Best 3D Printers 2013

[Guest]

What’s the best 3D printer on the market? It depends on your needs. We recommend the best 3D printers for your skills, aspirations and budget.

Best 3D Printers 2013 : Read more

 

[bmwman91]

This is very exciting. With capable devices in the sub-$3000 range, 3D printing is really starting to get into hobbyist territory.

I did see somewhere that the patent on the SLS process is going to expire in 2014 or something, and when that happens there is supposed to be a huge surge in open-source / hobbyist-accessible SLS devices. I certainly hope that is true. The SLS parts that I have ordered from proto houses are super strong, or at least moreso than the FDM parts that I have gotten.

 

[alidan]

never suggest the Cubify Cube, its overly expensive and under performing when compared to other even cheaper options.

granted i would never recommend any non do it yourself 3d printer right now, as every one needs maintenance and the less you know about the printer, the harder it is to fix.

 

[Tshulthise]

Beware of any review that touts Cubify printers (Cube or CubeX) if they don't clearly point out that the proprietary filament will cost you $130/kg more than all other brands which use non-proprietary filaments!!!

Here's the breakdown:
Cubify filament costs $100 for about 0.6 kg of filament or $167/kg
Non-proprietary filaments cost around $35/kg for the same thing.

If you print 10 kg of filament per year you will spend an extra $1,300 (per year) just because you chose a Cubify product.

I've owned 3 printers now and I can tell you that the filament cartridges don't offer any benefit. The unsealed cartridges contain a very small silica gel pack which will be saturated in just days if exposed to much humidity at all. So, they offer little to no protection against moisture absorption which can cause issues with PLA plastics. The best thing you can do is to store your filament in a sealed container with a renewable silica gel box from Amazon.

Also, any printer that doesn't offer a heated bed will cause beginners a ton of headaches because without a heated bed the plastic will pull up and prints will fail much more often. This review tries to present the Cube's non-heated bed as a safety feature when really its just a missing feature.

Please read actual user reviews to make an informed decision. All of these types of reviews seem to tout the Cubify products and present no warnings about the huge costs that will come as you print more material. It makes me wonder if 3D Systems has a significant budget invested in wooing influential bloggers or if the bloggers are just unaware of the huge costs involved with using Cubify's proprietary filaments? Time will tell.

 

[bolly]

I have a small business and we are looking for a second hand 3D printer machine. does anyone here knows a good site for buying such a machine or know someone who sell it?

 

[oladeji]

I need some good advice, please. I want to get a 3d printer for micro-scale commercial start-up basis. I need something fast with a good finish, simple and easy to use, lot of support and a good variety of materials. Was thinking of the cubex cos of the great reviews I've seen.

 

[facevalue]

How long until we can 3D print a 3D printer?

 

[Grandmastersexsay]

Compare an entry level CNC mill like a Tormach to these 3D printers. For around the same price you could be working with aluminum, and have stronger and more accurate results with plastics. The capabilities of the 3D printers aren't even close. http/www.tormach.com/store/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=32084

 

[3DPrinterGuy]

Thankfully not listed is the Ultimaker printer. I've had nothing but problems with it and their support staff seems more interested in insulting your intelligence than helping you out. Stay away from Ulitimaker.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Isn't it a bit early to be giving out a list? It's customary to write the list at the end, as a reflection. What happens if something new comes out in a few months?Also, that Cube looks like it would be the 3D version of an inkjet printer; consumables pricy and locked in.

 

[Grandmastersexsay]

Why are you reposting this same crappy story?

 

[neiroatopelcc]

I was wondering if you can print 'strong' 3d elements using those printers? I'm planning on replacing many pieces of sheet metal on my aging Opel Ascona from 1970 with carbon fiber next year and was wondering if it'd be worth it to buy a 3d printer to 'print' hinges and other small parts that would need to be glued to the parts in order to bolt on to the car. Alternatively I have access to some people who can craft it out of aluminum on siemens 840 based cnc machines (but these people are terribly busy).

 

[cats_Paw]

This is all nice and good, but are those things actually selling units?
Apart from so cool and swag, I dont see myself buying one of these to.... what exactly?
Print a 3D model of ... what?

It might have its applications but for home use, i really dont see it.

 

[jozhang]

Nice 3D printer, how the cost for the printer material?