Printrbot Simple Metal Review: The affordable option with a decent printing quality

Are you looking for a quality 3D printer at an affordable price? Then, why don’t you check out this Printrbot simple metal review? It’s a very cheap and affordable option with some decent quality to ease your home’s 3D printing needs. So, if you are intrigued by the printer, make sure to check out this whole thing.

Printrbot Simple Metal 3d Printer Specifications

First, let’s take you through the technical specifications of the printer. Going through these will help you find out anything particular that you may need in your printer.

• Compatible materials: PLA, ABS, Nylon, TPE, TPU, PETG
• Printing area: 150 x 150 x 150 mm
• Printing surface: Non-heated aluminum
• Print speed: 500mm/ sec
• Extruder type: Single extruder
• Filament size: 1.75mm
• Layer size: 0.3 to 0.1mm
• Weight: 9.3lbs

Looking at this table gives you an idea of the printer and what it provides in technical terms. Is that enough to judge the printer? I don’t think so. That’s why I will dive in-depth into the printer to give you the complete picture of it.

Printrbot Simple 3D Printer Pros and Cons

Checking out the pros and cons is a great way to determine whether this is the thing that meets your needs or not. So, let’s get through this very quickly –

Pros

• The printer is very much affordable
• It’s pretty easy to use
• The print quality you get is pretty decent
• The documentation and support are commendable
• It’s compatible with a lot of materials

Cons

• It doesn’t have the most robust build quality
• You will need some tweaks on this to get the best results

Still, wondering what you should do? Well, then I suggest diving deeper into the article and seeing whether the features and performance of the printer are up to your standards or not.

Printrbot Simple Metal Overview

Here, I will go through the different aspects of this printer and discuss how they stand out. This way, you can understand the printer and see whether it’s worthwhile or not.

What is the printer like physically?

First of all, this is one of those printers that have exposed parts of electronics all over. You can see the motors and other parts of the printer, simply put, it doesn’t have any covering. There is an extruder on the printer that can easily print PLA materials.

For the build quality, I would say it’s mediocre. I mean, this doesn’t give you that assurance of rugged build or durability. Having said that, it’s not bad either, considering the printer does last for quite a while without any trouble. Unless you plan to move it around a lot or throw it around, this does last a bit.

Coming to the size of the printer, it’s pretty compact and lightweight. Because of that, it’s very easy to carry around. But you have to be careful with the exposed and moving parts on the printer as you can easily damage them.

How is the printer used?

Now, the printer’s usability is nothing to worry about at all. It’s very straightforward. You get the printer and assemble it. Since it comes with an automatic bed leveling feature, you won’t have to think about any calibration steps on this one. You can simply follow the instructions for that purpose.

Next up, load a slicer software, preferably CURA, on your computer and connect the printer to it. Then, load up the 3D printable file and start with the printer. Of course, you will need to think about loading the filament with all that, so do that while you are at it.

Related: dual extruder 3d printers

Printrbot Simple 3D Printer Key Features

You may be a rating kind of person; if that’s the case, then this part will surely help you decide on the printer. Here, I talk about several features and rate them based on how they perform on a scale of 5.

Print quality

Now, when you are thinking about the print quality of this printer, it’s pretty good. I won’t say it’s mind-blowing, but the results you get from this printer are satisfactory. You won’t have issues with how the print results come out, especially if you are doing a home project.

Although, with some tweaks and upgrades, there is a chance to increase the quality of the prints by a lot. So, considering that factor, I would say it’s a good printer to go with for print quality.

Value for money

Well, you may already know that the core factor for getting this printer has to be the value for money aspect of it. It doesn’t cost too much, and you can easily get your hands on this one for whatever purpose.

Features

In terms of features, I wouldn’t say this is the best. It doesn’t come with advanced features like Wi-fi or anything. So, if you want to get some advanced features, this is not it.

However, it indeed has the basic features that you would usually require in a quality 3D printer. For example, you can get automatic bed leveling on this printer, making your life so much easier overall.

Ease of assembly

This printer isn’t difficult to assemble; this factor alone makes it a very beginner-friendly choice. You can easily set this printer up while following the instructions that you get along with the package. So, I would say, as a beginner DIYer, you can surely get this printer for your primary use.

Final Verdict!

Finishing things off, the Printrbot simple metal review clearly shows that this is a great option for someone who is looking to get started on 3D printing. The performance, price, and results are all suited for that purpose. On top of everything else, this is the perfect choice for anyone who is looking for a budget 3D printer for their home usage.