3D printers aren’t exactly cheap, so if you’re going to make that investment, you should start by learning what the best budget printers are.
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3D printing is a great hobby for those who like creating objects that can be used around the house. You can even fix broken furniture and appliances by printing the relevant parts with a 3D printer. Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast, a designer who wants to make quick prototypes, or an artist of any kind, a 3D printer lets you print objects you’ve never even thought of. However, the market is flooded with 3D printers of various kinds: There are FDM printers, SLA printers, bed slingers, Core XY machines, and whatnot. If you’re a beginner, the sheer number of options and technical jargon is intimidating. So, we decided to put together a list of budget-friendly 3D printers that are ideal for dipping your toes into the hobby.
While these are cheap printers, they offer great value in terms of features, print quality, and speed. Far from being just a beginner’s tool, those machines cater to a wide range of audiences, including seasoned printers looking to expand their arsenal. We’ve made sure to include printers of various types in this list: Core XY printers with enclosures, mini printers with multicolor support, and large, feature-loaded options.Elegoo Centauri Carbon
Ask any 3D-printing enthusiast, and they’ll tell you that the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon is the holy grail of consumer-grade 3D printing. However, that printer costs close to $1,000 — out of reach for most people. Elegoo — a renowned brand in 3D printing — has come up with a product that rivals the X1 Carbon, but at a third of its asking price. The Elegoo Centauri Carbon is a fully enclosed Core XY 3D printer with features such as auto bed leveling, 500 mm/s print speed, and a large build volume of 256 cubic millimeters. The brass-hardened steel nozzle can achieve temperatures of up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing a wide range of filaments to be used. The enclosure also helps maintain a high chamber temperature, which means you can print materials like ABS and ASA without any hiccups.
The built-in camera lets you monitor your prints remotely while also recording time-lapse videos of your prints. Despite being considerably cheaper than other machines of the same caliber and feature set, the Centauri Carbon doesn’t compromise on build and print quality. Since it’s a Core XY machine, it’s also extremely fast to print. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced veteran looking for an affordable machine for your print farm, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon fits the bill. It has most of the features of an expensive printer, but with an affordable price tag. It lacks multicolor printing at the time of writing, though, which can be a deal-breaker for some.Bambu Lab A1 Mini
Bambu Lab has built a strong reputation in the 3D printing business, thanks to reliable machines that just work. However, most 3D printers from the brand are rather pricey, which is why several consumers end up looking at other options.
