3d printing recommendations

[robrmon]

As mentioned in another thread, I love my 3D printer which I’ve often used for custom things on my Lotus Evora and now the Emira

Here is my preferred set up:
Amazon “creality ender 3” printer, they start at $170 and go up to $350 for that series. The ones at the $200 mark look value. Get one with auto leveling. And buy a glass bed $15 if it doesn’t come with it. Touchscreen makes it easier.

For designing I use tinkercad (free), just google it.

I use AstroPrint (free) to make interfacing with the printer easier, but that’s not a day one thing. I have mine setup so I can print remotely, on my house wifi.

Tons of useful YouTube videos

Let me know any Qs

 

[Rapture]

As mentioned in another thread, I love my 3D printer which I’ve often used for custom things on my Lotus Evora and now the Emira

Here is my preferred set up:
Amazon “creality ender 3” printer, they start at $170 and go up to $350 for that series. The ones at the $200 mark look value. Get one with auto leveling. And buy a glass bed $15 if it doesn’t come with it. Touchscreen makes it easier.

For designing I use tinkercad (free), just google it.

I use AstroPrint (free) to make interfacing with the printer easier, but that’s not a day one thing. I have mine setup so I can print remotely, on my house wifi.

Tons of useful YouTube videos

Let me know any Qs

The link does not take you to a product page with printers.

 

[robrmon]

This is as low as I would go. I got mine four years ago and paid about the same for far less functionality. I wouldn’t spend more than $300 for a first printer, but 100% stick to this Creality Ender 3 range.

Amazon.com

 

[Tomwa]

I'm not sure I would advocate spending less money for a first printer.

I would absolutely recommend a Bambu Labs P1-S or X1. They are more expensive, for sure. But they are incredibly fast, and turn key.

So much less time fiddling and fussing, and they are good enough printers that you see some people who run print farms converting their prusas over to Bambu. Some of the issues/concerns about open source, or non-proprietary are basically gone because the owner community is so large now, and there's a firmware side-load which has Bambu blessing which can get you new features, or allow you to not connect it to the internet.

That said. My first printer is a Qidi X-max 3. (currently only. I think I'd only consider a resin printer in addition right now)

It's bigger than what Bambu offers, also is a Core XY printer (fast) as apposed to a bed slinger. It has full enclosure, internal heating (aside from the bed), and hot end that supports more exotic filament types.

It still uses Klipper, so despite having a proprietary firmware because of the mainboard I can use it with Orca Slicer and it comes with lot of expected support/features (and new ones with other slicers).

I take back what I said about only a resin printer as an alternative or additional. The Bambu does mutli-material support with their AMS or whatever. That is an extremely attractive feature, the only way to get multi-material otherwise is like a dual extruder situation.

Multi-material is really great, not just for being able to change colors part way through a print. But you can do interesting things like, PLA and PETG may not have a great bonding when layered (i don't actually remember which filaments don't play nice). This means you can print supports in one material and your object in another and the supports just fall off. No sanding, no clipping, just supports that prop up the print without sticking to it.