Cheapest 3D printer ever?

Redbrickman

Printer Master
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Messages
1,105
Reaction score
1,189
Points
293
Location
UK
Printer Model
MB5150
If you are bored you can watch this video where Thomas Sanladerer builds this €72 wobbly printer and seeemingly enjoyed it :)

 

Nifty

Printer VIP
Administrator
Joined
Nov 3, 2004
Messages
3,047
Reaction score
1,409
Points
337
Location
Bay Area CA
Printer Model
CR-10, i560 ,MFC-7440N
If you are bored you can watch this video where Thomas Sanladerer builds this €72 wobbly printer and seeemingly enjoyed it :)

I saw that! I think it's fun that he bought one and did a video.

It's silly, but I bet if you showed that to a 3D printing hobbyist 10 years ago, it would blow their mind! LOL!

I'm loving how accessible 3D printing has become.

An entrepreneur friend of mine recently got a Bambu Labs printer and has been posting on FB about how awesome it is, and how game-changing 3D printing can be.

I'm printing on my Ender 3 V3 SE right now and am still impressed with the cost, ease of setup, speed, and reliability. It just works.
 

Redbrickman

Printer Master
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Messages
1,105
Reaction score
1,189
Points
293
Location
UK
Printer Model
MB5150
The Bambu X1C works out of the box but is a nightmare to service even some of the simplest parts.
If a bearing goes faulty on the gantry then its throwaway and buy a new $100+ gantry as there is no way to remove the bearing. Currently there is a problem on some machines where a bed cable gets frayed or breaks due to a pretty dodgy routing design where its squashed through a small gap and rubs up against a leadscrew. To change it you have to take half the machine apart.

As far as printing ABS/ASA etc goes although it's enclosed there are lots of openings in the back panel where fumes escape and drafts can effect the print. The rear leadscrew is also bombarded by lots of filament cut offs that should go down the "poop chute" but don't.

They have taken all the open source design ideas and made a printer that works well, especially for newbies to 3D printing but their designs are not friendly for long term maintenance. I'm guessing that some of the design team came from designing cars that look great but the owner can't service :) The remainder came from the DJI design team ('nuff said).

But they are not alone. A very new innovation is the beltless linear motor driven printer. Its $2000 and has bare mains wiring under the base and at the bed. Think they need to read about health and safety before there are any fatalities.

 

The Hat

Printer VIP
Platinum Printer Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
15,628
Reaction score
8,698
Points
453
Location
Residing in Wicklow Ireland
Printer Model
Canon/3D, CR-10, CR-10S, KP-3
I'm printing on my Ender 3 V3 SE right now and am still impressed with the cost, ease of setup, speed, and reliability. It just works.
I sometimes laugh at some of the new printer designs, but are they truly new designs, or just gimmicks..

Over the years I’ve found the older designs are better at what they do, but spare parts are getting harder to get, the one thing I do like is how easy to fix they are on the fly..

No matter what goes wrong they are pretty easy to sort out and have you back printing in no time at all, nothing is too complicated..

Give me the old stuff anytime..:)
 
Top