We had a couple printing issues (more on those in a moment) with the Cube, and as far as we can tell, they were either caused by the build plate moving ever so slightly on its magnetic anchors, or the filament not sticking to the unheated plate properly. The downside, however, is that itвЂ™s not heated, and isnвЂ™t quite as secure as if it were clipped down. The lack of clips makes the plate super easy to remove, which makes prying your finished objects off the plate a bit simpler. Your average spool of PLA or ABS goes for about 30 bucks, but these fancy (and admittedly convenient) spool cartridges from 3D Systems will cost you 49 bucks a pop.ДЄnother double-edged design feature is the printerвЂ™s magnetically-attached build plate. ItвЂ™s the exact same problem you encounter with 2D printers - once you buy the machine, it only works with one specific type of ridiculously overpriced ink cartridge. This makes inserting filament a breeze, but it also means that you canвЂ™t use cartridges made by anyone but 3D Systems, which is kind of annoying.

Cube 3 PLA comes in these nifty little pre-packaged spools that clip into the sides of the machine, and lock into the extruder (print head) with a simple twist. Take the filament-spool system, for example. Everything on the printer is enclosed and secure, so there was never any worry of breaking it - even when I had to pack it along on the bus one day.ДЈD Systems also included a number of other little design features that make using the Cube 3 great, like a waste-catching system, removable build plate, and quick-change filament system. I had to transport it between the DT office and my house a few times, and every time I just stuck my hand through the opening and carried the thing around on my forearm. The plastic enclosure feels a little thin and breakable in certain places, but the printer as a whole is pretty sturdy and well-built. ItвЂ™s no slouch in the build-quality department, either. If we had to sum up Cube 3вЂ™s print performance in one word, that word would probably be вЂњmeh.вЂќ All youвЂ™ve got to do is tap a few buttons on the machineвЂ™s built-in touchscreen display and youвЂ™re done.

The machine is pretty much ready to go straight out of the box, and once you boot it up, it does just about everything for you - including calibration and build-plate leveling. Setup and configurationДЈD Systems built the Cube 3 to be user-friendly, and nothing makes this more abundantly clear than the ridiculously simple setup process. YouвЂ™d be hard pressed to find some of these things on a $3,000 printer, so seeing them on a printer thatвЂ™s less than $1,000 is sort of like spotting a unicorn riding a centaur. In addition to a neat, fully-enclosed design, the printer is equipped with two extruders, a max resolution of 70 microns, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a built-in touchscreen for navigation. Features and specsДЇor a printer with a price tag this low, the Cube 3 boasts some incredible specs. It almost seems too good to be true, so we got our hands on one and put it to the test. Designed by 3D Systems, this printer offers a range of high-end features for under $1,000. Fancy features come at a price, and if you want things like dual extruders and touchscreens on your printer, youвЂ™ve got to dish out big bucks - unless of course you get yourself a Cube 3. Fitbit Versa 3ДЄs with beer, steaks, and roofing contractors, you get what you pay for when it comes to 3D printers.

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