3D Printer - What To Look For?

Community General Discussions
1

So I've been doing a bit of looking around, as a 3D printer might be on the cards for purchase soon.

To save myself a many hundred dollar mistake... can anyone recommend what to look for in a printer? Kit construction is fine, but I'm also seeing some $600 - $1000 dollar ones on eBay that look pretty good for a first time printer.

Main applications would be small custom parts for robotics.

Thanks for any opinions.

2

DaVinci

I’ve been looking around at them too, the prices are dropping steadily. One interesting option that came on the market recently is the Da Vinci printer, you can buy it on Amazon for US $500 and the reviews seem mostly positive. Up from there I think I would go for the Makerbot Replicator Mini at about $1400. I got a free sample of a printed object by requesting on their website, and its pretty good.

3

I have used the MakerBot

I have used the MakerBot Replicators 2 and 2x a lot and they are really high end home 3D printers. However if budget is an issue, I suggest you check http://printm3d.com/themicro/ out. It costs $350.

4

I have a printrbot simple

I have a printrbot simple (maker edition, wood frame), and I am very very happy with it.

it is my first 3d printer, i thought I will not to spend too much money until I know to use it properly, now the same edition of mine is $349, UNBEATABLE !

Actually my knowledgement of 3d printing is better about fine settings and softawres requirements, I can do very good precision printing and I enjoy to sketching, 3d drawing with sketchup, printing and troubleshooting my design.

I strongly recommend printrbot for beginner, its cheap (for a little more expense you can have a metal construction with auto-levelling bed), printrbot website has a good users forum, the printer is fully upgradable for bigger printing with cheap upgrade kit.

le site de printrbot is here http://printrbot.com/product-category/3d-printers/

 

Note:

Before you want buy a car, you know what you are going to do with: a pickup if you nedd to carry some material, a van if you want protected storage space, a bus if you plan to have ton of childrens, or may be a sport car if you want a lot of tickets, a convertible if you want show-off, but on the end, you are the driver.