Hello there,
after a few years of being out of the hobby I am starting to get interested again after seeing that a lot of budget printers now are having all the features that my old one were missing. Direct extruder, auto bed leveling, dual z axis, stuff like that. So which one of the budget printers around 300€ would you guys suggest one should get to get started again? Elegoo Neptune 4? Creality Ender 3 V3? Anycubic Kobra 2? Sovol S06? There are so many good looking options that I am interested in your experiences and opinions. Thanks!
I’m biased to say save and get a Prusa. It is what I did. It is not a printer project. The hardware specs are a misnomer. The continuous investment in the community is the real selling point. I spent more initially, but my Prusa is still worth nearly what I put into it even as a MK3S+ when the 4 is a thing. Everyone knows it will still work, and continue to do so, while parts will always be readily available. No one worries that it is some failed project.
Now if I tried to sell my little modified KP3S Kingroon, that thing is pretty much worthless now even though it works okay most of the time. I spent more on it at $200 than I did on the Prusa at just over 3× as much. I barely used the KP3S, wasted $100 on “upgrades” and it is now all loss. I got it after the Prusa knowing it is a project to screw around with. Spending more can often mean spending less when you consider long term value. That is just my personal opinion. I don’t regret buying the Prusa.
Same Bias here. Bought a Prusa Mini and got a working printer. In 3years I did nothing to the machine than cleaning and lubrication, and it still prints like day 1. Last year I got an update that enabled input shaping - on a machine that was out of warranty for close to a year already…
That’s one option and the one I was also thinking about. But it is triple the price for a few of the budget options.
You buy a budget printer if you want to get into 3d printers. You buy a prusa if you want to get into 3d printing.
If you want to learn how everything works, you should get a kit. After it’s assembled you should be able to print nearly endlessly with nothing more than basic maintenance.
You raise a very excellent point, for what I’ve spent toying and tinkering with my OG ender 3 pro, I very easily could have bought a nice Prusa/ Bamboo/ Voron printer.
That said, I can’t say I regret the thessian ender route either. I’ve learned so much about not just the printer itself and how it works on a fundamental level, but also how to model and design for the materials I’m working with and the capabilities of my machine I’m way more comfortable working with small electronics (wiring/ crimping/ soldering and am even flirting with PCB design) compared to when I first got into the hobby. I tend to be more of a hands on learner, so I enjoy the project printer (to an extent) and the learning experience that comes with it.
It very much depends on what OP is looking to get out of/ do with the printer, I 100% agree if it’s more of a "I just want it to work ", a Prusa or other mid-range printer* is probably the better play than something in the budget range.
* Depending on how OP feels about Bamboo, the A1 may be a good option on that front as well (once the teething problems get worked out)
