I am looking to purchase a Zortrax M200 and have compared it to others and I think I have all the details. The main thing I cant find much about is if another model is being released soon and I should wait? I know there is always something better coming soon but I wanted to check anyways. I know the M300 is coming soon but that seems too expensive for just a larger build area. Anything else I have missed? Thanks in advance.
Hi Oliver,
We’ve been told to expect the Zortrax M300 last quarter of 2016, but as with any product launch you can’t always say with 100% confidence it will be released on time.
I would recommend buying the Zortrax M200 now if you are in need of a 3D printer, alternatively if you need something bigger you could look at the Ultimaker 2+ Extended. Personally I’d go for the Zortrax M200.
You can get it with free side covers and lifetime support at GoPrint3D: https://www.goprint3d.co.uk/zortrax-m200.html
Hope that helps.
Kind Regards,
David
Thank you for your fast reply David. It is much appreciated.
Hi Oliver,
The only other model that is due for release soon is the Zortrax Inventure. It is a dual extrusion printer with a dissolvable support system. One extruder prints the material the other prints the dissolvable support material. The entire print is then submerged in fluid to remove the support. It is more expensive at around £2500 though. It also has a slightly smaller build volume of 14 X 14 X 14cm compared to the M200’s 20 X 20 X 18.5cm. There is a detailed specification of the Inventure on our website http://www.discover3d.co.uk/ if it helps.
Kind Regards,
Luke
Feel free to contact me if your in the US. I am a small Zortrax reseller. I will also price match. Feel free to contact me at 757-778-5082 or josh@exoticdesigns3d.com
Joshuah Torres
www.exoticdesigns3d.com
The TAZ6 is certainly a worthy competitor. I own both a TAZ6 and Zortrax, and they are both really, really great machines.
Pros for the TAZ include larger build volume, easily hackable/modifiable, fully open source allowing you to run every material on the market, and the ability to change tool heads for running flexible filaments or dual extruders. Cons include the open frame make it difficult to print large ABS parts, and it’s louder than the Zortrax. Of course it isn’t that difficult to build an enclosure which would help solve both issues.
The Zortrax by comparison runs super quiet and with the side covers can usually do a decent job printing larger parts. The print quality on the Zortrax is better than TAZ6 IMO, and that is saying something because the TAZ6 prints are very good indeed. The Zortrax is more limited on material selection, and really cannot be hacked much. You cannot run flexible filaments on the M200 which is a deal-breaker for some. www.z-temp.co has a couple products to mod your M200 to tweak temps and change the hotend to run other filaments (including flexy), but it still doesn’t get you the same openness as the TAZ.
I find that the Zortrax Z-Suite and Lulzbot Cura Edition both give excellent user experience in terms of ease-of-use. This is where I think both companies stand out from the rest. It’s not just about the hardware, having well characterized and defined printing profiles for a range of materials makes a big difference. It beats going through multiple trial-and-error exercises on your own trying to figure it out.
Both printers are terrific, there’s a reason they are constantly top rated in various shootouts. Hard to go wrong either way.
