Starting to look for a new printer (Page 1/4)
MidEngineManiac NOV 21, 07:54 PM
I'm starting to shop around (black friday and boxing day sales coming) for a new 3D printer.

My non-negotiable requirements are #1, dual Z rods and #2 Open-source-type (IE: standard nozzles and fittings. Dont matter if it's V5, V6, MK8 or MK 10 as long as its easy-to-get. No proprietary BS)

NO MORE ENDERS !!!!

These things are NOT printers, they are fiddle-with machines that let you print once in a while. I need to do it the other way around. Print mostly and fix once-in-a-while.

Geetech went out as fast as it came in. I only kept it for a week before deciding it was junk. Anycubic worked great until the hot-end harness burned up, and the zero-help customer service on getting a replacement harness kind of left me cold on the company, and Creality....yeh

Sooo...what you guys got for recommendations ? Bigger is of course better, but E3 size is fine....And not looking to break the bank otherwise I'd just order a Prusa. Couple-3 hundred range.
Wichita NOV 21, 08:52 PM
I have an Ender 3 Neo in the cart at Amazon, but have yet to pull the trigger.

I'm new to it, so I would like something that works fairly well out of the box. I get the calibration and practice and tweeking. I'm willing to do that.

But I don't want to get in the weeds on one either.
MidEngineManiac NOV 21, 09:05 PM
Havent tried a NEO, but I have a pro and 2 base models here.

Basic upgrades (bed springs, build plate) OK that's kind of expected...beyond that I dont really want to deal with it.

Both bases have eaten mobo's. All 3 of them suffer from right-side sag on the gantry, those eccentric nuts do NOT like to stay set, and on the pro there is nothing I can do to get the bed firm, there is 1/4" of wobble in it again. 50% or better of my E3 printing has just been mods to turn them into decent printers. Thats the pro.



<edit>

If you look close behind it, thats the multi-color feed adapter I have been working on. The color change is OK, but its a beeeaaaccchhhh to keep it on the printer when it's running !!!!!

[This message has been edited by MidEngineManiac (edited 11-21-2022).]

Wichita NOV 21, 09:15 PM
You have a kitten in the background.
MidEngineManiac NOV 21, 09:16 PM

quote
Originally posted by Wichita:

You have a kitten in the background.



Yup, a multi-color feed adapter

Cats love the warm bed.

[This message has been edited by MidEngineManiac (edited 11-21-2022).]

shemdogg NOV 21, 09:35 PM
I started out with a used flashforge dreamer I sniped for $250 shipped off ebay, came with extra filaments and tools. It spoiled me as my first printer. The I got 2 of the sculpto2 printers, had a 30% success rate with tons of mods and always working on them. But crazy cool to watch print! Last week I saw the enders on sale so I got the best one the ender 3 s1 pro and its pretty good. Has all the bells and whistles, dual z, silent mobo, touchscreen, auto level, filament runout sensor, pei sheet, etc. The main reason was the direct drive extruder, those sculptos would randomly clog often. I like to make rainbow prints and the direct drive extruder lets me change colors in a flash instead of having to load the bowden tube w short pieces. I like it but will always miss my flashforge dreamer, it had an awesome user interface. The touchscreen program on the ender sucks, on the flashforge it was obvious and self explanatory what to do. The ender has a good rep and they 30% off right now. The s1 pro is $550, I got mine for $400 shipped. I read all the complaints on the ender series and the s1 pro has all the upgrades to address those issues. The hot end heats up crazy fast, and the heated bed warms up so-so. Im pretty satisfied with it, prolly have a 95% success rate w it. Made an assortment of little toys for my kids preschool class, kids went nuts! Post up what you wind up getting!

shem
TheDigitalAlchemist NOV 21, 10:50 PM
Couple hundred range = a thing you gonna hafta tweak and settle for. You can buy a different brand, but that's only gonna be another flavor of disappointment and frustration

Same as Fieros, you buy a cheap one, it's gonna have problems. Then again, even a higher priced one is over 35 years old, so maybe that's not the best comparison...

Last few printers we got were sub 200 machines and have been pretty good. Surprisingly good.

A Prusa is what 750-800 normally? From what I've heard, they are solid. Are they worth 2-3x the lower end printers?

Once got a Makerbot mini for like 225 - it was like 2,500 new, and it printed REALLY well. but it had a tiny build volume, was UNBELIEVABLY loud and when it jammed, the replacement part was 250 bucks (or, its a 5 minute, 0 dollar fix)
https://www.cnet.com/tech/c...ing/best-3d-printer/

I'd get a Kobra Max so I can print out big stuff. It's not 800 bucks and from what ive heard, its a good printer. That super-fast one has too much proprietary parts on it.

edit: the sculpto2 has been reliable - I only had a few failed prints and almost ever one was due to me using this one *really* crappy filament. Just bouth another one for 75 bucks... Its so quiet I can print at work and no one even knows.


The Makerbot is so ridiculous. its as loud as a person meowing loudly repeatedly.

[This message has been edited by TheDigitalAlchemist (edited 11-21-2022).]

MidEngineManiac NOV 21, 11:12 PM
Even with the coupon, Kobra max IS 800 this side of the Mason-Dixon border.

[URL=https://www.amazon.ca/ANYCUBIC-Leveling-Self-Developed-Filament-Detection/dp/B09QCPJYQF/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3CRXOE9GQ3SY5&keywords=kobra+max&qid=1669090107&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjE3IiwicXNhIjoiMS4zMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuNzkifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=kobra+max%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-2 ]https://www.amazon.ca/ANYCU...ax%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-2[/URL]

Even ender 3 pro's are around $350 and up here unless you get a sale or warehouse deal. I'm just looking right now getting ready for the sales.

Kingroon KP3S is a maybe....a little small but has linear rails for X and Y axis.

[This message has been edited by MidEngineManiac (edited 11-21-2022).]

TheDigitalAlchemist NOV 21, 11:20 PM

quote
Originally posted by MidEngineManiac:
Kingroon KP3S is a maybe....a little small but has linear rails for X and Y of the axis.



Had one of those types of printers, (the one bar going up and the one bar going across) the fans were SO cheap, they died within a dozen hours of printing. It was $119, and I had a 100 buck coupon so it was a 19 buck printer, but boy, it was bad. I forgett the crand. think it was a Creality.

Just make sure the linear rails don't have the big wheels on the outside... they tend to develop a wobble over time. the green and orange ones last a long time and stay "tight"...
TheDigitalAlchemist NOV 24, 12:47 AM

Spend the extra cash for a worthy printer.