Need help buying 1st 3d printer (Dorming Student)

[Aura091]

Hello 405th,

I'm going into my second year of university and wanted to buy a 3D printer for class, and hopefully to get into making costumes. At my summer job, someone with the same major as me recommended getting an Ender 5 Pro, or an Ender 3 due to aftermarket support based around it. While I feel the printing beds may end up being too small, I feel that they're rated so highly that I wouldn't be going wrong with either. I am going to be using this printer for a minimum of 4 years, so I want to get something that can be moved easily between semesters, has high durability, and doesn't need constant maintenance. I can probably get up to around ~$700 for this, but I might wait until black friday or cyber monday to purchase it anyway (I'd like to get the best value out of every dollar I spend). I would like the printer to be able to make small detailed objects for my engineering classes. I would also like it to have the ability to make helmets and armor. I am not confident in my ability to find the best printer to meet these specifications alone, which is why I am enlisting the help of anyone who is able to! I'll sort the information as neatly as I can so I don't give a headache to anyone trying to help.

Price range: ~$300-700
Size: Small enough that it can stand on a nightstand (I'll get the specs as soon as I move in)
Portability: I need to be able to move it around 100 miles by car at least 8 times, so I don't want it to be flimsy/hard to pack and unpack
Level of detail: Accurate enough to replicate small detailed parts
Brand: Anything that is trusted for the most part
Minimum amount of usage: 4 years
Community size: I'd like the printer to be popular enough to the point that I can ask a community for help if I encounter any issues I can't solve
Usage: School projects, prop guns, helmets, armour, and probably the other little bits that come with having access to a 3d printer
Urgency of Acquisition: Not urgent, I am willing to wait for anything that has massive potential, or for a large sale such as black friday/cyber monday. The latest I would like to wait until is the end of this year.

I spent a long time looking at older 3d printer posts, but I would like to engage with the community while I decide to make a purchase, and to bounce ideas off of you while I come to my decision

 

[S225]

My nearly stock Ender-5 has done nothing but great things over the past few years. Not as big and the pro but still fully capable of printing a full suit and a few shelves worth of props. Only modifications I've made are some stepper motor dampeners, a glass print bed to replace the flexible magnetic one and some 3D printed supports for the bed, back cover for the display and some parts for cable management and relieving tension on the bed and extruder cords. Aftermarket and spare parts from Creality are easy to find as well. From what I've seen of the pro it's just as robust as the normal 5. Construction is likely overdone on both so there's little worry of damage to anything that isn't moving. The regular 5s bed is only supported by 2 z axis rods so the bed will flex if pulled to hard and the pro solves this by added 2 additional rods. Even still the 5 is very stable and with the added bed supports its super consistent and reliable. Only prints that have failed were my fault for either not leveling the bed right or slicer/supports errors on my end. It usually powers through most of my error though and finishes a clean print.

 

[Wraith0912]

Welcome to the world of 3D Printing! There's a lot of thought that goes into getting your first printer, so I'll do my best to try and keep things short to not overwhelm you. Before anything, though, I highly recommend you take a look at this thread that talks about some important things to keep in mind before you make your final decision.

Like you mentioned, the Ender 5 Pro and the Ender 3 are some of the best options out there for beginners. They're cheap, reliable, and because they're so popular, there's a vast amount of information about them online that you can use to both fine tune your settings and troubleshoot if anything goes wrong. They are a bit on the small side as far as build volume goes, which in your case might be a double-edged sword; smaller things are easier to move around, but bigger prints like full-sized helmets will often need to be cut up into parts that have to be mended together afterwards. Either way, the Ender series remains a strong choice for a first printer.

If you're looking for something a bit bigger, you might consider the CR-10 series. They're made by the same company that makes the Enders (Creality), but their makeup is pretty different. Some models carry their electronics in a separate housing (so the battery, touchscreen, slots for USBs, etc.), while others keep everything together. Some models have the filament mounted such that it sticks out the side, while others have it mounted on top like the Enders do. What's consistent is their large build volume, meaning the bigger stuff can be printed in less parts than on smaller printers. I've heard a lot of mixed things about them quality-wise, though; that's something you'll need to explore on your own. I own a printer that's based on the CR-10 (the Artillery Sidewinder x1), and for armor purposes, that extra build volume is something you come to cherish.

One more thing to be aware of, regardless of your choice: expect your dorm room to be very hot when the printer is running. My printer is situated right next to my bed and I need to have my room fans on for overnight prints to help combat the heat. I hope this info was able to help narrow down your choices a bit. Good luck and happy printing!

 

[Aura091]

Welcome to the world of 3D Printing! There's a lot of thought that goes into getting your first printer, so I'll do my best to try and keep things short to not overwhelm you. Before anything, though, I highly recommend you take a look at this thread that talks about some important things to keep in mind before you make your final decision.

Like you mentioned, the Ender 5 Pro and the Ender 3 are some of the best options out there for beginners. They're cheap, reliable, and because they're so popular, there's a vast amount of information about them online that you can use to both fine tune your settings and troubleshoot if anything goes wrong. They are a bit on the small side as far as build volume goes, which in your case might be a double-edged sword; smaller things are easier to move around, but bigger prints like full-sized helmets will often need to be cut up into parts that have to be mended together afterwards. Either way, the Ender series remains a strong choice for a first printer.

If you're looking for something a bit bigger, you might consider the CR-10 series. They're made by the same company that makes the Enders (Creality), but their makeup is pretty different. Some models carry their electronics in a separate housing (so the battery, touchscreen, slots for USBs, etc.), while others keep everything together. Some models have the filament mounted such that it sticks out the side, while others have it mounted on top like the Enders do. What's consistent is their large build volume, meaning the bigger stuff can be printed in less parts than on smaller printers. I've heard a lot of mixed things about them quality-wise, though; that's something you'll need to explore on your own. I own a printer that's based on the CR-10 (the Artillery Sidewinder x1), and for armor purposes, that extra build volume is something you come to cherish.

One more thing to be aware of, regardless of your choice: expect your dorm room to be very hot when the printer is running. My printer is situated right next to my bed and I need to have my room fans on for overnight prints to help combat the heat. I hope this info was able to help narrow down your choices a bit. Good luck and happy printing!

Thank you so much, and I am all ears to any more you have to offer. I had previously been looking at the CR 10 S5 for my prospective printer, and I think heat buildup will only be an issue if it is going to affect the print. I have a closet that seems perfect for the printer, as it fits a nightstand in, and it has a sliding door that I intended to use in order to prevent any external factors from damaging the print quality. I will check that thread when I set up my computer at uni, and I will recheck that thread more thoroughly. As of now though, most of my knowledge on what printer I think might work has come from that and ~3 other threads on here. Otherwise, thank you for bringing up those factors such as heat buildup.

(Also thanks to S225 for talking about the ender 5 and 3's. Including the differences between everything and the aftermarket modifications that can be made helped me get a pretty good idea of what to expect on that front, so thanks again.)

 

[Kahn 319]

if you want reliability and detail i recommend the bambu labs p1p, it fits into your price range and aside from being a little smaller, its really one of the best brands on the market. while the ender 5 or ender 5 plus is a good printer and its large, its very loud and hard to sleep with unless you install the silent motherboard upgrade. at the very least just look it up and see if it fits what you want, the p1p is a little smaller but its quality makes up for it. i have several printers and my bambu x1 is just better than all the rest, the p1p is just a dumbed down version thats a little cheaper, it will also be faster than most other printers.

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

Hello 405th,

I'm going into my second year of university and wanted to buy a 3D printer for class, and hopefully to get into making costumes. At my summer job, someone with the same major as me recommended getting an Ender 5 Pro, or an Ender 3 due to aftermarket support based around it. While I feel the printing beds may end up being too small, I feel that they're rated so highly that I wouldn't be going wrong with either. I am going to be using this printer for a minimum of 4 years, so I want to get something that can be moved easily between semesters, has high durability, and doesn't need constant maintenance. I can probably get up to around ~$700 for this, but I might wait until black friday or cyber monday to purchase it anyway (I'd like to get the best value out of every dollar I spend). I would like the printer to be able to make small detailed objects for my engineering classes. I would also like it to have the ability to make helmets and armor. I am not confident in my ability to find the best printer to meet these specifications alone, which is why I am enlisting the help of anyone who is able to! I'll sort the information as neatly as I can so I don't give a headache to anyone trying to help.

Price range: ~$300-700
Size: Small enough that it can stand on a nightstand (I'll get the specs as soon as I move in)
Portability: I need to be able to move it around 100 miles by car at least 8 times, so I don't want it to be flimsy/hard to pack and unpack
Level of detail: Accurate enough to replicate small detailed parts
Brand: Anything that is trusted for the most part
Minimum amount of usage: 4 years
Community size: I'd like the printer to be popular enough to the point that I can ask a community for help if I encounter any issues I can't solve
Usage: School projects, prop guns, helmets, armour, and probably the other little bits that come with having access to a 3d printer
Urgency of Acquisition: Not urgent, I am willing to wait for anything that has massive potential, or for a large sale such as black friday/cyber monday. The latest I would like to wait until is the end of this year.

I spent a long time looking at older 3d printer posts, but I would like to engage with the community while I decide to make a purchase, and to bounce ideas off of you while I come to my decision

I always recommend the Ender 3 pro for getting into 3D printing. Super easy to troubleshoot with minimal bells and whistles, the printer and replacement parts are cheap, and with a small amount of effort you can get parts looking solid out of the box.

The main thing that I stress is that 3D printing isn't for everyone, so try to make your first foray into the hobby have a minimal starting impact on your finances. Worst case scenario with and Ender 3 Pro your out like 200$ USD total with the printer and a couple of rolls of filament.

That being said, if you decide you enjoy 3D printing as a hobby and want to buy bigger and better printers like offerings from Bambu Labs or other large Creality printers, the Ender 3 pro is still a great little workhorse. I still use mine as a primary printer for small parts and components while my 500mm printer works on large parts like like one print helmets, I wouldn't recommend doing helmets this way it's silly and risky.

I can't wait to see what you choose and start building! Let me know if you need any tips and tricks on finishing 3D printed armor once you get going and I can't wait to see what you build!

 

[Aura091]

I always recommend the Ender 3 pro for getting into 3D printing. Super easy to troubleshoot with minimal bells and whistles, the printer and replacement parts are cheap, and with a small amount of effort you can get parts looking solid out of the box.

The main thing that I stress is that 3D printing isn't for everyone, so try to make your first foray into the hobby have a minimal starting impact on your finances. Worst case scenario with and Ender 3 Pro your out like 200$ USD total with the printer and a couple of rolls of filament.

That being said, if you decide you enjoy 3D printing as a hobby and want to buy bigger and better printers like offerings from Bambu Labs or other large Creality printers, the Ender 3 pro is still a great little workhorse. I still use mine as a primary printer for small parts and components while my 500mm printer works on large parts like like one print helmets, I wouldn't recommend doing helmets this way it's silly and risky.

I can't wait to see what you choose and start building! Let me know if you need any tips and tricks on finishing 3D printed armor once you get going and I can't wait to see what you build!

Thank you for putting in the risk assessment, but I already like 3d printing from my experiences. I've made some small car chassis, dice towers, and a eitcher medallion, and a few other things in CAD. So I'm willing to risk the amount I am due to how useful it can be. I'll definitely be asking for some tips, and I already have my first armor set in mind I want to try. It might be a little difficult bc it seems only a few people have really talked about it so far, but thats half the fun! I might need to think about the noise, but it hopefully won't be too much of an issue being in the closet, and far from the people sleeping. My next step is to understand what goes into segmenting the pieces, and bonding them together.

 

[Wraith0912]

Thank you so much, and I am all ears to any more you have to offer. I had previously been looking at the CR 10 S5 for my prospective printer, and I think heat buildup will only be an issue if it is going to affect the print. I have a closet that seems perfect for the printer, as it fits a nightstand in, and it has a sliding door that I intended to use in order to prevent any external factors from damaging the print quality. I will check that thread when I set up my computer at uni, and I will recheck that thread more thoroughly. As of now though, most of my knowledge on what printer I think might work has come from that and ~3 other threads on here. Otherwise, thank you for bringing up those factors such as heat buildup.

No problem! Choosing a first printer can be a pretty daunting thing, so I'm glad I was able to help out a bit. It's also great that you've got a spot already marked out for where the printer's gonna go, since that can often be a pitfall for people if their printer turns out to be bigger than they thought.

I should've clarified this more, but for the heat buildup thing, I was mainly talking about how the room temperature is gonna rise and how that impacts you, not the printer. This is especially important depending on what kind of air conditioning your dorm has (if it has it at all) or if you have any roommates who will be impacted by the rising temperature. To show you what I'm talking about, the clock on my nightstand has a thermometer as part of its display. Normally, the temp in my room is around 66°F, but if a print is going, that temp easily rises to anywhere from 70-72°F. It's important to be aware of the heat that 3D printers give off because they might make your printing area a bit more uncomfortable. I'd imagine that having the printer in your closet might help with this a little bit, but I can't say for sure. Either way, I wanted to clear that up so you'd be aware.

 

[Kigma9]

I can vouch for the Ender 3! I have a V1 that a buddy and I share over and back for around 5-6 years now and I love it to bits - small footprint, plenty of aftermarket parts to explore if you want to play around with different options or just get cheap replacement parts.

Portability is good - it takes up a single car seat space and can be transported all in one piece. Just be ready to dial things back in once you arrive at your end location (bed-levelling, checking belt tightness, etc.) Once dialled nice in you can get fantastic results!

I've printed tons with it and I've yet to do any crazy overhauls outside of a silent motherboard swap and general maintenance work.
For larger parts, it can definitely be a hassle to slice up and then recombine everything once printed but it's plenty doable. I printed my first helmet, chest-piece and shins on it in slices.

It will definitely heat up the space it's kept in by an amount but that amount depends on the size of the space, ventilation, how long it's printing for and at what temperatures.

Even with the silent motherboard in it, I wouldn't 100% recommend running it inside your bedroom while you're trying to sleep - the motors may be really quiet but the various cooling fans usually aren't. A closet would probably suffice, as when my buddy has the printer, he keeps it in a small room beside his own and you can't hear a peep from it.

 

[AnAgileKoala]

I’d recommend the ender 3-pro as a good small scale starting point it. It printed me most of my Halo:Reach suit. Easy to use and maintain. I’d definitely recommend upgrading to a larger printer in the future to make some of the bigger stuff in one print.

 

[Aura091]

Any recommendations if I want the printer to be good for printing with ABS filament instead of PLA? I saw how the creality 5 pro, and 3 v2 both are not the best for it, and how the space needs to be enclosed, and with a specific plate for the best results. I was thinking that ABS might be the best for the armor because it can be chemically smoothed, instead of needing to be completely sanded. On top of that, it seems to have a higher structural strength, which may end up being what I'd prefer for armor and weapons.

 

[OFiveTwo]

Any recommendations if I want the printer to be good for printing with ABS filament instead of PLA? I saw how the creality 5 pro, and 3 v2 both are not the best for it, and how the space needs to be enclosed, and with a specific plate for the best results. I was thinking that ABS might be the best for the armor because it can be chemically smoothed, instead of needing to be completely sanded. On top of that, it seems to have a higher structural strength, which may end up being what I'd prefer for armor and weapons.

Here's what I'll say in terms of ABS (as someone who now prints with ABS and ASA religiously): it is a fantastic filament, but it's certainly it's own beast. The main concern is obviously the fumes, which are toxic. You'll definitely be able to smell it if your enclosure is subpar, and sleeping next to it would not be great for your health. There are certainly many ways to set up a safe ABS printer, but this is not something you want to skimp on.
In addition, if your enclosure does not hold temperature well enough, you risk major layer separation and parts peeling off the plate. Build plate temp for most of my ABS prints are 110C, and the chamber itself usually gets to 80/90C just from that. If your enclosure has issues holding tempetature, you will for sure run into issues with larger prints.
Strength-wise, maybe ABS is a little better, but I'd say wall thickness and infil will really help you out there.

In the end, 3D printing is awesome, and I think you're going to enjoy the process and the results a lot! If you're really feeling ABS, check out the Bambu P1S. It's at the top of your range, (699+tax and shipping), but it comes with a built in enclosure and carbon filter. There's a LOT less aftermarket stuff for Bambu, but the machine has been so consistent for me I really haven't had a need to look for any.
If you're looking to get into 3D printing at a learning level and really understand it, for sure get an Ender 3 or 5 WITHOUT a BL Touch sensor. ABS and other specialty filaments will be more enjoyable to use if you start with PLA and build from there, plus PLA is almost always cheaper. Don't get a printer with a BL Touch as your first. They are fragile, and in my opinion very finicky. Once you practice manual leveling a couple of times, it'll let you troubleshoot a BUNCH of other issues.

Happy printing! Feel free to ask for help/advice/anything!

EDIT: The Bambu P1S is also HELLA fast, which makes it kinda loud. The fast printing is good, just keep printer volume in mind when considering your sleeping arrangements (and your neighbors )

 

[Wraith0912]

Adding onto what OFiveTwo said, you need to remember that you are operating within a dorm environment. Your university's likely to have strong rules about the types of things students can bring into their rooms, and I'd be inclined to believe that anything toxic would be a strict no-go. I'm mainly bringing this up due to the "chemical smoothing" process you talked about; depending on what exactly you use to smooth out the print, it might not be allowed near campus. Considering that this will be your first printer, I would say to take it easy as far as modifications and extra elements go, and maybe save experimenting with ABS for a later date when you've got more experience and a better understanding of how your machine works.

For strength purposes, OFiveTwo is also correct that infill and wall thickness make a bigger impact on that front than material choice. I'd also like to add that infill pattern should be considered too; I've heard that gyroid offers the best bang for your buck, but I prefer cubic for my prints. You can also tinker with infill and wall thickness depending on the part that you're printing; your chest plate might warrant a higher wall thickness than your hand plates do. There's lots of room for experimentation and preference here, so ultimately it comes down to you and how you wish to go about printing your armor.

 

[Med]

I will chime in and say that back when I was first shopping for a printer I was planning on printing with materials stronger than PLA. Though, once I got it, I can say that PLA has served me just fine in all my cases.

I wouldn't stress too much about the fancier filaments. As the others said, you can make PLA plenty strong once you learn what you're doing, and PLA will also be the easiest to learn with. The sanding and post-processing are a tradeoff, but it is by far the easiest filament to tame and print with. Pretty sure it's the cheapest too and, believe me, this stuff will add up in the long run if you're doing full suits.

If anything, this first printer will be a testbed for grasping 3D printing as a whole, and then you can always upgrade to one later down the road with more capabilities. Then you have twice the printer power!

 

[Aura091]

Here's what I'll say in terms of ABS (as someone who now prints with ABS and ASA religiously): it is a fantastic filament, but it's certainly it's own beast. The main concern is obviously the fumes, which are toxic. You'll definitely be able to smell it if your enclosure is subpar, and sleeping next to it would not be great for your health. There are certainly many ways to set up a safe ABS printer, but this is not something you want to skimp on.
In addition, if your enclosure does not hold temperature well enough, you risk major layer separation and parts peeling off the plate. Build plate temp for most of my ABS prints are 110C, and the chamber itself usually gets to 80/90C just from that. If your enclosure has issues holding tempetature, you will for sure run into issues with larger prints.
Strength-wise, maybe ABS is a little better, but I'd say wall thickness and infil will really help you out there.

In the end, 3D printing is awesome, and I think you're going to enjoy the process and the results a lot! If you're really feeling ABS, check out the Bambu P1S. It's at the top of your range, (699+tax and shipping), but it comes with a built in enclosure and carbon filter. There's a LOT less aftermarket stuff for Bambu, but the machine has been so consistent for me I really haven't had a need to look for any.
If you're looking to get into 3D printing at a learning level and really understand it, for sure get an Ender 3 or 5 WITHOUT a BL Touch sensor. ABS and other specialty filaments will be more enjoyable to use if you start with PLA and build from there, plus PLA is almost always cheaper. Don't get a printer with a BL Touch as your first. They are fragile, and in my opinion very finicky. Once you practice manual leveling a couple of times, it'll let you troubleshoot a BUNCH of other issues.

Happy printing! Feel free to ask for help/advice/anything!

EDIT: The Bambu P1S is also HELLA fast, which makes it kinda loud. The fast printing is good, just keep printer volume in mind when considering your sleeping arrangements (and your neighbors )

Thank you for bringing up the issues with the toxic fumes, I'm definitely going to avoid an ABS printer until I can have a better environment for it. I am also going to try and get the experience required for it to truly matter to me before I go there, based off of what everyone is saying.

Adding onto what OFiveTwo said, you need to remember that you are operating within a dorm environment. Your university's likely to have strong rules about the types of things students can bring into their rooms, and I'd be inclined to believe that anything toxic would be a strict no-go. I'm mainly bringing this up due to the "chemical smoothing" process you talked about; depending on what exactly you use to smooth out the print, it might not be allowed near campus. Considering that this will be your first printer, I would say to take it easy as far as modifications and extra elements go, and maybe save experimenting with ABS for a later date when you've got more experience and a better understanding of how your machine works.

For strength purposes, OFiveTwo is also correct that infill and wall thickness make a bigger impact on that front than material choice. I'd also like to add that infill pattern should be considered too; I've heard that gyroid offers the best bang for your buck, but I prefer cubic for my prints. You can also tinker with infill and wall thickness depending on the part that you're printing; your chest plate might warrant a higher wall thickness than your hand plates do. There's lots of room for experimentation and preference here, so ultimately it comes down to you and how you wish to go about printing your armor.

Thank you for supporting the information on the infill and wall thickness, the infill structure is also going to be helpful for me, and how it's used will also come into play. I'm always thankful for reinforcing opinions and furthering that point of the topic.

I will chime in and say that back when I was first shopping for a printer I was planning on printing with materials stronger than PLA. Though, once I got it, I can say that PLA has served me just fine in all my cases.

I wouldn't stress too much about the fancier filaments. As the others said, you can make PLA plenty strong once you learn what you're doing, and PLA will also be the easiest to learn with. The sanding and post-processing are a tradeoff, but it is by far the easiest filament to tame and print with. Pretty sure it's the cheapest too and, believe me, this stuff will add up in the long run if you're doing full suits.

If anything, this first printer will be a testbed for grasping 3D printing as a whole, and then you can always upgrade to one later down the road with more capabilities. Then you have twice the printer power!

Thank you for putting my mind back into perspective of what I will need to do, and how to go about achieving it. The first printer will be just a testing and learning project, even if I will need it to last several years. The learning process would definitely hurt a lot more if I were doing it with premium materials.

Now I think I am ready to buy, and it's probably going to end up being the Ender 5 pro, due to the wide support it has, while still having a pretty large print area for the overall size. I am going to measure it when I bring a tape measure to the dorm to make sure it will work, but other than that, it should be fine. The last question is whether or not ambient moisture/humidity in the air is going to be detrimental to the printer. Other than that, I'm really thankful for everyone who helped me with this thread!

 

[Wraith0912]

The last question is whether or not ambient moisture/humidity in the air is going to be detrimental to the printer.

In my experience, this is mainly a concern for the filament you're going to use. When you buy filament, it usually comes vacuum sealed with a desiccant pack in it to prevent moisture from building up and making the filament brittle. If you leave a roll of filament out for too long, give it a quick test by seeing how far a piece of the filament can bend. If the piece snaps off without much pressure, it's no good. That said, there's many products out there that help get rid of the moisture by heating up the filament slightly and then keeping it at that temp for a number of hours. There's also some methods people use to make these "filament dryer boxes" at home, although I couldn't really speak to their effectiveness since I don't use a dryer box. Lots of these homemade versions also double as storage, which is especially important as well; people give a lot of thought as to where to store their printer, but not to store their filament. Definitely spend some time exploring these options if you're worried about moisture. Other than that, I hope you have a good time with your new Ender 5 Pro!

 

[N8TEBB]

This is the most text-dense thread I've seen I think ever
Great advice tho!
or bad