Seeking advice on purchasing first 3D Printer

[Jimmy]

I am looking for advice on purchasing my first 3D printer. I have never used one. My budget is under $2,000.

Thanks

 

[GiGaBiTe]

I'd recommend a Creality Ender 3 if you're just getting into printing. They're around $230 from all of the usual online retailers.

 

[Jimmy]

Thank you, I have a Grandson who is interested in learning to use one and I thought it is something we can do together.

 

[ldkraemer]

While the Filament printers are Nice, the Resin Printers produce a better quality product. They are a bit messy, but it
worth the mess for the finished product. There are several different kinds of Resin's available.

Photon & Photon "S" seem to work very well.

Larry

 

[Jimmy]

Thank you guys for the advice.

 

[Exceter]

Get a Prusa: https://www.prusa3d.com/original-prusa-i3-mk3/

You will not regret getting one. I've had mine running for weeks at a time without issue. You can easily find cheaper printers but you WILL spend time tinkering on them.

 

[Quagmire]

Get a Prusa: https://www.prusa3d.com/original-prusa-i3-mk3/

You will not regret getting one. I've had mine running for weeks at a time without issue. You can easily find cheaper printers but you WILL spend time tinkering on them.

Just curious - what do filaments cost?

 

[Exceter]

They sell filament but you don't have to buy it from them. It works with any 1.75mm filament you can buy anywhere on the internet. I usually buy 1kg(2.2lbs) spools for $20-25 USD.

 

[gekaufman]

Another vote for a Prusa MK3S. I've had other printers previously which were frustrating and had mediocre print quality at best.
The Prusa is worth the extra cost. Very well supported, and great print quality.

 

[GiGaBiTe]

While the Filament printers are Nice, the Resin Printers produce a better quality product. They are a bit messy, but it
worth the mess for the finished product. There are several different kinds of Resin's available.

Photon & Photon "S" seem to work very well.

Larry

Resin isn't something I'd recommend for a beginner. Many of the resins available are toxic and require special handling. The printer also needs to be in a well ventilated environment while loaded with resin and printing because of the fumes.

 

[tingo]

I second (ok, third then) the vote for the Prusa i3 MK3S - our makerspace have eight of them, being used by everyone (beginners and experienced users alike) and they are workhorses - we have very little trouble with them. They mostly print PLA and PETG, but also flexible filament (Ninjaflex).

 

[luckybob]

I'm VERY happy with my Ender 5 pro. got a good deal on Amazon. and i've spent another $100 in yard trimmer line already after a month. I got the ender 5 because it is a square box. How stable is a table with 2 legs? Not very. So having 4 sides makes the whole thing nice and rigid. The things i've printed out have come out perfect, so long as I remember to check the bed leveling every time. But I think that's an annoyance most printers <$500 have. The only thing I can complain about the ender 5, is the bed can wiggle if you print at the far end. But that was solved with a 3d printed "support arm" on Thingiverse.

I'd buy this again, in a heartbeat.

I literally just finished printing out a drive sled and power button for a quadra 700, 3 faceplates for my ibm 95, and 2 floppy faceplates for my model 80. I need to make some plastic supports for my Kaypro, and some fan size adapters.

These printers are fun as hell. And honestly, as long as you aren't buying the cheaper printers, you will do fine. If you take away only one thing, Get a popular printer. Its popular for a reason, and if you have issues, there will be more people to help.

I like this guy's videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxFLkqD6QTU

 

[Jimmy]

Thank everyone for the advice, my 16 year old Grandson will be using it, so I want something safe.