3 top 3D printers for the budget-conscious artist

Interested in getting into 3D printing? Then first you'll want to read our article 5 great 3D printers designers can afford. But if even those reasonably-priced models are beyond your budget, then we can help with that as well.

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Thanks to a lot of passionate people and the power of crowd sourcing, buying a 3D printer is now possible for less than $1,000, as you can see from these three top examples...

01. Printrbot

Printrbot

Printrbot comes in four versions
  • Price: $539-$749

Printrbot has four different 3D printers to choose from, depending on the size and features you require.

The team has made each product customisable to users' needs, all of which work with ABS and PLA filament to print your 3D creations.

You also make huge savings by ordering a DIY kit.

02. The Bucaneer

The Buccaneer

The Buccaneer works straight out of the box
  • Price: $999

A fully assembled 3D printer, The Buccaneer has a sleek and stylish design that, with plastic integrated directly into the machine via cartridges, works straight out of the box.

Wi-Fi enabled, communication can be handled from a smartphone, with many 3D print designs available to customise on the SmartObjects app.

03. Solidoodle

Solidoodle

Solidoodle comes in two no-fuss models
  • Price: $499-$799

Another out-of-the-box printer, Solidoodle offers two no-fuss models at under $1,000.

The Solidoodle 4 comes in at $599, providing an 8x8-inch heated build plate, or the Workbench Apprentice (as shown in the picture above), featuring a dual extruder and 6x6x8-inch (HxWxD) heated glass bed.

Words: Jason Wires

Jason Wires is the owner of Jason Wires Productions, a prototyping studio that prints molds and casts, that are then painted for the toy, video game, TV and film industries. The company uses 3D printers to a professional, industry standard. This article was first published in 3D World.

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