful.

For example, if you replaced a brass nozzle with a hardened steel nozzle, you would need to slightly increase the nozzle temperature because hardened steel does not conduct heat as well as brass.

Another example is your work surface.

If you have added a glass substrate to your 3D printer, you should increase the table temperature to allow for the extra layer of heat transfer material.

Solution .

Use calibration models such as speed and temperature towers for each new material.
Spend a little more time looking at the slicer options to make sure you know what changing a setting will do.
Repetition is the mother of learning. The more often you type, the faster you will become a pro.

Read also: The best models for 3D printing testing.

7. Using high % infill to reinforce details instead of walls/shells.

For years, most people have tried to reinforce their 3D printed parts with infill. This method definitely does the job, but there is a much more efficient method that has been proven to work much better.

Instead of wasting a lot of material and extra time printing the infill, you should use shells/walls to make the 3D printed part stronger.

In some cases, increasing the percentage of filling does not provide the necessary margin of safety, while increasing the wall thickness makes it possible to produce truly reliable and impact-resistant products.

Solution.

Instead of adding more infill, add more shells/walls to your prints to make them stronger.
For a functional 3D printed part requiring strength, it is recommended to use about 4-6 walls.

8. Do not use supports when necessary.

Most people try to avoid the use of auxiliary supports to save time and material, but there are times when their use is necessary.

You can try tilting the prints in a certain way and moving them around the print bed, but sooner or later there will come a point when this approach doesn't work.

Many models are specially designed not to use support for successful printing, which is very convenient.

On the other hand, some designs are too complex to print without support.

3D printers cannot print in the air and large ridges definitely need support structures to extrude the material onto.

Most often you can do without supports on 45° or lower overhangs, but for anything higher it is recommended to use supports.

This is more of a visual skill that, with time and experience, allows you to understand when models need supports and when you can do without them.

Some slicers may not show support in preview, so you'll have to judge for yourself.

Solution.

Make sure you don't avoid supports when they are needed, because in this case you will just lose overall.
Use proper part orientation to ensure that your prints use as little support material as possible.

9. Never replace worn parts.

Although the profile, power supply and stepper motors of your 3D printer are designed to last for several years, other parts are consumables.

These are parts such as belts, nozzles and bearings. Make sure you replace these parts as they wear out.

You may notice a decrease in print quality over time, and wear and tear on certain parts can definitely be the cause, so check these consumables and replace them as needed.

If you are printing with materials such as ABS, PA12, PC or glow-in-the-dark plastics, the brass nozzles wear out much faster than when printing with traditional materials.

Switching to a hardened steel nozzle is a good idea if you want to print with abrasive materials.

The disadvantage is that it does not have the same level of thermal conductivity as brass nozzles.
Here is a short list of 3D printer parts that wear out over time:

Thermal barrier;
PTFE tube;
Fans;
Wires/connectors;
Thermistors;
Belts;
Glass platforms;
Bearings;
Heating block;
Motherboard.

You can buy accessories for 3D printers in the corresponding section of our catalog.

Solution.

Be aware that some parts will not last forever, so check these parts from time to time and replace them as needed.
Make sure these components are installed to reduce wear.
Keep a set of replacement parts on hand in case they fail (nozzles, belts, wiring, PTFE tubing).
Purchase high quality parts designed for long life.

10. No 3D printing monitoring.

Whether you have a premium or budget 3D printer, any of them can fail. They can fail within the first few minutes when the first layer is not printing well, or a few hours after printing starts.

In our practice, there have been a few cases when checking our printers after a night shift, we found a mess on the work surface and the printer continued to extrude spaghetti plastic.

Monitoring is not a panacea for all problems, but with its help you can stop the process in time and avoid waste of plastic and electricity.

It is recommended to constantly monitor your 3D printers throughout the printing process to make sure everything is in order.

What we make sure to do is monitor the first coat and then come back 15 minutes later to make sure everything is going according to plan.

After that, checking the printers every hour or so is a good idea to control your prints.

Solution.

Check the 3D print from time to time to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Use the camera for remote fingerprint verification with remote power control.
Be sure to teach others how to stop your 3D printer if necessary.

11. Neglect of safety regulations in 3D printing.

Basic precautions are based on burn and fire hazards, mechanical hazards, and injury from tools or melted plastic.

The risk of fire is very rare these days because 3D printers are usually equipped with overheating protection.

Pay attention to burns from hot nozzle or print bed.

We've also heard stories of injuries from the sharp edges of the printer's scraper.

This can be easily avoided if you are careful in your actions.

Removing supports is not the most pleasant and interesting thing to do, but getting cuts or scratches when cleaning parts is even worse.

It is recommended to check the wiring, bolts, belts and all moving parts from time to time so that a potential malfunction can be detected in the future.

Connectors can sometimes fail, so be sure to check these aspects to ensure the 3D printing process runs smoothly and safely.

Solution.

Be aware of your surroundings and be safe.
Do not put your hand too close to the nozzle.
Do not keep your hand on the platen when taking the print.
Provide good ventilation.

12. Buying a bad 3D printer out of over-enthusiasm.

We are regularly contacted by clients who, on a wave of enthusiasm, bought a cheap 3D printer on Aliexpress or another market place, and this printer does not work.

Spontaneous cheap purchases do not give you time to analyze and compare 3D printer models. In other words, you are making your choice unconsciously.

People have experienced a number of problems, such as the SD card slot not working along with serious difficulties in transferring files over Wi-Fi.

Other options included poorly insulated wires, crooked frames and platforms.

Deformed threaded screws, cheap hot ends, broken parts, poor shipping packaging, poor assembly at the factory are also common when buying cheap "NoName" printers.

You may end up spending most of your time repairing, fixing poor print quality issues, and just getting frustrated with 3D printing.

If you've been one of those unlucky ones, you've probably learned to take your time buying a 3D printer.

One of the most popular manufacturers of inexpensive 3D printers around the world is Creality, and their top product Ender-3 v2.

This 3D printer has been tested many times by users around the world, and its popularity proves to be the perfect combination of price and quality.

Best 3d printer for beginners reddit

Reddit - Dive into anything

Reddit - Dive into anything

Best resin 3D printers of 2022

12 common 3D printing mistakes from easy to hard.

1. Underestimation of the importance of the first layer.

2. Do not seek help from the 3D printing communities.

3. Random entanglement of the filament.

4. Quickly assemble your 3D printer.

5. Incorrect table and nozzle height calibration.

6. Using incorrect slicer settings.

7. Using high % infill to reinforce details instead of walls/shells.

8. Do not use supports when necessary.

9. Never replace worn parts.

10. No 3D printing monitoring.

11. Neglect of safety regulations in 3D printing.

12. Buying a bad 3D printer out of over-enthusiasm.

Learn more