3D printers are amazing because they are capable of making a three-dimensional object based on your digital design. There are various machines you can try out there such as the Ultimaker 3 Vs S3 that are capable of printing good models right out of the box. They are pretty expensive however but if you want to get a useful machine without much fuss, these two will be great choices to consider. If you are also considering these machines, do check what they can offer below.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- What are 3D Printers
- What are Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3
- What Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3 Look Like
- How are the Build Volume of Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3
- What else Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3 can offer
- How are the Performance of Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3
- Ultimaker 3 Vs Ultimaker S3
3D Printers
Our technology has evolved so much that almost everything can be done from your home, moreover in the middle of a pandemic right now where people are hesitant and recommended to not mobilize as much to prevent further impact. In the past we may have no convenient method to create items at home, especially automatically and with different materials. Today, you can achieve this by just a single 3D printer and a computer that we are sure most people already have in their home.
As the name suggests, a 3D printer is a machine meant to “print” or to create a three dimensional object and just like a regular printer, they can be used over and over again as long as the material is still provided. The mechanism on how they work is not exactly like a paper printer where a layer of ink is ejected on top of a paper to create the words or image but to put it simply they are almost the same to each other.
| Ultimaker 3 | Ultimaker S3 | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
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| Product Dimensions | 19.41 x 13.46 x 23.15 inches | 8.7 x 8.7 x 9.8 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 0.01 ounces | 0.01 ounces |
| Best offer | Check price | Check price |
What’s different is if a printer uses ink and keeps the printed objects or words and image at the same level of the paper or medium to print itself, a 3D printer will create an item that can be far taller depending on the build volume. A 3D printer will use a solid material or thermoplastic that can be melted or softened using heat and then eject this material on top of the build plate which is usually heated as well for adhesion.
Depending on what mechanism the printer is using, for FDM machines there are H-bot and XY systems which are differentiated by the moving parts. An H bot let the build plate to move on Z axis while XY let the bed plate move on Y axis so the rest two movements are taken care of by the hot head. If you prefer an SLA machine, the mechanism will be different altogether because the material itself is also different as it uses liquid photosensitive ones.
An SLA machine uses a liquid photosensitive material such as resin which is contained in a vat. Instead of facing upward, your build plate will be facing down and be submerged in the vat as the liquid is cured by the UV light installed below the vat itself. The model will be cured layer by layer just like how FDM built its model but now the build plate is moving up after each layer so your printed object will be upside down.
About Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3
If you are here then it means you are also looking for a new 3D printer and the choice is abundant out there that you can choose freely from just any brands with the type of machine you like the most. Many of them also carry both FDM and SLA models to appeal to a wider consumer but if you don’t have a favorite brand yet, there are also popular choices that may interest you. They are not a guarantee to give you the best machine but among the best you can buy.
In most cases affordable 3D printers are great for beginners and enthusiast who just want to start their journey but, they also need upgrade and usually will demand some tweak before they can print amazing quality models but, if you are willing to spend more, there are machines from Ultimaker that can give you both great printing performance as well as convenient features. Their machines are working out of the box and the ideal choice for users who don’t want to put much time or effort into their new machine.
You can pick one from their collection as they have several interesting offerings and among those variants, Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3 are going to be two reliable choices for you who just love a working machine without much fuss. As you can guess from the name alone, the latter is actually the successor of the former and is built over the convenience of Ultimaker’s S line which is also very powerful and easy to use but somehow is also cheaper in comparison.
Ultimaker has stopped manufacturing the old Ultimaker 3 in spring of this year so the fans of this machine will have to settle with the new S3 which is claimed to be better as well. What we love the most from either Ultimaker 3 or Ultimaker S3 is their ease of use and if you are into a machine that is ready to print out of the box then they are going to offer a great experience as well. Yet, the price point made them not suitable for beginners or non-professionals.
Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3 Design
If you are used to affordable 3D printers such as ANYCUBIC Mega X Vs Ender 3, these two are going to look fancier because you will find a housing here, the component we hardly found in any cheaper options. It won’t improve the machine’s printing quality but they are neat and safer to be placed near your working desk. The size of these machines are about the same and similar to any printers from Ultimaker as well; boxy, in white finish, and has a front opening.
These are also using an H-bot style or similar to those in Ender 5 Plus so the build plate is going to move up or down while the hot head is moving in both X and Y axis. The front opening is convenient in our opinion and all components are tucked away from your working space. What we love the most is they are coming in full assembly already so you just have to do setup before printing without the need to attach everything together anymore.
Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3 Volume
The next factor we personally consider when choosing a new 3D printer after the type of machine itself is their build volume as you can’t bump them up and it is better to always decide how big we will need to print our work with the machine. In this part Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3 are more of small to medium range with a build volume of 215mm by 215mm by 200mm compared to 230mm by 190 by 200mm so overall the new machine can print a larger or wider object than its predecessor.
On the build platform however, the two are still the same because they are using the same glass layer on top of the heated bed which is secured using two metal clips. This surface allows for an easy removable model from its surface but is a bit outdated considering how many companies are using magnetic which can be easily secured and peeled off of the surface.
Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3 Features
Moving further, we also want to talk about the features that come with Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3 and in this part they are about the same as well. First is they are featured with auto-leveling which makes your setup a breeze as the printer will automatically level the bed for you. Next we also have a filament sensor but this one is only present on the newer S3 and also amazing to detect when there is a problem from your material whether it is running out or suffers from blockage.
When the sensor detects such a problem, they will pause the printing process and alert you so then we can take an action. Similarly they are also dual extrusion systems and this is what adds up to the cost quite a lot in our opinion because now you can print using two filaments or side by side at the same time. For additional convenience they come with Wi-Fi support and camera to let you monitor printing from your other device.
Ultimaker 3 and Ultimaker S3 Performance
The last part we want to talk about is their performance because this is what matters the most but, in this part they are very much the same to each other. The larger display of S3 is indeed more convenient to work with as it is touch sensitive. The print quality for the single extruder system is already good out of the box. With two extruders the result is pretty good but not the best and probably more suitable for modelling than printing an actual finished product.
Ultimaker 3 Vs S3
These 3D printers are amazing but what we love the most from them is actually the ease of use and convenience. They are also amazing for modelling and in general are having the same print quality but, the new S3 is improved on the control with a touch screen display, larger build capacity, and addition of material sensor which helps you to get notified when something is wrong on the filament side.
Conclusion
They are an equally good machine for those who are in for all the convenience but, in comparison S3 is now cheaper and comes with more upgrades as well which is why we highly recommend you to choose this machine over its older variant.