Printer choice

Hi I'm thinking about getting a printer but with all the numbers and abbreviations I'm lost lol. I've included some pictures which are of items i would like to produce if possible but I'm stuck with what printer to buy. If anyone could lead me in the right direction it would be appreciated. Money is no object so I want the flexibility of being able to produce more complex items if I need to in the future. I do not know what type of filament is best either. Complete newbie.

Thanks.
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The cost of CTC-Bizer has been reduced again ( now $409. total)
We have one and it's a very Good printer for the price.
Needs only a few Mods to make it a great printer.
(slicer software that will work with it is Limited tho,
we had to continue using software that Came with it)

Here's link to eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CTC-3D-Black...oAAOSwv0tVSCyM

If money is no object the Ultimaker 2+ is a great printer, but so is the Flashforge Dreamer.

There's one real big driving factor on what printer you buy as a beginner. Do you want customer service or can you troubleshoot things on your own? Unless your willing to come onto these forums and hash out issues with your printer then I would recommend getting a well supported, well selling printer like the Ultimaker or Flashforge.

Typically you get what you pay for in ease of printing. $400 printers are capable of some amazing prints, but it usually involves a lot more than pressing "print". I've never used a $2000 printer but I understand the appeal of a complete software package that's already optimized for the scenarios that would normally limit a novice slicer.

If you're based in the US I recommend the Printrbot and Lulzbot line.
I own a printrbot and I'm quite happy with it. Support is great and the company makes upgrades frequently so you can always get the latest on your machine if you feel inclined to. Only reason it's worth to do is because it's a sturdy machine built to last.
The printrbot metal plus with these options : metal hot end, lcd screen and gear extruder is a great machine. You can print flexible or high temp plastics (Nylon, tritan, PET, ABS) within a 25cm*25*25 volume. Up to you.

http://3dprintboard.com/forumdisplay...rintrbot-Forum

Quote:

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Originally Posted by king0r

Hi I'm thinking about getting a printer but with all the numbers and abbreviations I'm lost lol.

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You really should take the time to find out what everything means. Don't go and buy something simply because we recommended it.

Thanks for all your replies.

I'm in no rush at all to go buy one. But the Ultimaker 2+ and the Flashforge Dreamer have been two I've spent most time comparing. There is another one also the new Cubify Cube Pro or something.

Realistically how long would a small print take lets say a chess piece? As I've read somewhere even small stuff can take 5/6 hours (this message was from years ago) but I seen a video and the timer was 59 minutes and that was a pretty big item he'd printed...

Thanks again all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by king0r

Realistically how long would a small print take lets say a chess piece?

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You need to define what you mean by that. As you probably have gathered by now, there are a lot of factors.
1/ how many shells do you want to have (skins).
2/ what layer thickness are you expecting (0,1mm ? 0,2mm ?)
3/ What infill do you want to have (very light 10%; mid weight 25% ; uselessly full 100%) ?
4/ Are you printing a flexible material (slower)
5/ What is the size of the model ?

The best you can do at this point : figure it yourself.
1/ download cura
2/ go to thingiverse, download a chess piece
3/ parameter cura to slice it using the following : 0,2mm layer height ; 40mm/s ; 80% speed for outer layer and full infill ; 0,45mm hotend ; no support ; 20% infill

4/ look at the result
5/ fiddle with the parameters and re-slice to see the influence.

On a personal note, I don't see why you would go to a Cube Pro : the Cube line is being stopped as of now and the Cube Pro is at best an afterthought so you'll be on your own with a company that couldn't care less about you.

Check that whatever you buy has autolevelling : it is an important feature.

Ok thanks ill have a look at that now cheers.

I recommend Printrbot Play. It has a great quality of prints and they have incredible customer support if you're going to encounter some problem with it in the future. If your budget is not tight, it's only around $600.

The play isn't 600$ but more like 400$... the simple is 600$.