Tiko unibody 3D-printer keeps it simple and cheap

Tiko is a small, unibody 3D-printer that is designed to be simple and user-friendly. 3D printers are revolutionizing the "maker" scene, but the numerous selections can be complicated and expensive. If you want to create basic plastic designs on the cheap and don't have space for a complicated printing setup, then Tiko might be for you. Best of all, Tiko can be yours for only $179 USD, but that's only the price for Kickstarter pledges. The price could go up when Tiko enters the market, but its creators haven't specified a retail price yet.

Tiko uses an internal filament tray that can hold 1 kg of plastic filament, but this may prove difficult to print anything other than monotone plastic figures. The build chamber can create objects up to 138.3 cubic inches, and it's closed build-chamber protects the building process from external detractors like dust and wind. Tiko also comes with cloud-based software and wireless capability, so you can print from anywhere on a range of devices from PCs to tablets and smartphones.

Tiko claims to be more reliable and accurate than traditional 3D-printers because all of the calibration rails are built into the unibody chassis, but I'm skeptical of how solid can the unibody printer actually is. The company prides itself on cost-cutting to provide a reasonable price, but performance could be sacrificed along the way. It appears as though the components and body are made of plastic. Weighing in at 3.7 lbs, it's portable and lightweight, it doesn't necessarily equate to a sturdy 3D-printer. All in all, Tiko looks to be a cheap alternative to a more complicated 3D-printer. If you are a beginner or looking to create simple designs Tiko could be well-suited to your needs.

Tiko has blown it initial Kickstarter goal of $100,000 USD out of the water by raising almost $1 million USD (at the time of publication.) Tiko will ship to its Kickstarter pledges in December 2015.

Source: Kickstarter