Best 3D Printers Under $1000: Top 3
Even though it is 2016, and technology has reached a very sophisticated level, still 3D printing is a fairly new thing. So, most 3D printers available in the market are mediocre at best. That becomes even more noticeable when your budget is under 1000 dollars. After much deliberation, we picked the following three as the best 3D printers you can get for that amount of money. Note that these are not perfect machines, but these are the best you can get under thousand bucks:
FlashForge ABS PLA 3D Printer with Dual Extruder and Free Rolls
Many a times, popular items are not all that great they are made out to be. However, in this case, this printer is both popular and very good. The quality of prints is considerably likeable, considering that the printer costs less than $1000. The installation process is quick and easy, too. In addition, although horror stories about poor customer support from 3D printer companies are all over the internet, thankfully the support staff associated with this machine is appreciable. This PLA-compatible printer works out of the box, and the dual-extruder is good to have. It is not pretty to look at, but it gets the job done nicely.
Printrbot Metal Simple 3D Printer Kit with PLA Filament
The first thing you will probably notice about this printer is that it does not look like an unfinished product like most 3D printers do. It actually looks like a finished product manufactured with quality parts. The quality of prints you get is good, and its automatic leveling probe works well when it comes to leveling print beds. A maximum resolution of 100 microns is available for print layers, and the assembly is fairly non-demanding. Overall, a decent piece of printing machine for the price you pay. In fact, with some tweaking, you can obtain decent results from it. Also, the support team is responsive and helpful, too.
Dremel Idea Builder 3D Printer
One of the very few 3D printers in the world that actually looks good, this Dremel has established itself to be one of the top affordable 3D printers since its launch. The best parts about this machine are its pre-installed extruder and its color touch screen which provides good object preview. The 100 micron build resolution is sufficient for most purposes, and from many angles, it is one of the easiest to use 3D machines in the market right now. The only issue is that at times, it does not prove to be too durable. But at this point, that is the case with most 3D printers anyway.
The above models are the only options we recommend. There are some other printers available in this price range too, but those are not very reliable or well-equipped, except the Weistek WT150.