"Buy cheap, buy twice"... You might get lucky once in a while but this statement holds true more often than not... I will stick with my bullet proof Up Box and Up Mini 2 printers... Search youtube first of reviews on any printer you may want to buy...
Anet has been famous for shorting out and starting fires... The one you linked to is a kit and no offense, it's not for you @Nomad. To put it together a kit printer you need to know a lot about 3d printers... If you want a good reliable inexpensive beginner printer look at the Creality CR-10... It's mostly assembled, safe and easy to use... Now you need to learn the software (like Cura or Simplify 3d) in order to use it... My suggestion is to start doing A LOT of research before you buy...
Hello Patrick,
About two years ago I posted info on a printer I bought and built. Look it up when you get a chance. They are listed as kits, but are often a bunch of parts which need to be "fitted" together. All electrical wires and connections (MUST) need to be check to be sure they are properly crimped or soldered. Spare items will be needed as you learn to run it. ( nozzles maybe an extruder thermistor and heater)
I added a number of improvements over time and have a reliable machine. The modifications like, an aluminum extruder body, a glass plate for the bed and other changes are the way to improve operation.
I build stuff with Tinkercad and use Cura for my slicer and have good luck with both PLA and ABS. I built an enclosure out of foam board to retain the heat which eliminates warping of the ABS.
I probably added another $100.00 over the time I have had it, but still it is under $400.00 and I know the machine and can fix it.
I totally agree with Richard. RESEARCH what is out there before you buy anything.. Super cheap is just that. The quality equals the price. Also anything you look at needs at least a 200 x 200 bed size. Most stuff you build needs that bed.
It is, as Richard says, another thing to learn. Once you get the basics you need to experiment with settings to use for your machine.
If you really want one, be sure to research all options, both kit and built machines
Contact me if you have any questions.
Hey guys, the cheap Anet kit got me into researching too.
I ended up buying the Prusca i3 MK2, which is at 739,00 in parts and 999,00 fully assembled. I know this is not exactly a "cheap" printer but it is definitively worth the price, I have been very happy with it!
I also like the idea that my money goes to a small company which is a putting a lot of effort into constantly improving the printer, there are always firmware updates and the slic3 software you can use runs a slic3 Prusca edition which is tailored to be used with this printer!
I always wanted to put up a little clip on me assembling the kit and throw some thought in on buying the kit vs the assembled printer, plus some stuff I learned while building and calibrating it, I should just do it for this forum so you guys can see me putting some time into building something that changed my robot building forever!
Prusca is an independent company just like EzRobot, and they have great customer support, check them out! Only taxes in the US could be something that might make it hard to get this done...I am crying all the time when ordering something from the states!
Hi Patrick,
Let me get Skype running and I will try to give you a call soon.
I need to hunt down and be sure my Skype sign-on and laptop still works.
I will send you my Skype address and we can set a time by communicating here. I live on the East Coast of the US. I think you are about 5 or 6 hours ahead of me?
Once we get running, I can show you both my printers and the modifications I have made.
I have been looking at some of the printers offered. I have found most inexpensive printers do not have a heated bed. A heated bed is needed when you print ABS. Some people may say they have printed parts without one, but I never tried it.
Frame stability is important. If the extruder flops around, poor quality prints occur. A ridgid frame with smooth movement allows good quality prints. Some printers can be simply modified to add a bearing block to the Y axis behind the extruder to make it operate better.
Most inexpensive printers use printed parts for their axis supports and other items. Often these parts are PLA which doesn't last. They warp and quickly degrade. I printed spares out of ABS once I got my printer operating well and changed them out. This eliminated many problems.
I found extruders using a PLA or ABS drive tensioners to not be reliable at all. I had many problems in this area. My fix was to upgrade to an all aluminum drive block which has adjustable spring tension. This was not an expensive conversion. I bought the complete unit with motor heater and thermistor for around $15 USD, and mounted it with very little work.
A level bed is critical when using a 3D printer. I still manually adjust mine by hand, and check it often. I will someday upgrade to an automatic bed leveler.
Lastly, routine maintenance such as cleaning, greasing the rods, checking tightness of screws, checking and tightening electrical wiring and terminals must be done regularly.
Warping - an example of warping is : You print a part which is suppose to be flat. The stress in the part makes the corners curl up. This is caused by uneven cooling of the part often due to air passing over a part while printing.
A way this is eliminated is by enclosing the 3D printer in an enclosure, which allows a more even cooling.
Hey guys, I just got a mail that the Prusa Printers are available with free shipping world wide for a limited amount of time! They are also featuring Multi Material Upgrade so you will be able to print water soluble material!
Quote:
Our Multi Material upgrade supports soluble interface supports, just imagine that - you can print three materials and one support in one model altogether. But that’s not all, we introduced soluble INTERFACE supports so you can save those expensive soluble materials and print most of the supports with the basic material!
Also it features a heated bed and auto mesh bed leveling!
I totally agree, and yes this is not the cheapest printer out there...I made a lot of research myself, there was even a series on Toms Hardware Channel where he showed you how to make the cheapest possible i3 clone!
I finally decided to save me the frustration of putting a lot of time and effort into building something that will produce mediocre results!
When buying a Prusa Printer you will pay more but the money will go to a small independent company in Czech Republic, which is working on improving the hardware and software of an fully open source printer!
My advice would be, buy a good quality printer first...not necessarily the Prusa, just any good quality printer you can think of, and once you learned about 3d printing and printer assembly, you can still go back to buy a cheap clone as your secondary machine!
I must also say that it took me 20 hours to put the printer together and to calibrate...it was great fun and horrifying at the same time!
I will try to put the assembly up on You Tube next week. So you guys can see me struggle!
i agree with what mickey666 says.by a printer thats allreddy assembled.
cause you will struggle with the software itself too.
prusa software doesn work on my machien win8,i try older versions too.
the start learning the sofware is very intimidating for me.
i have freecad.it works.sofar i can upload stl file and turn the image,
thats all eek
I haven't really gotten too much into the new configurations as I have been having a lot of success with Simplify 3D. I like the Repetier stuff because it integrates well with using an RP3 as a server. They have a few vids out there about the performance and according to Josef Prusa it helps quite a bit.
My machine is a Geeetech pro. Not advocating for them just saying I have one. I started with a kit and am glad I did. They are not for everybody but if you are up for it you learn a lot more.
I've been enjoying my Da Vinci Jr. 1.0 printer from XYZ printing. For an entry level printer it does a pretty good job. They have improved on the software and added a few more colors, and the price was great. Some day I'd like to get a bigger one too.
Hey guys, I finished cutting my challenge of building the Prusa I3 MK2...
When buying it I also considered a lot of different printers, and told myself NOT to buy a kit because I DONT know ANYTHING about building a printer...
The manual is super well documented, but as you can see in the clip, it was quiet a battle...and you are always at risk to break something and end up with a none functioning printer! It is scary but also rewarding at the same time!
I am really happy with my prints and kind of a Prusa fanboy...
But there are for sure a lot of very good printers out there!
As im writing this they are showing a mobile 3D printing robot on the news printing house parts, walls, windows..i think in the future house's might be built by a team of robots, would just need someone making sure the filament is always topped up.
Might even enter a restaurant one day and have desserts, etc printed out right in front of you...reminds me of that movie Cloud Atlas.
Btw, I have the Anet A6. Cheap, that's the only thing worth mentioning....
If I would do it again, I defenately would buy a Prusa or so. Depends on how much you want to use it of course.
Similar to the one I use. Great price
there are more cheaper 3d printers on that site .
"Buy cheap, buy twice"... You might get lucky once in a while but this statement holds true more often than not... I will stick with my bullet proof Up Box and Up Mini 2 printers... Search youtube first of reviews on any printer you may want to buy...
RR
if you read the revieuws ,many people both one. but you have a point ,you get what you paid for .
how to bilt this printer.looking good.
Anet has been famous for shorting out and starting fires... The one you linked to is a kit and no offense, it's not for you @Nomad. To put it together a kit printer you need to know a lot about 3d printers... If you want a good reliable inexpensive beginner printer look at the Creality CR-10... It's mostly assembled, safe and easy to use... Now you need to learn the software (like Cura or Simplify 3d) in order to use it... My suggestion is to start doing A LOT of research before you buy...
RR
thanks for the warning.i dont like fires.
Hello Patrick, About two years ago I posted info on a printer I bought and built. Look it up when you get a chance. They are listed as kits, but are often a bunch of parts which need to be "fitted" together. All electrical wires and connections (MUST) need to be check to be sure they are properly crimped or soldered. Spare items will be needed as you learn to run it. ( nozzles maybe an extruder thermistor and heater) I added a number of improvements over time and have a reliable machine. The modifications like, an aluminum extruder body, a glass plate for the bed and other changes are the way to improve operation. I build stuff with Tinkercad and use Cura for my slicer and have good luck with both PLA and ABS. I built an enclosure out of foam board to retain the heat which eliminates warping of the ABS. I probably added another $100.00 over the time I have had it, but still it is under $400.00 and I know the machine and can fix it.
I totally agree with Richard. RESEARCH what is out there before you buy anything.. Super cheap is just that. The quality equals the price. Also anything you look at needs at least a 200 x 200 bed size. Most stuff you build needs that bed.
It is, as Richard says, another thing to learn. Once you get the basics you need to experiment with settings to use for your machine.
If you really want one, be sure to research all options, both kit and built machines Contact me if you have any questions.
Be Well, Ron
andy roid
indeed i check the link from RR.better to spend a little more. thanks for the contact me .ron.
creality-cr10
Hey guys, the cheap Anet kit got me into researching too. I ended up buying the Prusca i3 MK2, which is at 739,00 in parts and 999,00 fully assembled. I know this is not exactly a "cheap" printer but it is definitively worth the price, I have been very happy with it!
I also like the idea that my money goes to a small company which is a putting a lot of effort into constantly improving the printer, there are always firmware updates and the slic3 software you can use runs a slic3 Prusca edition which is tailored to be used with this printer!
I always wanted to put up a little clip on me assembling the kit and throw some thought in on buying the kit vs the assembled printer, plus some stuff I learned while building and calibrating it, I should just do it for this forum so you guys can see me putting some time into building something that changed my robot building forever!
Prusca is an independent company just like EzRobot, and they have great customer support, check them out! Only taxes in the US could be something that might make it hard to get this done...I am crying all the time when ordering something from the states!
http://shop.prusa3d.com/en/17-3d-printers
andy roid
where can i find your contact adres.
mickey666
thanks for the link
Yeah, I thought since you are living in Belgium this could be interesting for you... Residents of the US might have to consider import tax!
Hi Patrick, Let me get Skype running and I will try to give you a call soon. I need to hunt down and be sure my Skype sign-on and laptop still works.
I will send you my Skype address and we can set a time by communicating here. I live on the East Coast of the US. I think you are about 5 or 6 hours ahead of me?
Once we get running, I can show you both my printers and the modifications I have made.
andy
great looking forwart
I have been looking at some of the printers offered. I have found most inexpensive printers do not have a heated bed. A heated bed is needed when you print ABS. Some people may say they have printed parts without one, but I never tried it.
Frame stability is important. If the extruder flops around, poor quality prints occur. A ridgid frame with smooth movement allows good quality prints. Some printers can be simply modified to add a bearing block to the Y axis behind the extruder to make it operate better.
Most inexpensive printers use printed parts for their axis supports and other items. Often these parts are PLA which doesn't last. They warp and quickly degrade. I printed spares out of ABS once I got my printer operating well and changed them out. This eliminated many problems.
I found extruders using a PLA or ABS drive tensioners to not be reliable at all. I had many problems in this area. My fix was to upgrade to an all aluminum drive block which has adjustable spring tension. This was not an expensive conversion. I bought the complete unit with motor heater and thermistor for around $15 USD, and mounted it with very little work.
A level bed is critical when using a 3D printer. I still manually adjust mine by hand, and check it often. I will someday upgrade to an automatic bed leveler.
Lastly, routine maintenance such as cleaning, greasing the rods, checking tightness of screws, checking and tightening electrical wiring and terminals must be done regularly.
hi andy
so pla is degradeble abs needs a heated bed.the cr-10 has a heated bed.
PLA needs to be stored in a very dry area. Moisture breaks it down. ABS is much more durable.
PLA is easier to use in the beginning to learn with. Warping is an issue found with ABS.
andy
what is warping?
mickey666
thanks for the info
Warping - an example of warping is : You print a part which is suppose to be flat. The stress in the part makes the corners curl up. This is caused by uneven cooling of the part often due to air passing over a part while printing.
A way this is eliminated is by enclosing the 3D printer in an enclosure, which allows a more even cooling.
andy
ah the boards you made.i got it.
Hey guys, I just got a mail that the Prusa Printers are available with free shipping world wide for a limited amount of time! They are also featuring Multi Material Upgrade so you will be able to print water soluble material!
Also it features a heated bed and auto mesh bed leveling!
Use this machine as a comparison. Prusa has been around a long time. More expensive but a good machine.
A lot of cheap printer use this basic design.
I totally agree, and yes this is not the cheapest printer out there...I made a lot of research myself, there was even a series on Toms Hardware Channel where he showed you how to make the cheapest possible i3 clone!
I finally decided to save me the frustration of putting a lot of time and effort into building something that will produce mediocre results! When buying a Prusa Printer you will pay more but the money will go to a small independent company in Czech Republic, which is working on improving the hardware and software of an fully open source printer!
My advice would be, buy a good quality printer first...not necessarily the Prusa, just any good quality printer you can think of, and once you learned about 3d printing and printer assembly, you can still go back to buy a cheap clone as your secondary machine!
I must also say that it took me 20 hours to put the printer together and to calibrate...it was great fun and horrifying at the same time!
I will try to put the assembly up on You Tube next week. So you guys can see me struggle!
hi averyone
i agree with what mickey666 says.by a printer thats allreddy assembled. cause you will struggle with the software itself too. prusa software doesn work on my machien win8,i try older versions too. the start learning the sofware is very intimidating for me. i have freecad.it works.sofar i can upload stl file and turn the image, thats all eek
Hey, it should work on Windows 8... Download the software using this link!
https://prusacontrol.org/#_ga=2.160042036.804924295.1505047118-79153282.1504943240
mickey666
thanks for the link. can i have two 3d software on a win8?
Yes you can...this is no problem at all! I also use more than one software to run my printer!
thanks mickey666
I run a clone of the Prusa machine. A good fee slicer is Repetier. They work with them and have preloaded optimized settings for the prusa printers.
www.repetier.com/
Good to know...did you experience a significant change in printing results when using different slicing software?
Which machine did you end up buying? I guess there are some really good clones out there!
I haven't really gotten too much into the new configurations as I have been having a lot of success with Simplify 3D. I like the Repetier stuff because it integrates well with using an RP3 as a server. They have a few vids out there about the performance and according to Josef Prusa it helps quite a bit.
My machine is a Geeetech pro. Not advocating for them just saying I have one. I started with a kit and am glad I did. They are not for everybody but if you are up for it you learn a lot more.
I've been enjoying my Da Vinci Jr. 1.0 printer from XYZ printing. For an entry level printer it does a pretty good job. They have improved on the software and added a few more colors, and the price was great. Some day I'd like to get a bigger one too.
robohappy this looks like a good printer for low prize.you are using.
Hey guys, I finished cutting my challenge of building the Prusa I3 MK2... When buying it I also considered a lot of different printers, and told myself NOT to buy a kit because I DONT know ANYTHING about building a printer...
The manual is super well documented, but as you can see in the clip, it was quiet a battle...and you are always at risk to break something and end up with a none functioning printer! It is scary but also rewarding at the same time!
I am really happy with my prints and kind of a Prusa fanboy... But there are for sure a lot of very good printers out there!
3D printing changed it all for me, its awesome!
hehe great video.
Thanks @Nomad6R I wanted to do this for a while, but since you reopened the discussion on printers, it made me finally go ahead and do it!
I will try to just for learning,maybe some day i can print something.
Thanks for the video @Mickey666Maus Nice job on it, it's great! Have fun with your new Prusa, 3D printing is a blast!
Great video M666M
Looking forward to a 3D printer next year.
As im writing this they are showing a mobile 3D printing robot on the news printing house parts, walls, windows..i think in the future house's might be built by a team of robots, would just need someone making sure the filament is always topped up.
Might even enter a restaurant one day and have desserts, etc printed out right in front of you...reminds me of that movie Cloud Atlas.
Thanks all...3D printing is great, I am having the time of my life!
I LOVE THE SMELL OF ABS IN THE MORNING !
i found this video for 3d printing.and i learn and understand now what means, leveling the bed and slicing.very good video for beginners.
Btw, I have the Anet A6. Cheap, that's the only thing worth mentioning.... If I would do it again, I defenately would buy a Prusa or so. Depends on how much you want to use it of course.
hi phG
i think an expencive one is better.if i ever get one.i would go for the auto leveling and heated bed for sure.
Hi Nomad,
They all come with the heated bed. The auto leveling is one of the nicest features.
hi phg
thanks for the info.