Anyone who wants to use a 3D printer does not necessarily have to do handicrafts.Ready-made models are neither automatically expensive nor poorly equipped.TechStage shows what is important when making a purchase.Many of the most popular 3D printers come to customers in individual parts or as a pre-assembled kit.The reason for this is that devices such as the Creality Ender series (guide), the Anet A8 (test report) or the Tronxy X5SA (test report) are relatively cheap and can be individually tuned and adjusted thanks to standard components and open software.Ultimately, most do-it-yourself kits serve primarily as a basis, which is then adapted according to your own wishes.While some users simply equip their devices with a different printing platform or retrofit a printed component cooler, others swap fans, hotend, extruders and the entire mainboard to get an all-round satisfactory printer.If you want to print but not screw on the printer, you need a fully assembled printer that works properly ex works.And that is possible even with a limited budget.We have already tested the following fully assembled 3D printers:As our experience in recent years has shown, there are huge differences in quality in the field of 3D printing, and these are not solely dependent on price or manufacturer.During our reviews, we have seen excellent models from supposedly cheap Chinese manufacturers and at the same time had to realize that even branded devices are not perfect.Conversely, not all printers from a manufacturer perform equally well, as shown, for example, by the very different experiences with the similarly designed models Anet ET4 (test report) and ET5 Plus (test report).Ultimately, it only helps to look through test reports and assess for yourself which points are really important to you.A question that you should definitely ask yourself: What kind of material do I want to print and how much can it cost?The vast majority of printers in this price range work with filament with a diameter of 1.75 mm, but there are other differences.All FDM printers process the standard material PLA.Only some of the devices are suitable for other types, such as flexible TPU or durable ABS.This is due, for example, to a lack of closed construction space or the wrong extruder.No matter which filament is to be printed later, we would only opt for a printer with a heated print bed.Although PLA basically works without a heated bed, the adhesion on the heated platform is better and more reliable.There are also some manufacturers, such as Xyzprinting, who do not allow a free choice of filament for their printers.For example, the DaVinci Mini w+ works ex works only with consumables from the manufacturer.Although this is basically good and available in different versions, it is significantly more expensive than the comparable filament from other manufacturers.Nevertheless, this method has one advantage: Each roll is equipped with an RFID code, which tells the printer the correct print settings.You don't have to adapt them yourself - but that has its price and the selection of colors and types is also limited.This filament requirement can be avoided with a few tricks, but the procedure with self-written RFID tags is not comfortable.Incidentally, with the larger Davinci Pro, the manufacturer dispenses with the filament requirement.In another article we explain which filament is suitable for which purpose.While the vast majority of devices work with free open source or modified versions of it, some devices from Xyzprinting, for example, only work with the manufacturer's own software.This works and offers all the basic functions, but the program cannot keep up with the variety of settings, for example Cura (download).Ultimately, other slicers can be used, sometimes in a roundabout way, but the options are fundamentally more limited than with open systems.The situation is similar with the firmware of the 3D printers.Here, too, open systems are much more flexible if the need arises.In addition to the requirements for filament and software, there are other important points.In terms of equipment, there is no difference between self-made and fully assembled printers.Here it is more important to pay close attention to the respective specifications in order to make the right purchase decision.Here are a few key points to clarify:From our experience, the price says very little about the quality of the printer.We have been using one of the cheapest ready-made printers, the Wanhao Duplicator i3 Mini, privately for several years.We were very happy with it from day one.With the device it means unpacking and printing.Apart from regular leveling, the replacement of wearing parts such as nozzle or print run, the small printer is a reliable workhorse.In comparison, we had a lot of problems with our private Davinci Pro.We invested many hours of work and nerves before the printer, which cost over 1000 euros at the time, worked properly.Defective plastic parts and hose couplings were replaced, a reasonable print run was retrofitted and other software was bought (which is no longer necessary).Although such problem solutions can all be created by laypersons, we had definitely imagined it differently with a fully assembled printer.Incidentally, we did not have any such problems with much cheaper models from the manufacturer.Since the quality can vary within a printer series, it is best to only buy 3D printers from well-known shops.In case of doubt, you can make use of the right of return.For example, the first version of the DIY printer Ender 3 (test report) was partly delivered with crooked print beds.Attached are the fully assembled printers in three price scales.Mail order shops like Banggood offer some devices that are not listed in the price comparison.Here you should pay attention to the warehouse from which the devices are sent.Some models are also available from European warehouses.If you prefer to print instead of screwing, you get a large selection of interesting devices.One of the cheapest of them, the Wanhao Duplicator i3 Mini (test report) still does a good job years later.If you are willing to live with limitations in filament selection and software, you can also buy a Xyzprinting DaVinci Mini w+ (test report).Despite massive problems with our pre-series model, we also like the Creality CR-200B (test report).The print image and the low volume are particularly pleasing here.The Qidi X-Plus (test report) also performs well in both disciplines, but the printer with WLAN is significantly more expensive.Even if you buy a fully assembled printer, you should expect that you may have to repair or replace something.Against this background, we recommend systems with standard components and open installation space.Alternatively, pre-assembled kits could also be of interest.The construction of the Anet ET5 Plus (test report), for example, took less than 20 minutes.- The links marked with are commission links (affiliate links).If an order is placed via such a link, TechStage receives a commission.This does not result in any additional costs for the buyer.