How Much Do 3D Printers Cost

A 3D printer is a type of printer that allows for the transformation of a digital model into a tangible, solid, three-dimensional object. This is a great tool to have for hobbyists and even professionals who want to create their own custom made objects.

The 3D printer creates a three dimensional object layer by layer and may use different materials to do the job. This is often called an additive process where an object is built from scratch as opposed to a subtractive process where a material is cut, drilled, or milled to create a finished product.

How much is a 3D Printer

The 3D printer has surged in popularity recently and is being used in different fields. The reason behind this is that people can create objects faster at a much lower cost.

Regular consumers and business owners are now finding out that having a 3D printer can help them in their respective fields.

The price of these printers will depend on the type of printer. This will usually range from a few hundred dollars up to tens of thousands for the high end professional models.

Where are 3D printers used?

Education: Various schools are now incorporating 3D printing in their curriculum. This prepares the student to create their prototypes without the need for expensive tools.

Manufacturing: Certain manufacturing processes, such as injection molding, are quite expensive and takes a long time. By utilizing a 3D printer, companies can cut down the time needed to create a prototype by days or even hours.

Medicine: Doctors can be able to quickly create prosthetics or orthopedic implants for their patients with the aid of a 3D printer at a much lower cost.

Construction: Using a 3D printer in the construction industry has changed the way buildings and structures are being created. It’s capable of making complex shapes, is much more accurate, and it is faster when compared to the traditional method.

Art and Jewelry: The 3D printer allows jewelry makers to create unique designs that are not possible with the traditional methods at a fraction of the cost.

There are different types of 3D printers available in the market ranging from the entry level models to the professional models. You will be surprised to know that there is a wider range of choice for this type of printer.

Different types of 3D printers

There are different types of 3D printers that are best suited for different scenarios. If you are just beginning to explore the world of 3D printing then maybe an entry level model is right for you. If you are a professional who runs a small or medium business then you might want to check out some of the professional 3D printer models.

Entry level 3D printers

These 3D printer models are best suited for beginners as it does not cost a lot and allows you to gain the knowledge and experience on the fundamentals of 3D printing.

Here are our best choices for this category

Creality Ender 3 Pro

Creality is one of the well known brands in the 3D printer industry and this particular model is one of the best affordable entry level printers that beginners should consider getting. It is one of the most popular filament-based 3D printers that even professionals are getting it. This printer provides a good print quality at an affordable material cost.

Why you should get the Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer:

Removable build surface plate: It provides comprehensive protection to your 3D printer build plate and makes sure that there is consistent temperature throughout the build surface. It is easy to remove the printing models after cooling.

Safe power supply: The Ender 3 Pro has a UL Certified power supply, protecting the printer from unexpected power surges.

Resume print function: The Ender 3 Pro can resume printing from the last recorded extruder position after suffering unexpected power outages.

Semi-assembled kit: This easy-to-setup kit comes partially assembled, allowing you to learn about the basic construction of 3D printers as you finish putting it together. A fun STEM educational experience in mechanical engineering and electronics.

Fully Open Source: Allow users to improve their printer upon the source code and share the changes within the community, resulting in an improved experience for all.

Ideal Gift for Kids: This semi-assembled kit 3D printer is a perfect gift for kid, allow them to learn about the basic construction of 3D printers.

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Artillery Sidewinder X1

The Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D Printer is a well designed machine that has fast heating and operates almost silently. It stands out in this budget price range due to its excellent features.

Why you should get the Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D printer:

Exclusive Ultra-Quiet Stepper Driver – Produces much less heat while maintaining a higher torque compared to other models.

Synchronized Dual Z System – Make sure both side of the gantry move ups and downs the same height and at the same speed, ensure the X carriage always move parallel to the build plate, even when one of the Z-stepper breaks down.

Direct Drive Extruder – The extruder makes your printer more reliable, especially for flexible filaments.

AC Heating Platform – For quick heating. A new Lattice glass as 3d printer platform, extremely flat surface, superb adhesion, a breeze to release the printed objects, fast and steady heated curve, tested and durable.

Power Failure Protection – Continue printing from the position where the last print was stopped during the power failure.

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Sovol SV01

The Sovol SV01 is a great low-cost direct drive extruder 3D printer. It has several outstanding features that are similar to those of the Creality brand.

Why you should get the Sovol SV01 3D printer:

Has excellent safety features installed such as thermal runaway protection, power off resume, and a filament end detector.

Large print volume.

Direct drive extruder which is great for flexible filament and other types.

Dual Z-motors ensures greater stability than single.

Easy assembly so you can focus on getting started with your printing.

Users have mentioned that it comes with a generous 200g spool of filament.

Can print at fairly fast printing speeds with great quality (80mm/s)

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Hobbyist 3D Printers

Hobbyist 3D printers are designed for individuals that need to print out bigger 3D parts. These machines are faster than the entry level models and can offer consumers more material choices.

Creality CR-10S

First on our hobbyist printers list is the Creality Cr-10S 3D printer . It’s build volume, or the dimensions of the object that it can easily create, is 300 x 300 x 400 mm and comes with a large, flat glass bed for you to 3D print on.

It is a good large-scale 3D printer with a several useful features and the ability to 3D print models at great quality.

Why you should get the Creality CR10S 3D printer:

Print and show your creation up to 300 x 300 x 400 mm (11.8″ x 11.8″ x 15.8″), with a single print or split and join it in as many parts as you like;

Resume printing let your prints can be resumed from the last layer if power off or lost, saving time and reducing filament waste.

Upgraded Dual Z Axis allows high positioning accuracy, move smoothly and print faster.

Affordable for both beginners and professionals with great printing quality to start your 3D printing project.

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Creality Ender 5 Pro

The Creality Ender 5 is a 3D printer that is quite easy to setup and has a build volume of 220mm x 220m x 300mm. This is one of the best 3D printers in this category range.

Why you should get the Creality Ender 5 3D printer:

Ender 5 Pro 3d printer comes with upgraded V4.2.2 silent Mainboard with TMC2208 drivers, allowing for quieter and more precise printing performance.

Ender 5 Pro adopts Creality metal extruder which has better stronger pressure to pushing filament into printer nozzle, improving the printer’s performance.

Imported Capricorn blue tube with high temperature resistant makes feeding smoother and ensure great printing texture.

Built-in brand power supply, heat up the hot bed to 110℃ in 5 minutes.

Comes with several partially assembled kits, very easy to assemble and allow you to learn about the basic construction of 3D printer.

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Anycubic i3 Mega

The Anycubic i3 Mega is a 3D printer that can deliver an outstanding 3D printing quality at a low price. It is a fast and versatile printer that can work well with most materials.

Why you should get the Anycubic i3 Mega 3D printer:

Large build volume of 210 x 210 x 205 mm

Plug and play with user friendly 3.5 inch TFT touch screen.

Anycubic patented heat bed, super adhesion, smoothly lattice bottom surface. Easier to take off 3D-171 by hands, so you won’t need masking tape and glue stickers any more

Filament detection: automatic printing pause when filament runs out, resume after filament re-load with just one click

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Enthusiast 3D Printers

Enthusiast 3D printers are a step up from hobbyist printers. These types of printers are characterized by their solid and robust design with several user friendly features. It has a build volume of around 8 inches to 12 inches in either dimensions and can print much faster and quieter. This type of printer also has a wide range of material choices.

Snapmaker 2.0 Modular 3-in-1

The Snapmaker 2.0 Modular 3-in-1 3D printer is fast, larger, and powerful that not only does 3D printing but also laser engraving, cutting, and CNC carving. This printer is made of high strength metal making it quite durable.

Why you should get the Snapmaker 2.0 3D printer:

Modular 3-in-1 3D printer that does 3D printing to laser engraving, cutting, and CNC carving.

Large Workspace: You can make large prototypes, or multiple smaller objects in one go with measurements of 160 x 160 x 145 mm, or 230 x 250 x 235 mm, or 320 x 350 x 330 mm.

Modular Design: You can enjoy a lot of new features simply by getting the new modules or new kits.

High Resolution: Built with high-precision parts and an overall upgraded design, Snapmaker 2.0 is able to consistently print, engrave, cut, and carve objects in high resolution. The repeatability of the machine is 0.005 mm, and the homing repeatability is 0.01mm.

The 3-in-1 software, Snapmaker Luban, is tailor-made for your Snapmaker machines. One single and powerful software for all your tasks. With a plugin system, API and tutorials, Snapmaker Luban enables you to easily add new features for existing modules. You can even develop new features for your customized modules. We will build a truly modular system together.

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LulzBot TAZ 6

The LulzBot TAZ 6 is a reliable and easy to use desktop 3D printer that offers outstanding features such asself-leveling and self-cleaning as well as a modular tool head design for flexible and multi-material upgrades.

Why you should get the LulzBot TAZ6 3D printer:

Self-leveling, self-cleaning, tetherless printing, and an integrated power supply make powerful 3D printing easy

A large build volume of 280 mm x 280 mm x 250 mm (11.02 in x 11.02 in x 9.8 in).

Maximum temperatures of 300°C (572°F) for the hot end and 120°C (248°F).

Power Requirements: 100 – 240 VAC. Power Output: 24 volt 500 watts 21 amp

Modular tool head carriage design allows plug-and-play with different print heads for growing selection of 3D printing filament materials.

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Professional 3D Printers

A professional 3D printer is capable of printing high-quality 3D parts, with build areas of around 12″ (all dimensions). The range of 3D print materials, including different textures and multiple colors, is now greatly expanded. Most machines in this category can print fast while maintaining quality and are sometimes priced in the tens of thousands.

Raise3D Pro2

One of the best large format 3D printer that you can get right now is the Raise 3D Pro2. It is ideal for professionals or hobbyists who want a high performing printer with a large build area.

Why you should get the Raise3D Pro2 3D printer:

Has the ability the print with either single or dual extruder setups.

Large build area for a single extruder you’re working with 12″ x 12″ x 11.8″ of space, and with the dual extruders you get 11″ x 12″ x 11.8″.

Extreme Precision. You can use many different sizes of nozzles, 1.0mm, 0.8mm. 0.6mm,0.4mm or 0.2mm depending on how precise you need to get. It can print down to 10 micron thick layers.

Wide variety of filament materials to best suit your needs — anything from the classic PLA and ABS to nylons and composites.

Built-in camera on the Pro2 allows you to monitor your prints in real time through the software where you are connected wirelessly.

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MakerBot Method

This is a desktop 3D printer that delivers manufacturing-grade parts with advanced engineering materials. It has a sleek and smooth design while offering a best quality 3D prints.

Why you should get the MakerBot Method 3D printer:

Uses a Heated Chamber that produces stronger parts than a heated build plate.

Print with official MakerBot materials or access unlimited materials with an Open Materials Platform.

The only printer in its class to guarantee finished part dimensional accuracy ± 0.2mm (± 0.007in).

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Industrial 3D Printers

Industrial printers are designed to last a long time. These printers offer extremely fast speeds and multiple part simultaneous printing and are used in huge manufacturing process such as in automotive companies or the space sector. These printers offer a better quality printing job when compared to other 3D printer types.

The high price tag on these types of printers, ranging in the million dollars, make them inaccessible to the ordinary consumer. Aside from its hefty price tag these printers require constant maintenance from trained personnel.

Buying the right 3D printer

There are a lot of 3D printer models available in the market today that choosing the right one for you can sometimes be an overwhelming experience. In order to narrow down your choices here are some tips that we have compiled.

Know what you want to print

When choosing the right 3D printer it’s best to know what you are going to use it for. Are you going to print small items and gadgets or are you interested in printing industrial parts? If you only want to print some cellphone cases or some small parts for your gadgets then maybe an entry level or hobbyist 3D printer will be an ideal choice.

Know your ideal printer style

Most 3D printer owners prefer using a Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printer. These printers extrude hot materials and plastics, known as filament, to create 3D-printed objects. Others printer types use vats of liquid resin when printing which includes Digital Light Processing (DLP), Stereolithography (SLA), and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS).

Look for safety features

Safety is a top priority when operating a 3D printer. Some printers might cool the nozzle and heated bed once a print job is complete. Other printers move the nozzle away from the object when you pause the job or the print finishes which can prevent heat damage and excess filament from forming.

Get to know the resolution

The resolution of a 3D printer is measured in microns. The lower the number of microns on its specification the better quality print it can produce.

After sales support

You have to make sure that the printer you are considering to buy has a good after sales support. This is important in case the printer breaks down and needs servicing.