Why You Can Trust CNET Prime Day May Be Over But MatterHackers Summer Sale Is Still Going Strong
Now is the perfect time to stock up on 3D-printing materials and accessories. You can even snag yourself a printer or two.
- 6 years working professionally in the 3D printing space / 4 years testing consumer electronics for large websites.
If you've never heard of MatterHackers before, you're missing out. Based in Southern California, the company is a huge part of the 3D printing community here in the US. Its representatives are always at the meetups, constantly active on Twitter and offer helpful advice for those just starting out.
Each year, MatterHackers launches its Summer Sale to coincide with Amazon Prime Day. The sale has great discounts on 3D printers, CNC machines and laser cutters, but the real savings are on the materials and accessories. You can get so many excellent deals on filament and resin that it's worth stocking up from now until Aug. 9.
As an added bonus, MatterHackers offers a price match with Amazon, even on sales. So anything MatterHackers sells that you find during Amazon Prime Day can be price-matched, keeping all your 3D printing purchases in one place. All you need to do this year is add the code 3DHEATWAVE at checkout.
3D printers and other machines
One of the first consumer 3D printers to break the 250 millimeter-per-second speed barrier, the AnkerMake M5 has recently had a software update to push its speed up to 500mm/s on its ultrafast mode. The M5 uses an AI camera to help you detect issues so you can stop a failing print before you waste a lot of material. The AI is particularly bad, but the camera does give you some fantastic time-lapse videos to share on social media.
Read more: AnkerMake M5 Review
If you're looking for a fast printer that doesn't take up a lot of room, this is an excellent beginner choice, especially at this price point.
This is easily my favorite small resin 3D printer. It's super fast and prints beautiful models every time. Elegoo is an old hand at resin printing, so every part you'll ever need to replace is easily acquired at a reasonable price. The details that can be captured with the Mars 3 are stunning, and some of my favorite models have come from this little machine.
Any time you can get the Mars 3 Pro on a discount is a good day, so snag one now.
The Pulse XE is MatterHackers' own custom-built 3D printer, and while it can print standard filaments like PLA, PETG and ABS, it has a few upgraded parts that really make it shine. The all-metal hot end has a hardened steel nozzle that helps you print more exotic filaments like carbon-infused NylonX and glow-in-the-dark PLA, both of which can destroy standard printer nozzles.
Materials for your 3D printer
PETG filament is a little harder to work with than PLA, but tends to warp less in the heat. It also sands very well if you're looking for a material for cosplay armor. Polymaker filaments are excellent, and the PolyLite is especially good if you want to make technical models that require high dimensional accuracy.
The best time to try something new is when all of the special filaments are on sale. The Proto-Pasta Iron PLA is filament infused with iron particles. This means not only is it magnetic after printing -- meaning magnets stick to it, it isn't a magnet -- but it can be made to rust so your prints can look old and worn!
A word of caution though: This type of filament is extremely abrasive. You will want to make sure you have a hardened nozzle to use it, otherwise it will grind the nozzle down.
While PLA is the standard 3D printing filament, it can be subject to warping in the hot sun. If you have a plan to use your prints outside, then HTPLA -- High Temp PLA -- may be right for you. Once you've printed your model you can put it in a regular oven to "anneal." The annealing process will make it stronger and less prone to heat damage. Proto-Pasta isn't the cheapest material out there, but this sale, coupled with the gorgeous color, makes it a worthwhile purchase.