Starting in 2012 Adafruit has stocked a handful of 3D printers, accessories, and supplies, and provide resources to help our community create better 3D printed project that integrate electronics.

We created this guide as a handy reference to help you compare and contrast the options we offer. While we no longer carry the MakerBot Adafruit Edition (the manufacturer has discontinued the Replicator 2 line), we included this model as a point of reference.

Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don't forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D! The Adafruit Learning System has dozens of great tools to get you well on your way to producing mechanisms, enclosures, interactive art, and design with your 3D printer.

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Manufacturer

Printrbot

Printrbot

SeeMeCNC

Printrbot Metal Plus

Type A Machines

Model

Printrbot Simple Kit - 1405 Model

PrintrBot Simple Metal 3D Printer - Black - Assembled

See-Me-CNC ORION™ Delta 3D Printer - Black

Printrbot Metal Plus

Series 1

Print Technology

FFF/FDM

FFF/FDM

FFF/FDM

FFF/FDM

FFF/FDM

FFF/FDM

Layer Resolultion (Z)

0.1mm

0.1mm

0.075mm-0.35mm

0.0125mm

0.1mm

.25mm-0.05mm

Filament Material

PLA, *Flexible (*with mods in Adafruit Learn System)

PLA, *Flexible (*with mods in Adafruit Learn System) ABS with the purchase of a hot plate accessory

ABS, PLA, HIPS, PVA, and wood filaments, copperFill, BronzeFill, glowFill

ABS, PLA, HIPS, PVA, and wood filaments

PLA, *Flexible (*with mods in Adafruit Learn System) ABS with the purchase of a hot plate accessory, copperFill, BronzeFill, glowFill

NinjaFlex, SemiFlex, PLA, and wood filaments, copperFill, BronzeFill, glowFill, PCTPE, PET+, 

XT copolyester, Conductive PLA, Stainless Steel PLA, Magnetic Iron PLA, tglase PETT, 

PLA/PHA

Filament Diameter

1.75mm

1.75mm

1.75mm

1.75mm

1.75mm

Nozzle Diameter

0.4mm

0.4mm

0.35mm

0.5mm

0.4mm

0.4mm

Machine Size

8" x 14" x 11"

14" x 10" x 16" 

26.8" x 20.5" x 20.3"

14" Diameter x 24" Tall

419.1mm x 139.7mm x 431.8mm (Bed needs 431.8mm to move in the X & Y)

766mm x 459mm x 572mm / 30.15" x 18" x 22.5"

Print Volume

4" x 4" x 4.5"

6" x 6" x 6"

11.7" x 10.8" x 9.8"

6" diameter x 9.25" height (cylinder)

10" x 10" x 10"

12" X 12" X 12"

Top Speed

60-65mm/s

80mm/s

200mm/sec

300mm/s

70mm/s

150mm/s

Machine Firmware

Marlin (Printrbot)

Marlin (Printrbot)

Repetier Firmware (Orion)

Marlin (Printrbot)

Marlin

Hardware License

Open source; most parts shared as CC BY-SA 3.0.

Open source; most parts shared as CC BY-SA 3.0 (professionally machined metal fold body elements excluded).

Open Source; most parts shared under GPLv3 and CC by SA 4.0.

Pending.

Pending.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence.

Unique Features

Auto Level Sensor

Redesigned Chassis

1/4" acme drive rod

Metal print bed

Clearly labeled laser cut parts for easier assembly

New fan shroud design

GT2 Belts and Pulleys

Z-Axis Coupler

Requires Assembly

Auto Level Sensor
Steel and Aluminum Body
Minimal Setup Needed
Metal Print Bed
GT2 Belts and Pulleys
Z-Axis Coupler

Heated Borosilicate glass bed covered with PET film
Designed to Print Experimental Feedstock
Awarded a RYF Certification from Free Software Foundation

Delta-style Printer

Fixed, heated bed

Tall printing area.

High speed positioning (up to 300mm/s)

LCD Display & Interface - print untethered from SD!

 

Auto Level Sensor

Redesigned Chassis

12mm Linear Rails

Aluminum print bed

GT2 Belts and Pulleys

Linear rails and carts

Single piece melt path reduces clogging, allows for better temperature and print control. 

Massive Build Volume

Durable, Industrial Construction

The Bottom Line - Collected!

  • Durability, modularity and one of the largest build volumes in its class. Type A Machines Series 1 The Series 1 3D Printer features a sleek metal design, large build volume, and a new high-durability all-metal extruder for added reliability and the ability to print with a wider range of materials.
  • Our most affordable printer. Printrbot Simple Kit offers an affordable introduction to 3D printing -- one that performs better than other printers in its price bracket. Now with more primo features from the Simple Metal kit, including auto leveler and GT2-based movement system. Ideal for the mechanically-inclined, who are eager to learn more about how printing works. (Note: requires assembly.)
  • Print big with Printrbot Simple Metal. Packing significant printing power into a small foot print weighing only 25 lbs. This affordable, assembled printer offers primo features such as the auto level sensor, milled metal print bed, linear rails and carts for stability and smooth movement of the print head and bed. The GT2 belt and aluminum pulley system facilitates precise movement of the print head and bed.
  • Meet the sleek new Simple Metal. Now with a metal frame coated in our favorite color -- "Adafruit black" -- the Printrbot Simple Metal packs significant printing power into a small (and portable) printer. An affordable, assembled printer design that benefited from generations of Printrbots models, and offers primo features such as the auto level sensor, milled metal print bed, GT2 belts and pulleys, and z-axis coupler.
  • A Delta Printer Anyone Can Setup & Enjoy! Easy to setup and operate -- and half the cost of many of the Delta printers available on the market --the ORION™ Delta 3D Printer is the first Delta suitable for first-time 3D printing hobbyists, teachers and students. Expert users who spend extra effort dialing in this machine and building their own custom slicing profiles using tools such as Cura and Simplify3D will raise the baseline of the print quality from good up to excellent.

This guide was first published on Jul 31, 2014. It was last updated on Mar 02, 2015.

This page (Overview and Comparison Grid) was last updated on Jul 23, 2014.

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