5 Reasons I’d Buy a 3D Printer This Black Friday
It’s the best time to shop for a 3D printer and spark your creativity.
Black Friday sales are here and some of the Best 3D Printers and Best Budget 3D Printers are being offered with great discounts at Amazon, Best Buy, and other major online retail stores. So, if you have been thinking about owning one of these machines for yourself or giving it as a gift to a loved one, now is a good time to take the plunge and take advantage of the savings while it lasts.
You don’t need to be a master maker or a small business owner to make use of and enjoy printing models or creating DIY projects. It’s been a few years since I embraced the world of 3D printing and not only has it been something that my kids and I bond over, but it has been an essential tool we use throughout the year for printing personalized gifts or making cool gadgets and little trinkets for ourselves. It’s a lot of fun and a money saver. Why buy it when you can make it yourself?
If you are still on the fence about whether you should buy a 3D printer, here are five good reasons why it’s time to take advantage of the best Black Friday 3D printer deals.
1. It’s Cheaper
Yes, there was a time when 3D printers weren’t affordable for the average consumer. However, the cost of desktop 3D printers has become more reasonable these days, presumably to address the growing demand for low-cost options.
The great thing about this is that you can now find 3D printers for less than $200 that are still capable and do not skimp on high-quality features, like the ELegoo Neptune 3 Pro, which remains one of our favorite budget 3D printers and is currently on sale for $199 at Amazon. Or alternatively, the Creality Ender 3 S1 is also on sale right now from a retail price of $429 down to $266. I’ve been using this machine for two years now, and it still turns out great print quality. It’s a reliable workhorse if you don’t mind the sticky build plate. Both 3D printers are on huge Black Friday sales.
Best Black Friday Budget 3D Printer Deals
Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro: now $199 at Amazon (was $269) One of our favorite 3D printers, the Neptune 3 Pro boasts extremely powerful and high-quality features while still maintaining its low-cost value.
Creality Ender 3 S1: now $279 at Amazon (was $429)
This budget-friendly bed slinger offers direct drive, dual Z axis, auto bed leveling, silent stepper motors, a removable flex plate, and a color display screen - perfect for beginners or expert makers.
2. It’s Faster
3D printers have also gotten a lot faster. If you’ve ever waited for over ten hours for a single model to print (like I have), then you know the pain of wasting almost an entire day waiting for your build to finish. So thankfully, there are now 3D printers that can save you time and get back hours of your day. Granted some high speed machines may come at a premium (like the Bamboo Lab P1S on sale for $599 but still quite pricey), but would be well worth the time you save - time is money as the saying goes. And you still come out ahead in the end.
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When I first got the Bambu Lab A1 mini, I was so impressed with its speed. It does have a smaller footprint, so if you plan to print larger models this might not be a good fit for you, but the quality of the prints is smooth and comes out almost perfect every time – it’s worth the $299 cost. Another option is the Sovol SV07 which is also a fast machine and on sale for $299. You can check out our 3D Printer Speed Hierarchy for a list of the best speedsters in the market today.
Best Black Friday High-Speed 3D Printer Deals
Bambu Lab A1 Mini: now $299 at Bambu Lab
This bed slinger may come with a small 180x180x180mm build volume but it has an impressive top speed of 500mm/s. Perfect for anyone wanting to print multi-color models without breaking the bank.
Sovol SV07: now $299 at Amazon (was $399)
The Sovol SV07 can hit 500mm/s speed with an acceleration rate of 8000mm/s, which is way faster than most bed slingers can handle. If you can handle the noise, this speedster is a great get at $100 off MSRP.
3. It’s Easier to Use
We like the process of tinkering and assembling things here at Tom’sHardware, but if you are intimidated with the whole building process or aren’t a fan of putting things together yourself, there are lots of ready-to-use out of the box 3D printers available as well.
My first 3D printer from three years ago was the Voxelab Aries. It came shipped fully assembled and ready to print as soon as you take it out of its packaging. This is a great beginner-friendly machine because all you need to do is load your filament and you are ready to go. It retailed for $299 when it was released, and you can find it on sale for $239 today. I’m still using it regularly because it is so easy to use and, since it has the enclosure form factor, it’s safe for my youngest daughter to use as well. Alternatively, the Creality Ender 3 V3 SE is both easy to assemble and an affordable option currently on sale for $199.
Best Black Friday 3D Printer for Beginners Deals
Voxelab Aries: now $239 at Walmart (was $399)
The Voxelab Aries was designed for STEM classrooms. It ships fully assembled and ready to use right out of the box. It's very user-friendly and has Wi-Fi capability but no auto bed leveling. Great for first-time users who don't want to tinker with building the machine.
Creality Ender 3 V3 SE: now $197 at Amazon (was $219)
The Creality Ender V3 SE is simple to build, has deluxe features, and is easy to set up and use - that's everything a novice user needs. Unfortunately, it does not have Wi-Fi.
4. It's Great Family Fun
It’s so much fun and practical to make things ourselves. Again, why buy it when you can make it yourself? From printing fidget toys to keepsake trinkets and even replacement parts for gadgets around the house – my kids and I have done them all and have enjoyed all the time we spent making and crafting.
It’s awesome to see them inspired and see their creative juices going. As mentioned earlier, Voxelab Aries has an enclosure and thus is a safe choice and recommended for kid use. Another great option is the AOSeed X-Maker which is currently on sale for $319.
Best Black Friday 3D Printer for Kids
AOSeed X-Make: now $319 at Amazon (was $399)
The X-Make is fully enclosed to keep kids and pets from touching it. It comes with an easy-to-use app that has a slew of built-in toy designs kids can choose from. It can also work with standard slicers like Cura.
5. It's a Money Saver / Money Earner
We’ve mentioned that you can save money by making and printing things yourself. But you could also go beyond the personal hobby route and do like what many others have, which is to take their creative passions a step further and use their 3D printers to launch small businesses to make some extra cash. In this economy, it may not be a bad idea.
Depending on the type of business you embark on, you may need higher-end performers that can do the workload you require. You may need something like the Prusa MK4, which is a powerful machine but also tends to be on the pricey side ($1,099 MSRP). It is available as a kit direct from the Prusa Store for $799. An equally capable built-for-volume machine is the Bambu Lab P1P, which is compatible with AMS for multi-color printing and on sale for $539.
Best Black Friday Premium 3D Printer Deal
Bambu Lab P1P: now $539 at Bambu Lab (was $699)
This super-fast Core XY printer is built for complex projects, includes input shaping, and has the option for four-color AMS.
No matter how you plan to use your 3D Printer, we hope we helped you make a more informed decision and saved you money along the way. For more deals on 3D Printers and materials, head on to our Black Friday Best 3D Printer deals page. Happy printing!
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Anj Bryant is the Assistant Managing Editor at Tom's Hardware. She provides content layout and development support, and coordinates editorial initiatives for all the talented groups of freelancers, contributors, and editors in the team.