Hi, I am totally new to 3D printing and want to have a printer. Budget is 400€. My background is computer science and programming and I want to be able to hack the device if I want but it should work fine OOTB (or with minimal effort). Which device would you guys suggest to me?
I was in a similar position recently, but also valued OpenSource (see meel being here ;) )
I went with the Prusa Mini+ semi assembled kit.
it’s been chugging through filament for a few months.
I’d recommend the Mini+ as well. We have two here at work for our engineers to use and suffice it to say they’re not the best at respecting tools. Our 2 mini+ printers have been consistently reliable with minor hiccups.
There is the Sovol SV07 for about 300€-ish. It comes with Klipper and should check all your boxes. I bought the SV06 Plus two months ago it works OK. You have to tighten all the screws and actually read the manual, but that’s it. If you want a guaranteed problem free OOTB experience, you have to buy Prusa (top quality control and software) or Bambulab (not really hackable but runs well) for 600-800€.
I bought an Artillery 3d Genius, after owning an Ender 3 for 4 years. It has worked flawlessly out of the box, while I needed to tinker with the Ender endlessly.
There is a 3d printing discord, that has an often updated flow chart. Assuming you dont want resin, the choice is mostly based on how big you want to print + budget:
- <200m^3: Kingroon KP3S ($170) or Prusa mini+ ($460)
- <300m^3: Artillery Hornet ($170), Sovol SV06 ($300), Prusa MK3S ($800-$1100)
- 300m^3+: Sovol SV03 ($400), Ultimaker S3 ($5k)
I got a Prusa (MK2s) six years ago and it’s been really, really great. Unfortunately, your budget restriction rules out the current model.
If you can get access to a printer at a friend’s house, a library, a school, a workplace, a makerspace, etc., I would suggest not buying a printer while totally new to 3D printing. Do some 3D printing for awhile. Then, on the basis of that experience, decide if you want to commit to having a good printer at a slightly higher price point.
400€ is really very restrictive. Commercial 3D printers are 10,000€ to 100,000€. Prusa’s printers are extremely good for their modest ~900€ price.
If you do decide to get a Prusa, I recommend the kit over the assembled option. It’s cheaper, and the familiarity you get with its components and construction during assembly gives you the power of fearless repair and tinkering – you’ve already assembled it once, so disassembling it and reassembling it for repair or upgrade is no big deal.
