As the title says: I was thinking about getting into 3d printing for a long time now. The main thing I can think of when it comes to reasons for printing is keyboard building. Do you folks have any recommendations for a good entry-level printer that is able to print for example a Charybdis? Luckily I really like split keyboard which should reduce the needed print area.
Prusa mk3s
I have a Folger Tech i3 2020, so named because its frame is made from 20x20mm aluminum extrusion. No bed levelling, no quiet steppers, no all metal hot end, five years old. I’ve added a part cooling fan whose nozzle I printed off Thingiverse, a janky ring of 24v LED lights, and a cheapo 0.6mm nozzle. Sometimes I have to print part of the first layer a couple of times and move the z end stop to get it right. It takes about 10 minutes every couple of months, so not a big deal.
I say this not to recommend this printer to you today, but to say that even if you don’t manage to get perfect prints out of the box, the fiddling it takes to get what you want is probably not that bad.
Besides keyboards, and an occasional toy car or something, I’ve printed a replacement shade for a little fluorescent kitchen light, an adapter to fit a lampshade that was on sale to a lamp that was on sale, a fancy toilet paper spool, and a custom wrench to try to remove my washing machine’s tub. Oh and brackets that hold my cell phone, so I can use my ergo keyboard to type at a terminal on my phone, broadcast my pirate signal, and hack into the Matrix, while riding the bus. :)
Agree with the others on the SV06. I have the plus model * only* because i want to do larger prints. But the base model is great and is a clone of the Prusa Mk3s. Sure it cuts a few corners but it does it where it makes sense and the base machine is fantastic. In regards to the Enders, in my experience of seeing others with them (not owning one) they are by far a tinkerers machine where you get a base printer but practically requires upgrades to get where you want it.
Where as the Sovol machine was pretty much there from stock. it has worked great for me for PLA, and with some simple tuning, PETG which is much more heat resistant. It is considered one of the best prusa clonse and am incredibly happy with my purchase.
context, this is only my 2nd printer and my first one had lots of issues. and this one has been relatively smooth sailing. Maybe not to the level of a real prusa (but the price) or an X1/P1P Carbon machine or similar. But it’s pretty damn good.
If you have the money, you cant go wrong with any prusa. though these days all of the innovations they did are available on lower end machines (Sovole for example), not many printers a quite literally setup and forget. this is why so many print farms exclusively use Prusa machines. You might pay a bit more, but you get a solid machine. though i would say please get the kit and build it. if you are new you will learn a lot from doing so i promise.
I use a prusa mini. It’s really reliable and the build volume is enough for split keyboards
Sovol SV06 or SV06+ would be my pick. For just a bit more than an ender 3 you get a better motion system, quieter stepper drivers, PEI bed, bed level sensor, all metal hotend, direct drive, and dual z axis. Basically everything I’ve upgraded on my ender 3 in the years I’ve had it, the SV06 has out of the box.
Ended 3 pro with a board upgrade
I use an Ender 3v2. It’s fine, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. It seems to have quite a bit of wear and often requires retuning stuff to get good prints. Also needs upgrades to make it better (like getting auto-levelling).
Prusa MK3S, rock solid, just works. Never had to tweak endlessly like Ender users seem apt to do.
I’d say it’s a printer for folks for whom the 3D printing itself is not the hobby, but the means to an end
