this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2023
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After having both if you don't mind mess; SLA
I second SLA. Especially if you just want to print small things that look really good.
I am also looking at either getting an FDM or SLA printer, but I am more wondering about the cost of materials than the print quality (most of my projects are small but do not require much detail - they are mechanisms that do not need to be super precise, just printed well enough that components fit) and I have heard that the resin used for SLA is much more expensive than FDM filament. I was wondering to what extent that price difference is.
If you have a place like a shed or a garage I'd say SLA. I prefer FDM because of the materials just being more hardy then what SLA currently offers. But there's so little that can go wrong in SLA. As a consumer product it's so much more repeatible then FDM. But you do need a curing station to wash your prints with isopropyl and running a ultraviolet light on it as well. Also your additude towards cleanliness. If you are the kind of bean that never cleans the toilet or shower give FDM a try, it's still extremely rewarding and you'll likely have to learn how the printer works to be extremely good at it. If you have a spick and span bathroom/kitchen/bedroom check out SLA you'll get an extremely repeatable small prints with hight details like 4k that FDM may never get to.