3D Printing Ender 3 for $99

[DirkTheDaring]

Creality is advertising the Ender 3 for $99. It seems like a good deal, but what else do you need to get started? I’m a newbie at 3D printing. Thank you.
https://store.creality.com/products/ender-3-3d-printer-4za7

 

[COSTransplant]

I can't seem to get the $99 price to come up anywhere at checkout.

 

[cwbullet]

I can't seem to get the $99 price to come up anywhere at checkout.

You have to use a coupon: SHZ8YCDD

I recommend saving the $99 and waiting to buy a better printer. It is capable with a lot of tinkering.

 

[frogglicker]

Bambu is advertising the A1 Mini @ $249 and & $399 with the AMS.

https://us.store.bambulab.com/products/a1-mini

 

[NTP2]

You have to use a coupon: SHZ8YCDD

I recommend saving the $99 and waiting to buy a better printer. It is capable with a lot of tinkering.

I say that 99$ is a great price for some tinkering, after all it’s the entire point of a hobby.

 

[Kelly]

I got into printing with an Ender 3, it's a fantastic printer for the money and I use it for printing low-power rockets, and components for HP rockets including sleds, nosecones, fincans, etc. etc. as well as lots of other stuff. If you have a ton of money you want to spend then yeah, get something else. But a $99 Ender 3 would be a great way to get started.

Other than the printer, all you need is a roll of filament, and slicer software (which can be had for free).

 

[thzero]

I say that 99$ is a great price for some tinkering, after all it’s the entire point of a hobby.

No its not... the point of the hobby is to print something, not sit and tinker with it and never print anything!

 

[cwbullet]

Bambu is advertising the A1 Mini @ $249 and & $399 with the AMS.

https://us.store.bambulab.com/products/a1-mini

Much better product and with the price. I would buy a Prusa Mini or A1 Mini any day over the Ender-3

 

[NTP2]

No its not... the point of the hobby is to print something, not sit and tinker with it and never print anything!

We have very different views on why you do a hobby apparently, I’ve always been willing to trade time for money.

 

[DirkTheDaring]

We have very different views on why you do a hobby apparently, I’ve always been willing to trade time for money.

I sure didn't mean to start a religious war, but I've grabbed some popcorn, have at it!

 

[NateB]

I've been having fits with my Ender 3. I enjoy the tinkering, but was pretty well dialed in and then more issues come up. Now I am chasing constant thermal runaway errors and I'm seriously considering another printer instead of constant trial and error to get it working well again. Even though the replacement parts are cheap, it all adds up along with the wasted time before I can print again. I was looking at the Bambu Mini and trying to decide if the smaller bed would even be an issue for me right now.

 

[cwbullet]

I've been having fits with my Ender 3. I enjoy the tinkering, but was pretty well dialed in and then more issues come up. Now I am chasing constant thermal runaway errors and I'm seriously considering another printer instead of constant trial and error to get it working well again. Even though the replacement parts are cheap, it all adds up along with the wasted time before I can print again. I was looking at the Bambu Mini and trying to decide if the smaller bed would even be an issue for me right now.

Most have fits with the Ender 3.

 

[frogglicker]

Most have fits with the Ender 3.

E3s are like a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle. Fun and cheap but you will never stop working on them. I still have mine for tinkering but it's not fun when your daily driver throws a shoe.

 

[lr64]

I thought the only reliability problem with the Beetle was reliably staying right side up. You learn something new every day.

Edit:
Well, I remember rust-related issues, too.

Further edit:
Mr. cerving:
It may be funny to you, but I've been a passenger in two upside down, air-cooled, rear engine VW's. One was a beetle. Ok, ok, it's funny to me, too, by now.

 

[NateB]

E3s are like a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle. Fun and cheap but you will never stop working on them. I still have mine for tinkering but it's not fun when your daily driver throws a shoe.

That's a good analogy. It was a fun printer at first, but chasing gremlins every time I want to print something takes the fun out of the hobby.

 

[Banzai88]

That's a good analogy. It was a fun printer at first, but chasing gremlins every time I want to print something takes the fun out of the hobby.

.....and that's why most of us move on to something that's more useful as a tool, and the "hobby" becomes printing and using those prints.

I just recently bought a P1S, have already used more rolls of filament than in 3 years of Ender 3 ownership (including post Klipper update), and the only maintenance task has been to throw away empty filament spools.

 

[wsume99]

3D printing is the hobby. Constantly fighting your machine in an attempt to get a successful 3D print is not really a 3D printing hobby. If you like tinkering with electronics and mechanical hardware, get a low cost 3D printer from Creality. However if that's what you like doing, which is fine if you do, then don't say 3D printing is your hobby - tinkering is your hobby. If you actually want to print things the Prusa mini and Bambu Labs A1 mini are great options to get started.

 

[Art Upton]

We have very different views on why you do a hobby apparently, I’ve always been willing to trade time for money.

That can change when you get older and time is sometimes more valuable then money

That is why the RC airplanes whos target marketing age is 34-59 needed to sell ARFs, as they work and can't build a box of sticks for a year. The older RC fliers have a garage or shed full of planes like we do with rockets and don't buy new ones.

Then you retire, you have plenty of time again and no money; just like when you were younger.

Edit: I have new R/C planes in my Shed I still need to sell. I have finished ones and don't need more larger ones.