Hello everyone,

I'm looking for a new 3D printer to purchase. I already have an idea of which printers interest me as I had all the time to make my researches and view different opinions on the web.
3 years ago I've bought a 3D printer kit, the Reprap i3 Rework 1.5, which I've learned a lot from. However, the printer is a real mess, as it has a not-as-tough-as-expected frame (Y axe is really some metal sticks attached by 3D printed parts and some nuts), not to mention the loos electronics in the air and the awful cable management and the loos power supply. Simply put, it was a kit.
I'm actually afraid to power it up, as I'm a little bit afraid it will burst on fire (yeah, I'm exaggerating here, but you get the idea).

So I've started to look for a (semi-)pro printer to buy and to make it my main printer to use.

First of all, here's some primal information I would like to communicate:


  • Budget: 2500 euros,
  • Filament types: PLA, ABS, Flexible, Nylon, PETG, exotics (for the price, I really want to have the freedom to chose),
  • Enclosure: Absolutely (I'm aware of the fact that the printers I'm going to list are semi-closed, but they can easly be sealed, because of their structure),
  • Open-source/materials : Absolutely,
  • Which uses: General creation (I've started to learn Fusion 360 and Blender, which I really intend to continue, and not only because of 3D printing), Home uses and (anime) based figures (yeah yeah, I know what you're thinking, but I've seen wonderful FDM/FFF prints of figures, and I'm intending to purchase a DLP/LCD low-cost printer <Kubo3D Bean> to complete prints with too small details which cannot be done with FFF tech).


My list resume of the next two, which I struggle to choose from because I've read some really good things and really bad things about one of them, but it has a special feature I really like (I'm adding '+' indications which will allow better understanding of what interests me in the printer):


  1. BCN3D Sigma

    - Open source (+++++),
    - Print head changement (+++) <shame the heads are not using standard nozzles to swipe like in the Olsson-block, and cannot be purchased anywhere. Real minus on that part>,
    - (almost entirely) Closed metal solid frame (+++++) <For ABS like materials and can be closed to block fumes>,
    - Dual extrusion IDEX (+++++),
    --> (Real) Multi-materials (+++++),
    - Prints quality (++++) <good but not as well as the UM2+ print quality>,
    - User-friendly interface (++++),
    - Listen to their costumers (+++++) <But lack of seeing people want swippable nozzles..>.
  2. Ultimaker 2+

    - Open source (+++++),
    - Huge and open community (++++),
    - Nozzles changement (+++++) <Can swift to Ruby nozzle, hardened nozzles and find almost any nozzle you can dream of, such as 0,15 mm nozzles>,
    - (almost entirely) Closed solid frame (+++++) <For ABS like materials and can be closed to block fumes>,
    - Almost every part can be found on the market and so can easly be modded and repeared by myself (+++++) <nozzles can be found easly>,
    --> Less restrictive reparations than the Sigma (++++),
    - Print quality (+++++) <I've seen prints that may challenge DLP/SLA prints quality (yeah, I know I'm a bit exagering here, but some prints I've seen have almost no layers sign on them) better than the Sigma print quality>,
    - Strong demand (+++) <In case I would need to sell it, I could easly find people to buy it in not so low price>.


To summarize, what interests me the most is the possibility to print the best quality prints I could find on an FDM/FFF printer, and not be dependant on the sellers in case of problem. Nozzle changement is a feature I'm really interested on (which the Sigma lacks of proposing), but in the other hand, dual IDEX extrusion is a huge plus (which the UM2+ doesn't propose).
I bet you understand my frustration in this case, it's not really a simple choice for me because I really don't intend to have multiples printers over time (2 are the limit, one FFF and the other DLP/LCD to ultra fine prints).

What I'm interested on is an honest opinions from you guys. Maybe some of them have one of the printers and could upload some close-up photos of the prints in order to see the maximal quality the printers are capable of. If I'm lucky enouth, maybe some of you have them both and could make my mind clear about this choice.

Anyway, I thank you guys of you reading this (huge) comment, and I'm sorry about the size of it.
I thank everyone who would reply here and gives their opinions!