Beginner 3D printer advice

Hi,

I decided to purchase a 3D printer, my budget is anywhere from 200-650. I want a printer that I am able to export stl or solid work files and have a decent quality. I am seeking to learn and get some projects going with the printer.

I am done a bit of research on my options and this is what I came up with:

Option one
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-3D-Printer-for-Makerbot-Replicator-2-Dual-Extruders-1ABS-PLA-filament-/221978716045?hash=item33aef6678d:g:FxkAAOSwwE5WVva s

22x15x15cm
Dual Extruder
100 Micron
0.1-0.5mm/1.75mm nozzle/filament diameter
ABS/PLA
Heated bed
SD Card/USB Cable

$363

Option two
https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Select-Printer-Heated-Filament/dp/B01FL49VZE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1473283364&sr=8-3&keywords=3d+printer


12x12cm
Heated plate
ABS and PLA
MicroUSB and microSD
0.4mm nozzle
100 micron
$273


Option three
https://www.amazon.com/TECHNOLOGY-3DP-QDA16-01-Extruder-Structure-Filaments/dp/B01D8M32LU/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1473278622&sr=8-13&keywords=3d+printer

22.5x15.0x15.0cm
Dual Extrude
100 Micron
0.4mm/1.75mm nozzle/filament diameter
ABS/PLA
Heated bed
SD and USB
$621

Option four
https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Select-Printer-Heated-Filament/dp/B018GZBC3Y/ref=pd_sbs_328_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YSCQEPDPE02G 15V5VF71


20x20cm
Heated plate
ABS and PLA
MicroSD card
0.4mm nozzle
$343


What would you guys recommend for me? I am also open to any other suggestions. Thanks!

How about something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-Geeetech...kAAOSwSWJXRXXA
It is 200mm X 200mm and has the mk8 extruder and gt2560 controller. It is a good printer. You have to assemble it and as such this type of printer is very friendly to upgrades. And on that very subject, in these days maybe instead of multiple extruders we should be hunting down mixing extruders with the hope of loading primary colors and making many colors. While I built a new printer for it all of this can be applied to the geeetech printer in the above link..

http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...toWiz/53_5.jpg

option 5 (or 6 ?)
http://wanhaousa.com/products/duplic...us-steel-frame
$499

The whole dual extruder route looks good. But in reality 90% of all prints are done with a single extruder and the second nozzle can cause all sorts of issues. My main machine has had the second nozzle removed and the other uses dual printing only on very rare occasions.
At some point most people with a replicator clone will remove one or other of the nozzles to make life easier, either temporarily or permamently.

The wanhao is one of the best ready built cheap i3's around at the moment. Good build volume, and doesn't get shipped from china :-)
It also has one of the best track records, having gone through 4-5 iterations in the laft 3 years or so. Wanhao are constantly listening to users and improving the machine. Not sure the same can be said for any of the other big, cheap printer manufacturers :-)

The last monoprice you listed is an earlier version of the machine - just rebadged at the factory.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fontseeker

Hi,

I decided to purchase a 3D printer, my budget is anywhere from 200-650. I want a printer that I am able to export stl or solid work files and have a decent quality. I am seeking to learn and get some projects going with the printer.

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No printer can export stl files or Solidworks files.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fontseeker

I am done a bit of research on my options and this is what I came up with:

Option one
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-3D-Printer-for-Makerbot-Replicator-2-Dual-Extruders-1ABS-PLA-filament-/221978716045?hash=item33aef6678d:g:FxkAAOSwwE5WVva s

---

Whenever you see Makerbot, flee! Run to the hills.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fontseeker

Option two
https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Select-Printer-Heated-Filament/dp/B01FL49VZE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1473283364&sr=8-3&keywords=3d+printer

---

Looks ok. Don't know it. You'll struggle to print ABS on here 'cos its open though. That may or may not matter to you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fontseeker

Option three
https://www.amazon.com/TECHNOLOGY-3DP-QDA16-01-Extruder-Structure-Filaments/dp/B01D8M32LU/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1473278622&sr=8-13&keywords=3d+printer

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Another Rep 1 Clone. Probably the best option here. Not familiar with the brand myself, haven't heard anything bad though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fontseeker

Option four
https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Select-Printer-Heated-Filament/dp/B018GZBC3Y/ref=pd_sbs_328_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YSCQEPDPE02G 15V5VF71

---

Same as option 2

quidi tech - 304 pages and counting: http://3dprintboard.com/showthread.p...icator-2-clone

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sebastian Finke

No printer can export stl files or Solidworks files.


Whenever you see Makerbot, flee! Run to the hills.



Looks ok. Don't know it. You'll struggle to print ABS on here 'cos its open though. That may or may not matter to you.



Another Rep 1 Clone. Probably the best option here. Not familiar with the brand myself, haven't heard anything bad though.



Same as option 2

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Thanks for your reply, so you would recommend option 3? What do you think about the option curious aardvark suggested:
http://wanhaousa.com/products/duplic...us-steel-frame
$499

Really liked it, but I don't know, the company looks a bit sketchy, while I know Amazon will guarantee my money. Do you guys have any other advice? Thanks

wanhao sketchy ?
lmao - they're one of the largest 3d printer manufacturers in the world, also one that's pretty much always gone for quality rather than just the cheapest piece of junk (cough 'ctc') they can sell.

this might help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoEApsA7pAk

I have one of the machines like the one in the pic. It worked well right out of the box and gave me a painless intro to 3d printing. At this point, I have nearly 200 hours on it and it is chugging away as I type this. I would buy another one in a heartbeat and am only waiting for them to bring out a larger machine.

Tom

Get some hands-on experience at a makerspace, and find out what features you need and what features are immaterial to what you want to do. Get feedback from them there, about what they do and do not like about the models they have.

I have a monoprice maker select i3, which is a rebrand (not a clone or copy, but the same machine with a different sticker) of the wanhao machine. Wanhao is one of the highest rated consumer printer brands on the market.


They are an excellent value, but most people would say that the plus is a worse buy if you intend to do your own modifications.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by curious aardvark

wanhao sketchy ?
lmao - they're one of the largest 3d printer manufacturers in the world, also one that's pretty much always gone for quality rather than just the cheapest piece of junk (cough 'ctc') they can sell.

this might help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoEApsA7pAk

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I really like the printer itself, it meets all my expectations and even the price is amazing. However, I meant WanhaoUSA was sketchy, from what I understand Wanhao themselves criticized WanhaoUSA, and I asked to visit their locations, since I live close to their Miami location, and talk to someone personally, but their support was lacking. That is why I am a bit hesitant about buying from WanhaoUSA. So I think I will buy this one:

https://www.amazon.com/TECHNOLOGY-3DP-QDA16-01-Extruder-Structure-Filaments/dp/B01D8M32LU/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1473278622&sr=8-13&keywords=3d+printer

Under $300 and it prints as good as anything else out there. I own a prusa i3 pro B..

Screen upgrade was $10 shipping included. Still under $300 for all this..

http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...oWiz/12_20.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by curious aardvark

option 5 (or 6 ?)
http://wanhaousa.com/products/duplic...us-steel-frame
$499

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Is that the same as this one?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JBEF3T8/

It appears to be a clone of the Wanhao I3 Plus.