We use cookies and similar technologies to measure traffic, repeat visitors and site performance. Learn more about cookies including how to disable them. After spending 18 hours researching, 22 hours setting up, and hours printing with eight of the best beginner-focused 3D printers we could find, we think the Tiertime Up Mini 2 is the best choice for most people just starting out with 3D printing at home.
It has an unmatched combination of affordability, reliability, features, and style; it was the easiest to set makerbot mini 3d printer review and it produced as many great-quality prints as models that cost twice as much.
This printer is easy to set up and consistently cranked out good-quality prints. It also looks better than most 3D printers, which is notable. The Tiertime Up Mini 2 includes surprisingly high-end features for the price and cranks out good-looking prints with no fuss.
The Maker Select v2 is not much to look at, but it put out consistently great prints and can print the largest objects of any printer we tested. It includes a heated print bed which allows you to print reliably in a variety of materials and can print larger models than the Tiertime.
If you are eager to do a lot of printing or need a combination of high-quality prints and a large print volume, the Aleph Objects LulzBot Mini might be a better choice. It produced the highest number of great-quality prints of all the printers we tested. However, you need to keep it connected to a computer while it prints. When researching this guide, we interviewed three 3D printing experts: Sean Charlesworth, a 3D-printing specialist for Tested.
What can you make with a 3D printer? If you know how to use CAD computer-aided design software, prototyping just about anything becomes possible at home with a 3D printer. And anyone can use a 3D printer: Most are easy enough for a child with adult supervision to print any of the endless variety of toy designs available.
Most printers involve some sort of assembly, and you should be ready to dedicate a steady, small desk to your printer. And be warned that no 3D printer is unbreakable: All of our picks have replacement parts available, but each printer maker varies in how easy its machines are to fix. Prospective buyers should also makerbot mini 3d printer review aware that the 3D-printing industry is constantly in a state of upheaval. XYZprinting pumps out new printer models annually. MakerBot, which was long considered the frontrunner for consumer 3D printers, stopped marketing to hobbyists and home users in order to focus on commercial and educational institutions though anyone can still buy its machines.
Solidoodle, another early brand, folded altogether. We then interviewed our experts on what to look for in a printer. As with any piece of technology, different price ranges offer different mixes of features. At that price, you can still find printers that will reliably print nice-looking models without any special knowledge required. Some of these higher-priced models offer specialty features like makerbot mini 3d printer review printing or a webcam, others are known for exceptional reliability.
We skipped 3D printer kitswhich are less expensive but require a great deal of assembly, in favor of machines that print good-looking parts straight makerbot mini 3d printer review of the box with as little maintenance required as possible.
An example of a successful print made by the LulzBot Mini. The fine details are sharp with no perceptible layers. An example of a mediocre print made by the Monoprice Select Mini v2.
An example of a failed print made by the New Matter MOD-t after attempting a model too large for the print bed. Using the above criteria, we tested three models in Inin order to include higher-end printers that are still appropriate for beginners, we tested five more models: We timed how long it took makerbot mini 3d printer review printer to go from the box to set up on our desk and noted the initial software installation and navigation process.
Then we got to printing. Each printer got eight makerbot mini 3d printer review to produce as many acceptable models as possible. I rated each print as a success, mediocre, or makerbot mini 3d printer review failure.
Successful prints look smooth with no obvious imperfections. Mediocre prints have easily visible layers or imperfections, but still look like a completed model. Failures can take many forms—anything from broken filament string that causes the print to stop, to wild, spaghetti-like misprints due to software or hardware errors.
In our tests, we used each printer to produce the same two models: Inwe added the Skull Lamp by shiuan to further test how the printers do with fine detail. Once the printers produced the required models, we moved on to printing other models we found on Thingiverse. Almost any 3D printer is capable of putting out successful, stellar-looking models—an experienced user knows or can figure makerbot mini 3d printer review how to tweak settings and hardware to get these results.
I also noted how many times I had to repair the printers, how often each needed its print bed leveled, and how difficult it makerbot mini 3d printer review to remove completed models from the print bed. These are general issues that pop up at any level of 3D printer, but some printers are better than others at reducing the time you have to spend cleaning and repairing them.
The Tiertime Up Mini 2 offers the makerbot mini 3d printer review overall experience for most people thanks to its combination of reliability, features, and size and appearance.
It was among the easiest to set up, and in our testing it produced nearly as many successful prints as models that cost twice as much. Out of eight test prints, the Mini 2 produced six successful models, with two failures that can be traced to our own errors while using the software. You can use other software with each printer, but doing so often requires you to spend makerbot mini 3d printer review tweaking—and understanding—settings.
The printer produced a great-looking Bulbasaur and basket immediately. One after another, the prints came off of it looking perfectly smooth, with only faintly visible lines between the layers. Unlike with the other printers we tested with the exception of our upgrade pickthere was never an obvious error in the prints. It took 12 minutes to set makerbot mini 3d printer review the Mini 2, though we followed the diagrams in the included Chinese-language paper instructions instead of going online to follow the English guide.
The software is already set up to work seamlessly with the printer, meaning the perfect print temperature, speed, and other settings are already loaded in. Tiertime makes filament specially formulated to work with the Mini 2 printer and its software settings.
That filament also fits into the filament caddy that comes with the printer. Just be aware it might take some adjustments to your software settings. Makerbot mini 3d printer review Mini 2 is the most stylish-looking machine of the printers we tested, with an interior light and sleek black-and-white exterior.
It looks modern enough to fit in next to a computer on a makerbot mini 3d printer review. There are some other signs the Mini 2 is designed for the home. Expect to listen to a robot sing as you print, which can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 45 hours depending on the size and quality of the model.
The Mini 2 tied for the second smallest print bed out of the models we tested, measuring in at 4. This was large enough to print all of our test models, including the basket, but nothing much larger. It also could print layers only as small as 0. Its software also lacks the fine-tuning available in Cura.
Although beginners are unlikely to care, advanced users are likely to be put off by these limitations. If those features matter to you, both our budget pick and our upgrade pick might be better options. Opening its printhead was intimidating to us; a beginner would not feel comfortable making a quick repair. The warranty is good for 12 months. For a low price, you get a heated print bed and the largest print volume of any printer we tested.
We also like that you can load models onto the printer via a microSD card and start prints on the printer itself, negating the need makerbot mini 3d printer review a computer between prints. You should also be prepared to spend some time learning how to use its software program, Cura. The Maker Select v2 is based on one of the most common 3D printer designs.
It makerbot mini 3d printer review 15 minutes to set up the Maker Select v2. It arrives boxed in a few pieces that must be screwed and wired together. The software will feel familiar to people who have used Cura for other types of 3D printers in the past, but to a beginner it will look clunky and unrefined.
The SD card that comes with the printer contains a sample model; load that model into the software and save the print settings that pop up. Those will be your default settings makerbot mini 3d printer review the future. The printer has a print bed of 7.
That alone could be a selling point for people interested in printing larger objects, but in our experience it is overkill for most basic prints. The printer bed is heated, and we noticed minimal warping. Out of the eight test prints, the LulzBot Mini produced six great-looking, successful prints and two mediocre prints.
It can print layers as thin as 0. It took just under 12 minutes to set up makerbot mini 3d printer review LulzBot Mini. The printer itself is already put together, but it took longer than most of the other printers we tested to load its filament: The LulzBot Mini has no onboard menu to navigate; you just flip a switch to turn the printer on and then handle the makerbot mini 3d printer review of the print process on your computer.
That differs from our top pick, which lets you transfer prepared files to the printer over Wi-Fi or a temporary USB connection before initiating a print on its onboard menu.
The software comes preloaded with settings for printing with dozens of materials, speeds, and experience levels, which makes venturing into new materials and printing techniques easier than with the Up Mini 2.
The Mini has a heated bed and we had no problems with warping. Prints also popped off the bed with a gentle tug—the easiest of any printer we tried. The LulzBot Mini auto-levels itself before each print, and we never noticed a problem with it maintaining its level.
If you are thinking makerbot mini 3d printer review investing in a specific filament brand, you can search the Internet to see if other LulzBot users have documented settings tweaks. The Mini is more industrial looking than high design, but it fits everything into a We also noticed that running Cura LulzBot Edition and the generic version of Cura at the same time caused the Mini to stop printing.
Aleph Objects plans to release a hardware add-on screen in early that will allow LulzBot printers to run untethered.
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