A decade ago 3d printers were science fiction. People used to imagine such printers in sci-fi movies only. A decade ago if you said to someone that you can get them the best 3d printer under $200, they would have never believed you. When 3d printers came into existence it was an industrial or scientific equipment. Today with advancement of technology we have broken that barrier.
Now students, artists, hobbyists and even kids use 3d printers widely. 3D printers print different objects by laying down extremely thin layers of materials on each other. Software like CAD control the whole process of laying down of layers. There are some types of hand held printers like 3d pens, Ex. 3Doodler where your hand control the process. There are different types of 3d printers which use different materials and methods for different purposes. Here we will check out 10 best 3d printer under $200, which can be used for different purposes.
Benefits and Drawbacks of buying the best 3d printer under $200.
Buying best 3d printer under $200 has it’s own Pros and Cons. Here we will discuss benefits and drawbacks of buying a budget 3d printer. Based on it you can decide the best budget printer that suits your need.
Benefits of best 3d printer under $200
Ease of use
Most budget printers are built for casual and easy small projects. Mostly beginners do such projects. Manufacturers know this as a fact. So they mostly design the hardware and software aimed at beginners. Hardware are mostly plug and play. Software is easy to operate.
Meant for experimentation
Being relatively new technology, budget 3d printers are great for experimentation. It gives you a closer and practical look at the technology. You learn a great deal about 3d printing technology and when time comes for choosing a professional 3d printer, you are ready with complete understanding of which type of printer you require.
Multipurpose Use
Most budget 3d printers are versatile. With their rugged structure and design you can use them in any purpose. You can use them to create small toys, Fix broken equipment, make new equipment which are completely new in design. It all depends on your creativity in end.
Ease of Storage and Movement
Budget 3d printers are lightweight, rugged . They are easy to install. You can pick them up and setup in another place without any trouble. Their small size makes them really easy to move.
Drawbacks of best 3d printer under $200
Smaller output
Budget 3d printers are generally small in size and produce smaller output. You can fix it with multi-structural designing. If you look carefully you will find some printers with average size output as well. Better not to compare them with expensive ones.
Limited Filament Options
One major issue you will face with budget 3d printers is of limited filament options. It is because such printers have limited heating capabilities. So it is crucial to figure out the material you are going to use for printing before buying the printer.
Average Print Quality
You shall not expect something of high quality as output from budget 3d printers. Rest assured they will be not of below average quality.
Poor instruction Manual
Many budget printers have poor instruction manual. So before you buy it, make sure you have enough material on internet on that exact model. Go through Model’s Official website or seller’s resources to completely understand the installation and printing process.
Mix Customer Service
It’s hard to maintain high quality customer service on budget products. Make sure to read reviews about customer service before buying.
What to look in your Best 3d printer under $200 – Buyer’s Guide
When it comes to investing in any product, proper research and analysis is necessary. Most important is knowing your own requirements. Not every budget 3d printer under $200 is suitable for your requirements.
Here we will look at different features and specifications of 3d printers to know whether it suits your requirements or not.
Types of 3d Printer
Not all kind of printers are budget friendly. But to get your best 3d printer under $200, you must be aware of every kind. Here we will discuss nine types of 3d printers which are available in market in different price ranges.Digital Light Processing (DLP) : Digital Light Processing 3d printer uses a projector to cure photosensitive resin to create desired object. DLP’s technology is based on stereo-lithography. The projector light highlights image of object in a particular section of resin. When one layer of resin hardens the surface moves downwards to create second layer. Through this process they print the whole object.
Stereolithigraphy (SLA)
Stereo-lithography or SLA works on photo polymerisation. It uses light in form of laser to cure liquid resin and get the output layer by layer. Resin used in such printers are reactive to light. When you expose resins to light of a particular wavelength, the molecular structure of resin changes from liquid to solid. The technology is highly precise and produces high quality output.
Fused Deposition Model (FDM)
Fused Deposition Model or FDM works on material extrusion technology. In this technology instead of photosensitive resin, printers use thermoplastic polymer filaments. You have to heat and pass them through a nozzle to create desired object layer by layer. These printers are easiest to operate, thus widely available. In entry level printer such technology is common. The output may often need finishing touch up.
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
Selective Laser Sintering or SLS is based on powder bed fusion. The printer focuses a laser beam to a point of powder bed. The powder bed then sinters the particle together to form layers. After solidifying one layer, next layer is built upon the previous one. SLS printers produce the most perfect output. Such printers are mostly used in prototyping and small scale production.
Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
Selective Laser Melting or SLM is also based on powder bed fusion technology. It works in same manner of SLS printers. Only difference is it uses metal powder bed. With help of laser beam the powdered metal is melted and object is printed layer by layer. SLM printers are used specifically for metals. If you need to print metal parts, SLM is your printer. These printers are expensive so they are not going to fall in our list.
Electronic Beam Melting (EBM)
Electronic Beam Melting or EBM printers are also from powder bed fusion category. Only difference is EBM uses electrons to heat the metal powder instead of laser. These electrons are charged particles which are produced by heating a tungsten filament in a vacuum. The particles are then driven through electromagnets. Which redirects them to build surface bed, where powder particles are melt to solidify the layer.
Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM)
Laminated Object Manufacturing or LOM uses a slightly different approach for 3d printing. In LOM the build material is layered over one another. It uses heat and pressure for bonding layers to each other. Once the build materials are bonded, it uses carbon laser or blade to get the expected dimension and shape. This process is complex but still one of the fastest and affordable options available.
Binder Jetting (BJ)
Binder Jetting or BJ is relatively new technology in 3d printing. Interestingly Binder Jetting is also based on powder bed technology. Instead of using heat it uses a liquid binding agent to bind powder particles to form a layer. It is made up of powder bin, powder coater, material container, build platform and print heads.
Material Jetting (MJ)
Material Jetting or MJ is similar to Binder Jetting. Only difference is, it uses photosynthesis material as printing droplets. When you expose them to UV light these droplets solidify. Printing droplets have two components. One is liquid photo-polymer material and another is dis-solvable support material. Liquid resin is heated and deposited over powder layer through print heads. Through exposure of UV light the layers are solidified to build surface.
Type of material used in 3d Printing
3d printing is a diverse technology. It uses a long range of materials for printing. 3D printing not only allows you to choose the shape, design, texture, etc of end product, it also allows you to choose the printing material. Below is list of popular materials common in 3d printing.
Plastic
Plastic is the most common material in 3d printing. There are different types of plastics which are used for different purpose.
Polyastic Acid (PLA)
Polyastic Acid is made from sugar cane and corn starch. They are biodegradable and eco-friendly. They come in both soft and hard forms.
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene is also referred as “Lego Plastic”. The material is firm and flexible. Due to that it’s quite popular among craft people.
Polyvinyl Alchohol Plastic (PVA)
Polyvinyl Alchohol Plastic or PVA is not preferred for products that require high strength. It is best suitable for low cost temporary use items.
Polycarboate (PC)
Poly-carbonate or PC is mostly used in printer which has nozzles. It also requires high temperature and heated bed. An enclosed build chamber is also essential for this material.
Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG)
Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol is a safer option for foods. It creates an isolation from moisture and bacteria. For such properties it is widely used in cooking industry.
Resin
If you are opting for SLA or DLP 3d printers, you need to be familiar with filament called resin. Based on usage resin is divided into three types.
Standard Resin
These are most used Resins. It is mostly used by news users and hobbyists for creating small gadgets.
Tough Resin
Objects printed by these resins lasts long. It is mainly used by professionals for industrial purposes.
Medical Resin
These Resins are mainly used in medical industry for appliances like hearing aids.
Powders
Printers with powder bed technology uses different types of powdered materials for printing. Most common of them are :
Polyamide (Nylon)
Polyamide is quite popular as a printing material in powder bed fusion technology. The main reason behind popularity is strength and flexibility of the material.
Alumide
Alumide is mix of polyamide and aluminium powder. Due to it’s strong and lightweight composition it is suited for industries.
Metal
In Direct Metal Laser Sintering metals like stainless steel, bronze, titanium, gold, nickel, aluminium, etc are used widely. All the metals used are utilised in it’s dust form.
Other materials which are worth mentioning are carbon fiber, Graphite & Graphene, Nitinol, Paper, etc.
Connectivity
USB is the most common option available in budget 3d printers. But sometimes that’s not enough. You should look for WiFi options if you plan to connect your printer to your mobile. WiFi connectivity also gives you freedom to print from multiple devices without worrying about USB connections.
Accuracy and Quality
In budget 3d printers accuracy and quality are some factors which should be watched carefully. Before buying you must check printer’s out quality. And if you require out of higher quality may be 3d printers under $200 is not the right section. You must compare your requirement with printer’s output before making the purchase.
Speed
3d printers take time in printing objects. It is a well known fact. A 3-4 inch object will require minimum 6-12 hours to get printed. That happens due to layer by layer printing methodology. You have to make sure before buying that your desired printer have enough speed according to your needs.
Size of Printer and Output
Size of 3d printer is directly connected to output size. It’s true smaller 3d printers are easy to transport and store. But they also produce smaller output in size. So before buying you have to keep the ratio in mind.
Printer Bed
Printer bed is another important part of a 3d printer. When it comes to bed surface, based on materials there are different types of bed surfaces. There are glass, any-cubic ultra base, aluminium and BuildTak FlexPlate printer beds. Then there are heated and non-heated beds. Based on your requirements you need to choose the printer with suitable printer bed.
Ease of Use
Most budget 3d printers are easy to operate. A big fraction of budget 3d printer buyers are new users. So these printer manufacturers always keep such things in mind. Still before buying you should check the process of setup, installation and use.
10 best 3d printer under $200
Qidi Tech Shadow 5.5s
The Qidi Tech Shadow 5.5s is an excellent UV LCD resin printer. It is beautifully designed and have two colours, red and gold. The base and closed cover is red while rest of the printer is in gold colour. The printer is capable of providing 4.52” x 2.5” x 5.9” of output in size. It can produce a layer thickness of 0.025 mm to 0.2 mm. Qidi Tech Shadow 5.5s is packed with multiple features which puts it on top of our list. It has 2k resolution LCD screen which is designed for fast and precise curing.
The double Z-axis linear rail design increases stability and boosts the precision. It also has ChiTuBox slicer software which slices faster than other softwares. That helps you in saving print time and resins. Setup and printing is pretty easy. Features like anti-aliasing reduces the roughness of printed surface. The printer is equipped with high-strength tempered glass which is integrated into the 2k LCD screen. The release film works flawlessly on it. They all together make releasing of build offs smooth.
ELEGOO Mars UV Photocuring Printer
Elegoo Mars is another gem in our affordable 3d printers list. The printer works on LED display photo curing technology. It has a very unique design and a large colourful touchscreen which makes operating easy. The printer has 7.87” x 7.87” x 16.14. It has build volume of 4.7” x 2.6” x 6.1”. When it comes to print quality the output is excellent. You don’t need to sand or file the prints for quality detailing. The setup is very easy. It comes pre-assembled.
All you have to do is assemble the UV cover. You also have to remove the build plate while pouring resin and removing the printed object. But that comes under printing process not setup. In setup you only have to plug the power and it’s ready to use. Chitubox slicing software makes slicing fast, saves resin and provides better quality of printing than average opensource software. Cleanup after the printing is easy too. You are advised to UV cure the prints before touching it.
Creality Ender 3
Creality Ender 3 has a minimalist design. The build platform is based on an integrated unit that has both main board and power supply unit. It also has V-slot wheels which provides smooth motion during printing process. Main parts of the printer comes pre-assembled but still there is a lot you have to do before it’s actually ready. Detail instructions of assembly comes with the printer in a pamphlet in easy 12 steps.
There are many features in this printer. First of all it’s opensource, so every bit of information about it is available for free including tweaks from all over the globe. The printer also has heated beds which results in timely adhesion without messing with first printed layers. Another great feature is power outrage recovery, which allows you to start from where the printing stopped due to loss of power. It gives excellent performance with a top notch customer service.
Qidi X-One2
X-One2 is another gem from Qidi Technology in our list. X-One2 is an enclosed build single extruder 3d printer with a metal frame. The printer is 20.3” x 19” x 17.5” in dimensions and weighs around 42.9 pounds. It has a touch screen interface which can be used for multi-purpose such as print progress and bed temperature. Removable covers provide temperature stability while printing and protect inner parts from external dust and particles.
The complete printer comes pre-assembled. All you need to do is level the printing bed and fill up the filaments. And you are ready to print. The printing bed is made up of aluminium alloy which is covered with PEI surface. When it comes to connections, the printer supports SD card and USB. The printer works with multiple software like Qidi Print, Cura and Simplify 3d. Qidi provides an excellent customer service, so you need not to worry about it.
JGMaker Magic upgraded 3d printer
JGMaker Magic Upgraded 3d printer has a pretty basic open structure design. The printer is 21” x 20” x 7” in dimensions and weighs around 20 pounds. It has a sturdy metal base which provides it required stability while printing. The power supply, touch screen and rotary knobs are fitted in the metal base itself, which gives the printer a sleek appearance. It comes with a 220 x 220 mm sized heated bed which is removable.
The printer also has 3 resume functions which are power outrage resume, filament run out detection and SD card removal. It comes pre-assembled with three different modules. You will need a screwdriver and minutes to completely assemble it. The print quality is quite good. It produces smooth surface with consistent and accurate layers. The printer is simple to operate, easy to adjust and has warning systems making it perfect for newbies.
Creality LD002R 3d printer
Creality LD002R is a closed box resin 3d printer. The base and build plates are metal while the cover is made up of orange transparent plastic. Printer is 221 x 221 x 403 mm in dimensions and produces up to 119 x 65 x 160 mm output in dimensions. USP of this printer is it’s air filtration system. With it’s double fans and active carbon air filtering system it can deodorise all odours from your resin. Levelling system is quite fast and hardly takes 5 minutes after assembly.
It uses Chitubox slicing software which is well known for it’s performance. It also has a powerful 30 W UV lighting system which only takes 4 seconds per layer. The 3.5 inch 2k LCD Full colour touchscreen is very user friendly. It provides a nice interface to operate on 3d printing files and view print progress. Many more features like Anti-Aliasing, Offline printing, Convenient Vat resin cleaning and lifetime customer support makes it an ideal choice for best budget 3d printer.
Longer Orange 10
Longer Orange 10 has a lot of similarity between Elegoo Mars and Qidi X-One2 or Tech Shadows 5.5s. It’s base is also metallic and cover is made up of transparent orange colour of plastic. The USP of Orange 10 is it’s custom proprietary slicer which is 30 times faster than it’s opensource competitors. Manual levelling keeps things simple in operations. 2.8 inch touchscreen makes it really user friendly. Matrix of UV lighting gives you uniformity of light source which results in better curing.
This printer is also equipped with temperature detection features. When UV LED temperature becomes high it auto pauses and resumes only when temperature is normal. With all these features the output is way better than other similar printers. It proves output in dimension of 98 x 55 x 140 mm while resolution is 854 x 480. The customer support is excellent and the machine comes with 12 months warranty.
Longer LK4
Longer LK4 is another budget 3d printer which comes 90% pre-assembled. You just have to assemble belts, extruder and print bed. The whole frame is open and built with aluminium. Sturdy aluminium frame with it’s firm footing reduces vibration while printing and keeps the bed at consistent level. 2.8” full colour touch screen is very easy to operate. It gives you easy access to model preview, parameter settings, etc. The product is 42.5”x 40.2”x 50.5” in dimensions and weighs 19.3 pounds. It can produce products of 220 x 220 x 250 mm.
Printer supports USB cable and SD card as mode of connection. All the setup and assembly guidelines are provided with the printer which are easy to follow. When it comes to software it supports Cura and Repetier-Host. In case of power outrage it also supports printing resume. Fast heating bed is another selling point of this printer. It can go up to 100 degree Celsius in 4 minutes. The printer comes with 12 months warranty and an excellent customer support.
Da Vinci Mini Wireless 3d printer
da Vinci Mini is a gem from xyzprinting which is a well known company for introducing many entry level printers. The printer is compact in design. It is 20”x 16”x 18” in dimensions and weighs 22.1 pounds. Printer is packed with features which makes it a popular choice among printers in the same price range. The printer comes with starter filaments and auto-calibration function. It means you can take it out from the box and can start printing.
It supports multiple types of filaments which includes Carbon PLA and Metallic PLA. Proprietary “Smart Cartridges” can detect when filament is low and needs replacement. The print quality is clean and smooth. When it comes to connectivity the printer supports wireless connections. It has a sprinting speed of maximum 120 mm/s, which is pretty decent. With this printing speed it can produce output up to 5.9”x 5.9”x 5.9” in dimensions. You can avail their customer support on Skype and phone.
Monoprice Mpselect Mini
Monoprice Mpselect Mini is compact, portable and robust in design. It has one-sided arm holding the print head while on the other side filament is placed. The printer has a dimension of 7.5” x 11.3” x 13.5” and weighs only 14.1 pounds. There are enough features in the printer to make it an ideal choice for beginners. It is equipped with a nozzle cooling fan and main board cooling fan. The nozzles are made up of metals completely.
It has 3.7” colour screen for easy operations. The printer supports WiFi, Micro SD card and USB connectivity and is windows and mac compatible. Printer is completely opensource, which means you can use any type of filament from any manufacturer. The improved heating bed, with V2’s build surface and pad material promotes adhesion while printing. It also makes parts easy to remove after completion of work. In this price range this printer is truly a catch.
Conclusion
While choosing best 3d printer under $200 you need to figure out it’s primary uses first. Based on uses you can choose the filaments and resins. And once that finalised, it’s really easy to make choices from the list. Feel free to ask anything in comment section. Best10lab team always reverts back.