Buying a 3D printer

[Jacktegla]

Hi I was just wondering what you would need to get started with a 3D printer.
What would be the best 3D printer for a reasonable price ( under 300 if possible ) and what else would I have to invest in to get it up and working,
Thanks

 

[Onoff]

Have a read here:

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/3d-printing.97314/

 

[hotponyshoes]

You dont need a lot.
The 3d printer, a spool of filament and maybe a usb stick.
You then need some software to draw models (sketchup, fusion, etc) then some software to slice the model and send it to the printer (the one provided by the printer manufacturer will probably work fine)

 

[Jacktegla]

I’ve been looking at these two machines
This one new
The ended 5
Not sure of the price

And this one is second hand near me
Flashforge Dreamer 3D Printer
It’s about a year old and it’s £330 but the reviews are mixed for it

does anyone have any expertise with any of these. I want something that isn’t too complex to set up as I’ve never done this before, thanks

 

[tflnemesis]

Beware the super budget ones, they will print fairly well but they have a steep learning curve and the quality of prints will depend on a lot of tweaking and possibly upgrades.
The Creality Ender 3 is a pretty good bet for your budget. Not much assembly and should work right out the box so to speak. Has a big following so getting help is pretty easy.

 

[Jacktegla]

Beware the super budget ones, they will print fairly well but they have a steep learning curve and the quality of prints will depend on a lot of tweaking and possibly upgrades.
The Creality Ender 3 is a pretty good bet for your budget. Not much assembly and should work right out the box so to speak. Has a big following so getting help is pretty easy.

I’d there a difference between the ended 3 and 5

 

[Hopefuldave]

Most come with the slicer software to turn a 3D model (usually .stl file, stereo lithography) into GCode that the printer understands, there are free 3D CAD / modelling programs out there on t'interweb or you can spend money in various amounts to get software with support, (alleged) ease of use, better import/export filters in and out of other programs etc.
I use Slic3r for the former, works well, and TurboCAD Pro 3D for the latter, works very well (and I've barely scratched the surface) but a bit spendy if you're paying for it yourself!

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[tflnemesis]

Ender 5, Bigger build area(220x220x250 vs 220x220x300mm), twin Y axis motors (Ender 3 has single), Will be more rigid as it is a cage design ( vs T frame). Possibly upgraded electronics.

Ender 3 £210 ish
Ender 5 £350 cheapest I could find in 2 minutes.

Re: the taller build area, I am not sure how useful the extra 50mm will be as I rarely print to capacity height and the further away from the bed you get, the more problems you are likely to run into.

 

[Jacktegla]

S

Ender 5, Bigger build area(220x220x250 vs 220x220x300mm), twin Y axis motors (Ender 3 has single), Will be more rigid as it is a cage design ( vs T frame). Possibly upgraded electronics.

Ender 3 £210 ish
Ender 5 £350 cheapest I could find in 2 minutes.

So do you not think a Endor 5 is worth it for a beginner also is it a problem being the t frame over the cage is twisting and rigidity a problem

 

[tflnemesis]

Unless you want to try and print at very fast speeds (for a 3d printer) I don't think the extra rigidity will have much effect.

 

[Wedg1e]

There's probably more of a steep learning curve involved in the design software than the printer itself; if you've never done any traditional engineering drawing or CAD there's a lot to take in and figure out.

 

[Jacktegla]

There's probably more of a steep learning curve involved in the design software than the printer itself; if you've never done any traditional engineering drawing or CAD there's a lot to take in and figure out.

I’ve used sketch up quite a bit before ( self taught ) but I’ve been reading up that it’s not the best one to use

 

[Jacktegla]

Here’s one on eBay for sale second hand any opinion on this? Are they alright second hand

 

[Wedg1e]

This is the CR10-S5... 500mm cube build volume, basically an Ender on steroids and it looks to me like they share a good few parts... but also about £550!
This one's run (printed) for over 80 hours at a time without problems so I would think a used Ender would be robust enough since it can only do small-ish parts.

 

[Wedg1e]

I’ve used sketch up quite a bit before ( self taught ) but I’ve been reading up that it’s not the best one to use

You've got a head start then. I've been using AutoCAD for over 20 years, tried to get to grips with Solidworks which everyone says is the best CAD package out there, but I kept getting frustrated and always went back to ACAD. Also tried TurboCAD when it was on about version 4; any of them are cleverer than what I is

 

[Jacktegla]

You've got a head start then. I've been using AutoCAD for over 20 years, tried to get to grips with Solidworks which everyone says is the best CAD package out there, but I kept getting frustrated and always went back to ACAD. Also tried TurboCAD when it was on about version 4; any of them are cleverer than what I is

Do you think the bigger size would really be that invaluable for my self or would I be better reaching my limitations with a smaller machine and then if I feel the need then upgrading, also could I keep this in the garage with all my workshop equipment or would it be better kept in the home.

 

[Jacktegla]

You've got a head start then. I've been using AutoCAD for over 20 years, tried to get to grips with Solidworks which everyone says is the best CAD package out there, but I kept getting frustrated and always went back to ACAD. Also tried TurboCAD when it was on about version 4; any of them are cleverer than what I is

Also would you suggest buying a designing package or just use a free one

 

[Jacktegla]

Does anybody rate this other one I’ve seen for sale Flashforge Dreamer 3D Printer

 

[Onoff]

Anycubic i3 Mega S here (well, bought for my lad, I just keep finding things for him to print). Comes with 1kg of PLA. A few minutes assembly and levelling so pretty much straight out of the box. You can be printing (other people's) models downloaded from Thingiverse or Yeggi etc without getting into modelling them yourself.

At home I use AutoCAD for modelling, my son uses Fusion 360 (free). Neither of us likes the others drawing package!

He then uses Cura to slice etc. I've not got into that yet.

(Looks like I'm to have Solidworks forced upon me at work! Cut me and I bleed AutoCAD then latterly Draftsight until they started charging. I've tried FreeCAD and LibreCAD but they're poor substitutes imo).

Old dog new tricks etc...

 

[Morticiaskeeper]

I use an Astrobox controller for my printer. It means the printer doesn't have to be near the computer, my printer is in the kitchen.

Just a Raspberry Pi with an old webcam, it gives me a web control panel with a video feed that will record the print. I can sit anywhere in the world and monitor progress, but mainly on the sofa! An old smartphone sits on the printer to give local control.

The Web interface stores designs in a library and has it's own slicer.