New 3D printers that cost less than $500

http://www.wired.com/design/2012/11/portabee-printrbot/

by tjaerv • 14 years ago

44 16 14 years ago

ChuckMcM• 14 years ago

Interesting attempt to capture the low end of the market. As a Replicator owner (and a "Cupcake" user) the things that make for a good 3D extrusion printer are rigidity, flow control on the extruder, a heated build platform, and most importantly moderated air flow. All of the 'open air' printers suffer from print failures when a cool breeze causes the plastic to freeze to quickly, shrink and then warp off the platform.

Bottom line is that you can build your own Reprap for less than $500, get to know it very well, and have a lot of fun. But if you want to buy a 'tool' and start doing 3D prints with it, you probably won't be satisfied with the < $1000 printers out there.

replicatorblog2• 14 years ago

Totally agree. I have a TOM and unless I surround it with lamps that produce enough heat to keep the "build chamber" warm, it's unable to print anything other than coins or very small dimensional objects. I'd even go as far to say the Formlabs Form 1 is the only "Real" 3-D printer worth considering. All the extrusion based systems are more expensive geek toy than too.

heriC2• 14 years ago

I disagree. The proprietary resins used in printers like formlabs are expensive. The plastic items produced in this manner often lack structural integrity, and they are always small in the lower printer price ranges. So if you want figurines, formlabs is maybe the way to go, but that's about it.

Most of the fused deposition printers (like the MendelMax, AO-100, reprap Prusa (2 and 3) can print in more materials (ABS, PLA, even Polycarbonate), and produce larger functional parts than things like FormLabs. The main issue is the striping, which is less "pretty."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZwjvZ79iYo

throwaway1979• 14 years ago

I'm surprised they didn't mention the Solidoodle. $499 for the base model. I've ordered it ... hope to get it before the end of the year.

The main reason I'm getting it is to explore the software tools for 3D printing. I don't expect professional grade prints from the device. When I was in grad school, we had access to one of the 10K+ 3D printers. However, it was a big hassle using those (required chemical baths to remove filler material, etc.).

What I am very surprised by is the number of companies trying to make 3D printers. While competition is usually good for customers, I am concerned that the large number of offerings will fragment the user base.

dchichkov2• 14 years ago

Yep. A Solidoodle 2 user here. Used two printers, one of the earlier serial numbers, and a very recent built. Can recommend it. Pretty neat design. No troubles, comes ready to print...

Disclaimer: I'm not in any way associated with Solidoodle, aside from being a customer.

ComputerGuru• 14 years ago

I was in the market for a 3D printer a while back, but I was really put off by how low quality, amateur-esque the entry-level 3D printers were (Reprap and co) at the < $1000 price mark; while on the other hand, how freakishly expensive the professional 3D printers were ($15,000+). I was surprised at the lack of options in the middle. Replicator 2 seems to be a step in the right direction, but it's not quite there yet IMHO.

Does anyone have any recommendations in the $5k range? A larger chamber size is an absolute must.

s_henry_paulson• 14 years ago

I'm not sure what you consider a "large" chamber, but formlabs is supposed to start shipping in April.

http://formlabs.com/

tlrobinson• 14 years ago

I think the more interesting segment of the 3D printer market is the slightly higher end printers that are much easier to use than the cheapest ones. A really cheap 3D printer takes a lot of effort to keep running well (calibration, etc).

rorrr• 14 years ago

I'm not so much worried about the cost of the printer, it's $50/lb price of the plastic that's bothering me.

daniel-cussen• 14 years ago

If printer ink is unicorn blood, printer plastic is made of its pulped horn, or maybe even its stem cells.

JoeAltmaier• 14 years ago

Actually printer ink is very similar in price to human blood:

http://www.cockeyed.com/science/gallon/liquid.html

IheartApplesDix• 14 years ago

The prices on amazon are aprox $20/lb

New 3D printers that cost less than $500

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