Best 3D Printers in India 2020

A 3D printer has to be a revolution in the field of manufacturing. We are at an age where we could 3D-print actually functioning limbs and organs using this technology. While an ordinary everyday 3D printer might not actually give you the ability to print a heart or a leg; it can make a lot of other cool stuff. 

Good quality 3D printers might burn a hole in your pocket, thus it is very important to choose a printer that is worth the money you spend. You can judge the quality of a printer based on 3 important aspects. 

  • Type of the printer you need:  For beginners, it is suggested to go with a basic FDM print but if you are advanced and need more details in your print, go with an SLA or SLS printer
  • Type of material used: ABS Thermoplastic resin materials are ideal for modelling all types of builds that stay for a long time 
  • Slicing software: there is no correct answer here but it is ideal to stick with the version that comes with the printer. If not given and you are a beginner, go with a basic Slicing software like Cura or 3DPrinterOS.

Apart from those three factors, there are a lot more that you need to consider. We have included all of those and some more in our 3-D printer Buying Guide at the end of this article along with some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). If you have any further questions, you can write to us in the comment section below. 

Now let us jump right into the reviews without any further delay. 

List of the best 3D printers available to buy in 2020

3D PrintersManufacturer
Warranty
Buy Now
3D Bazaar Printer ELEGOO
1 Year of Machine CHECK ON AMAZON
Creality 3D Ender 3D PrinterCreality Ender 53 Months of ServiceCHECK ON AMAZON
WOL3D 3D PrinterCreality Ender 31 Year of Manufacturer’sCHECK ON AMAZON
Robocraze Creality 3D PrinterCreality Ender 33 Months of ServiceCHECK ON AMAZON
3 idea Imagine Create 3D PrinterCreality Ender-3 Pro
N/A
CHECK ON AMAZON
Anet A8  PrinterCreality Ender-3
1 Year Limited Warranty & Lifetime of technical
CHECK ON AMAZON
3D Bazaar ELEGOO Printer Anet A8N/ACHECK ON AMAZON

Best 3D Printers in India: Reviews

1. 3D Bazaar ELEGOO Mars UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer 

3D Bazaar ELEGOO Mars UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer 

First on our list is the ELEGOO Mars UV photocuring 3D printer. This resin printer from Formlabs comes with a unique design in the shape of a box enclosure. 

Top Features:

  • Comes with the latest version of Chitubox Slicing software for great user experience while printing. The software takes about 1 minute for slicing a 30mB STL model file compared to the 10 minutes taken by other open-ended softwares.
  • Chitubox also allows for a hollow cut of the printed model even before slicing in order to save the resin during the photocuring process. The printer comes equipped with a 40 Watt UV lights that and uses Elegoo trademark resin for a better output print.
  • Has a 3.5 inches large colour touch screen that is equipped with the Elegoo Chitubox 5.0 system that makes offline printing easy. 
  • Building platform’s inside has a steel ball balancing structure for a quick printing start in just 5 minutes set up time. 
  • The ELEGOO Mars uses 2560 x 1440 2K HD masking LCD for higher accuracy within the XY axis resolution of 0.00185inches / 0.047mm

Things we liked about the Printer:

  • Company has a good history of creating 3D printers
  • A great and user-friendly printer as well as the software too
  • Even beginners can easily use this printer to print pretty much anything
  • Can start printing within just 5 minutes of set up with 2 rooks
  • Come with a newly released CHITUBOX slicing software that has great UX

Things we didn’t like about it:

  • There is a one year manufacturer’s warranty on the product but whether this is eligible for American customers or Indian customers as well is not specified clearly

Buy Now at Amazon

2. Creality Ender 5 3D Printer

Creality Ender 5 3D Printer

Second, on our list is also a 3D Baazar product, the Creality Ender 5, a boiled-down version of the ELEGOO mars 3D printer. 

Top features:

  • Comes with a built-in power of 350 watts which assist in long-time stable printing. 
  • While most of the traditional 3D printers come with a Beautypaper and glue, the Ender 5 comes with easy to mould soft magnetic sticker. The model has good adhesive power. 
  • Comes in a partially assembled fashion in 5 kits. Easy to assemble, the Ender 5 will teach you the DIY construction of a basic 3D printer.
  • Has shielding that protects the printer from any voltage surges, power outages or voltage spikes etc., 
  • The circuit board is Industry grade and has a high-load safety. In cases of electricity outages or loss, the prints will pause and resume directly from the last layer when the power comes back in order to save time and reduce any wastage.
  • Has a V-Profile pulley moves that are more stable and smoothly that cause low noise and resist prolonged wear.
  • As for the slicing software, this printer supports Cura, Repetier-Host and also Simplify 3D.
  • Borken material detection feature will keep track of all the consumables and when it detects the inventory is empty, it will stop printing and thus avoids misprinting or broken printing.
  • Ergonomically designed large hand-turning nut increases the levelling speed is fast and has easy levelling.

Things we liked about it:

  • Very easy levelling.
  • Comparatively economically priced
  • Compatible with a lot of slicing softwares
  • Ample safety precautionaries taken

Things we didn’t like about it:

  • Only 3 months of service warranty

Buy Now at Amazon

3. WOL3D UPGRADED Creality Ender 3 DIY 3D Printer

WOL3D UPGRADED Creality Ender 3 DIY 3D Printer

Yet another Creality Ender printer, this Ender 3 is being upgraded and distributed by the WOLD3D, one of the first distributors of Creality 3D printers in India.

Top Features:

  • Has an easy assembly that comes with several pre-assembled parts, 20 nuts and takes just about 10 minutes to assemble.
  • Reduced Plugging risk with the upgraded extruder. The VSlot with the POM wheels makes the movement smooth and noiseless.
  • V-Slot cooperates with the Prusa I3 frame and has an innovative design.
  • The hotbed just takes about 5 minutes to reach 110 degrees centigrade and ready to print.
  • Has ample safety measures to protect the printer from getting damaged when it gets heated up very fast. Also, additional protection where the power cuts down automatically is present in cases of long-time fast heating 
  • One-piece structure gives a super printing size of the order 220X220X250 MM 
  • Can pause printing in cases of the power outage and resume printing once the power comes back.
  • Y-Rail CNC machining for precise positioning and stable frame for a high-quality print. 
  • Viscous Platform Sticker in the place of a reprinting tape and glue. This solves warping problems and saves on printing costs

Things we liked about it:

  • Comes with MK-8 Extruder, a patented technology to reduce plugging risk and bad extrusion.
  • Highly tested on all key components before every delivery
  • Good quality and low-cost printing
  • Good customer service and ratings. 
  • Comes with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty

Things we didn’t like about it:

  • Nonthing too specific in order to mention

Buy Now at Amazon

4. 3 idea Imagine Create Print Creality Ender-3 UPGRADED Open Source 3D Printer

3 idea Imagine Create Print Creality Ender-3 UPGRADED Open Source 3D Printer

While the WOL3D has an inhouse upgraded version of the Ender-3 3D printer, the 3 idea is also a distributor of the up-gradation version of the Ender-3 by Creality.

Top Features:

  • 40×40 aluminium extrusion Y-Axis base design that gives greater stability.
  • Upgraded control board comes with a resume print technology which prevents wastage and saves time in cases of a power outage. This will resume operation from the last print instructions and complete the design as soon as the power comes back. 
  • Comes with an advanced MK-10 extruder design that works to greatly reduce the risk associated with clogging and uneven print extrusion.
  • The ball bearing wheels are high-precision and are made from POM/Delrin engineering thermoplastic which gives you high stiffness at low friction and better stability with low noise.
  • The flexible C-Mag magnetic bed that can be easily removed and replaced. A highly adhesive textured surface that sticks to the filament better than most of the traditional glue and tape methods. 

Things we liked about it:

  • The resume function works very smoothly
  • Highly precise ball bearings with great stability 

Things we didn’t like about it:

  • Has only 3 months of service warranty and no mention of the manufacturer’s warranty

Buy Now at Amazon

5. Robocraze Creality 3D Ender-3 Pro 3D Printer

Robocraze Creality 3D Ender-3 Pro 3D Printer

Yet another Creality Ender 3 Pro, this extruder 3D printer from Robocraze comes with a decent build volume of about 220 x 220 x 250mm and a lot of free tools and accessories. 

Top Features:

  • Has a magnetic bed that heats up very fast. 
  • Has a larger turn round nut that gives ergonomic feel when you are leveling the platform and makes it much easier
  • Power recovery mode with resume print function. No more fear of the power going out and the printing being mis-aligned
  • Tight filament pathway gives easy workflow when working with flexible materials. 
  • Direct upgradation from the typical Ender 3 which was easily bootable and hackable.
  • MK-10 Extruder that is new and reduces plugging and leakage issues
  • Patented highly stable structure which gives out low noise and also causes reduced wear and tear.
  • Stable power supply than the standard Ender 3 models
  • Comes with a bunch of free tools like Free tools like Pliers, Nozzle, SD Card, Pneumatic, Fittings, Cable Tie, Blade, Allen key, Needle for nozzle, Wrench, Screw Driver, Rack, PFTE Tube

Things we liked about it:

  • Simple DIY assembly
  • Better performance than the standard Ender 3
  • Comes with a bunch of freebies

Things we didn’t like about it:

  • No Warranty

Buy Now at Amazon

6. Creality 3D Ender 3 – Personal Desktop 3D Printer

Creality 3D Ender 3 - Personal Desktop 3D Printer

Directly from the house of Creality, the next printer is the unadulterated Creality Ender 3. This is the boiled down yet comes with a wonderful community.

Top Features:

  • Fully open sourced software and a vibrant community that has the best of designers from around the world.
  • Upgraded control board with resume print technology. When outages occur, the printer pauses and waits for power and then prints out the remainder of the model.
  • Has an advanced MK-8 extruder design for reduced clogging risk and uneven extrusion. 
  • Highly precisely built ball bearing wheels with POM Delrin thermoplastic engineering for greater high stiffness, greater dimensional stability and low friction.
  • Fast heating plate surface which goes for 90 degrees centigrade in just about 5 minutes.
  • Safe and high power with 2 seperate fuses for protection of the printer from any power surges or outages. 

Things we liked about it:

  • Semi DIY kit 
  • Comes with a 1 year limited manufacturer’s warranty and a lifetime of technical assistance

Things we didn’t like about it:

  • The manual leveling has issues that makes it not so ideal for beginners to make great prints but ok to start. 
  • Is very basic compared to the other Ender 3 models of its licensees

Buy Now at Amazon

7. Anet A8  Printer

Anet A8  Printer

Finally, we have Anet A8, a licensed Ender 5 3D printer with a large build volume of 300x 220 x 220 mm. Andet A8 has an FDM moulding technology.

Top Features:

  • Economically priced 3D printer
  • Compatible with PLA, ABS, PETG, HIPS and a wide range of composite materials such as carbon fibre, glass, brick and wood too. 
  • Comes with a 30 Percent faster and far quieter printing than any other stock machines
  • Also supports offline printing function where the TF card is offline which makes computer less printing very convenient. 
  • Touch based auto levelling feature
  • Has an industrial grade circuit board and a built in motherboard and a magnetic sticker 
  • Has resume printing available 
  • Can print in any kind and any model
  • Fast heating platform. 
  • High 
  • Comes with CURA slicing software

Things we liked about it:

  • Budget friendly and rich featured personal 3D printer
  • Can be used to build long lasting props and much more.

Things we didn’t like about it:

  • Needs to work towards the product reliability
  • Heating band issues
  • Board crashes reported after several trials
  • Warranty not clearly specified by the vendor
  • Only for beginners, not for professional printing

  Buy Now at Amazon

Buying Guide: How to choose the perfect 3D printer

Given that 3D printers are very expensive, it becomes very important for you to do proper research before finalizing on a product. Fortunately for you, we have done all the research you need to pick the right 3D Printer. 

Now before we jump into listing out the factors that you need to look for before buying a printer, you need to understand that like a normal printer, 3D printers also come in various different types. 

Types of 3D printers:

So there are basically 4 types of 3D printers and they are different from one another depending on the type of technology they use. You would be choosing one of these depending on why you and what you would be going to use it for.

1. Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)

One of the most common types of 3D printing technologies available, the FDM printers use heating filaments and long tubes in order to create and print objects.  Basically, FDM printers perform extrusion of shapes along the X, Y and Z axes while flowing the heated resins in through tubes. 

But as is the case, these type of printers are known for their horizontal layer lines and cannot always be relied on for ultra-smooth output print models. Mostly, the output is more of a cartesian or delta style frame. Cartesian printers have their beds moving along the Y-Axis whereas individual motors move along X and Z axis. Delta construction, on the other hand, is not very common and it moves the extruder using 3 motors on evenly spaced rods. 

But if you are a 3D printing hobbyist, this is perfect and you could go for a Cartesian FDM printer much like most people in the community do. This is because Cartesian FDM printers give you greater control and comparatively better results than Delta styled printers.

2. Stereolithography Printers (SLA):

As the name suggests, these type of printers uses a particular process by the name of Stereolithography. Stereolithography involves a process called Photo-Solidification which is layers are formed by chemical reactions when light photons are focussed on specific points. This focussing will solidify the SLA resins. 

Due to the high precision of the photons used in the SLA printers, the output of Stereolithography printers are very smooth and are accurate up to fine details too. You can expect a really high-quality output print using a stereolithography printer

3. Digital Light Processing Printers (DLP):

DLP printers follow a process that is almost similar to the SLA printers. Here, you will be using vat polymerization for creating each individual layer for creating a print. Similar to the SLA printing, in DLP light is targetted at a single point but here, it hardens into its place directly. While it may not have as much finer quality as an SLA printer, it sure has a high-quality smooth printing compared to generic FDM printers. But compared to SLA, DLP printers are very fast in giving the output printed object. 

4. Selective Laser Sintering Printers (SLS):

SLS printers are somewhat like SLA printer but unlike SLA, which uses Liquified Resin, SLS uses powdered resin. Here, you will be creating new layers by focussing the laser on a particular point inside the powder vat. 

As the laser moves about from location to location, the powder solidifies into layers. SLS is good for printing and manufacturing complex industrial designs and other projects where detailing of the print is of the highest priority.

Types of materials used to print

After understanding the different types of printers, the next thing that you need to understand is all the different types of print materials available. Unlike a traditional printer which simply uses paper, the 3D printer needs a lot more than simple ink to print. It needs the actual build material that you need in order to make the output. 

Now basically you would first be choosing between a resin-based print or filament-based printing. FDM and SLS use resin for printing whereas other printers use other types of print materials.

Resin is available in 3 types. 

  • Standard Resin: This comes in clear, grey or white colours and is good for creating small gadgets or prototypes but lacks strength for large or long term objects
  • Tough Resin: As the name suggests, it is tough by nature and is used to create stronger applications, tools etc., objects built from it are physically more resistant and strong.
  • Medical grade resins: These are usually used in created dental prosthetics, hearing aids etc., More modified forms of the same are used in creating limbs and other prosthetics as well

Again, here it is available in 2 different types of print material.

  • Thermoplastic and
  • Thermosetting

Thermoplastics are materials which can be melted back into their liquid state whereas thermosetting materials solidify and stay there. Choose depending on the level of permanency you want in your outputs. 

As thermoplastics are the most preferred type of inputs, let us talk more about them. They are basically available in either Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) form or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) form. 

1. Poly Lactic Acid (PLA)

Great material for beginners and people who are concerned about the environment, this is a type of plastic that is made from corn starch. It is perfect for creating and printing miniature and simple objects. 

It is biodegradable and cools down quickly too. You get it in solid and also in translucent colours but as it has a low melting point, it may cause some models to deform when putting in high heat. 

2. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

ABS plastic is very popular in the making of household objects. It is a petroleum-based plastic that has great strength and flexibility. Its flexibility makes it very easy to create any type of material you want. Also, given its higher melting point, you can create objects for long term usage. 

But compared to the PLA plastic, it has longer cooling time so your models may warp. Also, one needs to be careful while creating models with this as it is known to emit fumes during the printing process.

Things to look for and consider before choosing and buying a printer

1. Type of Printer

Now that you have seen all of the different types of printers that are available in the market, you first need to define the purpose of why you are buying it. Why would you be buying and using the printer for?

If you are someone who is more into detailed projects and manufacturing, then it is suggested that you go for an SLS or an SLA 3D printer. If speed is more of your requirement (more common in mass production or faster prototype requirements), go for the DLP printers

Compared to all of the printers mentioned above, if you are a beginner, it is suggested that you go ahead with an FDM printer. It will come at a comparatively lower price and also is beginner-friendly.

2. Type of build material to choose from

If you are building something temporary or need it to be environmentally friendly, then go for PLA built materials. Furthermore, they are less likely to warp and cool down very fast. 

But if you are making something that needs to stay for a very long time, then it is ideal that you go for ABS thermoplastic material. It is suggested for beginners and also because it has a very strong output. You can even use it to make common household objects too.

3. 3D printer software 

After figuring out the build quality and the type of print material, you need to look at the software. The type of software your printer uses is called a “Slicing Software” and it varies from various other factors ranging from compatibility to usability. There are many softwares in the market like Cura, IdeaMaker, KISSlicer, Repetier-Host or the OctoPrint.

The slicing software tells your printer on how exactly it needs to print out your model. Its detained instructions include the number of layers it needs to generate, the starting point and also the hollow or solid parts of the model that needs to be filled, cut or avoided etc.,

Most of these softwares come with a disk or are downloadable. A large section of them are compatible with Windows and MAC OS and a few of them work with Linux and OS X too. If you are a beginner, go with a simple software and stick to the one that comes with the printer and do not go for extravaganzas. 

4. Modelling Softwares

Before going for the slicing of the final print, you need to first model the output. For this, you need to have a seperate modelling software . While you can directly get digital files of models from Youmagine or Thingiverse but you would want to have a customized version of the thing you are going to print. 

For beginners, it is ideal to go for simple and free 3D modelling apps like the Cubify Sculpt, 123D Make, Zbrush, SketchUP Make, Wings 3D or Seamless 3D.

5. Community

The next thing that you should probably look for is a community that is built around the brand or the product you are buying. Given the cutting edge (no pun intended) nature of the technology, a community helps you in a lot of issues and initial troubleshooting and expanding your knowledge base. You can easily check for the availability of an online community for the product that you are about to pick. 

These people will already have known about the ins and outs of the product before hand and might give you plenty of insights before you pop in your investment. It doesn’t matter if the community is small or big. But if there is no community for the product, then be sure to mark it as a concern because it speaks adversely of the brand in question.

6. Warranty

Most of the 3D Printers come with at least one year of warranty. Given the expensive nature of the printers, it is ideal to look for not just warranty but also consistent customer support. 

It is astonishing to find even reputed brands providing only 3 months of manufacturer’s or service warranty. But then again, you always have other options to go for which offer better and more often than not, higher warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are STL files?

STL is the standard file format used for 3D model printing. These are generated by most CAD software or are created in a modelling software. 

2. Is 3D printing expensive?

The cost of 3D printing is totally dependent on the materials used in printing the object. For instance, printing a small doodle or a desktop toy is way cheaper when compared to printing large objects.

3. How much does a basic beginner’s 3D printer cost?

The average cost of a 3D printer starts from 12,000 to about 13,000 rupees. This is again dependent on the brand, quality and feature rich nature of the printer in question. There are consumer and personal 3D printers which go as high as 2-3 lakh rupees as well.

4. How long does it take to 3d print a miniature?

10 minutes of print time. For printing a small low quality object (which requires basic settings and low infill and not a very large lot of details), it takes approximately 10 minutes. Depending on the complexity, scale, size, minute details and other quality related aspects, the time it may take can change from several hours to even several days. The speed is also dependent on the kind of 3D printer slicing software you are using. 

5. Is 3D printing dangerous?

There have been studies which suggest that prolonged exposure to the fumes of some print materials is very hazardous to health. 3D printers have thermoplastic feedstock that emit hazardous gases and vapours .

Wrapping it Up:

With its great ease of use, high accuracy and steel ball balancing structure, the 3D Bazaar ELEGOO Mars UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer wins our list of being the best 3D printer in India. This is so because it is very simple to use for beginners. Also, it comes with the latest version of the Chitubox Slicing Software that slices 30mB STL files in just one minute, great user experience, large 3.5 inches touch screen, and most importantly, the Elegoo Trademark resin that gives superior output.

While that was our list, we are interested to hear your thoughts as well. How did you like the list? Did we miss out on anything? Do we need to add any product to the list or remove any product? Have you got any questions regarding 3D printers or printers in general? If so, feel free to write to us in the comments section below and our team of product experts will write back to you as soon as possible.

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