this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2024
36 points (100.0% liked)

3DPrinting

15538 readers
82 users here now

3DPrinting is a place where makers of all skill levels and walks of life can learn about and discuss 3D printing and development of 3D printed parts and devices.

The r/functionalprint community is now located at: [email protected] or [email protected]

There are CAD communities available at: [email protected] or [email protected]

Rules

If you need an easy way to host pictures, https://catbox.moe may be an option. Be ethical about what you post and donate if you are able or use this a lot. It is just an individual hosting content, not a company. The image embedding syntax for Lemmy is ![](URL)

Moderation policy: Light, mostly invisible

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

I currently run a Voxelab Aquila I got for $120 three years ago. It largely replaced a Monoprice Mini, and the Aquila's done some surprisingly good work for me, but I may look for something new to put on the ol' birthday list. I would like a flat bed and some modern QoL improvements built in (he said, side-eyeing the BLTouch clone he never installed), but I'm still looking to play in the shallow-end, price-wise, and anyway Bambu just has "future enshittification" written all over it. I don't do anything time-sensitive, and I'm not afraid to put the whole thing together, so who are the current leaders in the value space? Recent machines from Creality?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago

For me I was looking for reliability, so I ended up with Prusa. But I ended up with them thanks to a few simple rules I followed.

  1. Can the machine and it's parts be replaced with off shelf components?

  2. Does it use, or is the platform compatible with open source slicers (Prusaslicer/Cura)?

  3. Does the community support the device with mods on 3D model repositories (Thingiverse/Printables)?

  4. Does the manufacturer have a track record for support (or the lack thereof)?

Before I got my Prusa, the Creality Ender 3 was the goto, and it was a really reliable machine. For my printing needs I need a direct drive print head, and a better auto bed leveling routine. But the Ender 3 s1 looks pretty good as an alternative.