GearBest has always been the best online store to go to when it comes to buying 3D printers directly from China. The store has an impressive line of DIY 3D printer kits as well as ready-to-print models that cover a wide price range starting from sub-$200 kits to models that cost well over $500.
The first quarter of this year saw the release of new 3D printers with a higher level of refinement and sophistication from China. The hype surrounding consumer 3D printers may be cooling down but this year is a pretty exciting time if you’re looking to purchase a 3D printer in the sub-$1000 range thanks to the falling prices and increasing level of sophistication in consumer 3D printers.
Below is our list of the latest and most exciting 3D printers at GearBest.
Geetech E180
The E180 is one of many new Chinese 3D printers to be inspired by the iconic Monoprice Select Mini — arguably the most popular ready-to-print 3D printer in recent years. In the case of the E180, we not only have a printer that clearly looks inspired by the Select Mini but also one that’s trying to outclass it. At a glance, the E180 with its 3.2″ color touchscreen and futuristic casing looks somewhat more sophisticated than the Select Mini V2.
The E180 even goes one step further when it comes to sophistication with its accompanying EasyPrint 3D app which lets you operate the E180 via your smartphone or tablet. Priced at $260 including shipping, the E180 is certainly a good Select Mini V2 alternative thanks to its higher level of sophistication and aesthetics.
FLSUN QQ
The QQ is FLSUN’s flagship delta printer and is one of three delta printers that the company produces. At $505, the QQ isn’t cheap but it certainly offers the best FLSUN has when it comes to delta printers. This includes a large print capacity of 250mm x 370mm, automatic bed leveling and color touchscreen. The QQ is also WiFi-enabled which means you can monitor an ongoing print while you’re away. Unlike FLSUN’s previous flagship delta — the FL-Q Cricket which had poor ventilation for its mainboard, the QQ comes with a cooling fan at its base where the mainboard is located to keep temperatures within a safe range.
Myriwell RL-200A
The RL-200A is one of the most good looking models in this list and resembles a desktop inkjet printer. At $575 shipped, it is one of the most expensive in this list but for that price you get a fully enclosed printer that’s great for printing materials such as ABS and Nylon. Not only that, the RL-200A’s casing is made out of 0.4mm sheets of aluminum which creates for a sturdy (and hopefully less noisy) structure. Product pages do not reveal much about the printer but from the few official product photos available at the moment, it does look like the RL-200A features linear bearings for all three axis.
Myriwell RLD-200C
At $273, the RLD-200C is the more affordable of two Myriwell printers featured in this list and is just as good-looking as its more expensive sibling — the RL-200A. The RLD-200C is a printer that requires some assembly and is shipped in a few pre-assembled components. Myriwell claims it takes only 20 minutes to assemble it. When fully assembled, the RLD-200C’s blue and purple parts makes it look like a very large Lego model. The RLD-200C also features a touchscreen and a printing nozzle that can be swapped very quickly. In fact, Myriwell claims the RLD-200C’s nozzle can be replaced in just 1 second.
Hoony H8
The Hoony H8 is one of two printers in this list to feature linear rails for all three axis. Though they tend to be harder to maintain and much more sensitive to wear and tear, linear rails provide better print accuracy compared to pulley setups. It also comes pre-assembled in 10 parts and takes approximately 30 minutes to build. It features a bowden extruder and a gamepad-style console panel that is separate from the printer. Print capacity is a modest 210 x 210 x 240mm and the H8 is available in blue, black or red gantry colors. Priced at just $215 with shipping, you’d be forgiven to think that it costs a lot more thanks to its sophisticated appearance and aesthetics.
Tevo Michaelangelo
Tevo is yet another Chinese brand that has been inspired by the popular Monoprice Select Mini. One of its latest and smallest 3D printers to date — the Michelangelo, has a print capacity of just 150 x 150 x 150mm and is priced at a very affordable $220. It may not come with all the extra bells and whistles such as a touchscreen LCD but at $220, it is one of the most affordable ready-to-print 3D printers from China. The Michelangelo requires no assembly and is ready to print right out of the box. It makes a good second or backup printer for those who already own much larger printers.
Lavewatch LW-J160
At $651, the LW-J160 is the most expensive printer in this list with a print capacity of only 160 x 160 x 160mm but what it lacks in print capacity, the LW-J160 makes up for it in features and quality. The LW-J160 features a full metal enclosure making it an ideal printer for printing ABS, nylon and other tricky materials that would require a constant ambient temperature to reduce the risk of delamination and warping. Not only that, the LW-J160 features linear bearings, a color touchscreen LCD and a print bed that’s powered by AC power which means heating the bed up would probably take only a minute or two. The LW-J160 also comes fully assembled and is available in black or blue casing colors.
Defensor R9
At $581 the R9 is yet another pricey printer in this list but for that price, you get a large print capacity of 260 x 260 x 280mm, a metal cube frame made of 3030 aluminum rails and a 32-bit LERDGE mainboard with a 3.2″ color touchscreen display. The R9 does away with the commonly used i3 design and features a print bed that moves along the Z axis which is great for reducing vibrations produced by rapid movement of the bed along the Y axis as is commonly seen on i3-style printers. The R9 also features linear bearings.
Hoony H2
The H2 is the most affordable printer by Hoony and is available for just $193 shipped. It features the same mainboard and console casing as the more expensive H8 but has a much smaller print capacity of 150 x 150 x 150mm. And like the larger H8, the H2 also features linear rails for all three axis. The H2 comes pre-assembled and is available in orange, white, blue and green casing colors.
Anet A9
The Anet A9 is yet another new Chinese 3D printer aimed at the mini market. Priced at $211, the A9 is about as basic as it gets when it comes to mini 3D printers. It has a print capacity of 160 x 160 x 200mm, a bowden extruder and a form factor that rises up vertically which saves plenty of space on any work desk. It even features a carrying handle at the top to help in transportation.