“My main goal is prototyping so print quality is most important to me”. I couldn’t find better prototyping solution than Zortrax M200 + Z-ULTRAT so I bought M200 a month ago. I don’t care if it uses proprietary material as long as it produces no-problem high-quality prints using really sturdy material.
true, shipping is expensive… If you know anyone in the UK interested in reselling send them our way!
Hi, I have not experience with the Zortrax printer nor with the Ultimaker, although I have seen many prints made with them.
But personally, I would suggest to consider the Mankati Fullscale XT-Plus.
My main issue with the Zortrax would be the reliance on factory filament. In my opinion, the quality of prints is very reliant on the quality of the filament used. In that, of course, the Zortrax has an advantage since the company has specifically chosen its material to match its own printer.
The downside of course is a higher price of filament and limited range of materials.
For me, I have just bought my second Mankati Fullscale XT-Plus printer since I needed to extend my production capability.
My first Mankati printer has logged 4100+ hours of printing in just 15 months (average of 9 hours per day, 7 days a week).
Of course, with such a heavy workload , I have had some issues with the printer, but with a printer doing that much work that can only be expected. Especially if you consider the fact that I have printed a wide range of materials, from PLA, ABS, PETG, NGEN, XT, HT, Apollo-X, Nylon, Woodfill, FlexPLA/Flexifill, Glowfill etc.
For the record, I ordered my second Mankati on Monday directly in China and it arrived on Friday. Contact and support has been excellent throughout the year…
I love my Lulzbot TAZ6, so much I have two. It’s a workhorse for prototyping and production.
Hi,
There are great printers available at that price.
Consider the very popular Ultimaker 2 with dual extrusion and hotbed at around $2k.
For visually better models but less options in terms of materials as well as higher material costs, choose for an SLA printer.
The Titan 1 comes at $2,899.
There are also nice entry-level printers at very low prices, such as the Wanhao i3 at $350 or the Olo SLA printer at $99 - http://www.olo3d.net
There are 2 printers I really like that I can also help you with.
Creatorbot 12x12x18"
Zortrax M200
Feel free to ask me any questions.
Also another popular machine is a Ultimaker.
For me in that price range it has always been:
Zortrax M200 = Minimum fiddling, limited to (high quality) proprietary filament, great print quality
Ultimaker 2+ = Requires fiddling, can use almost all filaments with the right settings and set up, great print quality
Cheers
I would recommend you an Ultimaker 2+. As a user with +4000 hours with an Ultimaker 2 and +1000 after upgrading to an Ultimaker 2+, I would really recommend it to you (the 2+ version!). Of course there are more printers on the market, but so far, for prototyping, the Ultimaker 2+ (normal or extended) has done a great job in my opinion.
I don’t exactly know what you need or want, but the top features I would need are:
- Heated bed
- Interchangeable nozzles (the Ultimaker 2+ comes with 4 different nozzles sizes)
- Possibility to use any material (I love playing with exotic filaments)
- Reliable and easy to use (the new features implemented in the Ultimaker 2+ made it +1000000% more reliable)
- Good community and support behind the product (there are a lot of geeks in the community solving problems all day, just like me)
Of course there are more printers you should check, and this is a limited point of view from someone that has had a lot of DIY 3D printers and then an Ultimaker 2+. I’d say the big ones here would be Zortrax and Ultimaker, and both have a very good printing quality.
Ultimaker is a bit cheaper, I think it is one of the best, also Lulzbot!!!
Just for saying, I do not own a Zortrax, I have two rep rap printers ( bigger dimensions than any FDM metioned here), but the quality of parts printed by a zortrax (specifically M-200 and M-300) is by far the best I´ve ever seen in a FDM printer.
I can print bigger parts, lets say much bigger parts, I can use many and cheaper materials, but the fact is that I can not print with the same quality as a Zortrax can do.
I know that ultimaker 2+ is not able to print flexible materials for example and that doesn´t mean it doesn´t worth to buy one.
But taking in mind to make affordable, quick and accurate prototypes, I think that the Zortrax M series is beyond any other FDM printer for less than 2500$. That´s my opinion and I´ve tried a lot of printers during last four years.
Regards,
Antonio
Sorry to debunk your argument but I succesfully printed NinjaFlex on a Ultimaker 2+, not a problem at all.
I´m happy to hear that 
Many users reported a lot of troubles when try to print flexible filaments. Are they upgraded its former extruder?
“Ultimaker 2+ not able to print flexible materials”
Complete nonsense… 520 threads on our community forum regarding advice on how to print with every single (non-proprietary) flexible material ever invented begs to differ… if you are going to give advice make sure it’s correct before posting here please.
Raise3d.com i have the N2. For $2,500 the best FTM printer you can buy is the M2 in my opinion I have been using it for 8 months and I have paid off the full printer price on 3D hubs I get excellent quality it goes up to 10 microns if you like to take forever. The machine is built very very strong and heavy for commercial application it even looks like a commercial machine is not a toy. Or you can get yourself one of those that everybody likes to build but I don’t know about 10 microns accuracy with a Delta I’m sure that there are easy to make in a large size butt you’re still messing with machine that is mostly open source and people are just putting their own name on it. These even have LCD screens that display everything you need to know including the actual model just look it up and do some research and you’ll see that the features included in this printer blow over all these other printers that people are talking about sorry for any missed typos I’m using voice type on my phone
What really irritates me about threads like these is that too many people post with hidden agendas rather than just offering experiential advice… you end up with a whole host of nonsense written by people who want to either sell you something or simply justify their own glaring consumer mistakes.
Why anyone would buy a 3D printer from a company who wants to ‘lock’ you in to their proprietary material’s is very stupid in my opinion… if we allow them to do this they will… just as they did with ink cartridges in the past… anyone not recognizing that ‘old con’ is a fool and then passing on advice to someone else to do the same is irresponsible in the extreme. If we reject ‘closed’ and restrictive trading practices within 3D printing then machine makers will not be able to sell their ‘consumer cons’… please think before you post whilst also rejecting restrictive practices in 3D printing please. This is a community forum first.
For the genuine posters here no offence intended… for the other idiots… nob off!
Hopefully we have at least given you some choices to research yourself wm1059… much luck and light from me.
’unfollowed’
I second avoiding printers with proprietary filament/cartridges. It severely limits your material choices, it allows suppliers to price gouge, if they are as successful as Sony in proprietary formats, then you’ll be left with a $2500 paper weight. My recommendation is not to support companies/printers like this. Gillette has it right, as the risk in the capital outlay versus the consumables aspect is balanced in cost, the 3D printer world doesn’t make sense. I don’t even use HP printers because of their Inkjet cartridges and ridulous prices and short life of the cartridges.
“Why anyone would buy a printer that locks you into their filament”
answer- for Zortrax you would but their printer because you need a printer that puts out consistent prints with minimum need for maintenance. I would take proprietary filament with consistent high quality results over open source and requiring more work and fine tuning any day.
This is for my needs. I need high output with minimal worrying.
Also with Zortrax you can use other brand filaments it just voids he 1 year warrenty. Not that big of a deal.
Mostly of them are not referred to UM 2+, so you´re not arguing in any way 
I do not expect tricks like adding sewing machine oil to the ptfe as a solution for a printer that costs 2500$…
Read this comment, there are a lot of them referred to this problem
I have a spool of filaflex here but I can’t even manage to get it up to the printhead without the feeder losing grip on it.
I can get it about 2 3rds though the bowden tube before it stops. I’ve tried tightening the skrew on the feeder so it exerts more pressure but to no avail.
So beware, it doesn’t always work and at this point I’m not really comfortable yet in modifying my um2+ 
I’m not aware of any changes to the extruder, but I think the improved reliability has everything to do with the new geared feeder.
The only flexible material I tested was NinjaFlex, I don’t have any experience with Filaflex, maybe that’s softer/more flexible?
Ultimaker 2+ does print flexible filaments, so I have no idea where you got that impression. Additionally, the prints are spectacular. I have seen, and heard the rave reviews for the Zortrax 200, and it does look like a great printer, but as everyone says it is limited when it comes to choices of filaments… That being said, I’m also a big believer that the slicing settings are just as important as the printer itself.
Oh wow you guys are talking about ultimaker printers??? They don’t even have a full enclosure I’m pulling out of this chat I thought it was more serious and it was for like a commercial printer but you guys are now everybody is just recommending the printer that they have. Look up something more commercial and stop buying these name brand toys that are way overpriced.