Thinking about getting a 3D printer? Which technology should you choose?

14 Tem 09:27

Back in the day when I wanted to do small 3D prints as a hobby, I first invested in an FDM printer—until that first plastic disappointment. The timing belt kept breaking, and there was always shrinkage at the corners. Then I tried an LCD printer for the same model, and when it came out with fine details and smooth surfaces, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Later, during my internship, I got to see firsthand which technology was best for what: FDM excels in durability, while resin shines in precision. Once I started using resin for gear systems—where there’s almost no play—and calculated the torque, I realized that even though it costs 3-4 times more than FDM, there are times when it’s absolutely worth it.

14 Tem 09:59

Let's narrow this down a bit. Should we focus on the choice between FDM or resin, especially since use cases like "for internships" or "hobbies" are off the table? If your budget is tight or your workspace is limited (say, a small home office), which one makes more sense to prioritize? Some folks recommend resin for a first printer because the final print quality is far superior to FDM. But when working on multiple projects—especially ones requiring durability—the flexibility and material variety of FDM really shine. In the long run, which one do you think leads to fewer headaches?

14 Tem 10:16

I started with FDM too, it was an old Makerbot's legacy. The hardest part was scraping supports with a brush cleaner I made from a whiskey bottle. But none of the post-processing tricks I learned worked on regular printers. Then I switched to an SLA, and after just 2-3 tries, I forgot about those rough FDM surfaces. Printing small gear sets or masks with resin's photopolymer precision wasn’t confusing anymore. During my internship, the adapters I made with a 3Doodler kept failing, so my boss said, "We need a new printer." We got an economical resin model, but the light-blocking vat required constant cleaning. With FDM, the filament was red; with resin, the material was blue powder. As I bounced between hobbyist and professional use, I had to get used to the advantages of both. In the end, FDM works fine for internship projects, but I use resin for professional prototypes.

14 Tem 11:31

I think you're asking if I'd recommend getting a printer for internships? If it's just for small, simple parts, an FDM printer should be enough, honestly. Resin printers are great for small, detailed models, but they can be a bit of a hassle for beginners.