Holiday Gift List: Best Five 3D Printers

Posted By Brant David in Holiday, Lifehacks, Tech

BreakingModern — What better gift this season than a sexy 3D printer? The possibilities of what can be done with 3D printers truly are endless. Here are some of the very best deals on 3D printers this holiday season.

What to Consider

When you’re shopping for a 3D printer make sure you get one that strikes a good balance between speed, precision and cost. You want bang for the buck.

You also want to consider whether a printer prints with ABS, PLA or both. What a printer’s “tolerance” is and the fact that high-quality 3D printers typically have at least two modes of connecting to your computer are important to consider. Make sure you can connect yours. Now check out our 3d printer buying guide, below.

The Wish List

Airwolf AW3D HD ($2,995)

This printer is the Speed Racer of 3D printing, as it can print at up to 400 mm per second. An LCD screen makes 3D printing both fun and easy, and the company places some project models online that you can make use of for creative purposes. This is the perfect printer for you if you want to do large printing jobs in a short time. On the downside, you can only print things in one color, and you have to buy the ABS supply straight from the manufacturer.

Cubify CubePro ($2,799)

This is a well-designed printer that makes 3D printing a snap even for those who are new to it. The ease of learning is facilitated by an LCD touchscreen and intuitive software, which can be huge aids in new technology.

For those out there who are more advanced, you will love the multicolor printing capability of the CubePro. Large print sizes without loss of precision are possible, and the CubePro allows for Wi-Fi enabled wireless printing. The only real flaw is that you must get all replacement filament cartridges straight from the manufacturer.

Type A Series 1 2014 ($2,749)

If you believe that size matters, then this is a printer for you. With this model you can print out things up to 12” x 12” x 12”. It also features Wi-Fi enabled wireless printing, which always is a plus. And, despite the large size, you don’t lose any amount of precision, which is quite impressive. But, nothing is perfect, and this printer is no exception. The Series 1 doesn’t have an LCD screen and doesn’t support ABS.

Ultimaker 2 ($2,499)

This printer unquestionably lives up to its name. Super speeds are blended perfectly with superior precision, and large prints are no problem at all. A 3D printer suitable for anyone of any experience level, this machine even looks cool in and of itself. For those of you who are more advanced, this is a printer that comes with open-source Cura software for easy modification. The only flaw? While the machine easily connects to your computer, it’s not Wi-Fi compatible.

Mbot Grid II ($1,399)

For the budget-conscious who are considering 3D printers, this machine is an outstanding choice: The options of filament are affordable, as is the model itself. The Grid II is a durable machine with a steel chassis, a fully equipped tool kit, and it comes with a better warranty than other printers in its price range. It can print in either PLA or ABS (but read on) while also having the ability to do dual-color prints. It’s compatible with all computer operating systems.

Now this is a relatively lower-priced printer as far as quality 3D printers go, so there are a few trade offs. The print plate is fairly small, so larger print projects are out. And the plate also isn’t heated for ABS printing, so while it technically can do ABS printing you actually shouldn’t use it for that — meaning that, effectively, it’s only a PLA machine.

All right … are you ready to do some 3D printer shopping? I know I am. The models listed above are great, but if you keep in mind the important criteria, you can do some research for yourself.

For BMod, I’m Brant David.

All 3D printer images are courtesy of their respective manufacturers

Feature/Header image: “3D print of Yoda” by Creative Tools via Flickr Creative Commons