Which Printer is Right for You?

This is the #1 question I am often asked: Which printer is the best one and will work best for me? The truth is, there are many factors and it will come down to a few things before you can decide: Budget, Speed, and Build Size

So I will take a look at those three major factors that go into 3D printing and give options that in my opinion go well together for the prices they are. Let's get into it. I will not go over the printers that are over $600 simply because if you are starting out, I really wouldn't recommend putting a ton of money into the high end ones without knowing the basics. There is one printer I will get into that will be at the border of 600 that will do everything you need.

UNDER $300

1. Ender 3 PRO/ Ender 3 v2 $80 - $270 ($80 being historical lows during sales)

So I've categorized these two under one because they are fairly similar in what they have to offer. Now both printers WILL give you issues; this is true for all printers, but in my experience, these are more common in the two enders listed. So why would I recommend the Pro/v2 if they are going to have issues down the road? It's pretty simple. Most beginner printers will have issues, but the upside to these two is that they are so popular that any issues you come across, odds are finding an answer and solution will be readily available. The build size is not massive, sitting around 200mm x 200mm by 200mm (v2) but you can definitely pull off some nice prints when everything is working together nicely.

2. Biqu B1 - $299

The B1 was actually very impressive. I grabbed one on sale for $150 and they do drop to this price often. The build features a nice ambient light above the nozzle to keep an eye on your print if in a dark area/room, and a nice touch feature on the screen. I never had many issues with this printer other than the obvious part replacements when they get old, which they tend to do. Very nice starter for enthusiasts.

There are a high number of 3D printers under $300 but I only speak on the ones I have personally dealt with rather than parrot what you find online. But the ones listed above are in my opinion, very solid entry levels to get you going.

$300-$600

1. Ender 5 Plus - $499

The Ender 5 plus can cost $599 but most of the time I have seen it, the retail value is $400 to $579. This big guy is a slow printer, but boy does it make your life easier. You can print cosplay sized props and costumes on any printer, even the tiniest ones, but you will spend A LOT of time slicing, cutting, and putting together pieces as you have to print in pieces. The Ender 5 Plus cuts out that middle man. With a giant bed volume of 350mm x 350mm x 400mm you can print helmets, prop weapons and décor. Now you wouldn't be able to print a full sword, but you can definitely break it down into a minimal number of pieces. Bed leveling is the biggest issue I have had with the 5 plus. The tightening wheels often come off and I find myself having to readjust and relevel the bed every 15 prints or so depending on the size.

2. Bamu Lab P1P - $599

Boy oh boy. This guy has been my Cadillac of printers. I have owned quite a few printers in my printing life, and this one is miles ahead of the rest. If you ever wanted to get into the 3D print world, but not wanting to deal with the tinkering, constant maintenance and upkeep, this is the one for you. The price point is on the cusp of moving to the next tier, but every single penny is worth it. Since I have had it, my process with the P1P and starting a print goes like this: 1. Find the file I want. 2. Load it into Bambu Studio slicer (Bambu Lab's default slicer). 3. Print and walk away. 4. Grab your print off the bed.

Now I won't say this printer has never had a failed print, but the ones that did were more user error on my end and not the fault of the printer. Setup from box opening to printing is about 15-20 minutes. Now the speed, this is the real feature that makes the price point worth it. Put it like this: the time to print something on the Ender 3 Pro that would take say 15 hours, would take 4-5 on the P1P. It is insane how well they got this one. Now if I had to nitpick, I would put it on Bambu's software. Trying to slice a print in Bambu Studio often freezes and crashes. When it finally does work, then it does wonders for the P1P.

All in all, it comes down to what you want out of your printer. They will all need maintenance as they are all machines with moving parts, but some are just built better than others. If I had to choose which one I would keep then it would have to be the Bambu P1P. Now what if you were willing to get something higher priced with a high speed like the P1P? You have some nice options. And I will talk about the ones I have personally used in the next blog. Happy printing.