We’ve tested dozens of 3D printers, and of all the machines we’ve ever used, the best one is definitely the Formlabs Form 2. It’s outrageously reliable, extremely easy to use, and makes parts so good that you can hardly tell they were 3D printed. Until we get a chance to test out the newly-announced Form 3, the Form 2 will likely remain King of 3D Printer Mountain.LCD panel 3d printer
That said, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that the Form 2 is
also quite expensive. At $3,500, it’s at the high end of the price
spectrum for consumer-oriented printers — and there are a ton of more
affordable options out there for anyone who isn’t looking to drop 3
grand on a desktop fabrication machine. If you’re in the market for
something more budget-friendly, keep reading.
Yes, it is very
expensive, but using the Form 2 is like moving from an old tube TV to 4K
UHD. The quality of its prints dwarf other printers on this list.
At the end of the day, you wont find a consumer-level 3D printer that makes more detailed, dimensionally accurate, structurally robust models than this one does. But that’s not the only reason we picked it. It’s also far more user friendly than other printers in its class, and despite being extremely advanced, its interface is so simple that even beginners should have no trouble using it.
It’s worth noting that the Form 2 isn’t cut from the same cloth as your average FDM printer. It’s a different breed entirely. Instead of heating up plastic filament and squirting it through a nozzle to build objects layer by layer, the Form 2 uses a laser projection system to “grow” objects out of a pool of UV-curable resin. As the laser flashes over the resin tray, it causes a thin layer to solidify on the build plate, which is slowly drawn upward as each new layer is made.
Now to be clear, the Form 2 isn’t the only 3D printer that uses this method — but it’s definitely the easiest to use of the bunch. Formlabs stuffed it with a boatload of great features that make resin-based printing less of a hassle — like an auto-filling resin tray, and an ingenious print feature that makes objects easier to remove from the build plate. There’s even a web app that lets you check the status of your print when you’re nowhere near the machine.
