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3D printing is an incredibly feat of technology, and a decade ago it was only an option for NASA scientists and mechanical engineers. Now, anyone can print their own models at home. This large and growing hobby isn’t as hard to get into as many think, and there are now plenty of reliable and affordable 3D printers on the market. Not to mention, there are a plethora of websites and forums eager to welcome newbies and help you secure exceptional 3D designs — which you can print on your shiny new system. So, whether you’ve yet to dive into this burgeoning community and you’re shopping for your first printer, or you’re already a salty veteran looking to take your prints to the next level, our roundup of the best 3D printer deals is sure to have something to please.
The Creality Ender-3 Pro is so massively popular you may not realize that the “3” indicates that it is a part of a series. Stepping back from one of today’s most favored 3D printers to take a look at its predecessor reveals just how cheap a 3D printer can be obtained in the current year. This filament-based printer has no built-in shielding, no camera, and utilizes a very simple interface, but if you’re wanting to save a ton of money and experience 3D printing without a big overhead charge, this is probably the best pathway to do so.
The Monoprice MP Cadet 3D Printer is a remarkable starting point for those venturing into 3D printing. It allows you to get acquainted with the salient aspects of the discipline, and indeed create some impressive prints. Due to its compact size, it comes with a slightly smaller printing area, measuring 3.9 x 4.1 x 3.9 inches. This is a boon when storage space is limited. Its dimensions and weight, a mere 6.6 pounds, make it an excellent choice for children. A standout feature of the MP Cadet 3D Printer is its auto-leveling bed and its staunch compatibility with PLA and PLA Pro filament — the ideal filament for beginners.
Another recommendable 3D printer is the Mars 4 Max. A 6K resolution 3D printer, it uses resin as a printing medium to craft figurines and an array of other objects. Its print volume stands at 7.71 x 4.81 x 5.9 inches, a size suitable for creating small tabletop armies, characters for roleplaying, your D&D avatar, and even jewelry. The VoxelDance Tango slicing software the printer employs allows for a variety of printing modes, whether you prioritize speed or accuracy. Not to mention its enclosure – boxy, compact, and draped in a captivating shade of red, that will surely pique people’s interest.
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The Creality Resin 3D Printer Halot-Mage is an 8K printer that uses resin as opposed to filament. When we compare FDM and SLA 3D printers (the Halot-Mage and all resin printers are SLA printers), we see that SLA printers make better resolution prints but also tend to be more expensive than their FDM counterparts. The Halot-Mage gives us a counterbalance to that price claim, and especially so while on sale. Acting as a sort of entry portal to the land of SLA printing, the Halot-Mage has a printing area of 8.97 x 5.03 x 9.05 inches, printing at an impressive planar detail level of 29.7 microns. With the kit also comes 3 months of free access to Chitubox Pro (~$48 value) for preprocessing your prints.
The Anycubic Photon M3 Max is a one of the most powerful 3D printers you can get. It has an impressive 11.7 x 6.5 x 11.8 inch printing area and does so in 8K. SLA printing, which uses lights and lasers, is dependent upon light to print. The Anycubic Photon M3 Max uses an array of LED lights to get the light not only just right but also evenly distributed. The effect? Fast printing. And, the Anycubic Photon M3 Max won’t let that fast printing get the best of you. How so? By automatically feeding more resin into your well when it gets low, kinda like those automatic plant waterers. The result is a hassle-free print that doesn’t have to be babysat to the utmost degree.
There are a lot more 3D printers out there, including ones on sale. Take a look at these, too:
Anycubic Kobra 2 Neo —
Creality Ender 3 Neo —
Flashforge Finder 3 —
Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro — $285, was $400
Anycubic Kobra Max — $369, was $670
Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra — $500, was $594
“Why did the 3D printer go to therapy? Because it had too many layers of unresolved issues!”
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