I want to start 3D printing, but don't know which printer I should buy!
This is one of the most common things I see posted in the 3d printer pages on Facebook, and in the comments on YouTube. Which 3d printer is the best for beginners? Well, it's not that simple. There are lots of options and limitations out there. The first thing most people look at is the price tag. I understand why, especially if you've never used a 3d printer before. I'll go into the general price points, and best features on the top 3D printers on the market today.
10. Ender 3- $178 on Amazon
The Ender 3 is a staple to the 3d printing community. Many current 3d printers either started on or are currently using some form of an Ender 3 as one of their main printers. This is about a 10-year-old model that comes almost completely disassembled. Meaning, you will have to learn the basic functions of the printer, before you can even turn it on. There are many features on this machine that have become "outdated" but you still see them appearing on much more expensive machines. For example, manual bed leveling, and a Bowden extruder. You can find a basic one on Amazon for about 150 bucks, and they are great for learning the ins and outs of a 3d printer. They have the most after-market products, and if you have any issues with them, you can go on YouTube, google, or pretty much any place where people discuss 3d printing to find an answer to any issue you may be having with them.
9. Ender 3 v3 SE- $219 on Amazon
This is one of the more recent upgrades to the Ender 3 series, and what I would recommend as a good starting place for a beginner. Creality is trying to be more user-friendly with this entry and removes a lot of issues that people had with the original Ender. First and probably most importantly. No more manual bed leveling. The SE comes with a CR Touch, which doesn't necessarily level the bed for you, but you will no longer have to do any bed leveling. You will also be upgrading to a direct drive extruder, which is a complete game changer!
8. Longer Lk5 Pro- $270 on Amazon
If you are looking for a larger print bed, this is the machine for you! This machine has some older quirks to it, but I still love mine! While it does still use a Bowden tube and manual leveling, it does have a touch screen, with some good functionality to it, and the ability to use third-party devices to control remotely. Mostly, people would use a printer like this for cosplay, or simply printing things like helmets.
7. Bambu Labs A1- $399-$559 on
Our first multi-color capable printer on this list! Bambu Labs changed the game on how 3d printers work, and this is one of the printers that made that change. The A1 by itself is about a mid-tier price at 400 bucks. That gets you a single-color printer, that will be able to handle pretty much anything you throw at it. With a slightly larger than standard build plate, you can do bigger projects than a standard Ender series or similar model. Bambu basically perfected the auto leveling format, and this machine already has a built-in camera, and wifi capability, as well as filament runout sensors. Bambu uses its own proprietary software, which is Bambu Studio for your computer, and Bambu Handy on your cell phone. Both of which can control the machine remotely. Proprietary is a big issue though for many in the 3d printing community. If your machine breaks, you basically have to go directly to Bambu to get the parts to fix it. Which can stop you for weeks at a time potentially. That being said, they run great, and if you get backups of pieces that are likely to break or wear down, you should be fine. This would be higher on the list, except for the fact that the A1 had a recall not too long ago.
6. Neptune 4 line- Starting at $360 on Amazon
The Neptune series is great, but you have to know what you're looking for. This is another option for larger print beds if you go with the Neptune 4 max. This line of printers still requires manual leveling, but it holds level pretty well, so you don't have to do it often. The main draw for this line of printers is their ability to run Klipper, which has its upsides, but I think may be completely irrelevant to a beginner. One big downside for me is that when the fans kick on, it sounds like a jet taking off from a runway. This is a fast machine, but it is not a quiet one.
5. Sovol SV06- $200 on Amazon with Amazon coupon
Sovol is one of the most well-known brands in the biz. Their machines are very reliable and have a great following. The SV06 has dual z-axis rods, which makes for great stability, which most standard 3d printers don't run with. You've got auto bed leveling with this machine, and it is completely open source, so you can tinker with the internals and software on this machine more than most. This is another printer you can find plenty of info for on YouTube, but it has much more reliability than other cheaper printers.
4. Anycubic Kobra 2 Neo- $160-$200 on amazon
This is a lower-end 3d printer, but it has everything you need to get going, for a very low price! This printer is relatively plug-and-play once you get it set up. It has auto leveling and auto z offset. You may have to tinker with it just a little bit to get going, but once you get everything dialed in, these are great little printers!
3. Flashforge Adventurer 5m- $300 on amazon
Not the most popular company out there, but wildly underrated in my eyes. These printers are great, and the Adventurer 5m is the first on this list that is completely enclosed. Being enclosed isn't a requirement, but it does give you better quality control over your prints. This printer is a little bit on the higher end price-wise for beginners. Especially if you want to go with the pro version. However, you are getting a fast Core xy printer, with full enclosure, and great speeds, for a VERY reasonable price. The only downside for me, is the slicer flash forge uses can be a bit confusing sometimes. Once you get the hang of it though, you'll find these printers are tanks that will just run, run, run.
2. Bambu Labs P1S- $699
Easily the most expensive printer on our list. This would be my number one recommendation for sure, except for the price. I would hesitate to tell anyone to drop $700 dollars for their very first machine. What I do like about it though, is that it works, and it works well. For several months I ran mine, only needing to replace the filament and clean the build plate. The parts for these machines are proprietary, and not easily found on sites like Amazon. That being said, you rarely need to replace parts. If you keep this machine clean, it will keep running. You get a timelapse camera that has certain sensors that will let you know if you have issues, but most importantly, a mobile app that you can check on yourself. The P1S has a larger than standard build plate, and is about the fastest consumer available machine on the market. Set up for this is one of the easiest as well. It comes shipped to you 98% complete. If you know for sure you want to start 3d printing, and money is no issue, this is the Machine I would start with.
1. Bambu Labs A1 mini- $250
If you are on a budget, or just do not want to invest many hundreds of dollars in a hobby you may or may not care about, check out this little guy. There are two options you can get for this printer. Single color print, or with arms. Which means you can print up to 4 colors. For beginners, I would say stick with the basic model at $250. You will get everything you need with this setup. This printer has a smaller build plate, but that has yet to stop me from making awesome prints with it. You get auto-leveling, filament run-out detection, anti-vibration, camera(with Timelapse). Wifi, touch screen, and a light. For the price, and ease of use, this is absolutely my favorite FDM printer for beginners. Even the Bambu slicer, which is called Bambu Studio, is very straightforward and simple to use. They even have their own system built in, where you can find models in Bambu Studio, select it, and it loads to your printer, ready to go. They make it so easy for beginners.
What is the best 3d printer for beginners?
There is no correct answer for this. There are too many options. Do you want a basic machine you can just tinker with, and learn the inside and out? Get a basic Ender 3. Want something you can basically just plug in, and start printing toys for, or with your kids? Get a Bambu A1 mini. There are plenty of cheaper options out there, and much more expensive. This is just a guide on my top ten favorite printers, that I think will keep a beginner interested in the hobby. First and foremost, figure out what kind of printing you want to do. Once you know that, you have a great starting place.
One last piece of advice for my beginners out there. Make sure you have space for whatever printer you end up getting. Measure out the desk, counter, or whatever surface you want to put it on. Most importantly, measure about 6 extra inches in either direction, to account for the movement of the build plate, and things like filament rolls, and/or spool holders. Most likely, you will end up upgrading your setup with other things like filament dehydrators, external cameras, or other accessories. Once you get your space set up, and your printer running... you just have one thing left to worry about.
