Buying a 3D Printer: 5 Essential Questions to Ask Yourself

You are a professional or a maker and you have decided that you are interested in buying a 3D printer. You’ve seen how the technology can help you make custom parts, lower cost prototypes or design components faster, so it’s time to take the next step: selecting the right 3D printer! But what do you need to know before making such a decision? There are a multitude of brands and prices on the market that can present obstacles in your purchasing process.

To help you make the best decision, there are at least 5 questions that you need to ask yourself to help you define the brand, budget and technologies that are right for you. Before you start asking yourself these questions, it is also important to know what you will be using your 3D printer for and what you already know about 3D technologies today.

Buying a 3D printer: what is my budget?

Once you have defined the purpose of your 3D printer, you need to know how much you are willing to spend on this new machine. There are different price ranges: for $200, you will be able find FDM 3D printers in kit form that you will have to build yourself, many from Chinese brands like Creality or Anycubic. If your budget is higher, from 1000€, you can turn instad to plug & play 3D printers, which are ready to use and can be started with a simple button.