Is A Resin 3D Printer Worth It?

Running costs are a serious consideration when you’re buying a printer, especially if you hope to generate income from it. Generally, your biggest expense in 3D printing is going to be resin or filament, but resin printers sometimes have consumable parts that might need to be replaced more quickly than their FDM counterparts. For example, in our review of the Phenom by Peopoly, we noted that its LCD had a lifespan of around 400 hours and cost $100 to replace.

On to the discussion of material costs, Anycubic sells 1 kilogram of UV resin for anywhere from $22 to $69.99, while PLA at the same site comes in at $21.99 to $26. At first glance, it seems like the value proposition leans heavily in favor of the FDM printer, but because resin printers use less material on supports, things even out a bit. With that said, when it comes to the initial investment, FDM printers far outclass resin printers. 

The Creality Ender 3 — a reliable entry-level FDM printer — sells for $189 and is regularly on sale for around $160. On the other hand, the similarly-sized Creality HALOT-LITE retails at a whopping $579. To add insult to injury, curing and washing machines — which are not essential, but definitely recommended to get uniform prints — are often upwards of $200, as well. Even if running costs were a wash, the gulf in initial investment between FDM and resin printers means FDM printers definitely present better value than their resin alternatives.