3d printers on aliexpress

AliExpress sells 3d printers for as low as $ 220 (for an i3 prusa). Are these printers qualitatively good? Did anyone order such a 3d printer? How can they be so cheap (that goes for all things on AliExpress, so I think the question is rhetoric only)?

Beware of scams... there was recently a scam where the "vendor" would sell something *ridiculously* cheap ($70 for a 3D printer) then offer you a partial refund due to accidentally sending by slow shipping. If you accept the refund, the rest of your money is gone.

Also watch out for shipping costs (including on items labelled as "Free Shipping") which can be as much as the item.

The tricky thing with AliExpress is you never know the quality. Top price for an item may be 10 times the cheapest price. Probably the expensive ones have good quality control, and the failures go to other vendors for (hopefully) refurbishment and reselling. Whenever I buy something from AliExpress I buy 2, in case one doesn't work. I generally go for near the lowest price, avoiding any vendors with no feedback.

I'm aware of possible issues with AliExpress. There are 3d printers with more than 1800 ratings, over 97 % of them positive, so I don't think it's a scam.

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4dPrinter
I'm aware of possible issues with AliExpress. There are 3d printers with more than 1800 ratings, over 97 % of them positive, so I don't think it's a scam.

I wonder how many of those ratings are fake.

I've always been very happy with whatever I ordered on AliExpress. I don't think everything there is scam and fake.

Back on topic: Anyone ordered such a device?

I ordered a Kossel kit from FLSUN during the 11/11 sale. Haven't gotten it yet, but it is china, so shipping can be slow. Luckily it looks like the seller only has 15 days to ship the order or it automatically gets canceled.

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greghoge.com

HUGE 3D PRINTER PARTS SALE!!!

basically order a set of bearings, and start to sourse a decent control board too.

i bought a hic hic prusa type 'prescian auro' or summut..ffffff, wos off ebay, but the same machine apears on alliexspres, i.e. theres a lotta chinese sellers on both lol.

they run fine when theyre running, but long-a-tivity isnt that hi. 7 spools in my case, but this particular deeler was ermmmm scambo sam oreily lol.(better kit on it it would be a smashing printer at that price...thats the only clue about buying summut similar).

its cheep...therefore just think ahead, bearings..print a x carriadge kit and extruder arm, the one that press's the bearing onto the filoment onto the drive cog.

the motors are still going on mine so far..touch wood, but i think you'll find the same o same o motors on most printers. the frames still good..so far lol.


basically.. good for the learning curve, theres a few teething things you'd not like on a propper money set up...so.. if you dont know its good learner for the money (and yes theres a few hics along the way you need to be aware of, and have to learn it the hard way).
after the learning troubles has passed...you can print parts for the big boy that will save you big bucks and mean better bars,bearings etc etc..frame, bars n tackle, board and motors and extruder set up iz the basic 'sections' when sourcing.

if you've got the cash though..ditch the cheap shit, as breaking owt wont be a problem. i've been looking at the cost running the 50p a chuck bearings, buy 10 get 2 good 3 usable(theyll go soon) and 2-5 shite bobblers that visably cobble stone along the bar, so do the math..go silly and pay 20 a bearing..or change them a lot for a few quid less.
the cheep shit can work, and work well...but it can also be time consuming subject to luck of sale. pay up and you can at least kick off reliably at the vendor lol.

i think the going rate is H6 or better for hardend bars, regaurding the screw bar hmmmm...bout 40 quid for a cheeper end ballscrew or as little as a fiver for T8 screw bar, or less for stainless threaded rod. cant vouch on this front, but so far i cant say the T8 bar (the standard cheep printer one you see on most) has any real draw back regarding binding back lash and the other 36 things, but all said and done its only covering 10-18 cm, bigger and i suspect it'll start to become aparent, e.g. 0.01mm out at 1cm, is 0.1 at at 10cm..just for easy math, plus backlash etc it gets bigger the further it goes..or worse the faster it goes.

unfortunatly its get the waders on, the chest waders that is and 'google is your freind' as they say.. the waders are for wading through all the bullshit on google lol....you'll find ebay has leprosey for a lotta stuff! alliexspress aint that bad bar the 3 week average wait time.(hense plan ahead).

youll need a couple throtes, couple nozzles at the very least for the learning curve...and i'd get spare fans now, they work for an age or just splat...yu never know which and yu cant really do with out them.(it can be dun but masacistic tendancies arnt my fortey lol).
the first and formost to learn is set up and tune the thing, reason..any smuck on any crappy bad machne will and can do print a blobby octopuss...without proper calibrasion though it'll be shite end off...only way to do it is by the book, or by ear but eather way untill you suss it forget it, there is no buy and use it ready set up..unless yu likes blobby octopusiessiessiesss lol. taint hard but can be labourious. any machine you buy will differ from filoment to filoment, the bars may lean or whatever, so plan A is buy the use it now and send it back everytime summut changes, or actualy use it and set it up lol..then its easy peazy to sort cuz yu know how.

plastic does stress with use btw(but you now have a priner that prints...plastic)...metal does to but no where near as much, and at these levals (learning curve omitted) metal will last, well.. i wont say indefinatly..but it'll last longer (bar mishaps).
the use of the lock tight, word of warning, if you cant get a spanner on both ends..please dont lol!! eeeee cut the thing off is the last resort, which totaly mars what ever its attachd to, put a washer on just incase. summut else not many say about lock tight, you need to clean the threads, it can ware a thread down way prematurly...which means buy another motor or what ever..

frame wise for buying...acrylic static frames are exacly that..yu cant change out, e.g. your z axis climbs at an angle, you'll have to pack up and or file summut out..its unajustable, verses the old screw bar frame prusa types, everything can be fine tuned..but, it can also be a pain just assembling, and then the nuts will loosen over time (thread luck/nylo lock..) but, there yu have it, any machine is a tune it and use it till it needs tuning yet again lol.
or...get to like blobby octopussies lolol.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2015 10:32AM by munchit1.

I bought an acrylic i3 for $400.00. The instructions sucked. But, between common sense and this site I was able to get it working pretty well. Since then I have redesigned and replaced everything accept the frame and now have a nice little printer. The best thing is that because of it's short comings I was forced to learn many things about operation and settings. Once again this site was invaluable in this process. As far as a reliable supplier goes, search the company names for reviews. Aliexpress does have protection policies. Good luck.

Hi guys,

Actualy Aliexpress cheap delta kits are better than i3 ones.
But there's not perfect kit, especialy on aliexpress.
Forget the kits, and follow a good BOM to get the better possible components.
Anyways, forums.reprap.org is the after sales dpt of aliexpress kits.
So you'd rather start here, you'll get at last better components.

++JM

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Forget the kits, and follow a good BOM to get the better possible components.

So, how can you identify "better" components on AliExpress? Every vendor claims "high quality".

Putting my cent here,
I bought one from 3d star and it has been great experience with them!
It is a Zonestar P802M (black acrilyc)
22x22x23cm
Melzi "V2.0"
Firmware Repetier 0.91
2004 LCD 5 bottom
Free shipping with DHL arrived to Canada in 7 days
Duty and handling fees $22.56 CDN ( invoiced lower)

Yes, do not buy anything without reviews and reviews that comes from your own country would give a better reality.
Now, I work with automation, and by looking at provided "manual" , I had to think first and make the right sense on how it would be put together.
No big deal, but if you expect a step by step, and photo guidance, no they are not that detailed.
About total of 5 hours to put it together and get the first print out from the provided sample!

Acrylic 7 mm thick!!! Wished it was 8mm but it us we'll designed, no wobbling
Upon my request to the seller, I have STL file, firmware.
Great communication with the seller! Which I never had at Ebay......
LCD got issue and seller is shipping one out ( china post register)

Hope this helps!
Good print!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2015 01:21AM by Bobyni.

Hi guys,

Definitely acrylics is rubbish. Let's be honnest.
Sellers use it because it's cheap and cheap to be lasercut.
It don't need any post production treatment and it's light so they can save money on shipping.
But, it can't make a good printer frame because it's too bendable.
You should at last use 12mm acrylic frames to get the properties of a 3mm aluminium sheet.

Every vendor claims "high quality", not only chinese sellers.
But quality is more about component type than expected quality of the component.
As said ealier, get an aluminium or even a wood frame, and leave acrylic ones.
You can get motors that have better torque, especialy to move heavy parts or filament.
A good transmission screw is not a fastening metric screw, but a real trapezoidal screw.
And it's better if it's a part of a threaded rod motor shaft, so you won't get missalignment between the motor and the screw, while saving on couplers.
For the control board, get an extensible 32 bit board instead of a standard 16bit ramps copy.
Get a good hotend, even if it's an E3D chinese copy, it will be ways better than a no name chinese stuff made only to be cheap.

First, understand what a 3D printer is made of.
Then read about what skilled reprappers have on their own machines.
Any technology takes readings and time to make sense.
Learning can be a pleasant journey

++JM

I bought loads from aliexpress and always had item, if not refund. But selecting 3d printer there is really hard since all them claim aka new latest tech etc...

Here you have my prusa i3 from Aliexpress,
Zonestar P802M
And my first print
PLA 1.75mm
@195C no heated bed on masking tape ( blue, installed by the seller)

Here is how the package arrived
Three level well protected.
Melzi "V2.0" with make socket connector so you won't' make mistake on burning your board.
Stepper motors and end stops are all with the correspondent female connectors

Hope this helps

I bought a XI3 off Aliexpress and just finished assembling it after a week. I had to dremmel out the nut holes in the acrylic as they were too thin. The instructions were basically off the wiki but the included photos and videos. Wires for the motors didn't match any source references. Wasted a lot of time until I learned about the jumpers under the motor drivers. Having problems with the absolute offset in the firmware that I updated. But that's for another thread.

Point is (until I actually get a print done and are proven wrong), the actual purchase experience and shipping was good, with reprap.cn was all over the packaging.

Here is another perspective:

If its your first 3D printer, dont buy it from Aliexpress. Period.

Your first printer should be purchased from somewhere reputable with a very large source of support. That support can be a 3rd party, like a large forum dedicated to that particular printer (not actually based from the seller itself). There are quite a few on these forums. You need good communication in case you need replacement parts. You need to be able to ask people advice on problems and get quick answers. You will not get that from Aliexpress.

After you learn the ups and downs of your first printer, and have a clear understanding of the difference between 'top quality parts' and 'best bang for the buck at the expense of more calibration', then you can shop Aliexpress. Aliexpress is a great place for sourcing 3D printers and parts. But you had better have the experience with dealing with those parts first.

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"Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."

A friend of mine bought his first 3d printer from Aliexpress, and he's printing like mad ever since.

I tested a printer from Aliexpress. I have now 3 3d printers, and I have to say, although the quality isn't the best, the 3d printer from Aliexpress is by far the most reliable and the one which is easiest to handle. I would suggest to buy this printer to any newcomer...

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4dPrinter
I tested a printer from Aliexpress. I have now 3 3d printers, and I have to say, although the quality isn't the best, the 3d printer from Aliexpress is by far the most reliable and the one which is easiest to handle. I would suggest to buy this printer to any newcomer...

And which one is that?

Quote
tjnamtiw

Quote
4dPrinter
I tested a printer from Aliexpress. I have now 3 3d printers, and I have to say, although the quality isn't the best, the 3d printer from Aliexpress is by far the most reliable and the one which is easiest to handle. I would suggest to buy this printer to any newcomer...

And which one is that?

This one:
[www.aliexpress.com]

Quote
gmh39
I ordered a Kossel kit from FLSUN during the 11/11 sale. Haven't gotten it yet, but it is china, so shipping can be slow. Luckily it looks like the seller only has 15 days to ship the order or it automatically gets canceled.

This printer came in the other day. It looks halfway decent for a $225 printer. I'll reserve my final judgement until after assembly (whenever that is going to be)...

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greghoge.com

HUGE 3D PRINTER PARTS SALE!!!

I sourced my own parts. For Aliexpress think of it like ebay. Lots of different sellers ranging from scam artists to major companies. My rules were... Have they sold a lot of stuff and gotten a good reputation? Secondly are they primarily selling 3d printer stuff. That way I could expect them to know their stuff.

I'm thinking about getting this one:
[www.aliexpress.com]

A lot of the reviews say they had defective parts which makes me worry, but i dont think theres any way i could buy all the parts seperately and still be cheaper than this. Even if i did they would probably come from similar suppliers anyway.

I just ordered a 3D printer from Aliexpress yesterday, then found this thread. Not too concerned though since I've received about 35 packages from them in the last 2 years without any problems.

Just be careful on Aliexpress.   There certainly are awesome deals to be had (30-40% less than ebay/amazon at times) but it is still uncharted territory. The same Geetech model on eBay sells for less on Aliexpress. The Hesine M505B is real, I have one, it's a decent quality beginner/ intermediate Prusa i3 that seems to working very well for about 99% of their customers. But - I suggest buying from the Hesine store on Aliexpress or the 1 or 2 others with lots of sales. $220 with 2kg PLA or ABS, free delivery. Can't beat that.

NEVER press Confirm Goods Received until the end of the sale period (30 days) on any Aliexpress transaction. That is THEIR advice! Aliexpress holds your payment in escrow until YOU PRESS this button. Build your printer, use Hesine for help, they are willing UNTIL PAID! You will be very familiar with the i3 by then, you won't need your hand held so much. Once paid, you are on your own, except they will honor their warranty pretty consistently.

I THOUGHT I bought a dual extruder Kossel for $99, and two other I3's for $131 each, from two other sellers. Turns out they wanted me to open a dispute (for no real reason...) and they'd refund me $16. This is the single WORST THING about Aliexpress! You have one and only one time-limited chance to dispute ANYTHING to do with a transaction on Aliex, and by opening a dispute early, they simply wait you out. The watchdogs at Aliex froze their accounts and actually emailed me before I realised I'd been scammed (come on, G, $360 for 3 printers? Too good to be true? Yup), and 8 days later was fully refunded. Buy Hesine 3D, they have integrity, and alleviated my worries purchasing theirs, while gettting ripped off by the other guys the same week.

I must say, fellow citizens of the world - RepRap is supposedly about putting an AFFORDABLE printer in the hands of all, while most of the brainiacs at the project (even Prusa himself)sell "somewhat" better printers at 3 times the price as the Aliexpress guys are and crap all over them at every opportunity, because (stamp foot here) they're not doing it right. BullS#$@T! Apple products are built in China, so much quality product we all take for granted is, too. Let the Chinese make a few thousand bad ones, then eventually they get it right, and Hesine's is a good example of that. And then the world will get affordable 3D printers. I wasn't even in the market two weeks ago, and last week I was inspired to buy four after finding Aliexpress. Built the Hesine in Victoria BC, and now I'm printing Christmas presents...

Peace

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2015 01:38AM by GordieF.

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Whenever I can't fix something, I just beat the bejesus out of it on my guitar...

I just ordered one of the Hesine ones from aliexpress. For the price i just couldnt beat it, especially with two spools of plastic filament too.
I agree with GordieF, when i first read about the prusa i3 i was dissapointed to find that they where so expensive when one of the main aims is to be affordable. If these Chinese companies can sell a working printer for £150, including filament and shipping, then surely the people who invented the thing could come somewhere close in their price. Everyone is always talking about having affordable printers in every home, but nobody seems interested in creating a printer that is affordable to someone who doesnt have a need for it every day.

Quote
GordieF
Just be careful on Aliexpress.   There certainly are awesome deals to be had (30-40% less than ebay/amazon at times) but it is still uncharted territory. The same Geetech model on eBay sells for less on Aliexpress. The Hesine M505B is real, I have one, it's a decent quality beginner/ intermediate Prusa i3 that seems to working very well for about 99% of their customers. But - I suggest buying from the Hesine store on Aliexpress or the 1 or 2 others with lots of sales. $220 with 2kg PLA or ABS, free delivery. Can't beat that.

NEVER press Confirm Shipment Received until the end of the sale period (30 days) on any Aliexpress transaction. That is THEIR advice! Aliexpress holds your payment in escrow until YOU PRESS this button. Build your printer, use Hesine for help, they are willing UNTIL PAID! You will be very familiar with the i3 by then, you won't need your hand held so much. Once paid, you are on your own, except they will honor their warranty pretty consistently.

I THOUGHT I bought a dual extruder Kossel for $99, and two other I3's for $131 each, from two other sellers. Turns out they wanted me to open a dispute (for no real reason...) and they'd refund me $16. This is the single WORST THING about Aliexpress! You have one and only one time-limited chance to dispute ANYTHING to do with a transaction on Aliex, and by opening a dispute early, they simply wait you out. The watchdogs at Aliex froze their accounts and actually emailed me before I realised I'd been scammed (come on, G, $360 for 3 printers? Too good to be true? Yup), and 8 days later was fully refunded. Buy Hesine 3D, they have integrity, and alleviated my worries purchasing theirs, while gettting ripped of by the other guys the same week.

I must say, fellow citizens of the world - RepRap is supposedly about putting an AFFORDABLE printer in the hands of all, while most of the brainiacs at the project (even Prusa himself)sell "somewhat" better printers at 3 times the price as the Aliexpress guys are and crap all over them at every opportunity, because (stamp foot here) they're not doing it right. BullS#$@T! Apple products are built in China, so much quality product we all take for granted is, too. Let the Chinese make a few thousand bad ones, then eventually they get it right, and Hesine's is a good example of that. And then the world will get affordable 3D printers. I wasn't even in the market two weeks ago, and last week I was inspired to buy four after finding Aliexpress. Built the Hesine in Victoria BC, and now I'm printing Christmas presents...

Peace

Perfectly said!!! I too was sucked into that scam of opening a dispute and I eventually got my money back from my credit card company since Aliexpress wouldn't budge. Since then I've bought 4 more items from Aliexpress with no problems. Just watch your time limits and like you said, NEVER EVER hit that received button until the end of the period. If you don't receive the goods and the time limit runs out, the ASSUME you got the item and pay the seller. You have no recourse, so watch the delivery time remaining and if you don't get the goods, THEN open a dispute before the time runs out.

Bit of advice for anyone wanting to order one; wait until after christmas since they are listing items as their real value for customs because of the increased checks. Just got told i'l probably have to pay £30 customs when my arrives....