Products at a Glance
How We Picked the Best ABS 3D Printers
We tried to include a wide range of build volumes to accommodate the needs of various business fields looking to use an ABS printer, along with including both open-frame and closed-frame models. On top of that, our product lineup caters to both unlimited and tight budgets, so no matter your financial situation you’ll find a suitable match!
Product Reviews
- IDEX extruders
- Versatile printing modes
- Efficient design
- Noisy
- Manual levelling only
The Flashforge Creator Pro 2 is a game changer when it comes to printing ABS filaments. A closed-frame printer with an acrylic cover, which minimizes heat loss and keeps the chamber hot enough for printing ABS, this is easily our pick for the best ABS 3D printer!
The Creator Pro 2 is an innovative IDEX printer, which in layman’s terms means that it uses two independent extruders to fabricate designs. These extruders keep waste to a minimum with a leak-proof casing and flexible steel plate to avoid scratching models on removal. It comes with a range of printing options to satisfy every need, including mirror printing mode, duplicate printing mode, dual filament printing mode, and dual color printing mode.
We mentioned in our review of the best multi-color 3D printers that the Creator Pro 2 had some issues, and we would be remiss not to mention them here. It is a noisy machine, a problem exacerbated by the lack of automatic leveling – meaning you’ll spend a lot of time adjusting your model next to this loud printer.
But for an efficient and well-designed 3D printer that is perfect for ABS, you can’t go wrong with the Creator Pro 2. Though it has its pitfalls, the good far outweighs the bad, and we’re happy to call this the best ABS 3D printer!
- Lightweight and compact
- Affordable
- High-temperature nozzles
- Small build volume
The inconvenient truth of 3D printers is that there are very few budget-friendly options, especially for ABS printers. For the most affordable option, we highly recommend the Flashforge Adventurer 3 Pro model: a user-friendly and convenient ABS printer that doesn’t skimp on features.
The true standout feature of the Adventurer 3 Pro is its compatibility with a wide range of filaments, including ABS but also PC, PLA, PETG, PLA-CF, and more. It’s guaranteed to accommodate all your 3D printing needs and has a built-in HD camera that lets you watch the printing process while in progress. With interchangeable high-temperature nozzles, the Adventurer 3 Pro is perfect for ABS.
There is a downside, however. The Adventurer 3 Pro’s print volume is quite meager, at less than 6 inches in any direction. This is in part due to the compact design, but is still disappointment for those wanting more ambitious builds.
For an entry-level printer that can take the heat, however, there are few better choices than the Adventurer 3 Pro. For all your ABS needs, we highly recommend this affordable 3D printer!
- Fast print speeds
- Automatic levelling
- Powerful heatsink
- Small build volume
Designed with commercial use in mind, the Qidi Tech X-Plus3 combines superb productivity, fast printing speed, and premium-quality prints. Able to manage high temperatures and high speeds, this is a great 3D printer for efficient, if small, commercial designs.
What sets the X-Plus 3 apart from its competitors is its unprecedented stability: an ultra-stable all-metal frame with metal cross beams at the bottom keeps vibrations to an absolute minimum. To prevent warping and layer separation, the heat is uniformly distributed between the chamber and the hotbed. The printer features two nozzles, one made from hardened steel and one from copper alloy, along with a direct drive extruder to deliver the smoothest printing possible. All this, on top of a whopping base print speed of 600mm/s, makes the X-Plus 3 a fearsome commercial 3D printer.
That said, there are some limits to its fearsomeness. The small closed-frame design means that the build volume is quite limited and in some cases the quality is worse than other, cheaper models. It seems to vary on a case-by-case basis, which can be frustrating in some commercial applications where every cost counts.
However, for rapid-fire ABS printing, we still highly recommend the X-Plus 3 as a commercial 3D print solution for small projects on a deadline!
- High print quality
- Easy to use
- Automated adjustments
- Expensive
- Limited build volume
For a premium ABS printing experience, look no further than the DigiLab 3D45 from Dremel. A luxurious printer in every sense, from the print quality to the price, this 3D printer is packed with useful features that we love – including ABS compatibility, of course.
A key feature of any 3D printer is the ease of use: 3D printing is difficult at the best of times, but the DigiLab 3D45 does everything it can to make it easier. With automated leveling and a built-in camera that you can use to watch every step of the print process. If you should run out of filament, the printer helpfully pauses rather than aborting entirely. With an RFID reader that adjusts print settings automatically depending on what filament you use, you are guaranteed a high-quality 3D print every time.
It had best be a small print, however, as the DigiLab 3D45 is similarly limited in print size to other printers on our list. The closed-frame design limits this printer to no wider than 10-inch designs. And whilst we appreciate the built-in camera, the quality is also limited – making it difficult to properly monitor your print.
You can place your trust in this printer, however. With fast print speeds and exceptional print quality, we’re happy to spend extra on this premium ABS 3D printer!
- Open-frame design
- Fast print speeds
- Versatile printing options
- Limited customization
- Poor adhesion to the build plate
The Creality Ender 5 is a productivity powerhouse that proves ideal for businesses with time and power-saving needs. On average, this 3D printer saves around 60% of the time compared to contemporary printers and allows for much faster and more versatile printing options.
The Ender 5 is an open-frame printer, nearly doubling its print volume compared to other models on our list here. To give you seamless models, the printer has an all-metal design featuring a durable cube frame and a dual-gear direct extruder with a uniform extrusion force of 80N. The Creality Ender 5 doesn’t disappoint in filament compatibility: as it works with a wide range of materials ranging from regular to high-temperature filaments including PLA, TPU, PETG, PC, ASA, HIPS, and the star of the day, ABS.
Unfortunately, you don’t get the same levels of configuration that you could find among other 3D printers – for those who like to play around with settings, you may be disappointed. And whilst having a semi-adhesive baseplate for designs to stick to once printed is a clever idea, the results vary depending on the material used – particularly ABS.
But with print speeds that rival the fastest commercial 3D printers and a great deal more versatility in print size, we’re still happy to recommend the Creality Ender 5 for great ABS printing!
Features and Considerations
Whether you go for one of our top picks or another 3D printer, there are a few factors we recommend double-checking before making your purchase:
Filament Compatibility
As we mentioned earlier, not all 3D printers are capable of reaching the high temperatures needed to shape ABS. That’s why the most important feature to check in your 3D printer before buying it is its filament compatibility. If it can’t print ABS, then it’s of no use to you.
Build Volume
To make sure you get a printer that can meet your needs, you should check its maximum build volume. As a rule of thumb, closed-frame 3D printers print much smaller models than open-frame ones because of the limited space.
Print Speed
3D printing speeds can vary drastically: ranging from 10mm/s to 600mm/s or even more. Depending on your work nature and needs, you should stick to a range that won’t affect your workflow. In general, hectic work environments need a 250 mm/s speed or higher. Meanwhile, small-scale businesses and home users can do fine with any speed within the range. That said, you should pay attention to your budget if you want a high speed. The faster a printer is, the more advanced its features are and the more money you’ll spend.
Is PLA or ABS better for 3D printing?
In the long-term, ABS is better for 3D printing: it is durable, lighter, and more damage-resistant. That said, ABS is much more challenging to print than PLA because it requires high temperatures and is susceptible to warping during the printing process.
What are the best filaments for 3D printing?
The best filaments for 3D printing are PLA, ABS, and PTEG. While PLA is easy to print and ABS is highly durable, PTEG combines both features.
Our Verdict
For an all-round great ABS 3D printer, we can’t look past the Creator Pro 2! Though it can be noisy and lacking in quality-of-life features, the efficiency and quality of the results speak for themselves!