Selecting the Monoprice Mini Delta

The Mini Delta turned out to be my first printer and as such the selection process is a bit different.

I knew NOTHING about 3D printing before I started investigating so I didn't know what I was getting into at that time. Research, something I ALWAYS do for any significant purchase, was the key to making the right choice for the situation. I searched the web and found that there was a LOT of information in video form on YouTube. I watched a LOT of videos and learned a lot about how 3D printing worked and the kind of problems I could expect. The more I researched the more convinced I was that this was just the kind of thing I could get interested in. I love a challenge that I can put my unique set of problem solving skills into.

Probably more so than on other acquisitions, I made up a list of what I thought I wanted in a 3D printer:

  1. Inexpensive - $200-$250 for the printer and any supplies I would need to get started.
  2. Easy Setup - I had noticed that some of these printers were FULL kits requiring a full day or more of effort to assemble. I didn't think I wanted to invest that much time and effort into the first printer.
  3. Support - There was community support around every printer I looked at but I was also concerned about manufacturer/distributor support services.
  4. Availability - This turned out to be a non-issue but it was something I looked at.
  5. Print Build Size - Although this was a factor I didn't consider it to be really important. I thought that I would only be printing mostly small stuff.
  6. Construction Type - I didn't want something that was flimsy or poorly designed. I had learned that rigidity was an important factor for getting a quality printer.
  7. Maximum Nozzle Temperature / Heated Bed - I wanted to be sure that I could print with my material of choice (whatever that was going to be) so I wanted to be sure that I could heat it up to whatever temperature was necessary. I had also learned that a heated bed was pretty important to getting the part to stick to the build surface.
  8. Known Issues - Every printer had it's problems but I found that there were usually fixes for those problems that I could buy cheaply or even print on the printer itself.
  9. Open Source - I'm a firm believer in open source so that the community can see what is going on and offer fixes as necessary. I did not consider this particularly important for the first printer though - I just wanted something that would work.
I had found that most, if not all, of the printers were built from very standard components that anyone could buy. The stepper motors, rails, belts, pulleys, wheels, and other parts were pretty standard and had been used in various other widgets for some time. There was nothing specific to 3D printing other than the hot end and it was pretty simple.

I made my selection of the Mini Delta because it was inexpensive ($169), had a good community behind it, was of sturdy construction, and would be ready to print as soon as I could unpack it.

I do not regret selecting the Mini Delta for my first printer. It served, and still serves, well. I admit that I don't print as much on it as I do the Ender 3 but for small parts it is superior to the Ender 3 because it is faster and prints PLA flawlessly. Mostly it showed me a whole new world of interesting things I could do with 3D printing and promised to keep me challenged for some time to come. I refuse to let my mind and skills atrophy!