A good (entry-level) 3D printer is sometimes difficult to find, due to the enormously varied online offering. Filamentz looks at the best options and is happy to advise you!
Requirements for the best 3D printer
To identify the best 3D printer, various requirements and wishes must be taken into account. What price range are we looking at and what should the 3D printer do for the money paid for it. It is of course easy to pay a lot of money for something because it works well, but is that necessary? Filamentz looks at the following functionalities:
- Price range under EUR 1000 and price range under EUR 500
- Easy and safe to install and use
- Large community for (online) support
- Use of 1.75 mm filament
- Secured with the necessary software and hardware systems
- Print surface (for FDM 3D printers) of at least 150 x 150 x 150 mm
Best 3D printer under EUR 1000
In the price range up to EUR 1000, there is actually only one option that has taken the cake for years, namely the Prusa, this time with the i3 MK4 variant. Recently improved, the Prusa team has managed to make it even more reliable. Prusa's 3D printer ticks most boxes when it comes to the requirements for the best 3D printer, namely:
- Price is approximately EUR 750 (excluding any shipping costs, VAT)
- Large community (forums, on social media)
- Uses 1.75mm filament
- Still being constantly updated with software updates
- Print surface of 250 x 210 x 220 mm
- Safe to use
- Available in a kit version or already assembled, both with advantages and disadvantages
Furthermore, the Prusa i3 MK4 3D printer has some hardware features that are not found on other 3D printers, namely cycloid gears, an original Prusa printing system and Misumi bearings and axles. This makes the Prusa i3 MK4 by far the most reliable 3D printer currently available, but also the most attractive in terms of price. We at Filamentz recommend this printer for the advanced hobbyist who is not afraid to put together a kit and will use it for both printing prototypes and serious working models. The Prusa i3 MK4 can be assembled in about 3 evenings, so you will learn about the 3D printer, you will be explained step by step what needs to be done and you will ultimately make your first (successful) 3D print. The 3D printer comes with a roll of filament, the necessary (spare) parts and instructions to get started right away.
Technical specifications Prusa MK4
Best 3D printer under EUR 500
In the category of best 3D printer under EUR 500, there is actually only one contender to take this title in 2024. This is the Bambulab A1 3D printer. With a construction volume of 256 x 256 x 256 mm, this extremely fast printer is not only very interesting in terms of price (for approximately EUR 450), but it is also an excellent choice for the quality it generates. The Bambulab A1 is very easily available in stock, has a nice slicer with Bambu Studio and the latest updates (concerning the cabling of the heatbed) make it even more reliable than it already was.
Best 3D resin printer under EUR 500
Resin 3D printing is the latest to gain popularity among 3D printing enthusiasts. This is due to the extremely high quality that can be achieved and the cost price, which is becoming increasingly interesting for many. Resin 3D printing is the hardening of synthetic resin using UV lasers at a certain wavelength. A liquid resin bath and accurate lasers allow a level of detail to be achieved that is currently unthinkable with (standard) FDM printing. However, there are still some disadvantages to using resin. First of all, it is a corrosive substance (both by smell and by touch). It may cause irritation upon contact with the skin and must be removed properly. Furthermore, resin is also a relatively dirty job. Synthetic resin is not pleasant to process and can create quite a mess. Enough reason to only do this if there is sufficient space in and around the workplace. Requirements for printing resin:
- Resin 3D printer with platform and 3D printer resin
- A washing installation to wash off excess resin using 99.9% isopropanol
- A curing installation with 405 Nm wavelength light for curing the 3D prints
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
- Cleaning agent to clean the workplace after processing
To determine our best 3D resin printer under EUR 500, we look at a number of properties that are important for this group of print enthusiasts, namely:
- Well-functioning software
- Print volume of approximately 100 x 100 x 100 mm
- Good 'out-of-the-box' print quality with standard software
- Closed printing room
In the resin 3D printing world there is currently one leader in terms of budget-friendly 3D resin printers: Elegoo. This relatively new name in the world makes a nice statement by putting a resin 3D printer on the market with the Elegoo Saturn 4 for approximately EUR 350 that performs excellently, has relatively good software and is mechanically in good order . Elegoo is known for its fast coating times, which makes prototyping with the Elegoo a breeze. As far as Filamentz is concerned, it is also the best 3D resin printer of 2024 currently in the category under EUR 500. Keep an eye on; 3D printing with resin has some other points of interest and requires knowledge of the subject. There are consumables that must be purchased, but also post-treatment items that should not be forgotten, such as a UV curing station and isopropanol for washing the resin prints.
Need advice for printing in resin? Filamentz helps further!
Advice on the best 3D printers 2023
These 3D printers are currently the best and most popular in 2024:
- Creality Ender 3 V2 Pro
- Prusa MK3S
- Bambulab P1S
- Artillery Sidewinder X2
- Bambulab P1P
- Anycubic Photon Mono
- Prusa SL1S