According to hands-on testing by Thomas Sanladerer, aka Made with Layers on YouTube, a super cheap $77 3D printer on AliExpress is somehow still functional, just built as cheaply as possible. Considering that most budget 3D printers start at $160 or more, this is a truly impressive feat. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should buy it, even if you have entry-level needs.
Below we discuss Sanladerer’s hands-on impressions of the $77 EasyThreed K9 3D printer and try to figure out whether you should go for it or go for a more expensive model from our Best Budget 3D Printers or Best 3D Printer lists. Printer” should save instead.
First the pros. The Easy threed K9 3D printer is obviously incredibly cheap compared to the industry, and the advantages don’t end there. Due to the mostly plastic construction and the use of hollow rods, it is also quite lightweight, which reduces shipping costs and is ultimately an effective cost saver since it still works. There’s also a simple assembly process where the parts slide together mostly without tools, although some screws do need to be turned or screwed in manually.
However, the “Made with Layers” video has some notable drawbacks. The Easy threed K9 only supports 250g PLA spools, meaning you will most likely be using loose filaments instead. The actual operation of the printer produces unpleasant odors from the cooling fan, which only get worse when you start an actual print – enough that Sanladerer leaves the room for his two test prints.
There is also half a millimeter of play in the motor, which is a tiny inaccuracy, but an inaccuracy nonetheless. While the two 3D prints in the video generally look smooth, close analysis in 4K shows many small imperfections on the actually smooth surfaces, which are most likely due to this issue.
Finally, the 3D printer firmware claims to use a Robin Lite motherboard, but for compatibility reasons it is most likely something else emulating this as it uses a different CPU. This still seems to generally work, but is observed by Sanladerer in the video and could be an important detail.
Overall, the Made with Layers video doesn’t portray the Easy threed K9 3D printer as a truly optimal introduction to entry-level 3D printing. We still recommend you take a look at our list of industry-leading 3D printers, especially if You can afford to spend even about $150. But the fact that 3D printing is possible even for less than $80 is truly impressive and bodes well for the future of the 3D printing industry and the companies focused on it.