Advice for a newcomer on a first printer?!

I have some experience 3D modeling and am very tech savvy with computers. So I am looking into a buying a printer from a brand that has great customer service. I have no knowledge on this market, nor the parts that make up the printer. I've been making prototypes, however it becomes irritating when you have to wait a while to get the part. The time has come to actually get one so I don't have to wait. PLA and ABS are the only materials I use. Is it true that a heated bed and sturdy metal frame is worth having?

Budget: $150 - $250


Any info is appreciated!

Fastest way is to Scan E-Bay, set the price limits and this is what they have.

I found two Used Hictops Aluminum frame 3D Printers for Around $200.00 each a 3DP11 and 3DP12 have upgraded them to better the 3DP17.
There are many 3D Printers in the price range of which you have selected, these are New 3D Printers. I chose the Hictop Because of the YouTube Assemble video I watched.

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Originally Posted by Roberts_Clif

Fastest way is to Scan E-Bay, set the price limits and this is what they have.

I found two Used Hictops Aluminum frame 3D Printers for Around $200.00 each a 3DP11 and 3DP12 have upgraded them to better the 3DP17.
There are many 3D Printers in the price range of which you have selected, these are New 3D Printers. I chose the Hictop Because of the I watched.

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I was checking out the Creality Ender 3, however I dislike the fact that many buyers had issues with leveling this because of uneven pieces and one person had to design a stopper for one of the motors. It was also advised to buy a glass bed and some vibration reducer part for it.

I started with it's predecessor, It has two 8mm smooth rods to support the hotbed, It also has a large build area 220mm X 270mm X 190mm.

On the Hictops 3D Printer page it is the same price as the Ender 3 at $269.00. The only part I would Purchase would be a Proximity Sensor SN04-N to replace the Z-Axis end-stop switch.
I have all the Marlin Firmware configured up to Marlin 1.1.9, however I stopped flashing my 3D Printers at Marlin 1.1.5 though continued to update the firmware as it came out for others.

bear in mind you are at the bottom end of the market/ So expect to have to modify the printer to one degree or another to get it working optimally.

That said - depending on the part size you could just get a monoprice mini delta: $160
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_...403&p_id=21666

I've got one coming for my birthday next month :-)
Covers pretty much all the bases, looks great, doesn't need mods (although I'm sure I'll develop something)

If you need a larger print volume I'd suggest upping your budget to at least $400 and look for a better quality kit.

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Originally Posted by curious aardvark

That said - depending on the part size you could just get a monoprice mini delta: $160
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_...403&p_id=21666

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I looked at the Specs on this little guy Aardvark .

ABS, PLA, Wood, Copper Fill, Steel Fill, Bronze Fill

• 50 micron layer resolution
• Can print from a computer using a wireless Wi-Fi ? or physical USB connection, or offline with a micro SD? card
• Up to 150mm/sec print speed
• 180 ~ 260?C extruder nozzle temperature range
• Up to 60?C build plate temperature range
• ?110 x 120 mm build area
• Compatible with Windows? and Mac? OS X?

And question how it can print some of these the only 60?C build plate temperature.

I just got into ABS and I am having problems with ABS warping at 100?C build plate temperature. How is this going to work a 60?C.
I only question, because you were planning to get one for your birthday. Do you know some secrets I don't about build plate adhesion and ABS warping for a 60? build plate.

I never use abs :-)
Plus on a open framed printer with an unheated build volume - neither should anyone else :-)
Plus I'm pretty sure some of the print surfaces I have would let you print at lower temps then usual.
I do have some abs plus - but even that stinks when you print it.
I've been trying to give my old abs away for years.
Once people try pla or pet-g - they just don't want even free abs.

The print plate temp is interesting - it used to be listed at 110c.
We'll see :-)
Ah ha - pic says 60c, text says 50-100c

Also - only straight pla and abs need a heated plate. All the pla with inclusions and flexible pla (also all the tpu's), will happily print on unheated build plate

Reasons i want one: built in wifi, proper build plate levelling out of the box, it can sit on top of my k200 delta - so won't take up any desk space. Properly portable. Should be simple to run it off a 12v lithium ion battery pack. It's the cutest printer I've ever seen. :-)
I'm going to switch the nozzle out to 0.25mm and use it for super detailed and fine prints (apparently if you go much smaller, nozzle wise, you get real back pressure issues).
Pretty sure I will be able to print wheels with built in bearings small enough for 20x20 extrusion. Plus much other stuff.
As far as a beginner goes - it has everything an expensive machine will have - and is pretty much the best out-of-the-box plug-n-play budget machine you can currently get. Plus easily removeable print bed.
Planning on getting some aluminium discs made that I can keep different print surfaces on for testing purposes and others.

From the point of view of someone new to 3d printing. It's perfect.
Cheap as chips - in the us anyway. Way more expensive in the uk ;-(
For $160 you get to try 3d printing on a machine with pretty much all the more expensive features. So if you need a larger build volume you'll have a much better idea what features you need and which you don't.
Plus very good print quality.

I'll let you know about the build plate in a month :-)

That looks like a neat printer. I did research on delta vs cartesian frame. The cartesian is more accurate... By the way, the open frame seems more popular, but isnt it ideal to have an enclosed frame to retain heat?

[QUOTE I did research on delta vs cartesian frame. The cartesian is more accurate...][/QUOTE]
nope. Accuracy is pretty similiar - but delta's can usually do it faster :-)

Both types of machine use the same stepper motors, firmware and slicers - so accuracy is always down to the actual mechanics of the machine in question.

Because the build plate on a delta does not move - that removes one potential source of inaccuracy. As long as your belts are tight and everything else is mechanically good.
Accuracy is at east as good as cartesian, arguably better.
I have an i3 a replicator clone and a delta - I know whereof I speak :-)

I have had good experience with Geeetech. They have a nice lineup of aluminum extrusion printers. And are worth at least taking a look at. Here is the A10:
https://www.amazon.com/GEEETECH-Fast...s=geeetech+a10

The dual extruder A10m:
https://www.geeetech.com/geeetech-a1...er-p-1036.html

The A20:
https://www.ebay.com/p/Geeetech-3d-P...0584413&chn=ps
The dual extruder A20m:
https://www.gearbest.com/3d-printers...BoCRiQQAvD_BwE

And the A30:
https://www.ebay.com/p/Geeetech-A30-...4087695&chn=ps

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Originally Posted by 1000Calories

I have some experience 3D modeling and am very tech savvy with computers. So I am looking into a buying a printer from a brand that has great customer service. I have no knowledge on this market, nor the parts that make up the printer. I've been making prototypes, however it becomes irritating when you have to wait a while to get the part. The time has come to actually get one so I don't have to wait. PLA and ABS are the only materials I use. Is it true that a heated bed and sturdy metal frame is worth having?

Budget: $150 - $250

Any info is appreciated!

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As was already said, you are looking at the very low end of the cost/quality spectrum. You should expect to make some compromises, and in some cases modifications. Also, take with a grain of salt those that say that you must modify a printer to optimize it. This is a hobby for most people and as such they are often looking for ways to modify the printer whether is needs it or not. Think of it like car enthusiasts, a person might spend $1000 on a spoiler for their Honda Civic, while they will likely see no real performance gains at normal speeds. Or in a more extreme case, they might put a snorkel onto their truck and extend the breather tubes for the differential. All the while knowing they will likely never drive their truck into a body of water, or even off-road in many cases. Why do they do it? Mostly because it looks cool. Is it better to have truck that can drive through 3 feet of water? Sure, but if you never need it, what is the point?

I would argue this point, you should get a kit and build it yourself.

1: It will get you to understand all the components and how they work.
2: The printer will break eventually. When it does, you'll be prepared to troubleshoot and fix it.

I recommend Folger Technology kits, they are all aluminum frame, have good instructions and a large user base. Cost starts about $300

Where did you get started?