Best Budget 3D Printer Under £500

Introduction

You have probably heard of this really cool new piece of technology called 3D printers. 

Also, you are likely to think it’s an expensive machine that is used by professionals and is out of the reach of an everyday person. 

Let us tell you – 3D printers are for everybody! 

There are lots of different kids out there, and in this article, we will discuss and present you the best budget 3D printers UK has to offer. 

That’s right, all of these will be just under £500.

How much does a 3D printer cost?

This is the question and answer which may surprise many people who are not up to speed with modern technology. 

Let’s start with the use of 3D printers. 

There are professional grid ones that are used in such industries as aerospace, automotive, mainstream production. 

3D technology really infiltrated and reshaped our understanding of technology and its limits. 

We can do things with 3D technology that were considered something of a science fiction not more than 30 years ago.

There are machines now that can print metal, fused and mixed materials, clay, and of course the traditional plastic, which you also have many kids of. 

So what are the 3D printer prices

Those professional and high-efficiency printers, of course, cost a lot of money. You are looking to pay anything from £5.000 – £10.000. 

However, those are not the focus of our topic today. 

There are also a lot of machines available out there for those of you, who are tech geeks, tech enthusiasts, or simply need something small to modernise your operations. 

Those kinds are much smaller in size, have limited capabilities, and the prices reflect that. 

When looking for a cheap 3D printer, you can expect to pay something from £100 – £500. 

Those also include DIY models. They are great in the sense that you get to build it yourself, giving you more profound knowledge and understanding of how everything works. 

If you are not planning to print a house for yourself, and looking for something small, here are the best models in the range of affordable 3D printers.  

Best budget 3D printers

As we have mentioned before, a cheap 3D printer can be easily found. The important thing is knowing what you want it for, thus comes the choice of different ones.  

Below we will present you with our picks of the best 3D printers under 500.

BIQU Magician

BIQU Magician 3D printer is an excellent option for those that need something compact and high efficiency to use at home or for educational purposes. 

Plus, it’s ideal for beginners, as it doesn’t require any assembly. All you need to do is unpack it and start using. 

This printer uses FDM technology and is compatible with a wide range of different filaments. 

BIQU Magician is the most affordable 3D printer on the list, with a market price of £305. 

It has a pretty impressive printing volume for its price range of 100*150 mm in diameter and comes with either Titan or MK8 extruder. 

Magical also features a TFT 2.8 highly-sensitive touch screen for easy and convenient operation and includes automatic levelling for your convenience and prints 70mm/s. 

In case you want to print small toys for your kids or learn 3D printing technology for your class, or maybe you are a beginner and don’t want a complicated machine to learn on, this is a perfect option for you.

Anet ET4

Anet ET4 3D printer is the best affordable 3D printer you can find! 

It is one of the most cost-effective printers out there, which makes it the perfect option for the small manufacturers and professional use. 

Whether you need to print dental moulds, architectural models or jewellery designs, this cheap 3D printer is what you need! 

The price is only £390! 

With a printing speed of 150 mm/s due to dual rails and a great printing volume of 220*220*250 mm, it gives you the room to experiment and at the same time get what you need out of it fast! 

Anet ET4 is a silent machine, compatible with a broad range of different filaments like PLA, HIPS, Nylon, PP, TPU and more; with an option of offline printing that guarantees smooth and highly detailed end-product. 

BIQU Thunder

Another model from this manufacturer – the BIQU Thunder 3D printer is also perfect for manufacturers and professional use. 

It has an impressive printing volume of 300*300*400 mm and a printing speed of 150 mm/s and comes in 2 versions – standard and advanced.

The standard version comes with features like automatic levelling, filament jamming detection and detachable magnetic heat bed. 

The advanced models offer such added features like remote printing via an app, wifi connection and an automatic shut down after the printing is finished. 

The price is a bit higher than the above 2 models and starts from £430. 

However, you get your money’s worth with this highly efficient machine that is just perfect for busy professionals, that need quick and smart technology, to print even when they are not there. 

All of its features make this model, hands down, the best budget 3D printer UK has to offer. 

JGAURORA A3S

Last but not least, our home-friendly, slightly more sophisticated model – JGAURORA A3S 3D printer. 

The printing volume on this one is 205*205*205 mm with a printing speed ranging from 10-150 mm/s. 

It is an FDM printer, perfect for those who want to teach printing to their kids, make toys and home decor objects together, or simply learn about this new technology and bring to life the theories from the classroom and books. 

A3S has a full metal frame and diamond glass heat bed, for excellent adhesion and easy pick-up.

This printer is slightly on the higher end in our range of cheap 3D printers with a price of £480. 

This model is equipped with a filament detection technology, letting you know if the filament breaks or is about to finish. It also automatically stops printing in such a case, and resumes form the breaking point to avoid waste. 

Which 3D printer is best for different industries? 

There are many things you need to take into consideration when choosing which 3D printer to buy. 

One of the criteria is the material you will need to use. For example, do you need to print metal, plastic, wood or any other material? If possible, choose a printer that will be compatible with a wide variety of filaments, however, metal, for instance, will need a separate machine to work. 

Another question is what kind of end-product you will be printing? Is it going to be dental moulds, shoes, auto parts or anything else? Knowing the desired results will guide you in the right direction, as your choice will derive from the printing volume as well. 

For instance, if you need to make dental moulds, then the Anet ET4 is the perfect option for you. However, it will be a bit small, if you are a home decor designer. In the case of latter, your best bet would be to go with the BIQU Thunder, as it has a far greater printing volume. 

So to recap, make sure you are considering every aspect of your industry and manufacturing process to make an informed decision. 
These best 3D printer under £500 listed above are just a small portion of all the machines available out there, thus make sure you do your research before getting one.

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