Table of Contents
- 1. Comgrow Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printe
- 2. QIDI Technology High-end 3D Printer
- 3. ELEGOO Mars UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer
- 4. FlashForge Finder 3D Printers with Cloud
- 5. Creality Open Source CR-10 3D Printer
- 6. ANYCUBIC Photon UV LCD 3D Printer
- 7. Creality Ender 5 Pro Upgrade 3D Printer
- 8. Everyone Thinker SE Quiet 3D Printer
- 9. JGAURORA Upgraded A5S 3D Printer
- 10. ANYCUBIC Photon S 3D Printer
- 3D Printers Under $500 Buying Guide
- How To Buy The Best 3D Printer Under 500?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
It has been a long time when 3D printers were introduced in the market, for the first time. But they still feel like something strange or a part of science fiction.
It is a fact; 3D printers are the need of the day. Therefore they are getting better day by day. The latest models come with advanced technologies and provide impressive prints.
If you are willing to start 3D printing, you must have to get a 3D printer. In this guide, the top 10 3D printers under 100$ have been described. You can get through them to choose the one for yourself.
1. Comgrow Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printe
Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer has all the qualities to make it the best and popular choice. The 3D printer comes with many fantastic features, which even expensive printers do not have. So, it would not be wrong to say that Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer is a real gem
The printer has many features; this lets the users get through the printing process is straightforward steps. Therefore, it is doing a fantastic job.
The Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer is a compact printer, which is very easy to handle. You can get a maximum print speed of 200mm/s with it. Furthermore, you can adjust the resolution of the printer up to 0.1mm. The printer has a print area of 220X 220 X 250mm. The 0.4mm nozzle provides decent print quality.
You can find many printers in the market which are cheap but inferior in quality too. Therefore, they are not worth spending at all. This printer has impressive features and qualities, which you can get at a meager price.
Key Features:
- Heated Bed: The heated beds are critical when you are printing with the PLA or ABS. in the case of Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer, the company has provided fast heating of print beds. And this helps in timely adhesion without messing with the first layers of the parts.
- Power Outage Recovery: power outrage recovery is one of the essential features which every 3D printer must-have. The 3D printer must be recovered from where it stopped working in between the printing task. With Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer, you will not lose points.
- Open Source: The Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer comes with an open-source. And an open-source has many benefits, which you can also get from Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer.
- Sufficient enough volume
- Print quality is admirable
- Compact design
- Highly affordable
- The printer is entirely open-source
- Assembly of the machine is quite easy
- Difficulties in leveling the bed
2. QIDI Technology High-end 3D Printer
The printer has two editions of the slicing software, i.e., education edition and professional edition. In the education edition, blue color stimulates the marine environment, makes it enjoyable. It is a straightforward and straightforward operation.
The professional edition lets the users get expert mode, set up special functions, professional, and personalized printing.
One of the most impressive features which QIDI Technology High-end 3D Printer has is stable Wi-Fi connectivity. It let the users upload and print 3D models without being tethered to the machines. It can be best for the classrooms, where students may not be sitting next to the printer.
Inside the printer, you will find an onboard camera. This camera is handy to watch the printing process unfold in real-time. The manufacturer has created the camera monitoring app, known as the iCookyCam. The app is available free of cost for both Android and iPhone users.
Key Features:
- Silent Printing: The printer has adopted TM22o9 driver chip, due to which the sound of operation becomes very low even up to 50 decibels. So, the printer can save the power and your ears; and will interfere with your family and life.
- Specialized Textbook: The specialized printing textbook le the student to learn about the printing steps. So, they can master the printing methods of various filaments.
- Removable Plate: The moveable extraction and curved metal plate can be used many times. You can prints or models can be easily removed after printing. So, it can minimize all the dangers or effects of the build plate.
- 5-Inch Touch Screen And Wi-Fi Printing: the 3.5-inch touch screen provides you a user-friendly interface, and Wi-Fi provides the users with a real-time printing status. And these features can make the printer more intuitive and easier to use.
- Set up is straightforward
- Enclosed design
- Noiseless
- Internal lightening
- Stable bed
- Display on the printer is easy to use
- Replacement parts and other accessories are not available
3. ELEGOO Mars UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer
It is a consumer-grade, desktop-sized UV LCD resin printer, produced by Chinese technology.
The printer delivers premium prints without any premium price tags. The printer is best suitable for a long time 3D printing.
The manufacturer has put considerable effort into the design and assembly. The printer comes with a well built and robust aluminum body with a matte finish giving it a premium feel. The weight of the printer is 5 Kg with a 195x195x405 mm cuboid body.
The printer offers a modest but typical printing volume of up to 120X68X155 mm. A 3.5-inch colored touchscreen display controls all the functions. The connectivity is limited to the USB port available to the back panel.
The printer is compatible with many 405nm UV sensitive resins. You will not get enough resin ships with the printer, so you will have to purchase your own.
Key Features:
- Print Quality: The printer has an incredible print quality. The X/Y resolution is 0.00185”, so the quality of everything you are printing with it is already miles ahead of your standard FDM printer.
- In The Box: The printer comes with just enough materials, which is more than enough to start your first print. You will have to purchase the resin and 99% alcohol for the cleansing of final prints.
- Setup: The assembly of the printer is straightforward. The printer is shipped ready to use. You will have to assemble the UV cover and build a plate while pouring the resin or removing the prints.
- Resin Saving And Better Printing: the printer allows the users to hollow out the model before slicing. It can save the resin dramatically during the photocopying process. With the 40W UV lights and ELEGOO resin, you can get the best printing results.
- Very convenient to use and setup
- Less finicky than FDM printers
- Incredible detail and resolution
- Good support
- Relatively low maintenance
- Resin is best for painting
- A bit smelly, messy and slow
4. FlashForge Finder 3D Printers with Cloud
The printer is designed for the home or classrooms; to facilitate the kids in their learning process. It is the best and first choice for the 3D printing novices and educators. The beginners can benefit from the slide-in-build plate, assisted bed-leveling and intuitive colored touchscreen
The safe and quiet operation of this printer is beneficial for teachers and parents. The Finder uses only environmentally friendly PLA. And all the heated components are safely encased.
Overall the FlashForge Finder is fun for 3D printing. The printer handles the fine details and produces smooth surfaces.
It is very reliable and gives decent prints to the users. The removable build plate can be removed quite quickly unless you are printing something with a broad base. The printer has a filament detection, which is enclosed in the filament box.
Key Features:
- Safety: The Finder cares about your safety; therefore, it uses only non-toxic PLA. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about toxic fumes or any other related risks.
- Touchscreen: The 3.5-inch touch screen offers an evident and easy to use the experience to the users. When you turn on the printer for the first time, it will give you three options; and then give you more selections.
- Wi-Fi Connectivity: For beginners, it is an exciting feature. The Wi-Fi connectivity lets the users choose a print, send it to the printer, and then keep an eye over the printing process. The connectivity of the printer with Wi-Fi is convenient.
- Manual Bed Leveling: the printer comes with a manual bed leveling. And this fantastic feature offers the users a more precise and more comfortable calibration.
- Clean design
- Clear touch screen
- Removable build plate
- Excellent visibility of the prints
- Easy to operate
- Reliable and quiet
- Tiny build volume
5. Creality Open Source CR-10 3D Printer
Creality Open Source CR-10 3D Printer is the largest printer in the Cr-10S series, with a work surface of 500X500X5000 mm.
The screw rods stabilize the printer. And in this way, CR-10 provides you better and accurate printing even on the high models. The printer uses two motors and two screw rods on the Z-axis, which ensures stable operation.
The filament detection sensor is attached with the print head, which can detect whenever the filaments run out. As a result, the sensor triggers an alarm that can stop the printer. And will continue the printing process after the replacement of the filament.
The patented MK10 printhead structure ensures a trouble-free printing for all type of filaments without any sort of problem.
The electronics of the printer are different from the printer. And this allows the flexible installation of the printer according to space; and allows for the later upgrades.
Key Features:
- Design: The printer has a very appealing design. The printer has clean black-coated aluminum rails everywhere, a plain 300 X 300 mm glass print bed. The printer looks slim and prints big.
- High Quality: The aluminum frame can provide the users the premium quality, which can last for 100 years. The POM engineering thermo-plastic V-Slot wheels offer excellent dimensional stability, even during extended use.
- Glass bed: The printer contains reliable and flat glass beads. The glass bed ensures the users a 100% usable and reliable surfaces; for any sort of printing from s smallest test file to the largest model.
- Build spaces: The printer comes with a massive build space, at 5in. And this lets the users print any kind of model that other printers cannot.
- Cheap for the build area
- Good input quality
- Easy to set up
- Go-faster stripes
- Intuitive control box
- Comfortable with the fine detail
- Awkward extruder placement
6. ANYCUBIC Photon UV LCD 3D Printer
It is a fact that 3D printing lets the users get better print qualities and resolution, as compared to the FDM. But the AnyCubic Photon UV LCD 3D Printer provides the same quality at the lower price.
It is a desktop DLP 3D printer. The technology differs significantly from the most commonly used FDM 3D printing. Instead of melting the plastic within a heated nozzle, DLP and SLA printers use the liquid resins, cured by the UV light or high-powered laser.
The assemblage and setting of the AnyCubic Photon UV LCD 3D Printer are very straightforward. You can complete it within 20 to 30 minutes, even less if you are an expert in it.
Many features make this printer stand out from the rest. Above all, it is a DLP printer that ensures the best and high-quality prints. Secondly, it is tiny, unlike most of the 3D printers. It is roughly the size of two shoeboxes.
The Photon has a minuscule build area; with incredible accuracy and resolution. It is capable of printing the layers thinner than the 10 microns, making it most suitable for detailed work.
The AnyCubic Photon UV LCD 3D Printer has earned an excellent reputation in the printing world due to its excellent and affordable printers and exceptional customer services.
Key Features:
- Incredible resolution: The printer makes the tiny parts with accuracy and much smoother details. And the quality of the prints is higher than the FDM printer.
- Easy To Use: The printer offers a very easy to use set up to the users. The software is relatively easy to use.
- Build quality: it is a well-built printer and is very budget-friendly. The build plates and resin tub are made up of Aluminum, and the frame of the machine is made from the stamped sheet metal. And nothing feels cheap.
- User Interface And Software: The Photon’s onboard UI is simple and straightforward. The menu directory is straightforward to understand, and it will not let you get confused. It’s all touchscreen, so the navigation between the menus is a little bit intuitive.
- Extremely affordable
- High-quality prints with impressive resolution
- Compact and efficient design
- Custom slicer with sound support structure generation
- Solid mechanics
- AnyCubic resin works well
- Post-processing needs patience and space
7. Creality Ender 5 Pro Upgrade 3D Printer
Creality is selling the branded tempered glass build plate, which is compatible with the Ender 53D printer.
This tempered glass build plate is a build-up of carbon and silicon build surface, which is a significant improvement over the stock print bed. The printer has been designed to be placed on the top of the hotbed. It can e held in place with the help of the chips.
The Creality Ender 5 Pro 3D Printer comes with another addition of the highly durable metal extruder frame. This feature is responsible for the more substantial pressure while pushing the filament with a 3D printer’s nozzle. And manufacturer claims that it will bolster the overall printing performance.
The upgraded metal extruder kit is equipped with an adjustable bolt. So, you can tweak the pressure of the extruder gear to the best fit with any filament.
The printer also includes new and improved filament tubing. The Capricorn Bowden PTFE tubing has a 1.9mm ± 0.05mm inner diameter. It helps to reduce the excess wiggle room and prevent the filament from buckling inside of the tube.
The addition of tubing makes the Creality Ender 5 Pro Upgrade 3D Printer the best suited for the flexible filaments and other exotic materials.
Key Features:
- Capricorn Premium XS Bowden Tubing: The imported Capricorn blue Teflon tube with high-temperature resistance makes the feeding smoother and ensures the excellent printing texture.
- Metal Extruder Kit: the printer has a metal extruder, which has a better and more constant pressure to push the filament into the printer nozzle. And this helps a lot to enhance the printing texture.
- Resume Printing Function: You can resume printing when the power is restored. The printer continues to print from the interruption point. The large adjusting nuts, easy and fast leveling make it an undeniable choice.
- Upgraded Silent Mainboard: Ender 5 Pro 3D coms have been upgraded with the silent Mainboard with TMC2208 drivers, which allows the printer to perform its function quietly with more precise performance.
- Reliable
- Affordable
- Capricorn Bowden tube
- Quiet printing
- Wide range of 3D printable upgrades
- Prints of good quality
- Auto home did not move the bed up and down
8. Everyone Thinker SE Quiet 3D Printer
3D printing has been becoming popular day by day and, therefore, more affordable. This printer is very versatile and can help the users to create a wide range of new products. The printing volume is 300 * 300 * 400 mm, and it has a 3 step setup process. Minimal calibration is needed.
The resume point I a vital feature to point out as well. The mainboard can store the height of the Z-axis, even when the power is shut down. The printer ensures that in case of a power failure, the print will continue where it was left off.
In this way, the printer can save the hours of wasted work, in case of an emergency or power malfunction.
Just like the other standard printers, the leveling and steadiness are vital to get the best product. This printer is compatible with auto-leveling sensors. So, you can easily add the features in case of an update.
Key Features:
- Super Quiet: The printer has TMC2208 as the stepper motor driver, and quiet fans, which are quite powerful and decrease the noise automatically. It is also beneficial for improving the printing quality. The average noise is 49dBA.
- Quick Assembly: the base and gantry of this printer have been preassembled. The only thing you need to do is put both of them together and wire a few interfaces.
- Large Volume And High Quality: The printing volume is 300*300*400mm, with very carefully selected components. After completing the three steps of assembly, the printer can give beautiful 3D prints. So, there is no need to calibrate.
- Open Source Firmware: The printer comes with the Marlin open-source firmware so that users can add advanced features for it. It is not a difficult task as the open-source firmware has a vast community to communicate with each other to help you.
- Look of the printer is fantastic
- Quality of parts is very high
- Control boxing is integrated beneath the build plate
- The glass plate is nice
- The printer is super quiet
- Prints of very excellent quality
- Nitpicks detracts from the printer its self
9. JGAURORA Upgraded A5S 3D Printer
The JGAurora A5S 3D printer comes partially assembled in just two parts; the base and the frame. You can connect these two sections with just a few screws and bolts.
The printer has been equipped with the E3D V6 hotend clone, which has a custom heatsink, as well as the same Black Diamond Glass Heated platform. It is a glass plate with some additional coating for the improved adhesion, comparable to the popular AnyCubic Ultrabase.
You will not find any automatic calibration there, but the bed-leveling assistance makes the processes as easy as possible. You can also get the 2.8” full-color touchscreen slapped on the front of the base. It will be helpful for navigation and modifying the settings.
Most of the improvements you will notice in this printer are just focused on the inner working of the machine.
Furthermore, for the improvement of filament feed and retraction, the length of the Bowden tube has also been reduced. It is a fundamental weakness of several 3D printers, so this improvement is going to be beneficial.
Besides all, the most noticeable improvement is the placement of the SD-card slot on the front of the 3D printer, which makes the process much more comfortable.
Key Features:
- Filament RUN-OUT detection: the printer will inform the users in case filament runs out. It is just like a reminder, so the users change the filament quickly. The printer used to beeps in this situation.
- BDG Heated Platform: The BDG heated platform offers easy removal of printed models. It is also beneficial in saving the masking tape.
- Power Failure Protection: Power failure protection is an important feature, which can save the time of users. You can start printing precisely from where it was left.
- New Design: The new design includes some additional screws with overall improved stability. The extruder is slightly raised for the reduction of length of the Bowden tube. It is beneficial for the flow of the filament.
- Prints large with good quality
- The menu is easy to navigate
- Full metal construction
- Filament run-out sensor
- Power-off recovery
- Full-color touchscreen
- No automatic leveling
10. ANYCUBIC Photon S 3D Printer
The printer has a simple design and a few moving parts. The small 200X220m footprint and height of 400mm ensure that the printer will take a small space in the workshop.
The small LCD touchscreen is present on the front side, enables the users to navigate the setting and other options easily. Behind the screen, the main mechanics of the machine are present just behind the flip-up protective door.
You can transfer the files to the machine either through direct USB or an 8USB Stick supplied by the AnyCubic in the box. The simple model is included on the USB key, an intricate tube that shows off the quality of the 50-micron print.
The initial setup is straightforward. All that needed is just to remove the packaging, and then it can be plugged in and powered on. The whole process will take hardly 5 minutes.
The interface is intuitive and takes only a few seconds to find the option. All the instructions are apparent and show the exact process.
Key Features:
- Upgraded LED Array: The printer is capable of providing a high resolution with accuracy due to the upgraded UV lightening. The printer can show the pitting in the skin, the texture of hairs and clothes in detail.
- More Functions: The touch screen offers a new level of user experience. The sanded Aluminum dramatically enhances the adhesion, which makes it more suitable for printing. The double air system effectively reduces the smell.
- Dual Rails: the dual Z axis makes the bed stable and helps in the movement and makes sure that the bed does not shift in the middle of the printing. It is the best choice for the x-y objects with the super-fine details.
- Extremely affordable
- High-quality prints with impressive resolution
- Compact and efficient size
- Easy to understand instructions for the assembly
- Very detailed prints
- Dual rails low Z wobble
- Cleaning the printer is time-consuming
3D Printers Under $500 Buying Guide
The 3D printers are no longer tools for science projects. With the advancement of technology, their demand has been increased. Therefore, their prices are continuously falling, and now everyone can get them quickly.
It’s been more than 30 years, 3D printers are in the market. If you are willing to buy one, you can find them very quickly. You will get a vast range of printers with fantastic features at economical prices.
It can be a little bit confusing to choose one from a long list. Therefore, the basic features have been listed below, which you need to consider before buying the 3D printer.
How To Buy The Best 3D Printer Under 500?
The 3D printers provide an endless array of possibilities. Whether you are going to print a figurine, a smartphone cover, a doorstop, or a wrench, you should pick the right device according to your needs. The following are the factors you should consider while buying the 3D printer.
Printer Type
You can get two types of 3D printers, i.e., FF and SLA. The FFF printers come with FFM and FDM, and they work by melting the plastic filament in the moving printhead to form the model. The SLA printers use the ultraviolet laser to solidify the resin and focus the laser on formulating the model. The FFF printers are cheaper, more straightforward, and more comfortable to operate.
Understand The Cost
The 3D printers are worth considering investments. So, you must understand the cost and maintenance charges before purchasing the printer.
Besides the continual purchase of the materials, the maintenance charges are also very high. Besides it, the parts can also wear down or break up, which will charge you more. And their sourcing is another tough task.
Printing Materials
Whatever the type of printer you are using, you should pay attention to the type of material it uses. The filament material used by the FFF printers is available in various materials, like PLA, ABS, nylon, HDPE, and many more. Most of these materials are available in different colors.
The SLA printers have fewer options as compared to the FFF printers. The SLA printers use resins for the formation of models ranging from rigid to flexible and rubbery objects. The best 3D printers can use a vast range of materials, and each of which has its strength and weakness.
Resolution
Whenever you are going to buy the 3D printer, you must look for its resolution. The resolution of 3D printers is measured in microns. The resolution of your final prints can be easily adjusted to the FDM printer.
The layer height and belt tension are the two most essential factors in 3D printing—the precision of their laser limits the resin printers. You must choose the printer which has a higher number of microns listed in the specs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question# 1:How important is print speed?
Answer:
Mostly people used to pick the printers which come with fast speed, but it all depends on what you are expecting from the end piece. The faster speed of a printer results in low quality. Therefore, do not let yourself be impressed by the print speed at the time of purchase.
Question# 2:What type of materials should you print with?
Answer:
The 3D printers are in the market for a very long time. So, you will not only get a wide range of printers but also the variety of materials used for printing. The type of the required material depends on what you are going to print.
So, before buying the materials for a 3D printer, you must consider the object you need. It will let you buy the best materials for your printer.
Question# 3:What size print bed should you opt for?
Answer:
The 3D print beds come with both heated and non-heated options. The bed plays a very crucial role in the final outlook of your print. The object stays over the bed until the printing process gets complete.
If you are using the ABS filament, a heated bed will be the best option. If you are using the PLA filament, you can choose to wither heat or an adhesive bed.
Conclusion
There are a lot of factors to consider while buying the printer, particularly if you are buying for the very first time.
A brief overview of the top ten 3D printers has been provided here. If you have read this guide, you must have an idea about the features and qualities which the best printer must-have.
Last update on 2023-03-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
