It may seem obvious, but the perfect 3-in-1 3D printer, CNC, and laser engraving machine should include tool heads for all three processes.
But beyond ironic remarks like the one above, what is crucial in a 3-in-1? We contend that the performance of the tool heads (as determined by your expectations and budget) and the software experience are the two most important factors. If necessary, a 3-in-1 should be capable of performing each duty as your everyday driver. Because you need to conserve space or money across three separate devices, you choose one over a specialised machine like a 3D printer, laser cutter, or CNC router. In some, if not most, situations, the best 3D printer laser should be adequate to take the role of the individual units.
But they’ll only be as good as the program that connects these features. We’ve seen devices repeatedly that were functional enough to use but broke down the moment you sat at a computer to prepare a job. Obtuse instructions and confusing user interfaces are frustrating, and if the hardware is subpar, utilising one will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.
Therefore, when looking for 3-in-1 recommendations, we have primarily considered the machine’s capabilities and software experience, with a secondary consideration for how simple it is to swap out the tool heads. If this process isn’t the fastest, that’s less of a concern for us because we don’t think tool head changes will be your machine’s most frequent interaction. Fortunately, our suggestions in this section have straightforward tool head swap procedures.
The best 3D laser printer for sale
Snapmaker has experienced a high-profile journey since becoming a successful Kickstarter project. The Snapmaker was the first of its kind, a small 3-in-1 3D printer, laser engraver, and CNC machine that offered excellent build quality with all metal components and versatility at a reasonable cost. Even though it was fantastic, that machine had certain limitations, most notably the small build volume you could use.
But Snapmaker 2.0 does more than fix this. It’s bigger, more challenging, has intelligent features to assist you in your work, and now lives up to the promise of modularity with the first few upgrades for the machine already available, including a rotary module, separate emergency stop, and CAN bus module to manage all the extras. This is another Kickstarter-funded smash.
Following a recent redesign of the Snapmaker 2.0 series, only the 3D laser printer, two of the more significant variants initially offered, remain. These work volumes are 230 x 250 x 235 mm and 320 x 350 x 330 mm.
The first-generation Snapmaker 2.0 A350 model we evaluated was sleek and had much potential. Check out our review before assuming otherwise, but judging by the latest A350T, the Snapmaker team has been working diligently to address many of the issues. The newer A350T has several improvements over the older model, including studier linear modules with different lead screw pitches (for faster operation), new TMC2209 stepper motor drivers (for quieter operation), and a power supply that cools itself reactively based on temperature rather than continuously and loudly.
The Snapmaker 2.0 delivers 3D printing, CNC, and laser engraving experiences that are more than “just enough” to make it a basic jack-of-all-trades, in addition to a solid all-metal construction (which therefore makes it rather hefty). Auto-bed levelling and a removable magnetic print bed for easy print removal are both advantages of 3D printing. An MDF wasteboard with plenty of work-holding locations and an ER-11 collet for using different types of bits may enable CNC carving and cutting. Visit us for the best laser printer for sale.
