3D Printer for 13 year old

Dyson

Dyson

Dyson

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Looking to get one of my kids a 3D printer. I use a QIDI Plus4 at work, so have some experience in getting a printer set up and printing, BUT, I can't decide on my best choice for him.

I'm torn between the following:

Tina2 Plus - Compact size, fully enclosed, works out of the box, but compact bed.
FLASHFORGE AD5M - More bed space, works out of the box, but not enclosed.
Bambu A1 - Seems to be the go to model for starters, but is totally open.

All 3 are in the £180 to £220 region. Totally understand the limitations of this end of the market, but it's for fun and creativity above anything else. I'm predicting a heavy swing towards the Bambu, but like the fact the Tina is enclosed.

Help!
 
I'd say the A1 for overall friendliness, though I must say I know nothing of the Tina2. Makerworld that is tied to BambuStudios has tons of models that are a simple click away from downloading and opening and you've got the phone app that does the same. You've also got a truckload of well supported spares and accessories on the bambu store should you need them.

Flashforge I have used before (a Guider2), which was closed source and I was forced to use their dreadful slicer. I don't know how things have changed for them since 2019 on the software end of things tbh.
 
Thank you for that, really appreciate the information.

Is it not an issue not being enclosed? If not, I'll probably just go with the A1
 
Enclosed is useful for more mid-higher end filaments where controlled temps are required - the others will correct me if I'm wrong.
For bog standard PLA filament a simple bed slinger like the A1 should be fine imo. It is the easiest filament to work with and you've got a plethora of colours and PLA subtypes to choose from ie PLA+, PLA Tough etc.
 
If your kids are just going to print in PLA, easiest filament to print with, and PETG, loves moisture so keep dry, then the A1 is hard to beat.
 
Dyson said:
@ElliorR @Kainz Ordered the A1, thank you for the advice
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When I started out in 3D Printing I had to learn how to level the print bed and set the ZED offset. I don’t miss those days. Yes I know how to do it but if I never have to again, great.

The A1 requires none of that and if I ever wanted a bed slinger again, I’d buy one. I was very tempted during The Long Black Friday sale they’ve been having, though I’d like to think I wouldn’t be in the back of the car at the end.
 
I started out 3D printing at work using a Cubicon 3DP, and then we eventually moved onto a Flashforge Guider 2 sometime in 2020. I was literally babysitting both machines as they were so flaky just printing out the simplest of small parts in bulk. It didn't help that the slicer was closed source and absolutely awful. Nozzle jams were something that would take hours to resolve as these things weren't easy to disassemble.

I am so glad things have moved on in the printing world.
 
I have exactly the same need for my 12 year old! The A1 is sold out on the Bambi site now though - though still discounted. Is it worth getting any of the packages? Accessories we'll need down the road?

Thanks
 
Morning all, rather than start a new thread asking pretty much the same question I thought I would ask on here. My son, 14, wants a 3D printer, primarily as he wants to get into cosplaying and wants to create a Clone Trooper armour, building the plates using the 3D printer. He has suggested the "Ender 3" but he doesn't have any huge dedication to this model and is open to alternatives, looking on Overclockers many seem to be suggesting the Bambu A1, they appear to my eyes to be in the same sort of category and therefore competing against each other.

I note that neither is enclosed, is this a huge issue? I am likely to tell him that it will need to live in our utility room which is unheated, would that necessitate an enclosed printer?

I have no personal knowledge of 3d printers so all help appreciated.
 
With 3D printing learning from mistakes is the best way to be truly embraced the tech and learn all the basic skills. I had a Bambu Lab P2S and a FlashForge AD5X and both are fantastic printers if you know what you doing with it. P2S have all the bells and whistles and saved me from failed prints a few times with the AI camera (wrong built plate or no built plate, forgot to clear the bed or left something on it by accident before starting and other job). The AD5X is a no frill cheap to start machine, still have auto leveling and cory XY setup. will print PLA and PTEG out of the box and with some additional print parts it can print high temperature filament like ABS, will need more basic skills like setting Z axis offsets and first layer adhesion for trouble free prints.

I got the AD5X on amazon warehouse/renew for £179 and it is fufilled by amazon but from FlashForge store, my best deal in 2025 I think :) apart from crappy box and used filaments it has been 2-300 hours non stop in the past months.

Gredawarha said:
Morning all, rather than start a new thread asking pretty much the same question I thought I would ask on here. My son, 14, wants a 3D printer, primarily as he wants to get into cosplaying and wants to create a Clone Trooper armour, building the plates using the 3D printer. He has suggested the "Ender 3" but he doesn't have any huge dedication to this model and is open to alternatives, looking on Overclockers many seem to be suggesting the Bambu A1, they appear to my eyes to be in the same sort of category and therefore competing against each other.

I note that neither is enclosed, is this a huge issue? I am likely to tell him that it will need to live in our utility room which is unheated, would that necessitate an enclosed printer?

I have no personal knowledge of 3d printers so all help appreciated.
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For PLA room temperature is not much of an issue, if printing ABS then need an enclosure to keep the heat and toxic fume in.
 
Gredawarha said:
Morning all, rather than start a new thread asking pretty much the same question I thought I would ask on here. My son, 14, wants a 3D printer, primarily as he wants to get into cosplaying and wants to create a Clone Trooper armour, building the plates using the 3D printer. He has suggested the "Ender 3" but he doesn't have any huge dedication to this model and is open to alternatives, looking on Overclockers many seem to be suggesting the Bambu A1, they appear to my eyes to be in the same sort of category and therefore competing against each other.

I note that neither is enclosed, is this a huge issue? I am likely to tell him that it will need to live in our utility room which is unheated, would that necessitate an enclosed printer?

I have no personal knowledge of 3d printers so all help appreciated.
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for cosplay you will want a larger build volume than the A1. An ender 3 is a great starter printer if only because it forces you to learn how a printer works.

An unheated room may be an issue, disparity in temperatures during a print will absolutely warp the print, especially larger ones as the material expands and contracts with the temp differences.
 
baritonejohann said:
for cosplay you will want a larger build volume than the A1. An ender 3 is a great starter printer if only because it forces you to learn how a printer works.

An unheated room may be an issue, disparity in temperatures during a print will absolutely warp the print, especially larger ones as the material expands and contracts with the temp differences.
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A bigger bed certainly better for making cosplay stuff but A1 can be used, just need more glue and more parts. In fact if you buy into the Bambu eco system the Maker World share files more often than not have stl files already optimized for A1 printers. I was so tempted by the A1 when it first launched, but I skipped it, not because of the size limit but the sling bed mechanics.
 
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Thank you all. Regarding the build volume, am I missing something, according to the website the Bambu has a bigger print volume, 256mmX256mmX256mm where as the Ender 3 is 220mmX220mmX250mm.

Regarding the unheated room would an enclosed model work or would I be better off compromising and trying to find somewhere indoors for the printer to live?
 
Gredawarha said:
Thank you all. Regarding the build volume, am I missing something, according to the website the Bambu has a bigger print volume, 256mmX256mmX256mm where as the Ender 3 is 220mmX220mmX250mm.

Regarding the unheated room would an enclosed model work or would I be better off compromising and trying to find somewhere indoors for the printer to live?
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i may be getting the models confused, i thought the a1 was the tiny one.

you can always get a grow tent style enclosure but the footprint will be enormous, i have my ender 3 in a cupboard which works well for me.
 
baritonejohann said:
i may be getting the models confused, i thought the a1 was the tiny one.

you can always get a grow tent style enclosure but the footprint will be enormous, i have my ender 3 in a cupboard which works well for me.
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Thanks, yes perhaps you were thinking of the A1 mini?

I am tempted to spend a bit more and get him the P1S, presumably the enclosure will help with temperature control but I also think the enclosed form factor will be better in terms of looking after it and if it needs moving around the house. I am also mindful that if we don't put it in the utility room but keep it in the house the enclosure will keep the cat from ******* about with it.
 
Gredawarha said:
Thanks, yes perhaps you were thinking of the A1 mini?

I am tempted to spend a bit more and get him the P1S, presumably the enclosure will help with temperature control but I also think the enclosed form factor will be better in terms of looking after it and if it needs moving around the house. I am also mindful that if we don't put it in the utility room but keep it in the house the enclosure will keep the cat from ******* about with it.
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must have been yeah.

We have an x1 carbon at work and it has to deal with school age kids using it under supervision and is kept in a room frequently full of sawdust and the like, it has held up a year of use with minimal maintenance and still performs as well as day 1. Id say that from a preventative maintenance perspective an all in one with an enclosure works exceedingly well.
 
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