I'm completely new to the world of 3d printers but have been doing research on the subject and have come to the point I really need to focus on what printer I should get and it's obvious I need some people with actual experience to give some advice and feedback.
I'm looking for a printer to expand my hobby projects( mainly miniature war game related and prop making) along with making household repair parts. There will most likely bit of print jobbing for friends as well to pay for supplies. With that said the ability to print ABS is a must meaning I'd need a heated bed and a fully enclosed printer will probably be more practical than an open machine. I'm looking for a printer with a nominal 6"x6"x6" print volume or slightly larger to accommodate my predicted prints. I want a printer that is upgradable and modifiable both on the hardware side as well as the software/firmware side so it can retain functionality as long as possible before I would have to move on to a "new" printer. A removable build plate of some sort is preferable as stock but not mandatory. Proprietary filaments or other supplies is a non starter I don't like to be locked into only one source for anything. A printer that has a reputable US based distributor/retailer is greatly preferred. For price range I'm thinking of $800 to $1200 preferably less than $1000 so I can swing getting Simplify 3d right off the bat.
Ok with that said my list of possible choices so far are:
Flashforge Creator Pro
Wanahao Duplicator 4S
Powerspec Ultra Pro
QIDI dual extruder printer
From my research the Flashforge seems to be a solid choice but on the high end of my price range.
The Wanahao looks really good based on it's specs and coming with a number of what would be considered upgrades as stock. But I've read they have some issues with firmware and have had some quality issues in the past.
THe PowerSpec has a good price but in my research it seems the previous model was actually better and this one has issues with firmware upgradeability. One saving grace is I have a Microcenter close so issues would be easier to deal with.
I really can't find much info on the QIDI printer outside of Amazon and a few small retailers. It's on my list because it's in the price range and meets my specs. I would have to have more info on it before I did more than consider it.
So here I am asking for your advice to narrow things down and consider printers that have slipped by my researching or if there is something I missed on figuring my own specs. I'm not planning on pulling the trigger until after the holidays so I have time to consider all my options and see what current users think.
Thanks
I'm looking for a printer to expand my hobby projects( mainly miniature war game related and prop making) along with making household repair parts. There will most likely bit of print jobbing for friends as well to pay for supplies. With that said the ability to print ABS is a must meaning I'd need a heated bed and a fully enclosed printer will probably be more practical than an open machine. I'm looking for a printer with a nominal 6"x6"x6" print volume or slightly larger to accommodate my predicted prints. I want a printer that is upgradable and modifiable both on the hardware side as well as the software/firmware side so it can retain functionality as long as possible before I would have to move on to a "new" printer. A removable build plate of some sort is preferable as stock but not mandatory. Proprietary filaments or other supplies is a non starter I don't like to be locked into only one source for anything. A printer that has a reputable US based distributor/retailer is greatly preferred. For price range I'm thinking of $800 to $1200 preferably less than $1000 so I can swing getting Simplify 3d right off the bat.
Ok with that said my list of possible choices so far are:
Flashforge Creator Pro
Wanahao Duplicator 4S
Powerspec Ultra Pro
QIDI dual extruder printer
From my research the Flashforge seems to be a solid choice but on the high end of my price range.
The Wanahao looks really good based on it's specs and coming with a number of what would be considered upgrades as stock. But I've read they have some issues with firmware and have had some quality issues in the past.
THe PowerSpec has a good price but in my research it seems the previous model was actually better and this one has issues with firmware upgradeability. One saving grace is I have a Microcenter close so issues would be easier to deal with.
I really can't find much info on the QIDI printer outside of Amazon and a few small retailers. It's on my list because it's in the price range and meets my specs. I would have to have more info on it before I did more than consider it.
So here I am asking for your advice to narrow things down and consider printers that have slipped by my researching or if there is something I missed on figuring my own specs. I'm not planning on pulling the trigger until after the holidays so I have time to consider all my options and see what current users think.
Thanks
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