@jay- There are tons of great printers out there, if you have the money. For me the SD2 was the best option for my budget. Out of curiosity, how much of hard earned cash will you be parting with to obtain this printer?

Nice. I'll echo what Antron007 said, how much?

The same price as a Replicator 2 - actually the same price including 8KG of filament - but I won't be limited to just PLA like the MBI printers. They have a load of materials being launched. To be honest, I agree in so far as the availability of other printers out there that will do the job - and not forgetting open source RepRap printers too. I have a RepRap, but am probably not as expert as some of you - or maybe don't have the time that others have to spend trying millions of combinations of settings, slicers, software etc. I just like to design and then print.

For others, different printers will be the right choice, but for me I really liked the printer and quality - plus they gave incredible service - which as all of you appreciate counts for so much. By the way, I linked to the EZ site on their forum so everyone could see where the parts they printed are from and I hope they will love EZ too! Maybe we will find a few new robot builders amongst them!

Cheers,

Jay

So still above the £1,000 mark which is as much as I would want to pay for a 3D printer. I can't justify paying more than that really (and ideally I'm waiting for them to drop to sub £800 - I may be in for a long wait lol)

Totally understand your view Rich and as we're both in the UK and this is a friendly community then if you ever need anything printing whilst you wait for a printer to come along then (if you don't have access to one yet) I would print anything you need as it's obvious from reading this forum how much you yourself help others :)

Cheers

Jay

Customer service is a plus. Congratulations on your new printer! Dell purchased 5000 units. Look forward to hearing, how it is, after un-boxing, and have had some time with your new addition to your family.

:) J

Cheers j :)

Good news Jay! thanks for sharing your info and I look forward to your real world, hands on experience ! How long will it take to get from Poland to the USA (East or West?) :)

Edit: Thanks for sharing the link to the Zortrax Forum and your postings! You had a lot of very good questions and well written! :)

Hi irobot58,

Thanks :)

I'm not sure what the shipping time is for Poland to the U.S. :(

From what they have said they have two shipping options (in fact two online stores). One is for international orders - these are shipped direct from the manufacturing facility in China - a bit like EZ will do I believe. The other shop is for European customers - these are bulk imported from China to Poland - where they pay the import taxes and customs duties then they ship to e.g. UK. The next "huge" batch they have coming to Poland is next Friday so they have said they will deliver within a few days of that - I'm figuring on week after next.

There isn't really a saving for me buying from the EU store as a big import tax is already applied, but it's quick as they have a big load of stock arriving soon. I'm not sure how much import tax you would be subject to in the U.S. ?

If you message them I'm sure they will be able to confirm leads times etc :)

Take care and have fun!

Jay

Hey Anthony :)

Sounds like a handy location being so close to them I have been on the edge of buying one of the MB 5th generation desktops for weeks myself. I'm not sure if it's being located in the UK or perhaps just bad luck, but I've been hitting brick walls with anything to do with makerbot for ages. The main distributor in the uk just hasn't been responding to any communications whatsoever - despite having an automated chat box that appears every time you go to their website saying "how may I help you today" .... They just never answer it. I then went to MBI main website in the US .... I ordered some test prints which have never been delivered - although I did get a phone call from one of their guys asking if I still wanted to buy one. My biggest concern was buying an original replicator 2 which I know is a fantastic machine without question - but at a time when they are bringing out what will I'm sure in the long term be its replacement. Or buying a new 5th gen machine that nobody seems to be able to see prints from.

To be honest I think every machine will have its fans and every person should buy what's right for them - especially when some machines cost way more than others. My first machine was a reprap that I built - it was all I could afford and justify at the time. There was no way I would buy something like the Zortrax without first learning a bit about whether it was for me. The reprap was great and in fairness it wasn't the printer that really failed me - more like me failing the printer ! It just was a machine that took more time tinkering than printing. But it helped me realise how incredible these machines are !

The good news is that I am getting a ton of messages from other people on their forum about the EZ kit so it looks like both companies may end up having some shared customers :)

Like lots of you have said the proof of the pudding is in the eating !

Can't wait to try it out. !

Cheers,

Jay

Hi Jay,

I've been looking at 3DP's and want to purchase one to start printing EZ-bits, and have read some of your previous mails on the subject, which you haven't had much success.

Looking to purchase one in the near future, and will be VERY interested on how you get on in printing out the EZ-bits. I'm also based in the UK.

Cheers, Chris.

Hi Chris,

How soon are you looking to get a 3DP? If it's not immediate, then perhaps have a look at the 5th Gen MB when it comes out - although it is a lot of money. When I get my printer through I would be happy to print a couple of sample EZ bits and send them to you so you can have a look at the quality close up. Alternatively if you're in need of anything short term before you buy then drop me a PM and I will try and help out if I can.

There are a lot of guys with lots of experience on here as you know and I'm sure they will give you good advise in your decisions.

All the best,

Jay

Thanks Jay,

I've only just started looking, so in no hurry to purchase one, although the MB 5th gen, may be a bit to much money for my budget.

I'm looking to build the Hexapod six, and purchase the EZ-B v4 WiFi Robot Controller separately and create the EZ-bit myself, as I've built quite a lot of Hexapods in the past.

Just noticed the complete 'Hexapod six kit' has gone up by about $100, a 28% increase! :(

I want to use the Tower Pro MG996 heavy duty servos if they fit, sent a separate inquiry on that one.

I would be interested in seeing a couple of sample EZ bits, when you get your printer if possible.

Cheers, Chris.

Hey Anthony,

You're right - They do sell their own brand of filament but to be honest I don't mind paying more if I know it is to an exacting spec that is proven to work. I've lost count of the number of reels of filament I have bought only to find it doesn't stick or is poor quality. However, I know that there are owners that have said they are printing with third party filament with great success. They have said they are adding more options in the coming software releases to allow alternative materials too. I ordered 8kg of filament at the current price though which should see me ok for a very long while lol.

Cheers

J :)

@jayceekeys

Any update on your purchase of the Zortrax printer?

Cheers, Chris.

It is interesting watching everyone experiment with different 3D printers and sharing their insights with the community. It even helps us consider future ideas for printing! Keep it up :)

jay you are from poland? IF YES VERY COOL :D