Ask HN: What's a good 3D Printer for sub $1000?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Learning curve & slicers

  • Several commenters say OP is jumping ahead: wanting high‑end materials before learning slicers and basic tuning.
  • Slicer quality is seen as crucial; modern presets (especially on integrated ecosystems) are considered very good, so beginners can get decent results quickly.
  • Some argue slicers are “just CAM”; others emphasize they’re now the main user interface and tuning surface for 3D printing.

Two paths: appliance vs hobby

  • Strong split between people who want a “tool that just prints” vs those who enjoy tinkering with the printer itself.
  • “Appliance” camp recommends Bambu (P1S, X1C, A1/A1 Mini, H2S) or Prusa (MK4S, Core One, Mini+) and some higher‑end Creality K1/K1C/K1 Max and Qidi Q1 Pro/Plus4/Q2.
  • “Hobby” camp recommends Voron, RatRig, Sovol SV08, Creality Ender series, Elegoo Neptune/Centauri, DIY kits and heavy modding. These offer openness and repairability but demand time, debugging, and upgrades.

Privacy, openness, and phone‑home behavior

  • OP’s desire for offline, open solutions leads many to steer away from Bambu and some Elegoo/Creality models.
  • Bambu is praised for UX and print quality but criticized for closed firmware, cloud dependence, and a controversial firmware change that pushed “Bambu Connect” for LAN control. Workarounds: LAN‑only mode, developer mode, or SD‑card “sneakernet,” often behind a firewall.
  • Prusa and Voron are highlighted as most aligned with open hardware/firmware; Qidi and Sovol are seen as semi‑open (Klipper‑based but with vendor forks).
  • Some note Prusa is closing parts of its ecosystem in response to being cloned.

Materials & automotive use‑case

  • Multiple comments warn that PC/Nylon/ABS are harder to print: need enclosure, chamber heat control, good filtration, and filament drying; home results may not match industrial specs.
  • Advice for OP’s car/motorcycle work: prototype in PLA/PETG on a reliable printer, then outsource final parts in higher‑end plastics or CNC metals (e.g., send‑cut‑send, MJF, job shops).
  • Resin (SLA) printers are suggested for strong, detailed parts, but others call resin messier and say good FDM ABS is still superior for many functional uses.

Model recommendations & critiques

  • Frequent endorsements:
    • Bambu P1S/X1C/A1: best “just works” experience; fast, auto‑calibrating, great for PLA and general use.
    • Prusa MK4S/Core One: very reliable, well‑documented, more open; somewhat slower/older architecture but still “workhorse.”
    • Voron 2.4/Trident: fully open, high performance, but many hours of build and tuning.
    • Creality K1/K1C/K1 Max: fast enclosed CoreXY; mixed reports on QA and longevity.
    • Qidi Q1 Pro/Plus4/Q2: strong on engineering materials at aggressive prices; QA variability but good support stories.
    • Sovol SV08/SV06 and Ender 3 variants: cheap, capable, but often evolve into “Ship of Theseus” projects with many upgrades.

Services, used gear & broader concerns

  • Several suggest starting with job‑printing services (CraftCloud, etc.) or used printers (e.g., old Ultimakers, Enders) to learn before committing big money.
  • Some argue large build volume is overrated; big machines add failure modes and cost.
  • Side discussions touch on plastic waste, fumes and filtration, and the way Bambu’s VC‑backed strategy and marketing have “steamrolled” the market, prompting concern about long‑term ecosystem health.