Name: Elegoo
Rating: 0.0

I am considering buying in a 3d printer.

In the past I was dubious to invest 700+ USD on a tool I might use as a new toy for 2 weeks and then never use again. 

I usually considered "Prusa printer" as a reasonable reference model.

I recently saw the new Elegoo Neptune 3 printer, it has great reviews and it costs almost half / a third of a Prusa printer.  
At 200\~300 USD I might be willing to roll the dice on the risk of not finding a real semi-regular use.  


I would like to know:

Q1) How do you handle the risk of "ending in a drawer" ?

Q2) How come Elegoo is so much cheaper than Prusa, where is the catch ?

Q3) Any specific recommendation of beginner printer, and why ?

Thanks for your comments.

ps: for context I am electronics engineer, with strong programming experience, and built a reprap 10 years ago (that a friend kept). I do not have much experience of mechanics, nor 3d design (I know zero of the former, and have reasonable theoretical knowledge of the later).

ps2: half of the reason to buy the printer is also to open the door of experimentation with/for my kid too.

<div class="md">I am considering buying in a 3d printer.

In the past I was dubious to invest 700+ USD on a tool I might use as a new toy for 2 weeks and then never use again. 

I usually considered &quot;Prusa printer&quot; as a reasonable reference model.

I recently saw the new Elegoo Neptune 3 printer, it has great reviews and it costs almost half / a third of a Prusa printer. 
At 200~300 USD I might be willing to roll the dice on the risk of not finding a real semi-regular use. 

I would like to know:

Q1) How do you handle the risk of &quot;ending in a drawer&quot; ?

Q2) How come Elegoo is so much cheaper than Prusa, where is the catch ?

Q3) Any specific recommendation of beginner printer, and why ?

Thanks for your comments.

ps: for context I am electronics engineer, with strong programming experience, and built a reprap 10 years ago (that a friend kept). I do not have much experience of mechanics, nor 3d design (I know zero of the former, and have reasonable theoretical knowledge of the later).

ps2: half of the reason to buy the printer is also to open the door of experimentation with/for my kid too.
</div>

First 3d printer: Prusa vs Elegoo vs ???

Welcome back to another purchase megathread!

For a link to last month's post, see [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/ovry51/purchase_advice_megathread_what_to_buy_who_to_buy/). Top comment was [/u/Sausage54](https://www.reddit.com/u/Sausage54/)'s 2021 Printer list [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/ovry51/purchase_advice_megathread_what_to_buy_who_to_buy/h7b6sdc).

This thread is meant to conglomerate purchase advice for both newcomers and people looking for additional machines. Keeping this discussion to one thread means less searching should anyone have questions that may already have been answered here, as well as more visibility to inquiries in general, as comments made here will be visible for the entire month stuck to the top of the sub, and then linked to in the next month's thread.

If you are new to 3D printing, and are unsure of what to ask, try to include the following in your posts as a minimum:

* Your budget, set at a numeric amount. Saying "cheap," or "money is not a problem" is not an answer people can do much with. 3D printers can cost $100, they can cost $10,000,000, and anywhere in between. A rough idea of what you're looking for is essential to figuring out anything else.
* Your country of residence.
* If you are willing to build the printer from a kit, and what your level of experience is with electronic maintenance and construction if so.
* What you wish to do with the printer.
* Any extenuating circumstances that would restrict you from using machines that would otherwise fit your needs (limited space for the printer, enclosure requirement, must be purchased through educational intermediary, etc).

While this is by no means an exhaustive list of what can be included in your posts, these questions should help paint enough of a picture to get started. Don't be afraid to ask more questions, and never worry about asking too many. The people posting in this thread are here because they want to give advice, and any questions you have answered may be useful to others later on, when they read through this thread looking for answers of their own. Everyone here was new once, so chances are whoever is replying to you has a good idea of how you feel currently.

Additionally, a quick word on print quality: Most FDM/FFF (that is, filament based) printers are capable of approximately the same tolerances and print appearance, as the biggest limiting factor is in the nature of extruded plastic. **Asking if a machine has "good prints," or saying "I don't expect the best quality for $xxx" isn't actually relevant for the most part** with regards to these machines. Should you need additional detail and higher tolerances, you may want to explore SLA, DLP, and other photoresin options, as those *do* offer an increase in overall quality. If you are interested in resin machines, make sure you are aware of [how to use them safely](https://www.reddit.com/r/3DPrinting/wiki/resinprinting#wiki_safety). For these safety reasons we don't usually recommend a resin printer as someone's first printer.

As always, if you're a newcomer to this community, welcome. If you're a regular, welcome back.

<div class="md">Welcome back to another purchase megathread!

For a link to last month&#39;s post, see <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/ovry51/purchase_advice_megathread_what_to_buy_who_to_buy/">here</a>. Top comment was <a href="https://www.reddit.com/u/Sausage54/">/u/Sausage54</a>&#39;s 2021 Printer list <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/ovry51/purchase_advice_megathread_what_to_buy_who_to_buy/h7b6sdc">here</a>.

Announcement: <a href="/r/gadgets">r/gadgets</a> has partnered with <a href="/r/Revopoint">r/Revopoint</a> to giveaway a 3D scanner.

Check out <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/gadgets/comments/ppfyag/revopoint_pop_3d_scanner_giveaway/">their post</a> more information and how to enter.

This thread is meant to conglomerate purchase advice for both newcomers and people looking for additional machines. Keeping this discussion to one thread means less searching should anyone have questions that may already have been answered here, as well as more visibility to inquiries in general, as comments made here will be visible for the entire month stuck to the top of the sub, and then linked to in the next month&#39;s thread.

If you are new to 3D printing, and are unsure of what to ask, try to include the following in your posts as a minimum:

<ul>
<li>Your budget, set at a numeric amount. Saying &quot;cheap,&quot; or &quot;money is not a problem&quot; is not an answer people can do much with. 3D printers can cost $100, they can cost $10,000,000, and anywhere in between. A rough idea of what you&#39;re looking for is essential to figuring out anything else.</li>
<li>Your country of residence.</li>
<li>If you are willing to build the printer from a kit, and what your level of experience is with electronic maintenance and construction if so.</li>
<li>What you wish to do with the printer.</li>
<li>Any extenuating circumstances that would restrict you from using machines that would otherwise fit your needs (limited space for the printer, enclosure requirement, must be purchased through educational intermediary, etc).</li>
</ul>

While this is by no means an exhaustive list of what can be included in your posts, these questions should help paint enough of a picture to get started. Don&#39;t be afraid to ask more questions, and never worry about asking too many. The people posting in this thread are here because they want to give advice, and any questions you have answered may be useful to others later on, when they read through this thread looking for answers of their own. Everyone here was new once, so chances are whoever is replying to you has a good idea of how you feel currently.

Additionally, a quick word on print quality: Most FDM/FFF (that is, filament based) printers are capable of approximately the same tolerances and print appearance, as the biggest limiting factor is in the nature of extruded plastic. Asking if a machine has &quot;good prints,&quot; or saying &quot;I don&#39;t expect the best quality for $xxx&quot; isn&#39;t actually relevant for the most part with regards to these machines. Should you need additional detail and higher tolerances, you may want to explore SLA, DLP, and other photoresin options, as those do offer an increase in overall quality. If you are interested in resin machines, make sure you are aware of <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/3DPrinting/wiki/resinprinting#wiki_safety">how to use them safely</a>. For these safety reasons we don&#39;t usually recommend a resin printer as someone&#39;s first printer.

As always, if you&#39;re a newcomer to this community, welcome. If you&#39;re a regular, welcome back.
</div>

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