What is the best sub-200$ vanilla klipper printer?

This question is hard to answer. An attempt:

  • Define what you want: Size, kinematics, etc. Sub-$200 already limits this quite a bit, so probably a bed slinger. Be aware that 99.999763% of the print quality is tied to the quality of the design and the quality of the linear components. This means you can easily spend $100+ for a single mid-quality linear rail.
  • Stay clear of the “native” Klipper printers. Most of them have some sort of modified Klipper running and often violate GPL. See this link.
  • If choosing one with pre-installed Klipper, make sure to verify that vanilla Klipper can indeed be used.
  • Marlin printers are often quite easy to turn into Klipper printers, with two exceptions:
    • Original touch displays are mostly not well-supported by Klipper (depending on your preference, this can be considered minor. Personally, I do not need a display on a Klipper printer most of the time).
    • Some “special” bed leveling mechanisms. Unfortunately, information on the exact workings of the bed leveling is often scarce in the marketing blurb.
  • The newer the printers are, the higher the chance that they use some sort of proprietary technology and either have a GPL-violating Marlin or Klipper version. So, it might be better to look into printers from late 2023 or early 2024.
1 Like