Experience the Ultimate 3-D Printing Technology
What would you make if you could build anything you wanted? Sure, it sounds surreal, but 3D printers are in fact real. In the past few years, it’s been used to produce everything you could dream of including gadgets, toys, jewellery, food, and body parts.
Important Announcement: In light of the current situation in the world, 3D printers are selling really fast because people are using them to create PPE (personal protective equipment). We are doing our best to ensure the products we review are absolutely top notch in terms of their quality and price and, of course, in stock.
What is 3-D printing?
Good question. 3-D printing also goes by the name “additive printing”. It takes a three dimensional digital model and then prints a physical object by adding thin layers of material one by one. In contrast to all in one printers, initially 3D printing was highly specialized tech used to manufacture complex parts at a fraction of the normal cost. Now this mind-bending technology is available to anyone.
How do I buy a 3D printer?
As you can imagine, there are A LOT of 3D printers on the market. Models vary on price, build and size. Some machines can handle hard materials like metal while others cannot.
Our team reviewed the best 3D printers of the year:
1) Comgrow Creality Ender 3
Overview
There’s a lot of things we like about the Comgrow Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D printer. Despite being a pro 3D printer, it’s easy to use, reliable and sturdy. That makes it ideal for beginners and professionals alike.
What We Like
It offers a print area of around 11in x 11in x 10in, which is larger than most comparable models. You’ll definitely get value for money by being able to make lots of small prints or one very large print instantaneously. The next great thing about this 3D printer is that it comes with open source software. It means you never have to pay for software or upgrades (!). That’s important to avoid those creeping costs… It’s also got decent speed so you can do mass-printing in a jiffy. The machine is built from a mix of aluminum and metal parts so this is a sturdy machine that will print at full throttle. This makes the Comgrow ideal for modern school environments where students can have fun making their own prototypes.
What Needs Improving
This is a big machine so you’ll need to have ample space in your home or garage to operate it properly. Be prepared to do some DIY assembly on arrival.
2) NOVA3D Bene4 LCD 3D Printer
Overview
First things first: We love the white, futuristic design of this 3D printer from NOVA3D. As with the Lulzbot, this printer is solid. The frame is constructed from steel and cast aluminum parts that are perfect to withstand heavy use. It comes with a very handy LCD screen that allows all your printing to be easily programmable.
What We Like
The machine is ready to use straight out of the box so you don’t have to mess around like with IKEA furniture. Once the machine is set up, we would even go so far as to say that this machine feels sturdier than the Lulzbot. We see the difference when we go to print. The print bed on this machine is secured by four points. That makes it easy to level and you don’t have to do any manual z-compensation or “auto-leveling” to get a good result. Similarly to the Lulzbot, the NOVA3D offers open-source software. This is a big win because it gives you much more creative freedom. You should still take the time to learn the machine inside out and to get your settings tuned up just right.
What Needs Improving
If we were to nitpick, the fans could be more effective. So, if your room isn’t ventilated, you’ll get a little hot.
3) ANYCUBIC Photon UV LCD 3D Printer
Overview
Work in a school or looking for a compact 3D-printer to have fun with in your garage? Our best budget choice is this Anycubic 3D printer. Coming in at a bargain price, this 3D printer is amazing value for no-fuss printing.
What We Like
Let’s start with the unboxing and assembly. This 3D printer comes almost ready built, which is a sigh of relief. It only takes 15-20 minutes to get everything connected up and calibrated. Each component feels sturdy, including durable glass and an aluminum plate. Speaking of the printing process, the Anycubic feels sturdy enough that it doesn’t require constant babysitting. You can leave it to do it’s thing, while you catch a break. Everything is completed equally as fast as the high end models.
What Needs Improving
This is a relatively basic 3D printer. It’s ideal for anyone who is getting into 3D printing or simply loves experimenting with designs. It would be great for school pupils, for example. The leveling of the printing bed is a little off at times and requires manual correction, but this is infrequent and doesn’t detract from the overall quality.
4) FlashForge 3D Printer Creator Pro
Overview
Another great mid-range 3D printer, the Flashforge doesn’t disappoint. Encased in a strong metal frame, this 3D printer comes with a warp-resistant aluminum bed that performs well under almost all conditions.
What We Like
Right away you can tell the quality of this 3D printer. The company, Flashforge, have released multiple models but this one stands out for its fair price and upgraded features. There is an LCD screen at the front, which is very easy navigate. There is also an SD card slot, which makes importing designs a breeze. Moreover, printing from an SD card is much more secure as you won’t have to worry about your computer crashing mid-print! The printing process is controlled by a strong guide rod (z-axis), which ensures accurate movement. The print bed is lit up with LED lights, which is not only highly practical but makes the machine look ultra modern.
What Needs Improving
Patience is required as this printer can take a couple of hours to complete one cycle, so it’s not the fastest machine you can buy. However, for the quality, this certainly isn’t a deal breaker.
5) QIDI Technology 3D Printer
Overview
Next is a super slick, well-priced, 3D printer from popular brand QIDI. The quality of the printer is outstanding, with hard-wearing materials used throughout. This 3D printer can be used to produce anything from complex designs to practical homeware.
What We Like
The QIDI has a lot of the same features that you’d expect to find in an exclusive professional-grade 3D printer. This is a flagship model that has been completely re-designed. As a result, you get a higher 12mm axis that gives better control over the print. The printing plate is made out of metal (not cheap plastic!), and is removable, which makes extracting your final product much easier. The heating bed works flawlessly and is made out of top quality CNC machined aluminum. As with most other brands, you can use ABS and PLA filaments. Finally, the 5” touchscreen and QIDI Tech 3D printer software work without a glitch and are quick to learn.
What Needs Improving
There is only one fault to pick with this highly efficient model. It is on the noisier end of 3D printers we’ve tried. Nevertheless, this quality printer is an easy recommendation.
Did you know? Even NASA are big fans of 3D printing and use it to build unique parts for the International Space Station (ISS)!
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