Top 10 3D Printers of 2013

Top 10 3D printers

3D printing is a process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using an additive process, where successive layers of material are laid down in different shapes. The first working 3D printer was created in 1984 by Chuck Hull of 3D Systems Corp. The 3D printing technology is used for both prototyping and distributed manufacturing with applications in architecture, construction (AEC), industrial design, automotive, aerospace, military, engineering, civil engineering, dental and medical industries, biotech (human tissue replacement), fashion, footwear, jewelry, eyewear, education, geographic information systems, food, and many other fields. 3D printing is now for everybody due to open source 3D printing can easily offset their capital costs by enabling consumers to avoid costs associated with purchasing common household objects. Below is our list of Top 10 3D printers of 2013. 

 1. Formlabs Form 1: $3,300 per unit

The Formlabs Form 1 is fully assembled and ready to use with extreme level of detail achieved. It has a 25 microns height with min 300 microns base (0.3 mm) resolution, small Print Area of 125 x 125 x 165 mm. Its prints may be small but the quality is great. It is a 3D desktop printer with high-end stereolithography (SL) technology and a seamless user experience at a price affordable to the professional designer, engineer and maker. Though the price is high the printed quality is exceptionally good! Fully Assembled, calibrated and ready to use! No tinkering no fabricating your own parts, etc. It’s ready to use and works amazingly well.   The only drawback is that the print area is a bit smaller. However, the resolution makes up for it. Smaller prints, but better quality. The Formlabs Form 1 is PING Magazine’s number one on top 10 3D printers of 2013.  

2. The Makerbot Replicator 2x: $3,299.00

Replicator 2X is a higher-end version of the Replicator 2. It features a fine printing resolution (100 microns per layer of extruded plastic) and it has a redesigned chassis. Updated features include an aluminum build platform and plastic window print area, which retains heat better allowing faster and more reliable printing. Unique abilities are to print in two-different colors, ability to print with both PLA (Polylactic acid) and ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastics. ABS can be more challenging to print with, but it’s a popular material among 3D printing hobbyists. With a resolution capability of 100 microns and a massive 410 cubic inch build volume, the MakerBot ReplicatorTM 2 Desktop 3D Printer is the easiest, fastest, and most affordable tool for making professional quality models. It is no 2 on our top 10 3D printers. 

3.  Buccaneer 3D Printer : $397

The Buccaneer 3D Printer retains a great amount of quality and accuracy with a 100 micron resolution. Unbelievable level of detail can be achieved with this printer.  Though significantly cheaper than both Form 1 and Replicator 3D printers, yet retaining a great amount of quality and accuracy. Fully Assembled, calibrated and ready to use! No tinkering no fabricating your own parts, etc. It’s ready to use and works amazingly well.  Unbelievable level of detail can be achieved with this printer. 1.75mm PLA is only used. It has a Small Print Area 150 x 100 x 120 mm. which is slightly smaller than many competitors. It is currently not possible to print objects with more than one color. According to Pirate 3D Inc. their vision is to bring 3D printing technology into everyone’s home by building a quality and affordable 3D printer that everyone can enjoy!

4.  Cubify CubeX Trio: $3999

The Cubify CubeX Trio uses three separate cartridges when printing, making multi-color objects. Its notable features include large printing space, quick printing capabilities and convenient touchscreen. The CubeX Trio is the frontrunner in a group of top-notch consumer-oriented 3D printers. The CubeX combines a touchscreen interface, a monstrous print area and the ability to print three separate colors at once. The premium price paid for extra filament cartridges is no-brainer when the large, colorful creations made with this phenomenal 3D printer is considered. The CubeX Trio can print three colors at one time. The website also has over 15 different colors to choose from, even glow-in-the-dark colors. It has the largest print size in its class printing parts as large as a basketball – up to 10.8” x 10.45” x 9.5” or 275 mm x 265 mm x 240 mm. It makes on our no 4 top 10 3D printers. 

5.  RepRap Prusa Mendel 3D printer: $439.00 CAD

Reprap Prusa Mendel i2 3D Printer is the DIY 3D printer designed for the pros and geeks amoungs us. It comes at a very low price and does not require breaking the bank.  The callibration and setup is kind of complex so need some sort of knowledge in the world of 3D printing.The price is dependent on what you can fabricate yourself and what components you wish to add. DIY Kit is for experience individuals only! It is open source so there are a lot of community pages that can help you figure parts out, but it really is not for everyone. It has a 0.40 mm common nozzle and 1.75 mm filament often used in low cost 3D printing. With a Medium Print Area of 8 x 8 x 7 inch [216 x 216 x 178 mm] it is an excellent building volume for the majority of projects. It is no 5 on our top 10 3D printers. RepRap was the first of the low-cost 3D printers, and the RepRap Project started the open-source 3D printer revolution. It has become the most widely-used 3D printer among the global members of the Maker community.

6. Leapfrog Creatr 3D printer: $1,683 single, $2020 dual-extruder

The Leapfrog Creatr is a semi-pro printer with ABS, PLA and PVA printing, aluminum body, 9 x 10.6 x 8.7-inch build volume, 200 micron printing. It has a resolution of 200 microns (0.2 mm or 1/125 inch), unbelievable level of detail can be achieved. It has a Medium Print Area of 9.1 x 10.6 x 8.7 in [230 x 270 x 220 mm]. An excellent size for making a wide range of objects. Multi-colored printing is possible, making it a great product for realistic prototyping.The Leapfrog Creatr is a fantastic desktop 3D Printer manufactured by the Dutch firm Leapfrog. It is no 6 on our top 10 3D printers.

 

7.   3DTouch™ 3D Printer

3D Touch is very good desktop 3d printer suitable for learning. This printer does not have a heated platform which mean no enclosed casing and also allows for an extra large viewing area. The 3D Touch also includes a warranty of one year. It is one of the most expensive desktop 3d printers available. Amazing quality, great looking product and overall excellent performance. However, price point is a bit high compared to other great products. Fully Assembled, calibrated and ready to use! No tinkering no fabricating your own parts. It’s ready to use and works amazing. It has a beautiful high quality resolution of 125 microns (0.125 mm or 1/200 inch). It has a Medium Print Area with (7.3 or 9 or 10.8) x 10.8 x 7.9 inch [(185 or 230 or 275) x 275 x 201 mm] and with Excellent mid-range. It is no 7 on our top 10 3D printers. 

8. LulzBot AO-101

The AO-101 model is a successor to AO-100. Uses a range of printable materials is also open, but requires more technical skills. It uses fused filament fabrication, ABS and PLA plastics as basic materials. The AO-101 3D printer is relatively fast, easy to print and provides consistent print quality.  This solid performing 3D printer is relatively fast, easy to print, provides consistent print quality and is open for modifying and tweaking. Appearance-wise the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The filament spool can be redesigned to better withstand pressure from full roll and filament guide’s attachment to frame. The printer comes with a Micro SD card reader and a built-in power switch in case you need to stop a print in a hurry. The AO-101 does require assembly but the detail and ease at which this device and print 3D objects will appeal to a number of customers. It is no 8 on our top 10 3D printers. 

9.  Afinia H-Series

Afinia H-Series 3D Printer is a great, portable 3d Printer. It is very light and comes fully assembled. It’s a more precise, flexible and user friendly 3D printer. This printer delivers a deft balance between ease of use and output quality. As long as 3D Systems relies on its proprietary filament cartridges, open-feedstock printers like the H479 will remain the better economic bargain in the long run. The Afinia H-Series 3D Printer provides a “Out of the Box 3D Printing Experience” as the 3D Printer comes fully assembled with easy to install software for both the PC and Mac. The Afinia H-Series 3D Printer can prototype a part or model that is up to 5 inches cubed in dimensions. The output is accurate to within .15mm (6 thousandths of an inch), and has 30% of the strength of injection molded parts.