I am pretty sure, at least once, you asked yourself: What is the lowest you can spend to have a quality 3D print? Through my articles, I have always said that are lots of variables that determine the quality of the final product. But, how can you have a performant 3D printer at the lowest cost? Fortunately, the market has made lots of progress and all the vendors started to develop more user-friendly machines and especially, more reliable ones.
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Best cheap 3D printer in 2021
The 3D printing market is saturated and, there is lots of competition. This leads to better machines at lower prices. One of the biggest improvements we’ve made over the years is not technological innovation, but the more accessible prices.
In this blog, I try to write guides and tips for 3D printing, every now and then I like to give some purchase advice. This arises from the fact that there are lots of biased reviews. Lots of websites recommend obsolete printers, printers without support groups, or they only have an interest. For these reasons, I will try to order some of my favorite printers without a particular ranking. Those are the best 5 cheap 3D printers at the beginning of 2021. Which will be the best one?
In this article, we only deal with FDM or filament printers.
Here are the best and cheapest 3D printers!
Ender 3 V2
It is the best 3D printer in terms of quality and price to start entering this world, mostly because the Ender 3 has a big community and most likely you will find lots of information to get you started with this printer. It is semi-assembled and you can finish the assemble in about twenty minutes without having particular knowledge of electronics or mechanics. It can use different types of filament, it is very solid and made with good materials.
Ender 3 V2 is the updated version of the hugely popular and beloved Ender 3, which most likely will attract lots of buyers for this new version, making the community even bigger!
Technical improvements over the first version
The motherboard is equipped with the TMC2208 silent stepper drivers. Compared to Ender 3 and Ender 3 pro, it offers a pleasant experience of silence. This version eliminates the high pitch sounds of the motors. A great upgrade for a cheap 3D printer!
The new display is a 4.3-inch color screen, the user experience greatly improves with the newly designed user interface system.
A large rotating knob is added to the extruder of the Ender 3 V2, which can facilitate filament loading and feeding.
It also has an integrated toolbox into the machine body, making maintenance work more comfortable and organized.
The Craborundom glass platform allows the plate to heat up faster and prints adhere much better!
Technical characteristics | |
Printing size: | 220 * 220 * 250mm |
Machine Size: | 475x470x620mm |
Product Weight: | 7.8KG |
Layer thickness: | 0.1mm-0.4mm |
XY axis accuracy: | ± 0.1mm |
Filament: | 1.75mm PLA/TPU/PETG |
File format: | STL / OBJ / AMF |
Working mode: | online or offline TF card |
Power specification: | AC115 / 230V 50 / 60Hz; Output: DC24V |
Temp bed: | ≤100 ℃ |
Nozzle Temp: | ≤250 ℃ |
Print speed: | ≤180mm / s, normal 30-60mm / s |
ENDER 3 V2 PROS
- Pre-assembled and easy to put together.
- Excellent construction materials
- Great motherboard with super quiet TMC drivers
- Excellent value for money
- Resume Printing function
- HUGE community
ENDER 3 V2 CONS
- No auto-level
- Weak PSU
- No filament sensor
Anycubic i3 MEGA
An excellent printer to start experimenting with 3D printing. This not so easy to assemble, a little harder than the Ender 3 v2, where 8 screws are enough, but not impossible. In about 1 hour you will be ready to print!
Technical characteristics
One of the things I like about this printer are the linear guides. They are much better in my opinion than the wheels and offer better precision.
Another great thing is the filament runout sensor, which can save your prints in lots of cases.
The supported printing materials are TPU, PLA, ABS, HIPS, wood, etc. The touch screen is multilingual by default. It is much easier for beginners to set the correct language for them to understand some new terms.
Technical characteristics | |
Printing size: | 210 x 210 x 205 mm |
Machine Size: | 405x410x453 mm |
Product Weight: | ~ 11 kg |
Layer thickness: | 0.1mm-0.4mm |
XY axis accuracy: | X / Y 0.125mm, Z 0.002mm |
Filament: | 1.75 mm TPU, PLA, ABS, HIPS |
File format: | STL, OBJ, DAE, AMF |
Working mode: | Online or SD offline |
Power specification: | AC 100-220V 50-60Hz / Working voltage: 12V DC |
Temp bed: | ≤100 ℃ |
Nozzle Temp: | 260 ℃ |
Print speed: | 20~100mm/s(recommended speed 60%) |
Anycubic i3 MEGA PROS
- Rapid heating of the print bed and hotend.
- Movements on linear guides
- Double Z-axis
Anycubic i3 MEGA CONS
- It is not a newly released model
- Not so easy to assemble
Artillery Genius
The high-performance printer that packs all the new cool features! It has a clean design and a professional look.
It basically has every high–quality accessory: touch screen control, fast extruder and fast bed heating, ultra-quiet stepper driver, and direct drive extruder for flexible materials. One of the things that makes this printer stand out from the crowd is the power failure detection. Say goodbye to the ruined print jobs due to a power outage.
Technical characteristics
It has a feature called asynchronous dual Z system, which makes sure both sides of the x-gantry go up and down at the same height and speed, even when one of the Z Steppers breaks. The bed heats in only 130 seconds and the heated bed can reach 110 degrees which mean a more powerful power supply than the standard printer.
It’s easy to set up and it’s very reliable with time!
Technical characteristics | |
Printing size: | 22 x 22 x 25cm |
Machine Size: | 43 x 39 x 51cm |
Product Weight: | 8,9 kg |
Layer thickness: | 0.1mm-0.4mm |
XY axis accuracy: | 0.05mm, 0.05mm, 0.01mm |
Filament: | 1.75 mm PLA, ABS, TPU, flexible, materials |
File format: | STL, OBJ, DAE, AMF |
Working mode: | Online or SD offline |
Power specification: | 110V / 220V (with heated bed on) |
Temp bed: | ≤130 ℃ |
Nozzle Temp: | 260 ℃ |
Print speed: | 150 mm/s MAX |
Artillery Genius PROS
- Rapid heating of the print bed and hot end
- Silent movements
- Volcano hot end for fast printing
- Direct drive extruder, ideal for printing flexible filaments
- Print recovery in case of power failure
- Flat cables for an attractive look
Artillery Genius CONS
- It is more expensive than the competitors
Artillery Genius on Aliexpress
LONGER LK4
Inexpensive 3D printer very similar to the first version of Ender 3, to which it adds the color touch screen. Among the best for the price/quality ratio. The characteristic of this printer is the use of smooth profiles for the frame. This aspect makes it very elegant.
Technical characteristics
The LK4 simplifies assembly. The X-axis with the extruder, the base, and the hotend were assembled before leaving the factory. 90% of the printer arrives already assembled, saving you time and effort.
One of the best things is the clean user interface, easy to use, and the preview of the model and the printing process on the screen.
The new sturdy frame with smooth profiles will prevent the accumulation of dust in the channels. It also has a resume printing function.
With a power supply of 280W, the heat bed temperature can reach 100 ℃ in 4 minutes.
Technical characteristics | |
Printing size: | 220 * 220 * 250mm |
Machine Size: | 425*402*505mm |
Product Weight: | 8.5KGS |
Layer thickness: | 0.1mm-0.4mm |
XY axis accuracy: | 0.05mm, 0.05mm, 0.01mm |
Filament: | 1.75mm PLA/ABS/Wood |
File format: | G-Code, STL |
Working mode: | Online or SD offline |
Power specification: | DC 24V 15A 280W |
Temp bed: | ≤130 ℃ |
Nozzle Temp: | 250 ℃ |
Print speed: | Up to 120mm/s |
Longer LK4 PROS
- Cheap 3D printer
- Ease of installation
- Intuitive touch monitor
- 24-volt high amper power supply
- Power-recovery
Longer LK4 CONS
- Wheels wear out easily
- Noisy extruder fan
JGMaker Magic
It’s a good 3D printer. Not for technological innovation, but rather more for the reliability and quality of the prints.
Technical characteristics
Y-axis movements are on linear guides, which reduces z banding. It doesn’t have a touch screen, but the design is clean and with a sturdy base.
One of the things I like the most is the cable management, and the build quality of the electronics, which makes it very safe!
This printer has a filament runout sensor, power outage sensor, and also features a spool holder.
Technical characteristics | |
Printing size: | 220x220x250mm |
Machine Size: | 443*450*472mm |
Product Weight: | 8KGS |
Layer thickness: | 0.1mm-0.4mm |
XY axis accuracy: | 0.05mm-0.3mm |
Filament: | 1.75mm PLA/ABS/Wood |
File format: | G-Code, STL |
Working mode: | Online or SD offline |
Power specification: | 250w |
Temp bed: | ≤130 ℃ |
Nozzle Temp: | 250 ℃ |
Print speed: | Up to 150mm/s |
JGMaker Magic PROS
- Great electronics
- Low price
- Power failure recovery
- End of thread sensor
- Elegant design
JGMaker Magic CONS
- Cheap build-plate
- The community is pretty small, and there aren’t so many projects for this printer or upgrades.
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