Where's the best place to buy AnyCubic Photon S 3D printer?
Why the Photon S?
The Photon S has proven itself to be an excellent and affordable 3D printer. It is a style of printer called DLP/SLA, which uses UV light to cure liquid resin into layers. As those layers build up, they form a smooth 3D model.
This kind of 3D printers can be extremely expensive, but AnyCubic has been at the forefront, pushing the prices down and removing barriers of entry. I have one of the original Photon printers and it is a staple in my daily printing routine, and the Photon S only improves on the original. You can see from our comparison article that the S is a great improvement and well worth the extra purchase price.
Why use eBay?
AnyCubic is based out of China and uses eBay extensively. All of its U.S. based stock is avaialble on eBay with some of it being adding to Amazon when they have the chance. This means you are more likely to get what you need from eBay than you are anywhere else.
AnyCubic also offer free shipping when you buy from eBay, not two-day unfortunately, but anywhere up to seven days for the continental U.S. In a world spoiled by two-day shipping this may feel like a snails pace, but it's really not that bad to get you a fully working resin printer for less than $500.
eBay also has a good returns policy and the team at AnyCubic are seem eager to help if you encounter any issues. Sometimes printers get banged around in the trip from China to here, so having a good return/replace policy is essential to maintaining a strong relationship with your consumer base.
What about Amazon?
Amazon is, of course, a great place to get a Photon S, but only when it is in stock. It takes time to ship printers over from China and Amazon stock sells so fast it is difficult to keep up. We have included the link to the listing on Amazon if you do want to wait for more stock, but by the time it does come in you could have had the one from eBay delivered.
A lightweight upgrade
With the extra bracing on the Z-axis, a stronger light source, and the anti-aliasing built into the firmware, the Photon S is an excellent upgrade to the original Photon.
What else should you get with the Photon S?
There are always extras you will need to make sure each print is a success. Here are a few helpful little pieces to get.
Nitrile gloves ($14 at Amazon)
When handling liquid resins, it is extremely important to not let them touch your skin. The Photon S comes with a pair of nitrile gloves, but they are disposable and only last for one print. Get yourself a box to keep on hand. (Get it? On hand??)
AnyCubic Photon black UV resin ($30 at Amazon)
Although the Photon S normally comes with a lovely green resin, you will go through the bottle very quickly. I recommend picking up another bottle of resin so you have plenty to experiment with.
