Delta 3D printers are known for being fast, and tall. They use Bowden extruders to keep the print head light and retain accuracy at high speeds. They’re perfect for hobbyist cosplay prints like swords, or vases and figurines – and they’re used in architecture for skyscraper model prototypes.

I bought my first delta 3D printer, the Flsun QQ-S, back in late 2020. In the years since, even faster and more accurate models have been released.

In this article, I’ll cover the best delta 3D printers in every price range, their pros and cons vs Cartesian printers, factors to consider when buying a delta 3D printer, and some tips and tricks.

Best delta 3D printer under $500
Top pick overall
4.2
4.7
$359.00
$599.00
Best delta 3D printer under $500
03/07/2024 02:09 am GMT

Quick Overview

NameMax Build Volume (mm)Max Speed (mm/s)PriceWhere to buy for best price
FLSUN Q5200 x 200 x 200150-300 mm/s$199Flsun here
FLSUN QQ-S Pro255 x 255 x 360300 mm/s$249Flsun here
Flsun Super Racer260 x 260 x 330200 mm/s$399Amazon here
Flsun V400300 x 300 x 410400 mm/s$799Amazon here
WASP Delta 2040 PRO Turbo200 x 200 x 400500-600 mm/s$3,400Amazon here

When I wrote the first edition of this article more than three years ago, the Rostock Max, Monoprice Mini Delta, and other printers were featured. So many of these have since been discontinued that Flsun printers now dominate the ranking.

The Best Delta 3D Printers – 2024 Reviews

1. Flsun Super Racer – Best delta 3D printer under $500

Flsun Super Racer

Pros

Great mix of large build volume and fast speed for the price

WiFi connectivity: not common in this price range and makes for better remote monitoring and better workflow

Cons

Not as fast or large as the Flsun V400

Slightly smaller build volume overall than the Flsun QQ-S

The Flsun Super Racer combines all the speed benefits of the delta design, along with a large build volume.

It features quality parts throughout, something I’ve come to expect from all Flsun printers. It’s geared to run well at speeds up to 200 mm/s, though I recommend printing at 150 mm/s for the sweet spot between quality and print time. 

Though the Super Racer ships in parts, it’s easy to assemble and, after initial calibration and leveling, runs smoothly. It’s a reliable printer, and having owned Flsun 3D printers over the years, I feel safe without needing to constantly supervise it. The auto bed leveling is a nice extra touch, too.

As for how it compares with the Flsun V400, the V400 has slightly better print quality, and runs faster, at up to 400mm/s. The V400 also has a direct drive extruder, which reduces retraction issues and makes 3D printing flexible materials easier. All this is powered by Klipper firmware, which throws in quality-of-life touches like Wi-Fi.

However, the Flsun V400 costs twice as much as the Super Racer. So, if you’re on more of a budget, and you don’t need the extra features, the Super Racer is still a fantastic and reliable low-cost delta 3D printer.

The Flsun Super Racer prints far faster than similarly priced Cartesian printers. However, when it comes to the actual printing, Cartesian 3D printers like the Creality Ender 3 S1 and Anycubic Kobra Max come out ahead in overall print quality. So, you should consider whether the speed benefit of delta printers outweighs a small drop in print quality.

2. Flsun V400 – The best delta 3D printer overall

Flsun V400

Pros

Best desktop delta printer out right now

Incredibly fast speeds for models where perfect print quality isn’t essential

Large print volume, even on the X and Y axes

The direct drive extruder is better for printing flexible filaments

Cons

Twice the price of the Super Racer

The Flsun V400 is Flsun’s most premium delta 3D printer, with the highest print speeds and some of the biggest build volumes on the market.

At 300 x 300 x 410 mm, you get both the benefit of large z-heights, as well as the large X and Y axis dimensions you’d expect from Cartesian FDM printers. This makes the Flsun V400 ideal for tall projects like vases and figurines, as well as functional household items, toys, D&D terrain, and more.

Most importantly, the Flsun V400 is super fast, with a 400 mm/s top speed. While you’re unlikely to print at 400mm/s often, the V400 can print at high quality at 200 mm/s. 

For comparison, the Super Racer is capped at 200 mm/s with a 150 mm/s sweet spot, so with the V400 you can print around 33% faster, and shorten job times. This is ideal if you’re a small business, or if you’re just an impatient amateur maker like me who wants a fast turnaround!

The direct drive extruder is another notable feature of the Flsun V400, and is fairly unusual for a delta 3D printer to have, as they usually favor a lighter print head. The main benefit here is that the Flsun V400 can better print flexible filaments like TPU and TPE, as these extruders are generally better for retraction and feeding.

If you’re on the fence as to whether the Super Racer or the V400 is the better choice for you, I recommend the Flsun V400 if you have the budget. Many other makers agree that it’s better overall, but it’s just whether that’s worth the extra $400 to you.

The V400 features an improved hot end and nozzle, and runs on the Klipper firmware which allows for a touchscreen and Wi-Fi connectivity. Both are nice to have, and are convenient. But where Kilpper really shines is some clever wizardry that ensures good print quality at higher speeds. There’s also automatic bed leveling, which helps to make it more user friendly.

Alongside, the Flsun V400 has a PEI removable printer bed, which makes removing prints easier compared to the Super Racer plate, which is mounted via a set of screws that take time to unscrew. 

The build plate isn’t an essential feature, but it’s one that many owners are pleased about, especially a few months down the line. Other than this, both the V400 and Super Racer are good, durable printers made from quality components throughout, something I’ve come to expect from Flsun.

3. FLSUN QQ-S Pro – Great cheap option

FLSUN QQ-S Pro

Pros

Large printing area and great speeds for the low price

Has a heavy metal frame, which keeps the printer more stable during printing and helps prevent vibrations that affect surface finish

The lattice platform print bed makes it easy to remove prints once you’ve finished printing

Very easy assembly

Cons

Manual leveling can be annoying, and makes for less efficient printing

Has generally now been outclassed by the Flsun Super Racer

I recommend the Flsun QQ-S Pro highly as one of the best budget delta 3D printers around. I personally owned one for two years, and it was super easy to build in around 20 minutes (It comes 90% fully assembled), has a 3.2-inch touchscreen, and the leveling and calibration process is very simple. You can read more in my full FLSUN QQ-S review.

Assembling the FLSUN QQ-S
Assembling the Flsun QQ-S is quick and you can build it in under 30 minutes. It comes almost fully assembled, you just need to attach the vertical rods and a few other parts.

For the low price, the Flsun QQ-S has both a large printing area and fantastic print speed. It’s able to print up to 300 mm/s, but I found it worked best at around 120mm/s, and other makers online found this too

FLSUN-QQ-S-elephant-3D-print
Test 3D print of the Flsun elephant STL, which showed how well it works on edges and debossed lettering.
3DBenchy-and-vase-FLSUN-QQ-S
Some other test prints that performed well: a 3DBenchy and a test vase 3D print.

It can print PLA, ABS, HIPS, PVA, and wood-filled filaments, and its heavy metal frame keeps the printer stable during printing.

Still, if you can afford it, I recommend buying the Flsun Super Racer or V400 instead. The QQ-S has been out for a few years, and the newer models have better leveling and solid build quality. Though, for the price, the QQ-S is still great value.

I also appreciated the lattice platform bed, which makes it very easy to remove prints after printing has finished, as well as maintain temperatures to reduce warping. And it does all this while remaining under 50dB, one of the quietest 3D printers around! Overall, I still highly rate it as one of the best 3D printers in its price range.

4. FLSUN Q5 – Cheapest delta printer

flsun q5

Pros

Good stability for print accuracy with the metal frame

The easy-to-use touchscreen is a nice quality-of-life feature

Prints comfortably at 120mm/s, much faster than any Cartesian printer in this price range

Cons

Smaller print volume than the Flsun QQ-S and other delta printers.

The Flsun Q5 is now the best cheap delta 3D printer, with no real alternatives now the Monoprice Mini Delta is no longer available.

Despite such a low price, it has a solid metal structure for better stability and fewer vibrations affecting print quality, still has an easy-to-use touchscreen. 

The maximum print speed is 300mm/s, though I still recommend around 120mm/s for more reliable print quality (generally 100-150mm/s seems to work best).

However, a key difference between the Flsun Q5 and QQ-S is the smaller print volume – the Q5 has just 200 x 200 x 200 mm. This is still large enough for most prints, but those looking for a large 3D printer may prefer the QQ-S, the V400, or Super Racer.

It’s easy to assemble, prints almost all the standard FDM filaments, and has a power resume function that can save you stress if there’s a power outage.

It’s not quite as accurate as the more expensive printers on this list, but it’s still the best delta 3D printer for under $250 in my opinion, and is capable with high quality prints at a reasonable price.

5. WASP 2040 PRO Turbo — Fastest Delta 3D printer in the world!

  • Price: Check on Amazon here
  • Max print volume: 200 x 200 x 400 mm
  • Speed: up to 500-600 mm/s
  • Weight: 25kg
wasp delta 3d printer 2040 pro turbo with optional clay extruder

Pros

Extremely fast with speeds up to 600mm/s

Can be upgraded to 3D print clay materials for niche uses, and also works with tougher filaments like Nylon and carbon fiber filaments

Cons

Far more expensive than similar-sized delta printers

Italian 3D printer company WASP claim that the WASP 2040 Pro Turbo is the fastest 3D printer in the world, with maximum print speeds of 600mm/s, 10x the speed of the average Cartesian print speed. As a result, it’s popular with small businesses looking to make fast prototypes and parts on demand.

Everything is optimized for speed, but that doesn’t mean anything is sacrificed. The delta WASP 2040 PRO still prints 50-micron layer heights with great accuracy, and the aluminum frame offers good stability for printing parts with smooth surface finishes.

If the print is stopped or paused, such as because of a power outage, it can resume printing from the exact layer. If you’re printing a 40-hour print, and risk having to start again from a print failure, this feature is absolutely essential. The filament detector also informs you and stops printing when you run out so that prints never fail.

The WASP 2040 PRO Turbo can print a variety of 3D printer filaments, including PLA, PETG, ABS, Nylon, and carbon fiber-filled filaments, and can be upgraded if you buy the clay extruder add-on for 3D printing clay. You can use the WASP with Cura, Slic3r or Simplify3D for slicing, and know that the printer is fast, effective and reliable. Undoubtedly one of the best delta 3D printers around, it just becomes a question of money as the WASP is noticeably more pricey than some lower-priced delta printers I recommend.

6. Delta WASP 2040 Clay

  • Price: $3,300
  • Build volume: 200 mm x 200 mm x 400 mm
  • Max speed: 150 mm/s
  • Weight: 40 kg
Delta WASP 2040 Clay

Pros

Prints ceramic materials

Above-average build volume

Cons

Middling print speeds for a 3D delta printer

Separate compressor required

Not suitable for printing standard filaments like PLA and ABS

The Delta WASP 2040 Clay is a modified version of the WASP 2040 reimagined to print ceramic materials such as clay, gres, earthenware, and porcelain. However, these modifications mean it isn’t suitable for printing the typical filament types like PLA or ABS the standard WASP 2040 is designed for.

The Delta WASP 2040 Clay can reach a top print speed of 150 mm/s. While not particularly fast compared to other delta printers like the Flsun V400, slower speeds are needed to successfully 3D print ceramics, as they are much more malleable, dense, and fluid. 

The heavy lifting is performed by the LDM WASP Extruder 3.0, a bespoke extruder designed specifically for ceramic printing. It’s designed to eliminate bubbles, for impressive retraction control, and has an advanced screw system to regulate extrusion flow. 

Additional features include a removable build plate, an aluminum and steel chassis for added stability, and a robust print resume function called Free-Z System, which calculates where the print stopped based on height for more accuracy.

The result is high-quality ceramic parts with a smooth surface finish, and surprisingly high dimensional accuracy given how volatile clay can be. 

A 200 mm x 200 mm x 400 mm build volume also allows the printing of taller parts and models than on most delta 3D printers, which makes the Delta WASP 2040 Clay particularly well suited for ceramic projects like vases and tall decorative parts.

However, the Delta WASP 2040 Clay doesn’t ship complete. You’ll need to buy a separate air compressor with a minimum pressure of 8 bar, and an 8mm nylon tube to attach the compressor to the printer. Without these extra components, the printer won’t function.

Delta 3D Printer Pros and Cons vs Cartesian 3D Printers

Delta 3D printers differ from standard Cartesian printers as they use a triangular configuration system of coordinates rather than standard XYZ axes.

Pros

  • High printing speeds – delta 3D printers print much faster than Cartesian printers, with some models able to print up to 600 mm/s.
  • Z-Height – due to the arrangement of vertical rods, Delta printers generally have a much taller Z-axis than Cartesian printers, allowing for much taller models and parts.

Cons

  • Smaller overall build volume – though delta 3D printers win in height, they have much smaller build volumes on the X and Y axes. Print areas are also circular, limiting the size and types of models you can make.
  • Troubleshooting and calibration – delta 3D printers are generally more difficult to calibrate, as they translate Cartesian coordinates into their triangulation system. Though, once calibrated, they require less maintenance and do not need to be leveled as often as Cartesian 3D printers.
  • Bowden extruder – most delta printers use a Bowden extruder, which allows them to print at higher speeds as they have lighter print heads. However, Bowden setups require much more fine-tuned retraction settings, and are difficult to print TPU with.

How To Pick The Right Delta Printer For You

Here are the key considerations to keep in mind when buying a delta 3D printer:

Advanced features

  • A larger build volume delta 3D printer will cost you more money, especially on the X and Y axes. 
  • Other extras include a direct drive extruder, Wi-Fi connectivity, better firmware like Klipper, and, most importantly, a higher printing speed. 
  • For a printer under $300, you can expect speeds up to 150 mm/s and an average build volume, such as the 200 x 200 x 200 mm on the Flsun Q5. 

If you are on a budget, I recommend prioritizing build volume and speed over any less key features.

What do you want to 3D print?

Delta 3D printers suit certain types of projects, such as taller figurines, vases, and building models. If you plan to print smaller household items as part of a hobby, then a smaller XY build volume may be fine for you.

Delta 3D printers cost around $250 for the most basic models like the Flsun Q5, with more advanced printers such as the V400 and Super Racer costing $400-$1,000. From there, more professional delta printers can cost in excess of $2,000

But, if you need a professional delta 3D printer with a large build volume and faster print speeds, be prepared to spend more. This opens the door to larger prints, especially taller models and prototypes.

Delta 3D printers are not well suited for wide models, as unless you buy a large printer like the Flsun V400, your projects may not fit into the working area. Similarly, if good print quality is your top priority, Cartesian FDM printers may be better suited, or even a resin MSLA 3D printer.

Print speed and print quality

The main appeal of delta 3D printers is the much higher print speeds than other types of FDM printers. For example, the Flsun V400, able to print up to 400mm/s, more than 6x faster than standard 60mm/s Cartesian print speeds.

Entry-level delta printers reach around 150 mm/s, with the most premium models pushing 600 mm/s. 

However, while possible, these speeds come with a drop in quality and are rarely used. So, I recommend focusing on the recommended speeds, as these are the speeds you can print at without notably reducing print quality.

Delta or CoreXY?

CoreXY 3D printers use a unique motion system whereby the build plate is latched to the Z-axis gantry, which allows it to move vertically up and down as the print progresses to ensure contact with the nozzle. 

The major benefit of this is that many coreXY printers reach high print speeds, similar to delta printers. Some have a maximum speed up to 250mm/s, which is far faster than Cartesian printers. They’re also very accurate, with great dimensional accuracy and few layer issues.

However, coreXY printers are expensive, complex to setup and maintain, use a lot of power, and are prone to failed prints because of their complexity. You need to be more technical to use them properly, as they need perfect calibration to work well.

Some makers online say that the speed of coreXY printers means delta printers are irrelevant, but for now, delta printers are still very viable.

What’s Changed?

The first version of this article was published back in 2020. Since then, we’ve updated it with our latest hands-on reviews.

June 2023 updates:

  • Removed the Monoprice Mini Delta as it is no longer sold.
  • Demoted the Flsun QQ-S Pro, and we now recommend the V400 and Super Racer as the only two delta printers worth purchasing.

Jan 2024 updates:

  • Updated pricing information for 2024.

FAQs

What software do delta printers use?

Delta 3D printers use the same software as Cartesian printers, with common software for delta printers including Cura, Simplify3D, Slic3r, and Repetier-Host.

Are delta 3D printers a good choice for beginners?

Delta printers are a good choice for beginners, even if they are slightly more complex to calibrate than Cartesian printers. The assembly process for most delta printers takes under 30 minutes, they are simple to level and often level automatically, and once leveled, do not require re-leveling as often as Cartesian printers do.

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Scott Hamill

Scott Hamill is a seasoned professional 3D printing and technology writer based in Edinburgh, renowned for his comprehensive coverage of 3D printing. His interest began during his college years, sparked by a peer's project to build a 3D printer for a Master's thesis more than a decade ago. Scott specializes in covering hobbyist 3D printing projects for 3DSourced, having written more than 100 guides to projects you can download and print at home. He has also contributed and authored articles for various other websites on 3D printing. Scott's tenure with 3DSourced spans over three years, establishing himself as a reliable and insightful voice in the 3D printing community.

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