Reply To: print cost SLA vs FDM ?

[limburger 21710xp 0]

I suspect that as well as cost of resin there’s also the expiration date to consider, so it might be more cost effective to buy two 500ml bottles of resin as opposed to a single

Does filament have an expiration date ?

@sniperbait I don’t look at these costs as ‘getting money back’, but more like the cost of owning one of these devices.
With something like an inktjet or laserprinter that is easy, because there is an “official” inkt to use and most shops offer hardware as well as supplies. It’s also why I’ve got an inktjet instead of a laserprinter because toner cartridges are still too expensive (buying a new printer is cheaper than replacing the toner cartridges … total madness)

There is no such equivalent for FDM 3D printers and even resin is not quite as restrictive (which is good).
However this also makes it tricky to understand running costs as there is (too much) choice for newbies like me.

Anyways …

So it is true that a resin printer like the Photon is more expensive even without the alcohol/cleaning supplies.
That is something to consider (and it helps me not buy one 😉 … not sure how long that’ll last)