Top 3D Printers for Hobbyists

3D printers come in many shapes and sizes. Some are small and designed for simple 3D prints while others are huge and can use engineering-grade materials for production-ready parts. Generally, hobbyists can have a huge variance in their needs, something I myself understand as a 3D printing enthusiast myself. As such, today I will be looking at 5 different 3D printers that you may want to consider for your home workshop or desktop that will enhance all your personal projects.

Let’s jump in.

Ender 3

Creality has firmly established themselves as being a hobbyist and tinker-friendly 3D printer manufacturer. More than likely most hobbyists will have gotten their start in 3D printing with an Ender 3, a sub $200 3D printer that’s capable enough for anyone looking to dip their toe into the 3D printing water’s without significant investment. As part of that, the Ender 3 does not have any bells or whistles; you won’t find dual-drive extruder gears or an all-metal hotend, instead components are essentially just enough to be a functional 3D printer. There’s beauty in that though, as it lends itself to upgradeability and a community built around modding. Name an upgrade part and there’s likely someone out there that’s already 3D modeled, printed, and tested a new mount to integrate it into the Ender 3. This machine is a fantastic choice for any hobbyist or newcomer to the 3D printing scene.

Pulse XE

If you need to 3D print with engineering-grade materials, whether it’s parts for your new FPV drone or a custom designed RC car chassis, the Pulse XE is the ideal choice. While the Pulse line of 3D printers from MatterHackers was designed to be customized to everyone’s unique and individual needs, we have bundled together several upgrades into cost-effective packages, like the Pulse XE. This machine can 3D print with carbon-fiber reinforced NylonX right out of the box thanks to its geared Bondtech BMG extruder, all-metal e3d V6 hotend, hardened steel nozzle, and garolite build surface. At its core, the Pulse XE is a 24V system which enables faster heat up times and more efficient operation and is built around an aluminum frame for supreme structural rigidity. Even though the Pulse XE is bundled with a purpose, you still have the option to pick and choose additional upgrades to build a printer right at your price point with all the features you need.

Ender 5 Plus

When you need to 3D print something gargantuan, the Ender 5 Plus from Creality should be at the top of your short list. This behemoth of a 3D printer has a 350 x 350mm build plate with a finished print height of 400mm. In relative terms, you can 3D print an entire helmet in one piece on this 3D printer, albeit with a significant amount of support structures. Although it’s related to the Ender 5, the Ender 5 plus reconfigures the build plate to be supported from both the left and right, rather than a cantilever design from the back. This helps keep the entire build plate well supported and allows for the Z axis to have smooth, consistent motion. For an improved user experience a filament runout sensor is mounted in-line with the filament path to make sure your long 3D prints aren’t in danger of running out of material, a BL-Touch automatic bed leveling sensor makes bed leveling simple and easy, and a touch screen for easy and intuitive navigation. The Ender 5 Plus is a force to be reckoned with and should be part of any workshop that consistently makes large 3D printed projects.

Peopoly Moai

Resin 3D printing in the home workshop took off with the Peopoly Moai resin 3D printer. This machine can be purchased fully assembled or as a kit, to save you either time or money. Miniatures, high-detail prototypes, and jewelry are just a few examples of what we’ve seen people use their Peopoly Moai for. In contrast to many other desktop resin 3D printers, the Peopoly Moai features a “tilting” mechanism, which helps break the suction force holding the printed part to the vat, as most other resin printers simply lift straight up out of the vat. By using a laser rather than an LCD screen to cure the resin, layer resolution can be a lot smoother, as the laser traces out the perimeters of the 3D print, rather than the blocky-pixels that can be apparent on some LCD-based resin 3D prints. And by building the Moai kit, you gain an intimate understanding of the construction and maintenance of the Peopoly Moai, so should you need to make any repairs or upgrades, you know exactly where to find each component. As a whole Peopoly’s success can be traced back to the performance of this 3D printer and the community’s confidence in it as a reliable 3D printing platform.

Craftbot Plus Pro

The Craftbot Plus Pro is a printer built like a tank and runs like a sports car. Craftunique has continually improved the Craftbot, releasing the Craftbot Plus then more recently the Craftbot Plus Pro, each time adding more features so you can get better printed parts. Having a 3D printer that works well, no tinkering required, can be a gamechanger for any hobbyist, and this is an experience you can expect with the Craftbot Plus Pro. The “Pro” upgrades the build plate with a removable borosilicate glass plate with a layer of kapton tape, adds a filament sensor that detects run outs and jams, and improves the print head with an all-metal hotend and more efficient layer cooling fans. Every Craftbot Plus Pro also features the latest Pr3Dator mainboard for silent 3D printing and a full-color intuitive touchscreen for navigation. All of these amazing features are packaged together in an all-steel chassis with plexiglass side panels for a robust construction and easy viewing of progressing prints. 

I've just touched on a handful of hobbyist machines available at MatteHackers, but we have a ton more and can help find the perfect one for you. To make the process even easier for you, all you have to do is send our Sales team a call or an email and we can get you on track with your next 3D printer. Are there any 3D printers I didn’t mention here that you feel other hobbyists should know about? Share your thoughts in the comments down below!

Happy printing!