<h1>This is going to depend on your particular wants and needs.</h1>
<p>Initial buy price is a big factor, obviously, but there are some other things to bear in mind:</p>
<h3>What are you going to use it for?</h3>
<p>If you're going to use it for printing, say, RPG miniatures, you might want to focus on SLA/DLP (resin) printer because they can produce very good detail at small sizes. But entry level SLA/DLP printers tend to have very small print areas.</p>
<p>FDM (filament) printers tend to have larger print areas but they don't tend to be quite as accurate when it comes to reproducing small detail. They have more material choices available to them, though: PLA, ABS, and PETG are sort of the basic three materials that an entry level printer can probably handle.</p>
<h3>How much of a &quot;tinkerer&quot; are you?</h3>
<p>Some printers are &quot;open source&quot; which means you are able to modify their firmware and/or hardware. For example, you might be able to upgrade the firmware and hot end of an FDM printer to allow you to print more exotic materials like nylon and PEEK.</p>
<p>That ability to tinker and modify your printer is great if that's the kind of thing you value. But it also means you might have to rely less on the manufacturer and more on the community if something goes wrong or you're unsure how to go about doing something with the printer.</p>
<h3>How much are you going to use it? / How much room do you have?</h3>
<p>The cheapest printer in the world is still too expensive if you never use it. Plus, it takes up space. This is something you really have to keep in mind: printers need space. Even if the printer itself is small, you might need to buy an enclosure for it.</p>
<p>You probably need a workspace nearby to finish your printed parts. I think resin printers need a space to setup a UV curing lamp to fully cure the resin of the printed parts, for example. If you print more than one type of material with an FDM printer, you need a place to store those extra spools of material.</p>
<hr />
<p>You should check out 3d printing sites like those below to read their reviews because they will offer insights into things that might not even cross your mind to consider:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://all3dp.com/1/best-cheap-budget-3d-printer-affordable-under-500-1000/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">All3DP</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.3dsourced.com/3d-printers/best-cheap-3d-printer/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3dsourced</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-3d-printer-under-500-for-beginners/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ZDnet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/best-3d-printer/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CNet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.3dnatives.com/en/low-cost-3d-printer290320174/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3Dnatives</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-30T18:03:57.380Z
2021-03-30T18:03:57.380Z
Rykara
<p>What is a good entry level 3D printer that you could use while earning to the next level printer?</p>
<p>I found there are so many kinds.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-30T17:01:40.293Z
Pick one to research and see if the reviews of it bring up anything that would be a problem for you, or if there are a lot of people complaining about it.
Andrew Morton
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-30T18:36:49.540Z
Hi welcome to 3DPrinting.SE! Unfortunately, "first printer" and "best printer" questions cannot be asked here, these are opinion based according to our [on-topic](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic) section. If the question is to be read what sort of printer should be used for which application, the question should be rewritten to express that.
0scar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-31T07:38:07.683Z
Just make sure it has direct drive.
towe
<diy-3d-printer>
Purchasing a first 3D printer
Macguyver
# Purchasing a first 3D printer

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-03-30)

What is a good entry level 3D printer that you could use while earning to the next level printer?

I found there are so many kinds.

**Tags:** diy-3d-printer

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Pick one to research and see if the reviews of it bring up anything that would be a problem for you, or if there are a lot of people complaining about it.  
> **username_2**: Hi welcome to 3DPrinting.SE! Unfortunately, "first printer" and "best printer" questions cannot be asked here, these are opinion based according to our [on-topic](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic) section. If the question is to be read what sort of printer should be used for which application, the question should be rewritten to express that.  
> **username_3**: Just make sure it has direct drive.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-03-30. Score: 1

# This is going to depend on your particular wants and needs.

Initial buy price is a big factor, obviously, but there are some other things to bear in mind:

### What are you going to use it for?

If you're going to use it for printing, say, RPG miniatures, you might want to focus on SLA/DLP (resin) printer because they can produce very good detail at small sizes. But entry level SLA/DLP printers tend to have very small print areas.

FDM (filament) printers tend to have larger print areas but they don't tend to be quite as accurate when it comes to reproducing small detail. They have more material choices available to them, though: PLA, ABS, and PETG are sort of the basic three materials that an entry level printer can probably handle.

### How much of a "tinkerer" are you?

Some printers are "open source" which means you are able to modify their firmware and/or hardware. For example, you might be able to upgrade the firmware and hot end of an FDM printer to allow you to print more exotic materials like nylon and PEEK.

That ability to tinker and modify your printer is great if that's the kind of thing you value. But it also means you might have to rely less on the manufacturer and more on the community if something goes wrong or you're unsure how to go about doing something with the printer.

### How much are you going to use it? / How much room do you have?

The cheapest printer in the world is still too expensive if you never use it. Plus, it takes up space. This is something you really have to keep in mind: printers need space. Even if the printer itself is small, you might need to buy an enclosure for it.

You probably need a workspace nearby to finish your printed parts. I think resin printers need a space to setup a UV curing lamp to fully cure the resin of the printed parts, for example. If you print more than one type of material with an FDM printer, you need a place to store those extra spools of material.

---

You should check out 3d printing sites like those below to read their reviews because they will offer insights into things that might not even cross your mind to consider:

* [All3DP](https://all3dp.com/1/best-cheap-budget-3d-printer-affordable-under-500-1000/)
* [3dsourced](https://www.3dsourced.com/3d-printers/best-cheap-3d-printer/)
* [ZDnet](https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-3d-printer-under-500-for-beginners/)
* [CNet](https://www.cnet.com/news/best-3d-printer/)
* [3Dnatives](https://www.3dnatives.com/en/low-cost-3d-printer290320174/)


---

