this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2024
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3DPrinting

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I am looking to purchase a 3D printer as a hobbyist, not for any commercial use. I have limited options with local 3D printers but that's good as they're mostly cheaper low end printers so I can look at them thoroughly.

When I'm comparing the different 3D printers I'm mainly looking at the following: Cost, nozzle diameter, layer height, volume, and viable filaments.

My question is, is there anything else I'm missing? Are there important things I should be considering or avoiding?

Different printers have different resolutions but for my purposes it looks like they're all highly accurate and way past what I need. Not worried about speed either. They all mention bed and nozzle temperatures but I assume they are all within the necessary range for the filaments they allow right? So does it matter?

Also, any advice for maintenance? How to make it last as long as possible any mistakes I should be wary of. Thanks.

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[–] HewlettHackard@lemmy.ca 3 points 8 months ago (5 children)

Do you have a budget? Or is it just about making sure you’re getting your money’s worth (so $2000 is fine if it’s 10x better than a $200 printer)?

[–] JollyTreecko@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 8 months ago (4 children)

Since I have a limited selection locally it's all within budget anyways, nothing's much higher than 1k usd.

It looks like the cheaper ones are gonna be a better option (since all the printers have similar specs), but I'm looking for any unique features I should watch out for. They all mention stuff like photoelectric filament sensor or Lidar or AI camera, its a bit overwhelming and i'm wondering if it's all just fluff or should i take it into account?

[–] HewlettHackard@lemmy.ca 2 points 8 months ago

It’s not necessarily fluff; features do matter, but which ones matter and how much they matter is complicated. Do you want to tinker with a printer, or do you just want a tool that works?

If you want a tool, I recommend a Prusa or maybe a Bambu. My Prusa just does what I ask it to; I’ve done zero calibration, optimization, tweaking, etc. Cheaper printers often require understanding bed leveling, figuring out how to adjust them best, etc. or vary more copy-to-copy (so one Ender 3 might work great, while another might be a source of frustration) or require upgrades to really become enjoyable.

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