If you’re only now getting acquainted with 3D printing, you’re in for a treat. Anyone who has the money and the desire to purchase and tinker with cutting-edge technologies can now do so. Previously, these technologies were the preserve of researchers and manufacturers.
This isn’t just true for newcomers. Whether you’re completely new to 3D printing or a maker looking to upgrade, there’s a whole host of machines out there for less. Thankfully, however, 3D printing enthusiasts are not short of options in any of these areas, so you can rest assured that there’s a ‘right’ 3D printer out there for everyone with a will to buy one.
Let’s look at the best cheap 3D printers available today, break down their best features, and talk about some of the problems you should avoid! Please feel free to read our comprehensive guide if you are interested in learning how to select the best 3D printer. It’s designed to help you make an informed decision.
More than 86686.50 RS, which is more than able to make custom desktop models. The most important question is, which should you choose? Of course, your 3D printing skill, knowledge, and experience will be important, not only to making this decision but also to the type of system you end up adopting. Because they will ultimately have an effect on the output that you are able to print, it is important to take into account other aspects like ease of use, configuration, connectivity, and material compatibility. The most affordable 3D printers (FFF): Mingda Magician X2
Price: RS. 20718.07
The Mingda Magician X2 is worth considering if you’re on a tight budget, need a small machine, or struggle with space issues. To prevent running out of filament in the middle of a print, the unit has a quick-swap extruder, 16-point auto-leveling, and filament sensors. Other beginner-friendly features include a built-in display and simplified Z-axis tuning.
Simple, cheap, and easy to use, there’s a lot to like about the Magician X2. You even get a removable PEI plate, built-in cooling, and a hot end temperature indicator. Advanced users can also customize the setup by navigating more advanced settings. However, there are a few drawbacks, as one would expect at this price point. Even though the system’s 180 mm per second print speed won’t break any records, this same interface may feel dated to more experienced users. As such, professional adopters may want to look elsewhere, but its straightforward operation and solid results make it ideal for new hobbyists.
XYZPrinting Da Vinci Mini—cheap 3D printer
Price: RS.23058.61
If you’re struggling for space and looking for a slightly more compact machine, the XYZPrinting Da Vinci Mini could be the machine for you. While small, weighing a total of just 6.85 kilograms, the system still allows you to 3D print parts up to 150 x 150 x 150 mm in size, at speeds of up to 120 mm per second.
As well as boasting support for common filaments like PLA, Tough PLA, and PETG, the unit ships with an impressive auto-calibration system. This automatically adjusts its extruder and print bed in a way that ensures the inexperienced don’t have to worry about calibration when they’re just getting started and allows them to achieve high-quality prints from the start.
The Da Vinci Mini’s print capacity naturally comes with limitations. As such, if you’re planning on printing anything particularly large, you’ll need to adopt a much bigger system. There are, however, fewer options on the market that are as efficient as the Da Vinci Mini if you intend to use the machine to quickly and ergonomically create small-scale models. On the flipside, the machine may feature an open frame, but its nozzle is buried in behind its extruder assembly. This makes it difficult to burn yourself on, but this safety feature comes at the expense of it being difficult to reach. Users are unable to swap out any components if they are difficult to remove from the system’s bed. Instead, they need to look to bed coatings like tape or paint.
Creality Ender-3 S1 – Affordable 3D Printer
Price: 23058.61
It is best known for its Ender Series, specifically the Ender-3, which has been around for a long time. First launched in 2018, this Cartesian 3D printer is built with accessibility in mind and can be assembled in just six easy steps. At 220 x 220 x 270 mm, the latest S1 version’s build volume isn’t massive, but it’s more than large enough to create moderately sized models. The Ender-3 also has automatic bed leveling and a spring steel sheet plate that can be taken off, making these prints easy to set up and easy to take down. Material compatibility is another important consideration when purchasing a 3D printer. In the case of the Ender-3 S1, the machine is capable of printing ABS, PLA, TPU, and PETG. As these have different features in terms of strength, flexibility, and dimensional stability, each can be used to create parts with characteristics beneficial to a particular application.
Where the Ender-3 S1 falls down somewhat is speed and accuracy. There may be better-suited 3D printers available if you want to address a business case for prototyping. That said, Creality itself now offers higher-specification models of its own, including one of its more recent launches—the Creality K1—a rapid 600 mm per second 3D printer. So, if you’re willing to pay more for a better machine, you can definitely go up.
Anycubic Kobra—low-budget 3D printer
RS.18117.48
Weighing up alternatives to the Creality Ender-3? Look no further than the Anycubic Kobra 2. The machine is small and light, but it has everything you need to start printing immediately after removing components from a high-quality PEI build plate. The Kobra 2 has auto-bed leveling, like many of its more expensive desktop FFF competitors, but it does so with an inductive sensor that finds the metal plate below it.
Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ – under Rs.86686.50 3D Printer
Price: 77931.16
As with Creality 3D printers, Prusa machines have also become popular among the maker community. To date, the company has now sold over 350,000 Prusa i3 MK3S+ units, and it’s easy to see why. While the pre-built systems can be acquired for just under Rs.78017.85, those willing to put the time into building them can buy a kit version for much less.
The machine also has automated bed leveling because of its built-in SuperPinda probe. This is a crucial feature for newcomers who want to make sure that the models’ first layers print as intended. With its built-in filament sensor, the Prusa i3 MK3S+ can’t detect nozzle clogs, but it can detect when you’re out of material, and it’s also compatible with PETG, ASA, PC, and PP.
Since PP is an excellent base material for creating lightweight, durable prototypes, compatibility with the latter is especially crucial. This, in tandem with the system’s power loss recovery, easy-to-maintain architecture, and budget-friendliness, makes the Prusa i3 MK3S+ an attractive choice for 3D printing newbies and print farm operators alike. Just like many of the other machines on this list, there is an upgraded version available: the Original Prusa MK4.
Prusa’s latest desktop system comes with several improvements over its predecessor, including a new mainboard and next-generation extruder. However, since the company has also released its Multi-Material Upgrade 3 (MMU3) package for the Prusa i3 MK3S+, it is entirely up to the users to decide whether or not the performance boost is worth the price.
Ankermake M5
Rs.60593.86
The Ankermake M5, a machine with slightly more features, continues to make waves in the 3D printing industry. In recent years, the system’s speed has made headlines around the industry, with its marketing material suggesting it enables ‘five times faster’ 3D printing.
This claim has been supported in practice by the machine’s “fast mode,” which can move 250 mm per second, though the accuracy of this claim depends on the 3D printer you compare it to. Impressively, the Ankermake M5 also includes built-in AI camera monitoring that allows users to make sure their prints remain on-track, as well as other perks offered by its rivals e.g. a non-stick PEI build plate, ease-of-assembly, and auto-bed leveling.
This tracking can only be used with the machine’s native slicer, which is a major drawback. The first batch of machines also had issues with quality, but even after introducing the AnkerMake 5C, Anker has continued to improve its first 3D printer. The primary challenge facing the Anker M5 is that it does not have a monopoly on the market for ready-to-use, high-speed 3D printers. Bambu Lab’s larger, same speed X1 Series took the industry by storm when it launched in 2022, offering a very impressive print and build quality for its price. As a result, if you want speed, you should weigh the M5 and X1, and depending on who you ask, the X1 may have the edge.
