- Last Updated On October 4, 2020
If you want a faster version of 3D printing that is insanely fun to watch, delta 3D printing is the only option. When you’re looking at different delta printers, you might be confused by all the different options – it’s hard to tell which is the best one.
You just need some more information to make sure you’re not wasting hundreds of dollars on something you don’t love.
Let’s dive into some of the best delta printers on the market and how to pick the right one for you.
Top Delta 3D Printers At A Glance
When choosing a delta 3D printer keep in mind the different features you’re looking for. The 3D printers outlined below excel in different categories:
1. Monoprice Mini Delta (Most Affordable)
2. SeeMeCNC Rostock MAX V4 (Industrial Grade)
3. Anycubic Delta Linear Plus (Best Under $500)
4. Frankensbox FX-800 (Easiest To Use)
5. WASP 2040 PRO Turbo (Fastest)
6. FLSUN QQ-S (Quietest)
Build volume: 110 x 110 x 120 mm | Layer Resolution: 50 micron
First up is the Mini Delta from Monoprice. As the name suggests, this delta printer is smaller than others on this list. The small size is accompanied by a small price tag. For less than $200, you can have a fully functional delta printer. The thing that’s hard to believe is how many features they crammed into this printer.
It has an auto-leveling bed, a heated print bed, a huge LCD screen, and a metal framework that minimizes vibrations. On top of that, the machine comes fully assembled, so there’s no need to spend time assembling it. The print quality and print speed are nothing special, but that’s to be expected with a sub-$200 printer.
This low-cost option also allows for wireless printing, which means you can queue your printer without being anywhere near it.
Pros
- Very low cost
- Fully assembled
- Heated bed
- Auto-leveling bed
- Big LCD screen
- Metal framework
- Looks professional
- Wireless printing
- Lightweight & Good resolution
Cons
- Sub-par quality
- Speed is slow for delta printer
- Small build volume
- Can only print PLA
Build volume: 280 x 280 x 350 mm | Layer Resolution: 50 micron
The Rostock MAX V4 from SeeMeCNC is a very serious machine. This is the more professional-grade delta printer that has all of the bells and whistles you would expect on a machine over $1,000. The first thing to mention is how insanely accurate this machine is. The Rostock can achieve amazing print quality and reliability. It does this in a massive build volume, seemingly dwarfing every cartesian 3D printer in its area.
The build plate and extruder both get hot enough to print a ton of different filament materials. The printer comes fully assembled. There’s an additional upgrade for multi-color printing available for this unit. It can be printed via wireless so you can start a print remotely. Of course, the bed also levels itself, so there’s less guesswork upfront before printing.
The speed is undesirable and is one of the slowest on this list – but the machine makes up for this in almost every other category. On top of it all, this delta printer utilized super robust materials for its framework. Overall this machine is beautiful, performs exceptionally, and has a giant build volume.
Pros
- Huge build volume
- Up-gradable extruder head
- Wireless printing
- High precision
- High-accuracy prints
- Very reliable
- Price is reasonable for what it delivers
- Top fed filament is good
- Can print most filament materials
Cons
- Unit is slow
- Machine is a bit bulky
Build volume: 230 x 230 x 300 mm | Layer Resolution: 100 micron
Let’s take a look at the Anycubic Delta Linear Plus. You might remember Anycubic from our article about miniatures. This is a respected brand in the community and it’s not going anywhere. What they’ve done with the Delta Linear Plus solidifies this fact. The build volume is generous, and the resolution isn’t bad either. The printer is semi-assembled, so you’re going to spend a few hours putting the rest of it together before you can start printing.
The print bed is heated, and the filament spool is side fed, which has reliability issues. This machine is super robust, thanks to its metal framework. It’s overall quality and performance is remarkable, especially in this price category.
Even though Anycubic has a great team of support, it seems that a lot of customers receive defective parts. Overall, this printer is great if you’re looking for more without breaking the bank.
Pros
- Good price
- Heated print bed
- Metal framework
- Decent resolution
- Big build volume
- Good quality
- Great performance
Cons
- Defective parts
- Side-fed filament spool
- Semi-assembled
Build volume: 150 x 150 x 175 mm | Layer Resolution: 100 micron
Next up is the FX-800 by Frankensbox. This little-known company churned out a really high-quality printer. The machine can print quietly, though it’s a little slow. Though the printer has a small build volume, it shows great accuracy when printing small parts. Additionally, it comes fully enclosed, which helps maintain a constant temperature and optimize each print.
The print bed automatically levels with one button, and the unit allows for wireless printing. If you have any problems within the first year of owning it, Frankensbox’s warranty will completely cover your problem. The great thing about this printer is how easy it is to use.
Nearly everything is automated, and it takes very little effort to get a great print. You’ll call yourself Dr. Frankensbox when you use this convenient delta printer.
Pros
- Quality is good
- Fully enclosed
- Automatic bed leveling
- Wireless printing
- 1-year warranty
- Super easy to use
- Fully assembled
- Quiet printing
Cons
- Small build volume
- Slow printing
- A little expensive for what it delivers
Build volume: 200 x 200 x 400 mm | Layer Resolution: 50 micron
If you want to see some real speed, you need to check out the 2040 PRO Turbo by WASP. Float like a butterfly, print like a WASP. WASP claims that this printer is the fastest 3D printer in the world. It achieves speeds up to 600 mm/s and makes it look easy. Despite printing fast, it also prints accurately. The aluminum frame keeps everything sturdy while the head zips around.
The bed automatically levels itself and heats up to allow for different filament materials to be printed onto it. You can pause or stop a print then resume where you left off. It also stops printing when it notices you’re out of filament. This machine is also super reliable. This all comes at a cost, though. This machine sells for around $3,400.
Pros
- Pause and resume print
- Automatic filament detection
- Auto-leveling bed
- Reliable, high quality, highly accurate
- Super-fast
- Sturdy frame
Cons
- Very expensive
- Side-fed filament spool
Build volume: 255 x 255 x 360 mm | Layer Resolution: 50 micron
Last on the list is the QQ-S by FLSUN. It’s hard to know what all the letters stand for, but it’s a good guess that the S stands for “silent.” This unit’s claim to fame is the whisper that it prints at. The build volume is really big, and the price is higher than the comparable units on this list. One of the reasons for this is the touchscreen it’s equipped with. Another is the high speed it can print at.
This printer also has the feature that will resume a print after it’s paused or stopped. Out of the box, it takes about a half-hour to finish the assembly and set up before you can start printing. The filament is top-fed, which is great. Yet another great feature is its unique lattice build plate, which makes it easy to remove prints. Overall this printer is a great pick and has a lot of handy features you might like.
Pros
- Big build volume
- Accurate
- Super quiet
- Can print with most filament material types
- Auto-leveling bed
- Unique build plate
- Great touchscreen
- High-speed printing
Cons
- Takes time to fully assemble unit
- Price is a little high
What Is A Delta 3D Printer?
A delta 3D printer is a different type of motion than your standard 3D printer. You’ve probably seen the 3D printers that move side to side then up and down. Those are called Cartesian 3D printers. Flashback to high school math class!
Unlike these Cartesian printers, delta printers are typically cylindrical looking. This means that their build plates are sometimes circular, but they’re usually thinner and taller than standard 3D printers.
How Does A Delta 3D Printer Work?
Delta 3D printers work using some physics and engineering. The print head is still at the top of the machine, but instead of a single rod or rail guiding the head up and down, there are a ton of rods. Each printer might opt for different orientations of the rods, but you’ll notice them move up and down and around while the print is going on.
The filament is still fed to the nozzle, and there are still motors that drive the filament and the head around. The only real difference is how the machine moves, the actual operation is identical. What are the pros and cons of delta 3D printers?
Pros Of Delta 3D Printers
There are a number of reasons why someone might choose to use a delta 3D printer.
Speed
The biggest advantage of delta printers is how much faster they are. In fact, some delta printers are more than 10 times faster than cartesian 3d printers. Standard cartesian printers are way slower than a delta printer. Cartesian printers are heavier, so their momentum can swing and ruin a print.
This means that those printers have to move slower to be careful and preserve accuracy. Delta printers don’t have this problem since the extruder assembly and head are so much lighter.
Height Of Prints
The next advantage is how much taller a delta 3d printer can operate. Due to the technology and construction of these printers, they can basically make skyscrapers.
Cons Of Delta 3D Printers
There are a few shortcomings with this technology as well.
Community Is Smaller
Since delta printers aren’t really in the limelight yet, there are a lot fewer communities behind delta printers. This means that troubleshooting and learning more could be an uphill battle. This does add a level of exclusivity to using a delta printer, almost like a yacht club for 3d printing nerds!
More Difficult To Learn And Troubleshoot
In addition to the construction being novel and more fun to watch, it also means the printer is harder to operate on. The basic operation is the same – you load the print and watch it work. The difference is when something goes wrong, it’s a lot harder to fix it.
Cartesian 3D printers are pretty intuitive to work on and troubleshoot, but the unique style of the delta printer is difficult. Couple that with the fact that the community is smaller, and you might have some real problems while troubleshooting. This also means that assembling a delta 3D printer from a kit is more difficult.
Less Available Units On The Market
The final shortcoming of delta printers is that they aren’t as widely available as cartesian 3D printers. You’ll have to do more research to find the right delta printer for you (or just read this article).
How To Choose The Right Delta 3D Printer
The big challenge is going to be making sure you pick the right delta 3D printer for yourself. There aren’t a ton of products on the market, but there are still a few key things to keep in mind. If you know what you’ll be using your printer for, consider which of these features will matter the most to you before reading on.
Build Volume
Like every 3D printer, delta printers have varying build volumes. This list has a few compact units and some units that can print massive parts. What size parts will you be printing?
Cost
Of course, each unit has a different cost associated with it. On this list, you’ll see printers ranging from under $200 to over $3,000.
Accuracy, Precision, And Reliability
Some printers focus on features or keeping the cost down, and other printers will focus on how well they print. The level of accuracy, precision, and reliability of these printers are a little different from unit to unit. As the machines get more expensive, this category tends to be more focused on.
Features
Finally, each machine offers different features.
Some will automatically level the print bed. Others will resume a print after being paused or stopped. Remember that these features have a cost associated with them, so if you don’t care for the features, it might not be worth spending the extra.
Conclusion
Now that you’re armed with information, you’re better equipped to pick the best delta 3D printer for you. We looked at the best delta 3D printers on the market and learned more about their features. Now it’s up to you to decide which features appeal to you the most. Hopefully, you’ll soon join the world of delta 3D printers and watch the artistry of how they work.
