'One of the best-value 3D printers on the market': Elegoo's Centauri Carbon 2 Combo gets a limited-time price drop — and it's our favorite budget multi-color 3D printer to pass our workshop tests

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings) Elegoo is running a massive limited-time sale on 3D printers right now - but for my money, the one you want to check out is the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo for $369 (was $449). And in the UK, Elegoo's multi-color 3D printer is down to £329 (was £398).We awarded this 3D printer 4.5 stars and a TechRadar Pro Recommends badge after putting this one through its paces in our workshop. It's easily the best budget multi-color unit you can get right now.The enclosed CoreXY printer uses Elegoo's excellent CANVAS system to print with up to four colors, while its 350°C nozzle opens the door to a wide range of materials. You also get automatic calibration, a 256 x 256 x 256mm build volume and printing speeds of up to 500mm/s.See the full Elegoo Day SaleToday's top Elegoo 3D printer dealWhy we recommend itIn his rave 4.5-star review, our expert Alastair said the "Carbon 2 Combo impresses, offering one of the cheapest and most reliable multifilament machines on the market."He summed it up saying: "Not only does it stand alongside some of the market leaders, but because it's able to handle engineering materials and has that fully enclosed environment, it is one of the best-value 3D printers on the market."The CANVAS system is fantastic if you want to create more colorful models without manually changing filament during a print. Its four-color capability gives you much more freedom for making decorative models, signs, toys, and other projects.The 350°C hardened-steel nozzle and enclosed chamber allow the Centauri Carbon 2 to work with PLA, PETG, ABS, and ASA, and Elegoo also lists support for PC, PA, and fiber-reinforced filaments.For more options, take a look at our round up of the best 3D printers we've tested, including the Centauri Carbon 2 which we rated as the best budget multi-color device, and the best 3D printer deals we've seen this week.Price context & historical valueElegoo has reduced the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo from $449 to $369, saving you $80, or almost 18%. That's the lowest price I've found for the four-color 3D printer, matching a previous $369 deal from June. It's also on sale in the UK for £329, down from its usual £398.There's also a discount on the optional Centauri Series Accessory Kit. It's currently $30 instead of $59.99 in the US (£40.79 down from £67.99 in the UK) when purchased as an add-on.Should you buy it?✅ Buy the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo if...You want to move beyond single-color 3D printing without spending a fortune on a multicolor setup. CANVAS provides four-color printing out of the box, while the enclosed design and high-temperature nozzle give you room to experiment with more demanding materials as your skills develop.❌ Skip the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo if...You primarily produce very large models. Its 256 x 256 x 256mm build volume is ample for many projects, but bigger prints may need to be divided into multiple pieces, so a large-format printer would be a better choice.The Catch: What to know before you buy Elegoo quotes a maximum printing speed of 500mm/s, but its recommended speed is 250mm/s. I'd treat the higher figure as the printer's upper limit rather than the speed you'd expect for every model and material.It's also a large machine. At 500 x 480 x 743mm and 19.35kg, you'll need a sizable, sturdy surface, particularly if you're used to a smaller open-frame printer.Shop all 3D printers at Elegoo Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Wayne Williams is a freelancer writing news for TechRadar Pro. He has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for 30 years. In that time he wrote for most of the UK’s PC magazines, and launched, edited and published a number of them too.