Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
chase a BIY (Build It Yourself) kit from a manufacturer, you'll usually see savings
of between $100 and $400, but if you hunt down all the parts on your own, you
could feasibly save even more money if you look for sales of the various electron-
ics parts. Frequently manufacturers will have sales on their parts when they are
preparing to start selling a newer model—keep an eye on websites that sell indi-
vidual components (such as
printrbot.com
,
makerbot.com
, and others) and you'll
frequently see items sold at reduced prices.
Note
One word of warning—when buying 3D printer parts individually, be
sure to keep track of shipping costs. You might save $10 on a hot-end
from Source A and $20 on three motors from Source B. But if you end
up paying $15 in shipping costs for each supplier, you might find that
the savings disappear quickly. When possible, try to order individual
components from a single source, so the parts can be boxed up and
shipped in one package.
Consider 3D Printer Kits
This section is directed at those 3D printer owners who purchased an out-of-the-
box solution. There is absolutely nothing wrong with purchasing a 3D printer
that's already assembled and is ready to start printing. Most of the time you can be
assured that the printer has been tested before being shipped and that all its parts
are oriented correctly, the nuts have been tightened properly, and the electronics
work as desired.
Many 3D printer kits allow you to pick and choose from a limited number of op-
tions. You may find one seller that offers the same 3D printer with different print
bed sizes. Another seller may allow you to select from a couple of extruder op-
tions. And yet another seller may offer models in different colors. Printrbot, for ex-
ample, currently offers four different kits as shown in
Figure 10.3
.
Some of those
kits allow you to pick a few customization options, such as selecting between a
1.75mm or 3mm hot end.
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