If you don’t already own one of the best budget 3D printers, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale presents you with an opportunity. Elegoo, which makes some really great, low-cost 3D printers, has two models on sale: the Neptune 3 Pro for $209 and the Neptune 4 Pro for $284.
The main difference between these two models is that the Neptune 4 Pro is a lot faster, clocking in at up to 500 mm/s while the Neptune 3 Pro is an older-gen model that still offers excellent quality but at last-gen speeds (maybe 2 to 3x slower). If you’re just getting started with 3D printing, it’s a good choice. One of our editors has the Neptune 3 Pro and has found it to be an excellent all-rounder.
Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro: was $249, now $209 at Amazon
This open-framed FDM printer has a build volume of 225 x 225 x 280mm and a dual-gear direct drive extruder that makes it easy to work with lots of different materials and avoid jams.
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Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro: was $359, now $284 at Amazon
This bed-slinger style printer has direct drive and speeds of up to 500 mm/s.
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When we reviewed the Neptune 3 Pro back in 2022, we praised the printer for its auto-leveling, direct drive and quiet operation. It was also very easy to assemble and get started with.
The direct drive allows it to handle even difficult-to-use filaments such as TPU (a rubbery filament). We printed a Christmas tree using TPU and it came out smoothly in 4 hours and 40 minutes.