Looking for 3D printer recommendations

[FishieBusiness]

I'm looking for a entry level 3D printer for the wife's B-day. I like to keep it under $250.

Resin or filament?

Thanks

 

[Chris.sturgis]

Ender 3 pro is a great printer at a reasonable price. You can do some minor upgrades like upgrading the hot end and adding a glass bed and be able to print petg reliably.

 

[Cheddah93]

If you bump your budget up $29 in favor for the ender 3 s1 from microcenter for $279, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. I’m happy with the one I got with all great prints. From the research I’ve done it seems to be far superior in the ender 3 series of printers and prints petg perfectly.

 

[Duds]

If you bump your budget up $29 in favor for the ender 3 s1 from microcenter for $279, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. I’m happy with the one I got with all great prints. From the research I’ve done it seems to be far superior in the ender 3 series of printers and prints petg perfectly.

If you are a new customer you can use their coupon code and get the ender 3 pro from microcenter for $100. I saw @Skmaiden had one and I asked for his guidance in selecting a printer that’s what I’ll be going with. It’s pretty hard to pass up the ender 3 pro for $100, and then it can be upgraded. You can upgrade it to have the same/similar features as a 3 s1 or even s1 pro depends on how much you like to tinker. There are loads of videos on YouTube comparing all the models and upgrades that can be done. And as far as ease of use my friends 11 year old son says once setup and calibrated it’s the click of a button lol. At least for premade files that can be found online at places like thingiverse. Good luck!

Edit: petg is what most use for underwater applications and pla for out of water use seems to be the goto for printing.

 

[SteveDola]

I got an ender 3 pro and we've had nothing but problems trying to level the deck. the rig is tight, square and level but when i try to adjust the deck it doesnt work and will have some areas (on the test) perform as intended while other areas will be too loose and not hit mat while another corner is guaged. Im not sure if its user error or defective device. The deck came all assembled and we followed the instructions and video to a "T". My son and I are very disappointed and are at a loss. We've reached out to people but nothing besides you need to find the sweet spot was provided as advice. Might just send it back. :-(

 

[Duds]

I got an ender 3 pro and we've had nothing but problems trying to level the deck. the rig is tight, square and level but when i try to adjust the deck it doesnt work and will have some areas (on the test) perform as intended while other areas will be too loose and not hit mat while another corner is guaged. Im not sure if its user error or defective device. The deck came all assembled and we followed the instructions and video to a "T". My son and I are very disappointed and are at a loss. We've reached out to people but nothing besides you need to find the sweet spot was provided as advice. Might just send it back. :-(

Well that’s disheartening, did you order online or buy in store? Maybe something was damaged during shipping or something or defective like you said. I didn’t pick mine up yet so can’t be of any first hand help yet.

A friend of mine has one and he said the preprogrammed files wouldn’t work on his but if he used a file from online they worked fine. However I’m not sure if your even at that point like I said no first hand experience yet just thought I’d share what I’ve heard. Sorry to hear your problems hope you figure it out or someone knows how to help!

 

[Cheddah93]

If you are a new customer you can use their coupon code and get the ender 3 pro from microcenter for $100. I saw @Skmaiden had one and I asked for his guidance in selecting a printer that’s what I’ll be going with. It’s pretty hard to pass up the ender 3 pro for $100, and then it can be upgraded. You can upgrade it to have the same/similar features as a 3 s1 or even s1 pro depends on how much you like to tinker. There are loads of videos on YouTube comparing all the models and upgrades that can be done. And as far as ease of use my friends 11 year old son says once setup and calibrated it’s the click of a button lol. At least for premade files that can be found online at places like thingiverse. Good luck!

Edit: petg is what most use for underwater applications and pla for out of water use seems to be the goto for printing.

I thought the same thing but by the time you buy the direct drive extruder, auto level compensation, pei print sheet bed, silent motherboard ect. You’ll be at roughly the same price point and less noisy unit, less tinkering right off the bat and be printing within 20mins from box to assembly.

Even after buying the s1 there’s room for tinkering like ive done including installing s1 pro hot end, light bar, and installing sonic pad with klipper firmware which allows 2-5x print times, so it’ll still allow room for growth at a reasonable cost and starting point.

 

[Duds]

I thought the same thing but by the time you buy the direct drive extruder, auto level compensation, pei print sheet bed, silent motherboard ect. You’ll be at roughly the same price point and less noisy unit, less tinkering right off the bat and be printing within 20mins from box to assembly.

Even after buying the s1 there’s room for tinkering like ive done including installing s1 pro hot end, light bar, and installing sonic pad with klipper firmware which allows 2-5x print times, so it’ll still allow room for growth at a reasonable cost and starting point.

That was all mentioned to me but I feel it’s hard to pass on $100 for a 3d printer that has great reviews lol. But those are great points and I’ve been reading about the sonic pad how do you like it? How has your overall experience been with the s1? Easy setup and go?

I still haven’t pulled the trigger on one yet so who knows what I’ll walk out with at microcenter lol.

 

[dilligaf29]

where do i find the new customer coupon code @Duds

 

[Duds]

where do i find the new customer coupon code @Duds

https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/specialoffer3dprintertxt.aspx?web=EMAIL+OPT+IN here you go I couldn’t find it myself skmaiden had to send it to me lol

 

[dilligaf29]

https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/specialoffer3dprintertxt.aspx?web=EMAIL+OPT+IN here you go I couldn’t find it myself skmaiden had to send it to me lol

ty

 

[Skmaiden]

If you bump your budget up $29 in favor for the ender 3 s1 from microcenter for $279, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. I’m happy with the one I got with all great prints. From the research I’ve done it seems to be far superior in the ender 3 series of printers and prints petg perfectly.

Agree with this. Probably your best option for your budget. $279 is the current sale price, $399 is regular.

However, if you're not certain how much you'll like 3D printing and modeling, an Ender 3 pro ($100 with Microcenter Coupon) with $20 in upgrades (aluminum extruder, bed springs, and Capricorn Bowden tube) is all you need to get started.

IMO you need to treat the Ender 3 Pro as a "starter printer" then upgrade to something better eventually if you enjoy 3D printing. If you're planning to jump in with 2 feet confident you'll like 3D printing, then just bite the bullet and spend $3-500 on a better stock printer vs. an older budget model with a sh** ton of upgrades.

 

[new2saltyfish]

I got an ender 3 pro and we've had nothing but problems trying to level the deck. the rig is tight, square and level but when i try to adjust the deck it doesnt work and will have some areas (on the test) perform as intended while other areas will be too loose and not hit mat while another corner is guaged. Im not sure if its user error or defective device. The deck came all assembled and we followed the instructions and video to a "T". My son and I are very disappointed and are at a loss. We've reached out to people but nothing besides you need to find the sweet spot was provided as advice. Might just send it back. :-(

Do you have the BL touch upgrade?

 

[coralfishreef]

That was all mentioned to me but I feel it’s hard to pass on $100 for a 3d printer that has great reviews lol. But those are great points and I’ve been reading about the sonic pad how do you like it? How has your overall experience been with the s1? Easy setup and go?

I still haven’t pulled the trigger on one yet so who knows what I’ll walk out with at microcenter lol.

I picked up an Ender 3 v2 a couple years ago. It was used for about a month or two before it was retired to the land of forgotten toys.

This is not to discourage anyone. This is just my experience.

PLA prints are easy, but 3D printing with PETG has been very frustrating. Partly, because the printer is in the cold basement, but partly for other reasons.

For the basement, I’ll have to buy or make an enclosure for heat retention along with upgrading the hot end. I’ll, also need to DIY an exhaust fan to the outside because the other half has breathing problems anytime I print because of the fumes.

Despite reading the instructions and watching all the YouTube videos, leveling the bed is frustrating and in the end I spent more $ on upgrading the bed, springs, and an auto leveler. The auto leveler mostly fixed the leveling problem. All is well. No, not all is well. For this hobby, PETG is needed, and with PETG all the fun goes out the door.

Each time a PETG print is attempted, it’s at least 5-10 minutes of time. Clean the bed, clean the nozzle, check bed level, add glue or hair spray, wait for temperature, run print, print fails, repeat pre-steps, print works, check back in an hour, print fails, repeat pre-steps, adjust, check back in a couple hours, print fails, repeat pre-steps. 4 hours later the print is still going. Wake up the next day and the print failed, try again.

Despite all of this, it feels great to eventually get a good print. If you’re willing to learn and enjoy tinkering, 3D printing may be okay for you. If you’re not just printing PETG, then I’d say at very least get an auto leveler and to have fun.

 

[Chris.sturgis]

I got an ender 3 pro and we've had nothing but problems trying to level the deck. the rig is tight, square and level but when i try to adjust the deck it doesnt work and will have some areas (on the test) perform as intended while other areas will be too loose and not hit mat while another corner is guaged. Im not sure if its user error or defective device. The deck came all assembled and we followed the instructions and video to a "T". My son and I are very disappointed and are at a loss. We've reached out to people but nothing besides you need to find the sweet spot was provided as advice. Might just send it back. :-(

I would recommend trying this method in the video. I had tried a bl touch sensor and had nothing but problems but Cheps videos have been very helpful.

 

[Cheddah93]

That was all mentioned to me but I feel it’s hard to pass on $100 for a 3d printer that has great reviews lol. But those are great points and I’ve been reading about the sonic pad how do you like it? How has your overall experience been with the s1? Easy setup and go?

I still haven’t pulled the trigger on one yet so who knows what I’ll walk out with at microcenter lol.

Ive been very happy with it. Haven’t had a single adhesion issue which a lot of people complain about. Prints petg perfectly fine, does have small boogers here and there sometimes or small stringyness aswell which easily pop off but and doesn’t compromise print quality. Of which if I play with the tuning of the machine a little more I’m sure I could perfect, but prints are close enough for me.

I’ve also noticed since I’ve started making sure my petg was dry(using a dryer to bake it of course) the quality has gone up and those have decreased, as petg is hydroscopic and will absorb moisture in the air… PLA not so much and haven’t had any issues there.

Overall has been a good experience for me and good first printer to get my feet wet and I did entertain the idea of the $100 pro at first because of price point but didn’t wanna deal with the potential headaches and get discouraged which I’m glad I went with the s1. Basically have a s1 pro at this point with the upgrades I have done, but at a much cheaper price point by buying it at sale price from microcenter, then buying the upgraded pieces here and there on Amazon. and even faster print time with the sonic pad.

If you’re thinking about the sonic pad I would wait till a little bit after getting the printer going and wait till you’re a little more comfortable with the programming and everything, as well as make sure you’re up to the task of understanding klipper and little deeper into the adjustment side of things. Klipper firmware can be a pain here and there but overall is a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[Duds]

Ive been very happy with it. Haven’t had a single adhesion issue which a lot of people complain about. Prints petg perfectly fine, does have small boogers here and there sometimes or small stringyness aswell which easily pop off but and doesn’t compromise print quality. Of which if I play with the tuning of the machine a little more I’m sure I could perfect, but prints are close enough for me.

I’ve also noticed since I’ve started making sure my petg was dry(using a dryer to bake it of course) the quality has gone up and those have decreased, as petg is hydroscopic and will absorb moisture in the air… PLA not so much and haven’t had any issues there.

Overall has been a good experience for me and good first printer to get my feet wet and I did entertain the idea of the $100 pro at first because of price point but didn’t wanna deal with the potential headaches and get discouraged which I’m glad I went with the s1. Basically have a s1 pro at this point with the upgrades I have done, but at a much cheaper price point by buying it at sale price from microcenter, then buying the upgraded pieces here and there on Amazon. and even faster print time with the sonic pad.

If you’re thinking about the sonic pad I would wait till a little bit after getting the printer going and wait till you’re a little more comfortable with the programming and everything, as well as make sure you’re up to the task of understanding klipper and little deeper into the adjustment side of things. Klipper firmware can be a pain here and there but overall is a worthwhile upgrade.

Awesome thank you very much that’s really helpful!

 

[Duds]

I picked up an Ender 3 v2 a couple years ago. It was used for about a month or two before it was retired to the land of forgotten toys.

This is not to discourage anyone. This is just my experience.

PLA prints are easy, but 3D printing with PETG has been very frustrating. Partly, because the printer is in the cold basement, but partly for other reasons.

For the basement, I’ll have to buy or make an enclosure for heat retention along with upgrading the hot end. I’ll, also need to DIY an exhaust fan to the outside because the other half has breathing problems anytime I print because of the fumes.

Despite reading the instructions and watching all the YouTube videos, leveling the bed is frustrating and in the end I spent more $ on upgrading the bed, springs, and an auto leveler. The auto leveler mostly fixed the leveling problem. All is well. No, not all is well. For this hobby, PETG is needed, and with PETG all the fun goes out the door.

Each time a PETG print is attempted, it’s at least 5-10 minutes of time. Clean the bed, clean the nozzle, check bed level, add glue or hair spray, wait for temperature, run print, print fails, repeat pre-steps, print works, check back in an hour, print fails, repeat pre-steps, adjust, check back in a couple hours, print fails, repeat pre-steps. 4 hours later the print is still going. Wake up the next day and the print failed, try again.

Despite all of this, it feels great to eventually get a good print. If you’re willing to learn and enjoy tinkering, 3D printing may be okay for you. If you’re not just printing PETG, then I’d say at very least get an auto leveler and to have fun.

Thank you for the feedback!! Seems like an s1 is the way to go for ease of use out the box!

 

[SteveDola]

Just to follow-up with my experience.
After a few hours of research and help from some videos posted here I was able to determine my heated bed was defective. The threaded rods on the heat deck were not secure and it made it impossible to level the bed with any certaincy. Found a video and recommendation to buy new springs , lock nuts and glass bed plate for the brand new device. Well after a easy installation and some time we got he Ender 3pro calibrated, dialed in and printing! My son is estatic and already has like 4 plans of things to print. Did the first print last night of a Vader figure. IT came out good too! Thanks again for the nudges in the right direction and to the YT creators that have spending endless hours creating content for hobbiest. Its kinda crazy I had to spend an extra 40 bucks for replacement parts but Im glad I did (well worth it).

 

[bdaley]