Best Large 3D Printer in 2023 – our top picks

The Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 isn’t just one of the best hobbyists-level large 3D printers available. It’s one of the best reasonably priced best FDM, too. Much of this is down to a balanced feature set and larger than average 300 mm x 300 mm x 400 mm build volume.

Aside from the large build volume, the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 is in its element when tackling larger projects with bulky infills and thick layers and does so at great speeds (up to 150 mm/s) for an FDM printer. Unusually for this price point, Artillery has incorporated a direct drive E3D Titan Aero Volcano-style hot end capable of high flow rates and accommodating large nozzle bore diameters.

With a heated bed that hits 110-degrees in under 5 minutes and 100-micron layer resolution, the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 can handle a good range of materials like PLA, ABS, TPU, and Flexibles. We found that the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 is best paired with PLA; the print quality is consistently excellent for the price. And while the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 isn’t impervious to the odd issue and imperfection (no printer is), it’s one of the more reliable large-format 3D printers around.

The spool holder is the only feature that detracts from what is an otherwise stellar offering from Artillery. Different spool sizes require a tedious set of adjustments to fit in the holder, wasted time that adds up if you’re partial to jumping between brands and sizes.

Boasting a monstrous 400 mm x 400mm x 450 mm build volume, the Anycubic Chiron rubs shoulders with the Artillery Sidewinder X1 as one of the best large 3D printers. Unless you’ve lofty plans to print out furniture, this printer has enough printing space to create virtually anything a hobbyist maker can conjure up.

The build volume is the headline here, but Anycubic hasn’t skimped on the other features, and this is as you’d expect given the asking price of just under $600. Leading the charge is Anycubic’s proprietary and much-lauded Ultrabase Pro print bed. Extremely grippy, the Ultrabase Pro ensures strong adhesion to materials as they print, reduces instances of warping, and allows for easy removal of finished prints.

Other specifications include 50 to 300-microns layer resolution, 20 to 100 mm/s print speeds, a Titan-style hot end, fast bed heating, quick and straightforward assembly despite shipping part-assembled, and support for PLA, ABSE, HIPS, wood fill, TPU, and more filament types.

Automatic bed leveling should be a boon for beginners fearful that mismanaged manual calibration may sour their printing experience. While the Anycubic Chiron packages in a 25 point automatic bed leveling system that makes tweaks in real-time to ensure reliable printing performance, the system requires an involved setup process that creeps uncomfortably close to what you’d expect from a printer with manual bed leveling. The process is far from insurmountable, but first-timers should be wary that it’s more hands-on than Anycubic suggests in the marketing material.

While we favor the Anycubic Chiron among Anycubic’s roster of large-scale 3D printers, the Anycubic Mega X is another strong option, especially as it costs $100 less, has a smaller form factor, and many of the same coveted features.

A 300 mm x 300 mm x 305mm build volume provides ample space to work with, and this translates well to printing performance as Anycubic Mega X shows itself capable with PLA, ABS, TPU, HIPS, Wood fill, and PETG filament. A layer resolution range from 50 to 300 microns and 20 to 100 mm/s print speed lend themselves well to all types of projects, from rapid prototyping to smaller intricate designs.

The Anycubic Mega X also features the company’s proprietary Ultrabase bed, which does wonders to heighten the likelihood of a print’s success, as detailed above. The non-Pro variant is virtually the same, although smaller and missing the patterned top layer.

We were also impressed by the ease of assembly. Anycubic has done well to adopt an almost modular approach, and the assembly comes down to attaching a few wires and inserting a dozen screws. Once assembled, the Anycubic Mega X’s all-metal chassis sees it firmly planted on any surface with next to no movement or vibrations to disrupt the printing process, even with the print head whizzing about mid-print.

Our issues with the Anycubic Mega X don’t center on performance but the absence of quality of life features. It has no automatic bed leveling (although the large format manual leveling knob is a welcome touch) nor Wi-Fi connectivity and tends to pump out quite a din when printing. As negatives go, we’d much rather contend with these than shoddy print quality, clogging, or failures, so take these are nitpicking rather than deal breakers.

The Tronxy X5SA stands out from the crowd for proposing not just a huge 330 mm x 330 mm x 400 mm build volume but a heated bed and semi-automatic bed leveling, all for under $300. As bargains go, there’s little else out there with a similar feature set at such a low price, making the Tronxy X5SA an affordable option for most makers.

Feature-wise, the Tronxy X5SA has a dual Z-axis rod design, rugged aluminum chassis, aluminum heated bed, power outage resume function, filament run-out detection, a 3.5-inch full-color touch screen, 100 to 400-micron layer resolution, USB/TF card connectivity, and compatibility with PLA, ABS, HIPS, wood fill, PC, and PVC.

Print performance is a mixed bag, which isn’t too surprising at this price point. Fine-tuning and tinkering is the game here, and with some elbow grease, the Tronxy X5SA produces great results. However, obtaining these reliably does involve more work than pre-assembled, factory-calibrated 3D printers geared towards first-timers.

The Tronxy X5SA’s DIY-style kit assembly favors more seasoned printers or novices ready to get their hands dirty and familiarize themselves with the inner workings of a 3D printer. This isn’t a plug-and-print printer by any stretch of the imagination but rather targets enthusiasts on the hunt for a bargain.

Similarly, while the semi-automatic bed leveling is a welcome surprise for a printer priced at around $300, the frequency at which the bed needs leveling (virtually before each print) may be off-putting for beginners. The guided leveling works well, especially by pinpointing where manual adjustments are required, though, so as semi-automatic leveling goes, the Tronxy X5SA mingles with the best in the enthusiast range.