Ready to take the plunge? Read on.Īs a general rule, inexpensive 3D printers have small build volumes, while more expensive ones have larger build volumes. After that, we go into more detail on understanding the 3D printer specs and tech relevant to beginning buyers. Read on for mini-reviews of the top budget 3D printers we've tested. If you're in the market for a beginner or low-cost 3D printer, it's important to know how lower-end models differ. And they've gotten a lot more affordable, too, for curious DIY-ers and hobbyists to try.

While they can still be rebellious at times, 3D printers have grown up a lot, and achieving the 3D printer basics has gotten a lot less likely to end in a shouting match over small things. These and other issues required painstaking effort to resolve, often combined with calls to tech support. Objects frequently stuck to the build plate, and required careful, sometimes unsuccessful, efforts to pry them off. The extruder or hot end had to be positioned just right to minimize the gap between the nozzle and the build plate (the flat surface on which the object is printed). Issues with filament-based-aka fused filament fabrication (FFF) or fused deposition modeling (FDM)-printers were abundant.įilament feeders had to be coaxed into delivering filament from the spool to the extruder. For the first several years, it was often an adventure getting one of these printers up and running, let alone successfully through our testing regimen. Today, the state of 3D printing is strong, but that wasn’t always the case. PC Labs has been reviewing 3D printers since 2013. And you may pay less than you expect: Many once-high-end features have migrated down to inexpensive models. Through their first decade-and-change, 3D printers have come down in price, grown easier to set up and operate, and become more reliable. While we'd hesitate to call 3D printing a mature technology, you might say it has reached its teenage years. Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test (Opens in a new window). Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions.

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3d printer small objects