Choices, choices, choices......
There are so many printers available out there, that one can go completely mad in what printer to buy.
Development is also going so quickly, that what you buy now, might be ancient in a few months.....
After I invested several evenings into 3d printing, I came down to a few requirements for my printer :
- Enclosure: As my printer will be positioned in an environment where temperature fluctuates (not a very good isolated workshop) and there will be a lot of activity going on in the same room as where the printer will be printing, an enclosure was definately something required
- high temperature nozzle: as I was planning ahead, and due to the fact that I might have to print hard and durable parts that probably are going to require specific fillaments, it is most likely going to be that these filaments require very high temperatures for printing.
- auto leveling : I already read several issues where beds weren't leveled correctly causing failing prints. And as I'm completely new to 3d printing I prefer to be helped as much as possible by the printer itself. Also I'm really going to be a user, and want to be able to start off printing almost immediately after making the design, I don't want to spend too much time in stuff that I don't want to do if it can be automated.
In the end I was looking into Bambu X1 Carbon, Prusa Core One and Creality K2 Plus.....
Almost everybody seems to have the Bambu...., and I read some things online about it starting to print by itself. It looked as if the printer also requires a network connection and can't function without it. Not something I prefer, so nope... not the Bambu
The Prusa Core One seemed like a very good printer, but was not yet available. And I first was willing to wait for it to become available. Howerver while I was waiting for that, I came accross the Creality K2 Plus, which has a bigger build volume, and also allows for higher nozzle temperatures. Plus I could order it immediately. And as in the first few months of the year my workshop is not that busy, I would have more time to familiarize myself with 3d printing I decided to order the Creality.
At the time I'm writing this article, the printer had been ordered, but seems to be standing still at the delivery companie in Germany for 3 days now.