Best 3D Printer Under $500 With Cheaper Kit Options to Buy in 2018

If you are on the market looking for the best 3D Printer Under $500, do check out our list. If you are a DIY person who likes to envision and create things, 3D printing is a good start for rapid prototyping.

3D printing technology has been on the market for a long time, yet many people are confused when it comes to buying a new 3D printer that too in an affordable budget. 3D printers are not the same as 2D printers. You might have heard big names like Canon, Epson, Brother that manufacture 2D printers. But this is not the case with the 3D printers. You will get to listen to the brand names that you are not familiar with.

In this post, we have our level best to come up with a list of best 3D printers under $500. While looking for a 3D printer primary focus is on the affordability, quality, and functionality. You can’t get all three in one printer. But we have tried our best to get the best value for money printers that have a right balance of all the three things mentioned above.

Also Read: Best 2×3 Portable Printers

Best 3D Printer Under $500

As you go lower in price, the higher the limitations of the 3D printer. Some of the printers on this list will have a smaller build volume. Plus, the print quality of most cheap 3D printers can’t compete with the expensive ones. But with a little patience and tinkering, you will be able to fabricate quality objects with low-cost 3D printers costing less than $500. Isn’t it cool? Now let’s find out all the cool 3D printers that we have picked for you.

1. XYZprinting da Vinci mini [amazon_link asins=’B01IXVXV9Y’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’foi04-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6cf63dc7-e382-11e7-b9c9-211deebeb112′]

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Starting the list of best 3D printers with the cheap XYZprinting da Vinci mini 3D Printer that will just cost you less than $200. XYZ printing is one of the best manufacturers of 3D printers. This mini printer indeed shows its performance despite its low price. It is surprisingly silent. Noises are heard, but in comparison to others, it is entirely silent. Print quality is also excellent with few to no misprints.

It is great for hobbyists, educators, and even some small-scale products. The inbuilt WiFi allows you to connect it wirelessly to your computer. It uses PLA filaments that are safe to use as they are free from DEHP and heavy metals. It has 1.75 diameters PLA filament with an adjustable printing resolution from 100 microns to 400 microns. The da Vinci Mini has a robust aluminum print bed with the build size of 5.9-inch x 5.9-inch x 5.9-inch. You will also get a one-year limited warranty.

2. Monoprice Select Mini 3D Printer [amazon_link asins=’B073ZLSMFT’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’foi04-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’0d02aef1-e383-11e7-892c-5bb1a4054ed6′]

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Monoprice mini is a cheap 3D printer that proves that inexpensive can also be reliable. It has its own weak and strong points like all the printers. The only thing that disappoints us in this is its temperature control that doesn’t efficiently control its temperature. This 3D printer has a small footprint and comes with a cooling fan. It is an assembled printer that comes with PLA filament (1.75mm). It also includes a MicroSD card with preinstalled models, so you can start printing right out of the box.

Monoprice mini uses a heated aluminum bed for printing. It is compatible with both PC and Mac platforms. You get the micro USB and micro SD card connectivity. It is compatible with all types of the filaments such as ABS, PLA, PVA, wood and metal composites that makes it better than other printers in its price range. It has an easy to read LCD to control the settings of the printer.

3. Jgaurora 3D Printer

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Jgaurora 3D printer kit supports lots of 1.75 mm filament like PLA, ABS, TPU, WOOD, Nylon with heated bed. There are a lot of features packed into it like, online and offline printing available via USB cable/sd card. An easy to control LCD screen, plus, an 8 GB card included with the printer.

The frame is all metal, even YZ axis also metal using T-type screw rod. The high-quality linear bearings, which are smooth balls ensures smooth motion and less noise. It can be used at home, school, laboratory and could also be used for small industrial design, mechanical design and more. It is best for beginners as it is much more stable than the acrylic frame and can be moved freely. It works with Windows, Linux, and Mac. Six months warranty backs this 3D printer.

4. XYZprinting da Vinci Jr. 1.0 Pro. 3D Printer [amazon_link asins=’B01MUBKPFC’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’foi04-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’af353518-e383-11e7-9622-f5b041420ba0′]

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Moving to the next printer, we have XYZ Printing da Vinci Jr. Pro 3D printer. It is one of the best 3D printers if your budget is around $300. Right now, there is no better choice than this one. It is a blend of affordability, functionality, and quality that is hard to get. The da Vinci Jr. Pro allows third-party 1.75 mm PLA filaments with a built volume of 5.9-inch x 5.9-inch x 5.9-inch.

Extruder nozzle temperature can be adjusted, making it compatible with the third party PLA filaments. You can also upgrade to the 0.3 mm nozzle that will provide a smoother print surface at a spectacular 50 micron. Its new duct design enhances the cooling effect of a more fluid printing performance. A nine-point auto calibration detection system used in this machine determines the distance between the extruder and the print bed. It comes with a one-year warranty.

5. RepRap Guru Prusa i3 V2 3D Printer

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Raising the budget will get plenty of more options. Around $350 you can get the RepRap Guru Prusa i3 V2 3D printer. It has a build area of 8-inch x 8-inch x 7-inch. It can run on 110v or 220v even though the cord is rated 110 volts for the US. This kit is best for the education purpose of 3D printing. The build area is topped with a genuine piece of borosilicate glass. The V2 also has an LCD screen and SD card reader allowing the user to print from an SD card without connecting the computer.

It uses a direct feed extruder that has a nozzle of 0.4 mm allowing a print resolution of 100 microns. The frame is constructed of 0.25-inch premium cast acrylic accompanied with plastic injected molded parts that give it a sleek, professional look and a precision cutting. For USA customers, the company provides free technical support and open part replacement with some restrictions that you can find out in the manual or website of the manufacturer.

6. QIDI TECHNOLOGY X-ONE Printer [amazon_link asins=’B01HZ4HY9I’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’foi04-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’f6979733-e383-11e7-aa67-1d78eab3d1da’]

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QIDI technology 3D printer might not be an eye-catching printer, but it looks sturdy and durable and performs as per expectations. The body is more substantially heavy due to its metallic finish. It can print with layer resolution ranging from 100 microns to 500 microns. The result is entirely accurate. The six mm CNC machined aluminum alloy platform build is flatter and does not easily to deform.

It supports ABS and PLA filament. Plus, the 3.5-inch touchscreen makes the operating more simple. The printing size is 14 cm x14 cm x 14 cm. It is suitable for novices, students, and educators. Inside the package, you will get QIDI 3D printer, one roll of 1 kg PLA filament, power cable, USB cable, SD card, SD card reader, scraper, toolbox and filament guide tube. Still worried about the quality, it has got 4.6 rating on Amazon.com. It is one of the best 3D printers around $400 currently available.

7. FlashForge 3D Printer [amazon_link asins=’B016R9E7J2′ template=’PriceLink’ store=’foi04-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’3efe97d5-e384-11e7-b48a-4daabd806c86′]

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Tired of the cheaply made plastic 3D printers, this is the time to get yourself a printer with some high quality. FlashForge 3D printer is stylish and gives some quality 3D prints. It is compatible with Windows, Linux, Mac OS X. It prints uses the popular PLA filament. It has a warning system that warns when the filament runs out. This machine has built-in WiFi and USB port so that you can print via flash drive also.

Forget operating noise, and it is comparatively quiet. But it can only PLA filament.  A 3.5-inch touchscreen makes it easy to control printing. With just four taps on display, you will get to know the preview of the model files. Moreover, it supports multiple languages too. The Slide-in build plate facilitates the user to draw it out of the printer, and then the finished 3D prints can be removed easily. But sadly, it comes with only 90 days manufacturer warranty.

8. HICTOP Creality CR-10 3D Printer [amazon_link asins=’B06XSF5MGT’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’foi04-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’7581ac3c-e384-11e7-91b2-7338ffdf32e4′]

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Moving to the end of the list of best 3D printers at around $500 we have Hictop Creality CR-10. One the first look it doesn’t look promising, but when you do see the print results, you will be surprised. This machine has a large print size of 300 mm x 300 mm x 400 mm; you no longer be limited to the small models. It can continuously print for 200 hours without pressure, that where its true performance comes into view.

The heating bed is made up of industrial grade aluminum alloy and special tempered glass, so you get the flat surface. It comes with three parts that need few minutes to assemble, and you are ready to print. A 3-inch touchscreen display with aircraft knob makes it easy to print without it to the system. It delivers a printing speed of 80 mm/s to 200 mm/s at maximum. It has a printing accuracy of 0.1 mm that, you can have an idea about the accuracy of the print result. The sales package includes Hictop 3D printer, spare screws and wrench kits, SD card, assembly instructions and 0.2 kg PLA filament.

Conclusion

We hope you like our list of the best 3D Printer Under $500. If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know. Thanks for visiting!