I downloaded this model from Thingiverse for free, and it cost about a dollar's worth of filament to print. The jaws showcase some of the amazing educational projects you can do with a 3D printer. Neither would a set of mountain range prints I produced. I didn't have time to print anything super-large for this column, but the video shows T-Rex jaws that would just never fit into the build area for the MOD-t. You can print much larger items on the CR-10.
On the other hand, if you have children of high school age, or you're in college, the CR-10 is going to be the far better choice. The potential for small hands getting burned is pretty high. If you have young kids around, you probably don't want the CR-10. The bed on the CR-10 is also heated, which makes the printer far more versatile, but at 60 degrees C or 140 degrees Fahrenheit, it's also quite toasty. Print heads on 3D printers are often in the 190-220 Celsius range, which is 374-428 degrees Fahrenheit - in other words: hot. The plastic shell means your kids can watch the printer print, but you don't have to worry that they'll reach inside and possibly burn themselves. If you want to buy a 3D printer for your younger children, this may be the one for you. Of particular importance is the fish tank-like clear plastic shell around the print area. All told, including the leveling process, assembly and tuning took me a little under two hours.Īs I showed in my unboxing, the MOD-t comes fully assembled. You attach the gantry, plug in the various cables, and then level the bed, which is a tedious (but relatively simple process) of just turning some thumb wheels until paper slides evenly under the print head. You have to assemble it, although that's relatively easy. This is important, because the very tiny build area of the MOD-t can be quite limiting. In the video I show a little gray block cuboid that represents the maximum build area of the MOD-t. You can pretty much fit the MOD-t inside the CR-10. These are two very, very different printers. When they sent me this last year, it was listed at $399, but it's now available for sale directly from New Matter for $269.
The second is one you're likely to be familiar with from my previous article. If you use GBCR10J the price will drop to $396.99. UPDATE: As soon as this article posted, GearBest reached out with a coupon code. This one was sent to me by the nice folks at GearBest, who regularly run sales. This is a monster printer at a very affordable price, ranging from about $350 to about $440, depending on whether it's on sale or if you can find a coupon. In the video associated with this article, you can see two inexpensive printers.
BEST 3D PRINTER FOR SCHOOLS SERIES
Whether you're new to 3D printing or an old hand, ZDNet's 3D Printing Discovery Series will help you understand and get the most out of this amazing, accessible technology. DIY-IT Project: 3D printing discovery series