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I’m planning to buy a 3D printer.
Any recommendations from the 3D printing community and experts on which one to go for as a beginner.
@itskanishkp BambuLab has *issues* with their proprietary shenanigans. Check other corners of the internet to decide how important that is to you.
As a 3D beginner myself, the BambuLab A1 has been brilliant. Everything has worked perfectly with no tinkering or tweaking required. Very impressed with the print quality.
@AuntyRed Hey, thanks for the recommendation, but it's bit out of my budget ( ~$280 ). My main goal is hobby projects & building useful stuff with my electronics hardware. I checked out the Creality Ender 3, and it fits my budget.
LMK what's your thoughts on it.
@itskanishkp highly depends on what you are looking for:
- part size
- print quality/ details
- your intents: tinkering/ production use
- materials: PLA is easy to print. PETG or ABS need an enclosed chassis
Print Bed:
- most come with heated beds, what is good
- Glas ist good for PLA but sticks to hard on PETG
- Auto leveling makes your life way easier
@hnico21 Hey, I'm specifically looking for one with an open platform when I can tinker and learn and more preferably an open hardware ( with Open Source Software support ), My main goal is hobby projects & building useful stuff with my electronics hardware. My budget is ~$280. and about all these things you mentioned sorry I'm beginner, I don't know a lot about them, and thanks I'll research on all these.
@itskanishkp ender3 V2 hast a huge community and is good start. Ender V2 neo has auto-leveling which you don't need but can worth it.
@itskanishkp
I think received wisdom is that Bambulab "just works", then Prusa, and most of the others are tinkerers printers. But Bambulab is trying to emulate Apple's walled garden, which is against the open source philosophy of everyone else in 3D printing. Buy a Prusa.
@FeNi Hey thanks for mentioning it, and it's a biggest deal breaker for me for Bambulab. I prefer an open platform when I can tinker and learn and more preferably an open hardware ( with Open Source Software support ), My main goal is hobby projects & building useful stuff with my electronics hardware. My budget is ~$280. and Prusa is way out of my budget. and other recommendation apart from Prusa.
Depending on your budget
There is also a Plus version of the SV06 ACE for a little bit more that has a large build volume
Elegoo is also another good affordable brand
@itskanishkp If you can afford it, a Prusa will treat you well and last for years and years.
Avoid Bambu.
@RichiH Hey thanks, for sure I'll never go for Bambu as they does not have a FLOSS support. but Prusa is way out of my budget (which is ~$280 ) any other recommendations apart from Prusa. I checked out the Creality Ender 3, and it fits my budget. and mainly I prefer an open platform when I can tinker and learn and more preferably an open hardware ( with Open Source Software support ).
@itskanishkp a friend of mine got his Core ONE two weeks ago and sold his Mk3s for 250€. As more people get their Core ONE, maybe eBay etc are a good place to look?
@itskanishkp I hear OK stuff about Sovol as well. RatRig seems good, but expensive.
I'd avoid e.g. elegoo as they are too new in the FDM and the core xy business.
@itskanishkp the #prusa you can afford and overture filament
@OnceUponAGoblin @itskanishkp Same here. If you can go with the Prusa Core One, go for it, if you can with the Prusa Mini, the Mini.
@txo_elurmaluta @OnceUponAGoblin @itskanishkp Depending on where you’re based, I’m going to sell a Prusa MK4S in an official enclosure that’s entirely ABS or PCCF, so it handles high temperatures like a dream. (I’m in Copenhagen, Denmark)
@teotwaki @txo_elurmaluta @itskanishkp not trying to damage the business, but what a beginner needs is a new prusa kit to learn the inside out of his new machine
@OnceUponAGoblin @teotwaki @txo_elurmaluta Sorry prusa is way out of my budget (~$280 ) 
. Any other recommendation apart from it would be really helpful.
@itskanishkp @teotwaki @txo_elurmaluta im sure there’s a 3d printer for that budget, but keep in mind you’ll be buying both a printer and a lot of headaches. I don't mean to discourage, but it's something I learned the hard way. When it's not a good and reliable brand, we end up working for the printer instead of the printer working for us.
@itskanishkp +1 to all the recommendations of Sovol and Prusa
@itskanishkp
Well... Elegoo just releàsed a printer that can even print carbon fibre, at $299 USD, which... The closest competitor would be the $1100 Bambu Labs X1C. As a beginner, I preordered one....
@Ironraptor @itskanishkp software and firmware support will be your problem in a few years.
@RichiH
I mean. That is true. But you're talking about a beginner machine , with a 256x256x256mm print volume.
Plus, if the person ends up NOT diving into the 3D Printing hobby, it's less of a loss than say buying a Prussia Core One.
The key thing to remember, we're BEGINNERS.
@itskanishkp
@Ironraptor @itskanishkp to me, that's a good argument to get something that works reliably -- not something that's still a preorder and a first for the manufacturer. In particular given the relative resell value.
But you do you; I'm not trying to convince you given that you already formed an opinion.
@RichiH
I don't think firmware/slicer support will be an issue. I bet the Centauri will fly of the shelves at this price and thus will have many people that want mainline klipper/Linux on it. Also happened to the Neptune 4, the predecessor. I'd definitely do with the Elegoo Centauri here.
@Ironraptor @itskanishkp
@itskanishkp I've had some cheap clones in the past but currently running an Elegoo Neptune 3 which I've been very happy with. I've a mate with one and they've been happy as well. Just works :)
@itskanishkp for beginners, if you are looking for a filament printer, a BambuLab A1Mini is perfect. If you are into cosplay start with its bigger brother, the A1. Get the AMS if you can, it allows for 4 color printing.
These printers do all calibration automatically, which means you can focus on your projects, not the printer. The software is quite intuitive as well.
@itskanishkp There's such a huge range it might be hard for folk to know what level of beginner you might be.
Depending on your budget and tinker level you could probably narrow things down too.
I don't currently have a working printer but I would be very tempted to grab a Qidi Plus 4 if I was buying right now. It's a nice looking machine and the reviews seem positive. It's also (relatively) cheap.
@itskanishkp @Workshopshed The new Elegoo Centauri Carbon might be interesting. It’s basically a BambuLab X1/P1S clone. It seems it prints good quality and also straight out the box. And you won’t have to deal with BambuLabs recent weird drm choices.
@itskanishkp it depends. Do you want to learn the intricacies of the machines, making printing the hobby, or do you just want to print as a tool? If the latter, bambu are nearly idiot proof. If the former, more open source and cheaper printers are the way to go.
I've one of each. A creality cr10 that requires a lot of manual work, and a bambu p1s that... just works. #3dprinting @3Dprinting
I'm a Maker Librarian. Your 3D printer purchase depends on budget and such, but we got Prusa MK4S machines and they're fantastic. We selected them because, even though they're comparatively expensive, Prusa has an extraordinary track record for long term support. If you are interested in having a machine for a decade, Prusa seems like the best bet. Otherwise, a lot of colleagues have had success with Bambu machines. They're cheaper, but not as easy to repair or upgrade, afaik.