While I don't exactly agree with bshadown that cheap automatically is bad, I've got the feeling that a hot end is right up there with parachutes and birth control for things you don't to buy at the rock-bottom cheapest price.

The cheapest fully assembled printer that is on the market (not on crowdfunding) that I can think of is Printrbot Simple. More importantly, I've seen maybe one fifth as many people dissatisfied with it as I have seen bragging about theirs, which is a very nice ratio. The assembled Simple Metal runs at $599, though the Simple Makers Kit (wood frame, not metal) is $349. Granted, both of them are on the small to very small side of things, but the quality I've seen from them is consistently good.

So far though, $500 is the bottom limit for fully assembled printers and $300 for kits. There are kickstarters still in development that promise cheaper, but if you want and want now, then that's the money you gotta spend.

Look at it this way, $500 is the cost of what, three college textbooks these days?


All that textbook money... gone forever...