Buying a 3D printer: what budget should you set aside in 2024?

The world of 3D printing offers a multitude of options, but the crucial question remains: what budget should you set aside to acquire a 3D printer suited to your needs? Between affordable entry-level models and high-end machines for professional and intensive use, it's essential to choose according to your specific requirements rather than being guided solely by financial criteria.

Price diversity on the market

The 3D printer market offers an extremely wide range of prices, from €200 for the most affordable to cutting-edge models that can reach €500,000 (excluding tax). However, it's crucial not to let yourself be blinded by the figures, as uses differ from one machine to another. We advise you to analyze your needs and compare options before making a choice.

Different options for different users

Whether you're an individual, a school or a professional, there are 3D printers to suit every need. Machines-3d offers 3D printing machines with prices ranging from €329.00 ex VAT (Flashforge Adventurer 3) to €24990.00 ex VAT (Intamsys FUNMAT PRO 410 3D printer, whose ability to adapt to high-performance materials, speed and precision make it a very good choice for mass-producing manufacturers).

Affordable models to suit all budgets

Our store offers a wide range of less expensive models. Despite their affordable price, these models offer quite respectable performance on the French market, in addition to guaranteeing exceptional print quality and after-sales service.

Entry-level models, priced between 329€ and 1200€ HT, are ideal for domestic, professional or educational use. These are the models most commonly purchased online, and for which many requests for quotes are made.

Access to high-performance 3D printers

Our store offers top-of-the-range 3D printers from renowned brands such as Bambulab, Flashforge, Tiertime, Intamsys, Zortrax and Shining 3D, at prices over €1,200 ex VAT. These machines offer exceptional performance in terms of precision, speed, and reliability. Intuitive software also enhances the 3D printing experience, making these models an ideal choice for demanding professionals.

It's essential to stress that our selection of models is based on their proven performance, ruling out the risks associated with impulsive choices in other stores or retailers.

The quality of a professional printer is closely linked to its design and the quality of its components. Achieving printing precision depends on a multitude of parameters and technical features. There are many manufacturers in the 3D printer market, and our experts meticulously select the printers that perfectly match your most specific needs.

This buying guide deliberately excludes construction 3D printers, such as the Mini Printer from Construction-3D, the Mini Printer Pro and the Maxi Printer, designed for use in 3D building and infrastructure construction. In conclusion, to become an informed "Maker", it's crucial to consider shopping and brand selection with the same care as your allocated budget. By choosing your 3D printer wisely, based on your specific needs, you can ensure a rewarding 3D printing experience that meets your expectations.

FDM or Resin printers: two different budgets

Our 3D printers available for purchase use either FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) or SLA (Resin) 3D printing for dental professionals. The FDM process involves heating the 3D filament (ABS, PLA, or composites) and depositing it layer by layer from bottom to top. This process enables objects to be produced in horizontal layers until the product is finished. The SLA model, on the other hand, is a 3D printing process that uses a tank filled with liquid photopolymers, solidified with UV light. An object can be 3D printed by moving it up and down to create space for the unsolidified polymers at the bottom of the tank. These unsolidified polymers form the next layer of the object.

SLA 3D printers generally cost more due to their complexity and the number of moving parts, and they offer high resolution and produce more detailed results. So the choice of a resin printer is most appropriate for finely detailed design prototypes. 

Consumables

It's also important to take into account the price of the consumables that are essential to the proper functioning of your 3D prints. Generally speaking, the 3D resins required for SLA printing are more expensive than the filaments used for FDM. In addition, resins produce fewer parts per unit of resin than the filament spools used in FDM printing. The production capacity of resin printers is significantly lower than that of FDM 3D printers, making them less suitable for mass 3D printing.

SLA prints also require more maintenance and more thorough cleaning. So it's wise to consider the potential expense of resin printer maintenance accessories. 

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