A $300 3D Printer that’s big on features and light on the wallet

M3D 3D PrinterThis looks super cool and I wish I had joined the Kickstarter when I could have picked one up for $199, but honestly $299 isn’t bad either.  I personally haven’t gotten much experience with 3D printing, but it’s definitely one of those hobbies I wish I had time to get into.  I might need to do a little hobby pruning and see what is taking up my time and start to drop old things in favor of new hobbies.  I’ve had ideas for 3D printing for a while and I keep looking at the prices go down, but I also have a bunch of other things I’ve bought recently that are just sitting on my desk, so I don’t want to go too crazy.  But for $300, this is in a good sweet spot of being cheap enough that I wouldn’t feel bad if I didn’t use it, but useful enough that if I got into it, I would totally invest more into it.  I really wish it wasn’t a 6+ month wait to get one of these.  Hopefully this Kickstarter comes to fruition.  Happy 3D printing everyone 🙂

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M3D launched its Micro 3D printer project on Kickstarter today, and has already surpassed its $50,000 goal—and then some.

The numbers continue to tick up as more than 1,300 backers have already contributed almost $330,000 as of press time. And there are still 29 days to go.

Advertised as “the first truly consumer 3D printer,” the Micro is certainly more affordable than any of its big-business counterparts. The lightweight, USB-compatible desktop device, which can be used with any Windows, Mac, or Linux system, has sold out of $200 and $250 bundles, which include the Micro at a “very limited special price” (shipping not included), as well as one filament spool.

The still-available $300, $600-plus, and $900-plus reward packages also earn you a first-batch printer on the cheap. Comparatively, Brooklyn-based MakerBot is now taking pre-orders for its compact Replicator Mini, with a price tag of $1,375.

“We’ve built The Micro with reliability, consistency, and accessibility in mind,” the M3D team wrote on Kickstarter. Built for everyone from novice users to experts, the device include a sensor and feedback system for auto-leveling and calibration; you’ll never have to adjust the printer, even after building an entire scale model of the Death Star.

“Bring your ideas to life, turn them into businesses, educate, learn, personalize products, make toys, make jewelry, start a curriculum, run a modern workshop, and unleash your creativity,” the team said. “The power of creation is yours!”

The space-efficient, portable, quiet 3D printer comes in five colors—silver, black, blue, red/orange, and green—and promises the lowest power consumption of any 3D printer on the market. Already own a 3D printer, or just have spools of filament lying around? The Micro supports various materials, including ABS, PLA, and Nylon, among others. Likewise, M3D’s filament is compatible with other printers.

“We’re ready for production and really need your support to ramp up assembly to get printers to you as early as possible,” the Kickstarter page said.

The Maryland-based team has been prepping for more than a year, and now, by pre-ordering the Micro printer, “you’ll help us reach our last crucial milestone: purchasing the injection molds that will provide us with high-quality, high-volume 3D printer parts we need.”

Unless otherwise noted, all Micro 3D Printer rewards come with the M3D software, instruction manual, USB cable, country-specific power adapter, and one Micro filament spool.

Still unclaimed, M3D’s big-spender rewards include a signed sketch of the original design ($2,000+), a custom-colored printer ($5,000+), and a tour of the M3D offices and lunch with the team ($10,000+). The Kickstarter project closes on May 7.

PCMag.com