3D Printers - Which one to buy?

Guys,

I'm looking to buy a 3d printer.

I'd like to buy one new, from Amazon.

(unless a GRM'er has a deal... I just don't trust the general population for buying something like this used.)

I don't want to miss out on buying the right printer by not know what the options really mean to me.

I don't want to spend over $500, but it doesn't have to be $150 either.

I think I am most focused on precision and as few printing artifacts as possible.

I would also like a larger format.

I don't think speed is a huge concern to me.

What other things should I consider?

Brands, quality, open source interoperability ...???

Your personal experiences?

Thanks a lot!!

FYI this is 60% for my son and 40% for me.

I am also interested in 3d scanning in the future so if that influences the printer choice, chime in....

Also, what about Multicolor?

I'm interested in this thread, as I'm in the market for an upgrade. 

What CAD/CAM software are you using for your designs? 

Generally, your options at the low end are Ender 3 ($150) or Prusa ($800).

For your first printer, I'd buy an Ender to learn the ropes. After you've used it for a few months, sell it on Marketplace for what you've paid and then shop for your dream printer--you'll have a long list of wants/needs/desires by then. 

Oh, and this might be useful. FWIW, I eventually moved from an Ender 3 to a Fusion3 F410. 
 

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/crash-course-3d-printing-making-stuff-part-2/

Came from an Ender 3, now have a Bambu Labs P1P, and I freaking love it. It came out late last year to rave reviews. I recently got an upgrade kit to update it to the P1S, which will give me a better hotend and sides to enclose it, making it more capable for materials like ABS and ASA. I've mostly done PLA so far because it's fast and easy, but I did use ASA to make a phone holder for the Mustang because it's more temperature-stable. I had some trouble with bed adhesion, hence the upgrade kit. They also make a multi-color feeding system thingy that goes on top if you want, but I haven't had a need for that.

My son has a Prusa MK3 that he loves and has been using for 2 years. This thing almost runs 24/7 as he sells as bunch of parts he makes. 

Last year he complimented it with an Elegoo SLA printer. Now that printer's accuracy/definition is INSANE. Prints really good parts, and my understanding is that its like ABS. You need a washer too for this one. 

BTW, he uses Fusion 360 for his 3d designs. 

$500 is kind of a weird spot in the market as others have pointed out the $150-200 ender 3 is a great starting point. They run well but often need fiddling and maintenance to continue to do so. They are very tempting to mod but run best at near stock configuration and from what I've heard the newest version is quite dialed. My FIL just got an Ender 3 V3 to compliment is V2 and absolutely loves it. The features per dollar on the V3 is pretty crazy. 
Bambu Labs P1 series I have not heard a bad thing about. A little higher than your budget cap at around $600 but you can also add multicolor printing easily down the road with the AMS system. 
As tempting as they might be stay away from the creality K1 series printers. I've been following the issues on those since they first launched and they still don't have those figured out months later. I've been printing with cheap hobbyist printers since 2014 and I wouldn't go anywhere near one of those. 

Thanks for all of the input.

I am entry level, but as I mentioned I don't need to be in the CREALITY range of products.

Thoughts on the Anycubic Kobra 2 Pro? $278 with coupon... lol.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCJLCQG4?ref=emc_p_m_5_i_atc&th=1

AFM

In reply to a_florida_man :

I can't comment on that exact one, but can tell you that "hoop" style is a lot more sensitive and gets off balance more than the "cube" style. Like others have posted, most start cheap, then end up upgrading at some point. That $278 one will be worth $100 in 3 months when you decide to upgrade, so just spend the money now. Just like you, no one wants used ones. 

My Daughter had the Ender 3, and 3 months later got the Bambu Lab P1P. That's been running non stop for 6 months now with 0 issues. Spend the $599 now and be done with it, it's cheaper than $278 now and $599 in 6 months :)

In reply to Steve_Jones :

This is the way. I wish I had spent the $700 5 years ago on a Prusa MK3S. I'm stringing my first gen Ender3s along until I can pull the trigger on a BambuLabs X1C or whatever their next gen offering is. 

Bambu or Prusa is what you want.  I wouldn't waste time on the ender.  Creality K1 might be an option also.

I finally moved from an Ender 3 to a P1S with AMS.

we have 3 X1C at work, some closing on 1000 hours and they are good machines.

How are the more expensive ones better  ( $500-$700)  ?

because they print faster ?  or the resolution is better ?

or ????

Thanks for the info

In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :

Where did you find the upgrade kit? 

californiamilleghia said:

How are the more expensive ones better  ( $500-$700)  ?

because they print faster ?  or the resolution is better ?

or ????

Thanks for the info

Because its only a matter of time before you start chasing problems inherent to cheap $150 printers.

Bed leveling issues, hot ends failing, etc.

Some of more expensive ones do print significantly faster though.  The head moves X/Y and bed in moves in Z.  "Bed slingers" that move the bed in X, and the head in Y/Z have to move around the whole mass of the bed + part and that slows them down significantly.  Another disadvantage of the bed slinger style is that the footprint needs to account for double the bed size - so they actually take up more space.  My ender 3 has a larger desktop footprint than my P1s, even though the P1S has a 25% larger build in every dimension.

(I think the "Bed Slinger" = "hoop style" in Steve Jones post above.  The more expensive printers that move the head in X/Y = "cube style")

californiamilleghia said:

How are the more expensive ones better  ( $500-$700)  ?

because they print faster ?  or the resolution is better ?

or ????

Thanks for the info

Faster, more idiot-proof, need less fiddling, more capable with alternate materials, much more likely to "just work" when you press the button. They also include nice features like automatic bed leveling, wifi connectivity, and so on. The Ender 3 can be made to do all that stuff, but it's a lot of work. For instance, when I wanted to print something with mine, I had to save the STL file to a micro SD card on my computer, then take the card out, put it in the printer, then deal with the Ender's 1990s-vintage UI to find and print it. With the Bambu, I slice it and send it to the printer over wifi, then I can monitor the print on my computer or phone.

brandonsmash said:

In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :

Where did you find the upgrade kit? 

Bought it directly from Bambu: https://us.store.bambulab.com/products/p1p-enclosure-kit?variant=41253583814792

ProDarwin said:

(I think the "Bed Slinger" = "hoop style" in Steve Jones post above.  The more expensive printers that move the head in X/Y = "cube style")

 

I wasn't sure what they were called, or why, but I'd agree on your thinking.  I do know that with the first one she complained stuff would get off balance 1/2 way through and get ruined, and she was constantly watching it. After the upgrade I've heard nothing, she hits print and lets it roll overnight, etc. 

Thanks for all of the input, everyone.

I have one more criteria... and it will drive some crazy I know... I have to have it for Christmas AM.

Just a fact.

I'll take the $$ hit to have something on Christmas morning.

Also want some manner of sccuess later Christmas day... 

:)

Looks like the cube style is a good goal.

Enclosures are good for heat retention and odor control for ABS, etc.

Availability of AMS for future multicolor...

I'll dig a little more and see if there is an intersection of these thoughts that can be had in time.

Any experience with flashforge products?

In the end, I went with the Anycubic Kobra 2 Pro @ $280

That's only about $120 more than the cheapest ender 3.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

I chose this option as it was still on the cheap end, but I am expecting faster printing, easier setup and use, and higher quality print over the ender, for the extra $120 bucks.

Hopefully this will give us a positive experience and we will indeed in the end know better what matters to us in the next future purchase.

I'll update as Christmas unfolds... :)

Again, thank you all!!!

The Prusa ones are good.   I don't have one but my friend has them.  I have a couple of the Creality Ender 3 Pro machines and they're great.  

You can't go wrong with either of those.   I only paid $99 for the Ender Pro 3 machines that I have and that was a deal.   They're getting better every day. 

I had to really look at the max build size to make sure I didn't run into trouble.   

I know this ship has already sailed, but I'll leave this for other potential buyers:

I built a coreXY printer from scratch to learn about them and to make it exactly how I wanted. That was fine for its intended purpose, but it was constantly fiddled with.

That brings me to the big question for the OP: Do you want a hobby to learn about 3D printers, how they work, how to upgrade them, etc - or- do you want a tool to make stuff and not have to endlessly mess with the printer itself. If it's the former, you'll find a ton of options, including building your own. If it's the latter, you're going to have to spend more like $800-1400 for a proper "tool."

After getting tired of the printer consuming my time instead of using what it was told to make, I bought a Bambulab unit, which so far has proven to be virtually hands-off.

I was coming in here to say Anycubic. My Predator has been pretty much flawless for several years now. I had to change the hot end once because I ham-fisted it and broke it.

I bought it at the time for the huge print area.

That and it's fascinating to watch.