Due to the length of the post on my website, I'm not going to replicate the entire list of 3D printers on this blog.  Not only is that unnecessary, but the post has over 3000 words on it and nobody wants to read through something of that length all at once, especially on a website like MRH where there's a lot of new things to check in on every day.  So rather than replicate the entire post, I'm instead going to do a quick summary.  The full original post on my website can be found here.

I decided to split my list into two parts in order to make the posts (and thus blog updates) more compact.  The first part of the list covers the FDM printers I've been considering.  These printers use plastic filament as their material source and have been on the hobbyist market the longest.  FDM printers act like a high-tech hot-glue gun and built up prints in layers.  These layers can be made quickly, but small details will get lost or not printed at all on the object.  That is simply a natural limitation of this kind of printing process.  Therefore, FDM printers tend to be better for large, boxy objects.  From the perspective of model railroaders, FDM printers can make buildings, structures, freight car and passenger car bodies, as well as a myriad of useful things found around a layout.  Such objects can be DCC controller holsters, switch boards, touchscreens, gears, pulleys, and substructures that support scenery or trackwork in odd places.

The second part of this list will cover SLA and DLP printers.  These printers rely on a liquid plastic resin that is cured with light.  While explained in more detail in the first post of this series, the result is that resin printers are capable of incredible detail.  This strength means these printers are ideal for small parts that are difficult to sand or build at the work bench.  As a modeling tool, that means resin printers can make car details, locomotive parts, people, vehicles, mailboxes, discarded junk, etc...  I have yet to fully edit the second part of this list and it will be up in a day or two.

Back to the FDM printers, there are five that I am considering.  All are less than $500 new, four are Cartesian printers and one is a sub-category called a "delta" printer.  Here are the printers, broken down by company:

Creality3D Ender-3 V2

• Price: $269.99
• Webpage: Ender-3 V2
• Type: Cartesian
• Printer Dimensions: 475x470x620mm (18.7×18.5×24.4 inch)
• Footprint: 2,233cm² (346 in²)
• Build Volume: 220x220x250mm (8.6×8.6×9.8 inch)
• Layer Accuracy: +/-0.1mm (100 microns)
• Layer Thickness: 0.1-0.4mm (100-400microns)

 Creality3D CR-10S

• Price: $425.00
• Webpage: Creality CR-10S
• Type: Cartesian
• Printer Dimensions: 490x600x615mm (19.3×23.6×24.2 inch)
• Footprint: 2,940cm² (456 in²) *not including power supply*
• Build Volume: 300x300x400mm (11.8×11.8×15.7 inch)
• Layer Accuracy: +/-0.1mm (100 microns)
• Layer Thickness: 0.1-0.4mm (100-400 microns)

Both of these printers have a wide variety of aftermarket parts that can be used to expand and upgrade the printers overtime.  The Ender-3 V2 even has an aftermarket "extension" kit that makes the build volume much larger than the stock printer.  The CR-10S is a large volume printer right out of the box.  For larger scales, one of these FDM printers make sense because the larger parts can be printed in entire assemblies rather than individually.  Imagine for a moment building a large scale locomotive, the CR-10S would provide enough volume to build the body in much fewer prints and many details could be printed then applied separately.  I considered these two, plus the upgraded version of the CR-10S because they offer a lot of room to work while contained in a footprint that doesn't overwhelm a computer desk or work bench.  The weakness of these printers is making small parts.  It can be done, but the larger hardware is better suited for big prints where the head isn't changing direction as frequently.

That brings me to the second manufacturer, Anycubic.  A well-known company with consistently good reviews from hobbyists, Anycubic has both resin and filament printers available at affordable prices.  The two FDM models I'm considering are:

Anycubic Mega Zero

• Price: $169.00 *August 2020 sale of $139.00*
• Website: Anycubic Mega Zero
• Type: Cartesian
• Printer Dimensions: 504x396x607mm (19.8×15.6×23.9 inch)
• Footprint: 1,996 cm² (309 in²)
• Build Volume: 220x220x250mm (8.6×8.6×9.8 inch)
• Layer Accuracy: +/-0.05mm (50 microns)
• Layer Thickness: 0.1-0.4mm (100-400microns)

Anycubic i3 Mega S

• Price: $239.00
• Website: Anycubic i3 Mega S
• Type: Cartesian
• Printer Dimensions: 410 x 405 x 452 mm (16.1×15.9×17.8 inch)
• Footprint: 1660.5 cm² (256 in²)
• Build Volume: 210x210x205mm (8.3×8.3×8.1 inch)
• Layer Accuracy: +/- 0.002mm (2 microns)
• Layer Thickness: 0.05-0.4mm (50-400 microns)

Both of these printers pack a lot of features into compact packages.  The Mega Zero is a down-to-earth printer that focuses on the necessities while leaving out frivolous gadgets.  My only gripes with the Zero is that Anycubic decided to not include a heated print bed and the menu has no touchscreen.  Neither is too big of a problem for small prints though.  The i3 Mega S has both of those features, and a lot more.  What impressed me the most was the large gantry support that looks solid and well-built.  The fewer joints, the more stable such an assembly will be.  Better stability means that prints will come out looking cleaner and more accurate.

The problem I found out with Anycubic is that many customers are complaining about quality control issues.  Now, every printer is going to need some tweaking and nothing can be expected to work perfectly right out of the box.  But loose screws, disconnected wires, and dented parts are indicators of rough handling in transit and/or mediocre assembly at the factory.  While QC is not a deal breaker, it's something I wanted to point out to anyone thinking of buying a 3D printer.  Fortunately, Anycubic apparently has good customer support and will ship replacement parts if there is a problem, so there's very little that can go wrong which can't be fixed in short order.

The final printer I've been considering is from FLSUN:

FLSUN QQ-S

• Price: $320 *price varies*
• Website: N/A
• Type: Delta
• Printer Dimensions: 290x350x800mm (11.4×13.8×31.5 inch)
• Footprint: 1,015 cm² (157.3 in²) *triangular footprint*
• Build Volume: 260x260x320mm (10.2×10.2×12.6 inch) *cylindrical*
• Layer Accuracy: +/- 0.004mm (4 microns)
• Layer Thickness: 0.05-0.4mm (50-400 microns)

This FDM printer is a "delta" printer.  It uses vertical-only pulley assemblies to manipulate the print head in the x/y/z axes.  While that sounds a bit confusing, the result is a printer that has a more compact footprint, faster print times, a large cylindrical build volume, and a solid design that has laser-like accuracy.  Where this particular printer falls apart is in manufacturer and community support.  I can't find a detailed, manufacturer website.  The best I can do is link to this one.  Unfortunately, the model in question is not for sale there and so customers have to go to distributors to order a printer.  A company without a large US presence is an issue for people in the states right now, and so I doubt I'll get a chance to buy this particular printer.  However, I made note of this one a while ago so I thought I'd include it in this list for others to consider.

That pretty much summarizes the FDM printers that I'm considering.  The next post will cover all the SLA/DLP resin printers that I'm considering and will take another couple of days to edit.  Thank you for taking the time to read this blog or go to my new website, its great to be able to share this hobby with others.  I'll end this blog post with a question, which printer have you been considering?  One from this list, or one you've found on your own?  I haven't bought one yet so suggestions are welcome!