Technologies
Best 3D Printer Deals: 9 Fantastic Printers at the Best Prices
There are heavy discounts on 3D printers, if you know where to look.
3D printing is more popular than ever, which means it’s never been easier to dive in and try out this technology for yourself. You may think you’ll have to drop $1,000 or more on a printer and materials to get started, but there’s a big market out there with plenty of entry level models that you can pick up for around $200 or less. And there are tons of deals you can take advantage of right now to start your setup for less.
If you’re a first-time buyer or looking to buy a 3D printer as a gift for a beginner, getting a good deal is even more important. All the best 3D printers have advanced features that make your life easier, so if you can snag one for less than the normal price, that’s a big plus.
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If you have a creative person in your life, then they should really own a 3D printer. The joy that comes with seeing your creations brought to life in the 3D can’t be overstated. Currently on sale for a little under $200, the Elegoo Neptune 2 is a great starting point for a hobby that produces excellent results with little effort.
This is perfect for a high schooler interested in engineering or an adult looking to start 3D printing for the first time.
We recently reviewed this new entry-level printer, which offers fancy features like a self-leveling bed at a reasonable price. This printer is normally priced at around $200, but some sales do drop it lower than that. It’s a simple kit, that is easy to assemble and works surprisingly well for such a budget price.
The Mono X is the perfect mid-size resin printer for making those larger pieces of jewelry or an entire army of miniatures. The build plate is almost twice as big as the standard resin printer, and it gives you a lot more scope on what projects you can do. This deal is nearly half price, so it’s well worth picking one up today.
I’ve recently been working with the Finder 3 and I’m impressed with the quality it was able to produce straight from the box. It’s easy to set up and comes with a flexible build plate that you can replace the glass bed with. It makes it far easier to remove builds.
This is the perfect printer for a teacher, as the enclosure makes it stable, and the slicer can control multiple printers at once via Wi-Fi.
This is easily my favorite small resin 3D printer. It’s super-fast and prints beautiful models every time. Elegoo are old hats 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 on a discount is a good day, so snag one now.
The Kobra Plus is in that sweet spot between a printer that is overly large, and one that is too small to be useful. You can make full-size helmets and big cosplay items without needing an entire workbench dedicated to it. With $120 off the price, it’s a bargain.
The Elegoo Saturn 2 is my favorite resin printer right now. It prints incredibly detailed models at a speed that is often astonishing. The bed size is much larger than the printers in the smaller category, while its footprint is much easier to deal with than other, larger printers. You can print finely detailed cosplay pieces or multiple tabletop miniatures with equal ease with the Saturn 2, making it perfect for a small business. Plus, this deal comes with a free $25 Newegg gift card.
Read more: Elegoo Saturn 2 review
The CR-30 is one of the first commercially available conveyor belt 3D printers, and it is fascinating to use. It isn’t for the beginner hobbyist as it takes a little bit of tweaking to get right, but once you do you can print long models like swords or lots of small models on a production line.
If you make the same model over and again for your Etsy store, this is a great printer to try.
The Photon 4K is being replaced with the new M3 series, but it could still be worth your time. With a 4K monochrome screen, the printer is very fast without sacrificing any detail. In fact, the details on this machine are superb, especially on small models like miniatures.
At $189, the Photon 4K offers an amazing entry into resin 3D printing, even if Anycubic is selling off the stock.
Materials and accessories
It’s not just the 3D printers themselves that are on sale. It’s often the accessories and materials too. While the savings aren’t as drastic — $5 to $10 savings, maybe — these add up over time when you have to buy a lot of materials for your projects.
Quantum PLA takes the standard filament we all know and adds a new twist. The dual tones create a shimmering effect on your printed model and make it change color as you turn it. It’s gorgeous and you should get as many different colors as you can.
More on 3D printing
Technologies
What a Ban Would Actually Mean for DJI Drone Owners and Holiday Shoppers
What’s the secret to a very un-merry shopping season? A brand new, unusable drone.
With Thanksgiving wrapped up and the Black Friday shopping sales here, if a DJI drone is on your holiday wish list, you might want to hit «buy» immediately. The company has issued a stark warning: Its drones could be banned from sale in the US, and the deadline is looming.
The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-0 at the end of October to «close loopholes» that allow tech deemed a «national security risk» to be sold in the US. In plain English, the US government is clearing the path to give DJI the same treatment it gave Chinese phone-maker Huawei, effectively banning its products from the American market.
The US government has deemed DJI, which is based in China, a security risk. It’s also considering a separate ban on TP-Link routers.
DJI is already sounding the alarm, posting on Instagram that a «deadline that could decide DJI’s fate in the US is just 43 days away» (now 19 days away). The company is warning that without an audit, its products could face an «automatic ban.» The US government has long labeled the Chinese drone maker a security risk, and it looks like the hammer might finally be coming down right before the holidays.
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The vote isn’t the end of the road, however. Future bans would need to target specific products and would require a period of public consultation. But it appears the groundwork is being set for the FCC to block sales of future and some existing DJI drones from US shores, as well as products that use DJI technology.
The government has called for a DJI audit by the end of the year, but if that doesn’t happen, DJI drone products could be banned for sale by default under a national security law.
DJI asks for a security audit before any ban
A representative for DJI told CNET that while the FCC vote references a rule change that doesn’t currently apply to DJI specifically, the National Defense Authorization Act deadline in December would put Chinese companies like it on the FCC’s ban list, «without any evidence of wrongdoing or the right to appeal.»
Adam Welsh, head of global policy at DJI, said the company has repeatedly said it would be open to audit, but that «more than 10 months have now passed with no sign that the process has begun.»
«The US government has every right to strengthen national security measures, but this must go hand in hand with due process, fairness, and transparency,» Welsh said.
Welsh said DJI is urging the government to start the audit process or grant an extension.
Will DJI drone owners need to give them up?
Because the ban would apply to new sales, not drones that have already been sold, a DJI drone you already own would still be legal to use — at least under current rules.
Government agencies, however, are prohibited from purchasing or using drones from Chinese companies, including DJI.
DJI’s drones consistently rank high in their product category. In January, they dominated CNET’s list of best drones for 2025. But some of the company’s newest products, such as the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, haven’t been available for sale in the United States.
Even DJI products that are not yet banned may be hard to find. The website UAV Coach has posted a guide to the bans and reports that, due to inventory issues, most DJI drone models are sold out at retailers regardless of future FCC action.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 29 #636
Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Nov. 29, No. 636.
Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a real puzzler. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.
I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strands theme is: What a piece of work!
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: You can build it in a shop.
Clue words to unlock in-game hints
Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:
- CREW, REAM, LANE, WHEE, DELL, CANE, PULL, REVEL
Answers for today’s Strands puzzle
These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:
- WHEEL, AXLE, LEVER, WEDGE, PLANE, PULLEY, SCREW
Today’s Strands spangram
Today’s Strands spangram is SIMPLEMACHINE. To find it, start with the S that’s three letters to the right on the top row, and wind over and down.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 29, #902
Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 29, #902.
Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is tough. If you need help sorting them into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Middle of the body.
Green group hint: Fill-in.
Blue group hint: Nice place to hang out.
Purple group hint: Card game.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Abdominal area.
Green group: Replacement.
Blue group: Park staples.
Purple group: Blackjack terms.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is abdominal area. The four answers are core, midsection, torso and trunk.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is replacement. The four answers are backup, cover, relief and substitute.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is park staples. The four answers are bench, pigeon, statue and tree.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is blackjack terms. The four answers are bust, hit, split and stand.
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