Choice for first printer

Hello everyone

I am considering buying my first 3D printer and would like to know what the panel suggests between the two below:

this one with two extruders: [www.ebay.co.uk]

or this one with just one extruder and what looks like a less sturdy frame (there is no base) but very much cheaper : [www.ebay.co.uk]

money not a problem but I do not want to pay extra for no good reason.

many thanks for any and all suggestions!

For your first 3D printer, you would be better off with a full made up model not a kit.
Learn how to get the best from a 3D printer, learn how to use software tools like CAD, slicers and then when you have experience revisit the kit idea but avoid cheap like the 2 you have linked to.
An idea of the type of printer and cost can be found here https://www.technologyoutlet.co.uk/collections/3d-printers

Also google "CTC 3d printer issues" and see why you should avoid them.

If money is not an issue, I would suggest looking at the Original Prusa I3 Mk2.

I see threads like this every day. The person wants a 3d printer, but doesn't know what they intend to do with it. How can anybody give good advice if there are no parameters to go by. Hell by both if money isn't a real concern. Maybe hire someone to do a review of your needs against a list of printer specs. If you don't know what you want, you aren't likely to get it.

I would almost say if Money isn't an issue, look at the Taz 6. It's not really a kit, and doesn't seem too bad with price / performance / build area.

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akis_t
Hello everyone

I am considering buying my first 3D printer and would like to know what the panel suggests between the two below:

this one with two extruders: [www.ebay.co.uk]

or this one with just one extruder and what looks like a less sturdy frame (there is no base) but very much cheaper : [www.ebay.co.uk]

money not a problem but I do not want to pay extra for no good reason.

many thanks for any and all suggestions!

I would suggest to get one with enclosed power supply, direct extruder and as little acrylic as possible:

[GsAAOSwDuJWxvZq" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.ebay.co.uk]

[www.ebay.co.uk]

Hi guys, thanks for your comments. I am sorry for not giving more information, I was in a hurry to assemble a flat packed wardrobe before wife came back from work!

I want to make enclosures, maybe as large as 220mm x 180mm x 50mm. I usually buy from Hammond or Multicomp (a Farnell own), and they are ABS plastic, nothing special. If I could make my enclosures to fit around my designs rather the other way round, it'd be a great headache gone. My latest design is a 2 x 24V lithium battery pack, containing 12 of 26650s on an Arduino controlled board for levels and current cutout. I have been struggling to find a ready made enclosure and decided, after so many years of "suffering", enough is enough.

So, can I use a 3D printer to make two-piece enclosures ? I do not need to make more than half a dozen at a time / per design. The front and back panels can be aluminium cut on my guillotine or fibreglass PCB (as they are already).

To make larger enclosures (rarely needed) I was thinking I could have a "tongue and groove" design to allow two pieces to mesh together and create a larger piece.

Many thanks

Whatever you plan to make, make sure you look at the limitations of designing for 3D printing.... Overhangs, bridging and support are all problems you might come across. You may want to consider a CNC mill or a laser cutter to make large-ish enclosures. Not trying to turn you away from 3D printing, but its important to understand the limitations of the technology.

THe CTC isn't a reprap but it's a good first printer IF you have the skills to get it working properly. They aren't that well made but will some work they can be made to print pretty well. Further, there are a lot of them out there which means there is a lot of support on forums etc when you need it.

I've used mine to print PETG, HIPS, ABS and PLA and it has printed all the parts for my prusa mk2 build.

The other one, a prusa clone, i would avoid. It's just too cheap, and the quality just isn't going to be there.

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slippyr4
THe CTC isn't a reprap but it's a good first printer IF you have the skills to get it working properly. They aren't that well made but will some work they can be made to print pretty well. Further, there are a lot of them out there which means there is a lot of support on forums etc when you need it.

If a printer needs that much TLC out of the box to get working, I would suggest avoiding it as a first printer then. Get something that will work out of the box so you can spend your time learning the printing process. Then you would have better skills to deal with printer problems on another one.

Have you looked at any of the Printrbot printers?

look at
Folgertech Ft-5

[folgertech.com]

I like my Folgertech FT-5, but it would be a horrible first printer. It needs a lot of work and upgrades to become even a bit reliable.