Today, we are going to focus on the best 3D printers for sale, that you can use for 3D printing (obviously), but are also used a lot to 3D print miniatures.
If you would like to learn more about 3D printing in general or more specific in the miniature world, then I can refer you to 3 other articles that I have written before about this topic:
What kind of 3D printers for sale are better for miniatures?
Searching on Facebook groups and other places, I would advise using resin to 3D print miniatures. The reason why people seem to prefer resin over FDM is that the finish of the little things is less ‘rough’, which seems pretty important to me to create beautiful minis.
So, for this article and reviews, I have been focussing mostly on 3D printers for sale, that use Resin.
Before you buy any 3D printer, you should always understand that it is not a technology that you can just “plug in and play”. And I hope that the 3 articles that I have written before, will help you on your way.
So, it will take some time to learn a complex software program, at the least, to support and slice your files to 3D print them. The files on Thingiverse, for example, are not ready-to-print without learning how to do this.
You would also need to think about other things, like ventilation, etc. On top of manuals, my blog posts, and other websites, I would also suggest watching a few Youtube videos, if you haven’t already.
Sadly, there is not a lot of content on 3D printing dollhouses and miniatures out there, and the ones that are, are mostly more specific to tabletop gamers, like “Warhammer“, but the basics are practically the same, so I wouldn’t worry about that.
Now, without further ado, let’s have a look at these 3D printers and review them:
3D printer 1: The Ender 3 V2.
What is The Ender 3 V2?
It is one of the simpler 3D printers out there.
- The motherboard is self-developed and silent. This machine offers a stronger build in anti-interference freedom and it is faster plus has a more stable motion performance.
- This 3D printer is equipped with a Meanwell power supply and meets all requirements for fast heating and long impressions. It is implemented inside the machine, making it safer.
- Ender 3 V2 adds a button to the extruder, making loading and nutritional supplementation much easier. The brand new UI system and intelligent 4,3-inch color screen enhance the user experience.
- Can regain pressure of the last recorded extruder position, after an unexpected power change. This saves time and waste.
- Has a carborundum glass platform: this means that the floor is rapidly heated and that it prints better without warping. Provides extra smoothness, even in the first coat.
Price:
On Amazon.
Or on AliExpress.
( you can compare prices )
Warranty:
Free replacement of extruder kits within 3 months, and provide a 1-year warranty for all major parts
Overall rank.
Have a look at this video on Youtube how it works:
The good and the bad.
The Good.
- It is an easy to assemble and to set up 3D printer for beginners
- It is quite cheap
The Bad.
- you should take your time to set it up because it seems that a mistake is very easy to make. Make sure to check every screw, angle, everything. Watch every Youtube video that you can find!
- it is suggested to buy upgrades because ==>
- 1. the stock spring won’t keep the bed stay still forcing you to adjust it frequently. A great spring will allow you to print for months without worrying about it.
- 2. extruder kit: the stock kit is plastic made and it often breaks or cracks: Do yourself a favor and buy a metal one
- 3. filament tube: the stock one has a poor push-in pneumatic fitting
Beware of:
It is better to spend a lot of time on the newbie mistakes and common issues, which will be a big help!
Final conclusion:
The Ender 3 V2 3D printer looks like it can be a pretty good beginner’s printer, certainly for miniatures!
3D printer 2: ELEGOO Mars 2 Pro Mono MSLA 3D Printer
What is the ELEGOO Mars 2 Pro?
This 3D printer is considered a little bit better than the first one, to print miniatures and dollhouses.
- The ELEGOO Mars 2 has a 6,08-inch monochrome LCD display included with a 2K resolution. It takes only 2 seconds per layer to cure the resin, which makes it more efficient.
- The new light source structure provides a more uniform UV light emission and works in tandem with the 2K mono LCD.
- It is an impressive machine because of the CNC machined aluminum housing and it has a newly designed sandblasted build plate.
- Build-in activated carbon absorbs any resin vapor.
Price:
On Amazon.
And on AliExpress.
Warranty.
A 1-year warranty on the whole printer and a 6-month warranty for the 2K LCD.
Overall rank.
Have a look at this review of the Elegoo Mars 2 pro:
The good and the bad.
The Good.
- A mono LCD has a much longer lifespan and stable long-term printing performance, which can save you a lot of money
- The print details and precision has greatly improved
- sturdy build quality
- setting it up is a breeze and the leveling of the print bed is simple and well detailed in the instructions
- it has a cover
The Bad.
- The LCD surface is not glass
- Replacement LCD’s are not available. CORRECTION: someone mentioned that they do have replacement for it, sorry!
- there seem to be no instructions available on how to remove resin from the LCD
Beware of:
Do not remove resin from the LCD without proper instructions first, because then you have a problem.
Final conclusion.
The ELEGOO Mars 2 pro seems like a very easy beginner’s 3D printer to use, you would just need to take care of the LCD surface.
3D printer 3: The Phrozen Mini 4K
What is the Phrozen Mini 4K 3D printer?
This 3 printer is more on the expensive side, but it has advantages for sure and is one of the best 3D printers for sale.
- Most consumer-friendly 4K 3D printer on the market.
- All you need to do is: install the building platform, fasten the resin vat and install the Software ( Chitubox Slicing). Then you can add the printing parameters, slice your file into the software, and save it. Upload it to the printer in just a few clicks.
- It has a printing speed of 80mm per hour, which means that the Sonic Mini 4K is able to print one layer in only 2 seconds!
- It works with ParaLED ( which is a parallel UV LED matrix backlight system) and over 95% optical uniformity.
- 4.6” X 2.7” X 5.1” is the maximum print volume
Price:
On Amazon or
On AliExpress.
Overall rank.
Warranty.
Offers a three months warranty for all LCD screens.
Have a look at the review of this printer on Youtube:
The good and the bad.
The Good.
- I like the fact that it has a cover
- Excellent accuracy and print quality!
- the parallel UV LED is much better than the conventional COB LEDs.
- this printer is extremely lightweight and very easy to store
- all the motion parts are aluminium or steel
- excellent stability
The Bad.
- A few people had issues with reading the included USB stick, that is why I didn’t give this printer 5 stars
Beware of:
Be careful of where you buy this because I have read a few reviews on Amazon saying that the machine was used before!
Final conclusion.
Most reviews of this 3D printer are very good, but sometimes there seem to be issues with the USB stick included, so when that happens, make sure to send it back asap and ask for a replacement or a refund!
3D Printer 4: QIDI TECH 3D Printer
What is the Qidi Tech 3D Printer?
This one is also on the more expensive side, but still, I have seen it advised by dollhouse miniaturists, so let’s go ;-).
By the way: ZHEJIANG QIDI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD is the manufacturer of this machine.
The technical details:
- The print precision is: 0.05 -0.4mm, and the print speed: 60mm-150mm, while the Nozzle max temperature: 250℃
- This device can print PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG and can print two colors.
- It has a removable, curved metal plate which can be used repeatedly. (it seems better to remove the model after printing).
- The heating bed is a 6mm aviation grade plate made from aluminum and can be heated up to 110°C.
- It has a 12mm enhanced guide rod
- Filament is 9.1×5.9×5.9 Inch
- It has a dual extruder
- Wattage: 100,0 Watts
- Has a 4.3 Inch Touch Screen
Price:
Have a look at the price on Amazon.
Or at AliExpress (to compare prices)
Overall rank.
Warranty.
It has a free one-year warranty.
The support gives a 1-Year Infinite Customer Support.
Here’s another Youtube video for you with an expanded review on this 3D printer:
The good and the bad :
The Good.
- Easy to assemble in one hour
- The documentation included made everything easy, especially calibration.
- The baseplate is magnetic and removable, and so are the side panels. Someone put a lot of thought into this printer and the attention to detail is noticeable in all of these areas: hardware, software, and ergonomics.
- doesn’t require much maintenance
The Bad.
- the filament guides seem a bit fiddly when positioning them.
- there seems to be some confusion when the device has lost screws and people don’t know where they go when they lost them.
- some people seem to prefer a glass platform
Beware of:
Don’t forget to use a glue stick, apply a little glue to the baseplate before printing.
Final conclusion.
This 3D printer has overwhelming 5-star reviews on Amazon, compared to just 1 star. It looks like a decent device for the price.
My final conclusion.
I hope that you found the right 3d printers for sale to print out your beautiful little dollhouses or miniatures, it is a separate kind of art and it takes a while to make it perfect.
But some people really have fantastic results with this method and I will surely talk some more about these artists soon!
Would you like to add something to this topic of 3d printers for sale, then please leave a comment below, or you can now join me on my Facebook group!
I wish you happy crafting,
Best regards,
Lizzy
I really enjoyed reading your article about the best 3d printers for sale. I do not know much about 3d printers other than they are very cool and everyone is talking about them. Your review has given me a lot of information as well as a list of the different 3d printers that one might buy. I am currently not looking to purchase one, but should that change I will definitely rely on your amazing review to guide my purchase. I will also share your review with anyone that I know that is currently looking to buy one.
Hello,
Thank you for your comment and of course thanks for sharing!
best regards,
Lizzy
Your article is so interesting that I will for sure read the other article about 3D printing. I’m still amazed about how you can print miniatures today. Maybe it’s because I have never used this type of printer.
Of course, the Ender 3 V2 is the model that interest me the most because it’s the simpler one. I thought that a 3D printer would be more expensive than that. A mistake is easy to make, but I think that I’m going to be OK.
Yes indeed, they can be cheap, it clearly depends on what you would like to do with them. Big, industrial products would require a more expensive printer, but for miniatures, these are fine;-)
Thanks for your comment and I wish you much luck with the Ender 3V2 !