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Shopping for a 3d printer these days can be overwhelming as there are so many options/sizes available, and the price can vary widely. A hobbyist printer can cost anywhere from $175 to over $3000, with the average being around $700. Which makes me wonder, what is the best printer I can get for under $300, and what sacrifices would I be making if I bought it. I have owned over a dozen 3d printers so far, but the ones that were under $300 that I owned I didn’t like for various reasons. I decided to go back to the drawing board about seven months ago and purchased an Ender 3 Pro. I have been using this printer for the last six months, and it has been great. It also has a large support and mod communities. After using the Ender 3 Pro for the last six months, I can honestly say that it’s the best 3d printer on the market for under $300. https://youtu.be/ILUIw_BcJFY Available Ender 3 Models There are three Ender 3 models available. I'm going to cover some of the common specs first then talk a little about the differences. Specs Printer TypeFDMPrinting Size220x220x250 mm or 8.66x8.66x9.84 inWeight8 kg or 17.64 lbsMax Print Speed180 mm/sPrecision±0.1mmExtruder TypeBowden with optional direct drive upgradeLayer thickness0.1-0.4mmNozzle DiameterStandard 0.4mmMax Buildplate Temperature100℃Working ModeSD slot (offline)Slicing softwareCura\Repetier-Host\Simplify 3DPower supplyAC Input 115V/230V Output:24VAuto levelingOptionalFilamentsPLA/ABS/PETG/TPUFilament diameter1.75mm Ender 3 The Ender 3 was the first one to be released and works great. You will be able to find this printer for less than the others, sometimes for under $200, but I would recommend getting the Pro or V2. The mainboard is the standard 8-bit Ender 3 board, which many people upgrade, and there are a couple of design flaws that are fixed in the Pro and V2. That said, this is still a great printer, especially if you plan on modifying the printer. Ender 3 Pro The Ender 3 Pro is a decent upgrade to the Ender 3. It comes with a larger frame for the Y-axis, a better power supply, better mainboard fan location, and the C-MAG magnetic printing bed. The rest of the parts are the same but these changes make a big difference in the overall stability and ease of use. The V2 wasn't out when I purchased my printer. so this is the model I went with and I have zero regrets. The Pro originally shipped with the same 8-bit board as the standard version but has recently begun to ship with the new 32-bit board that is in the V2. It's not clear what board you will get when you order the printer. Ender 3 V2 The Ender 3 V2 is the newest in the lineup and has some very noticeable upgrades to include a 32-bit mainboard, touchscreen display, glass bed, along with some other smaller ones. If I was to purchase an Ender 3 today, it would be the V2. That said, it's also the most expensive of the three but it's still typically under $300. Available Upgrades If your willing to do some upgrades to the printer, you can really turn the Ender 3 into an awesome Printer. Here is a list of the major upgrades I have done, including videos on how to make them. Auto Bed Leveling with the BLTOUCH The BLTOUCH is one of the best upgrades available for the Ender 3. It creates a mesh at the beginning of each print to account for any issues with the build plate. This upgrade is a must-have for any of the Ender 3 models. https://youtu.be/OJhDSx6MRug Printable Upgrades I know there are tons of printable upgrades for the Ender 3 and Ender 3 Pro, but I wanted to do a video on the first five I think you should print when you first get your printer. In this video, I talk about the upgrades I recommend and show you how to actually install them. https://youtu.be/_JP5dkiLtAo Fan Duct Mods Having the right cooling can make a huge difference on bridges and overhangs. In these videos, I cover installing an upgraded fan duct that provides better cooling to your print with the stock fans. I go over the entire install process start to finish. If you have, or plan ot get, the BLTOUCH, you will want to use the second video. https://youtu.be/6oD9UkKbAT0 No BLTOUCH https://youtu.be/SqhEmw7aTCM For BLTOUCH SKR Mini Mainboard Upgrade The SKR Mini is my favorite upgrade on this list. Its a 32-bit mainboard that brings a lot with it and it made my printer pretty much silent. All I can say on this one is to watch the video. https://youtu.be/wtT6iA9IG7A Smart Filament Sensor Many printers on the market don’t have a filament runout sensor, and the Creality lineup is no different. Fortunately, that can be solved by adding an aftermarket one. In this video, I show you how to install BTT’s smart filament sensor on an Ender 3 Pro with it connected to the mainboard (SKR Mini e3 v2.0). https://youtu.be/N-7r3Oc1sRI User Community The Ender 3 user community on Thingiverse has over 16k members and 1,650 topics at the time of this writing. There is also a solid YouTube community with many people creating content, including me, to help everyone out. What that means is if you run into issues, you have a large group of people with the same printer that can help you out. There is a wealth of knowledge available in basically everything you can think of related to this printer. Recap To summarize this article. I have tested out many 3d printers and in my opinion, the Ender 3 is by far the best one under $300. If you catch the original Ender 3 on sale, you can typically get it for under $200. My only complaint with the Ender 3 is it's a little on the small size. If you are looking for a larger 3d printer, I would look at the CR-10 V2 but unfortunately, you wont be able to get that one forun under $300. Make sure you check out our YouTube channel, and if you would like any additional details or have any questions, please leave a comment below. If you liked this article and want to read others click here.

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