I don't know if the market has changed much in the last half year, but what are some cost-effective, entry level printers now? I'm thinking < $600 USD. Any pros out there?
There are a few. The most popular are the persuade? I3. Just search for i3 printer. Modular design but comes in kits. Next Is the day vinci junior. Doesn't have the largest build volume but good quality prints. It does require proprietary filament. There is also it's big or other, the day vinci 1.0a and similar. Not as good quality but you can find second hand ones for as little as $200. They can also be flashed to use repetier firmware. But look at what's on the market. Join printing groups and ask around. This isn't the best site to ask this question as there are only 2 active users other than @Wendell? Who own 3D printers here.
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I've played around with the idea of getting a 3d printer as well, and after talking to a few people in the 3d printing section from Maker Faire a few months ago, quite a few recommended the Robo 3D printer. It supports printing with a few of the weirder filaments, like wood, metal, and carbon fiber, and. While it is $200 above your budget I would say it's worth saving for. It has the most versatility at the lowest price as far as I know, but if your budget is strict, the I3 printer seems like a good alternative.
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im sure this is way under your budget, but i have been tinkering with the idea of obtaining a Tiko when it comes out, assuming the reviews are favorable. The uni-body design seems to eliminate he calibrating/problems of the rail system. And at $179, it is pretty inexpensive. Plus.. i don't have much room, and this is a great size.
(I would post the actualy kickstarter, but the video automatically plays... doubt people would want to deal with that lol. just google search it)
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Yeah, that has a really good value, but doesn't it ship like next year unless you backed it early on Kickstarter?
Well, according to a July 7th interview, there is no set date for the non-kickstarter Tiko sales dates. however, they suggest subscribing to their mailing list. I will likely be the printer i get my feet wet with. But yeah, if you want something now, then look past this lol.
From what I have seen if this printer, while it is really cheap, they don't have great tolerances and so there will be some inaccuracies. Sure you can tinker and fix any issues with any printer but you get what you played for
Well, they have actually modified the motor and gears, so it is currently still being improved upon. And i am not saying this is the best printer, but for $179, it is quite impressive.
HICTOP Prusa i3 - they are very competitively priced for amateurs, like me. Right now, it's top of my list, but more going to look around a bit more.
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These days anyone can get a bottom-of-the-barrel chinese Prusa i3 for 300$ or less. They're kinda crappy, but it's a good starting point and an open design you can upgrade with time. Check out this guy's videos to see the usual experience with these i3's. It starts out sort of mediocre but with various upgrades like a new hotend, filament and tinkering with printed parts, the print quality becomes really nice. It's a fun learning experience.
Nice link. Yeah, I like the moding/tinkering aspect which this platform seems to have - to get elbows deep in everything. And it's not so expensive that I'll feel terrible for wrecking something.
I think... I think this is the one, guys...
Most of the standard RepRap designs are made with tinkering and DIY in mind, the Prusa i3 just happens to be the most popular one right now. If you go with that one, be sure to at least go with a metal plate like Replikeo's instead of the cheapest plexiglass ones. For a really rigid (but a little more expensive) design, check out the MendelMax 1.5.