I’m looking for a new 3d Printer because my old one was defective and extremely hard to use. They had a terrible community and customer service, but I came across Wanhao and I’ve heard about their wonderful community so I thought I’d give it a shot since I’m on a low budget. I’ve heard great things about the Duplicator I3 PLUS and the Duplicator I3 V2.1, but I’m having a hard time deciding which is better. The PLUS is $100 more, but I’m not sure if the features are worth the $100. What do you guys think?
Matter of interest what was your previous printer?
You could go with the monoprice maker select. It’s just a rebranded duplicator i3 and only 300 on amazon. I’ve run it nearly non stop since ive acquired it and have had no issues. I’ve also found that some of the mods needed for older versions of the duplicator i3 don’t need to be made because the improvements come stock on the monoprice maker select. The community for these printers is huge, I could find an answer to any question in minutes.
I haven’t looked into much about the plus but the v2. 1 is a great printer. There is a large community that supports others and develops mods for it. The biggest difference would be the touch panel on the front. I have heard people have had issues with the plus’s linear bearings.
You should definitely go with Wanhao. I had the same problem as you (two broken DIY printers, one literally blew up), but then I got the Di3 v2.1. I do not have any actual experience with the PLUS, but I personally would wait a few more months because it is very new. There could be unintended defects that could ruin the printer. In my experience, the Di3 is a great budget printer. There is a great community and many easy modifications to make the printer even better. The customer support is also excellent. Just be carful with the 2.1 because the two parts (once assembled) are only attached by some wires. If you really do want to get the PLUS, I would wait a bit to see what bugs emerge first. I am very happy with the 2.1 and would recommend it. Always check multiple reviews and video reviews to make sure it fits your needs and is a good printer. I checked reviews and unboxing videos (unboxing is a bit tricky) from Maker’s Muse and the 3D Printing Nerd on Youtube.
Go for the bog standard as long as its a steel frame. The technology is that simple you will be building your own add ons in a matter of weeks. you can then tailor your machine to your preferences.
I have the Di3 v2 and have seen the Plus. It comes with the bearing block mod and 45mm bearings. Looks to me that the ‘box’ built in/around the base that contains the electronics would somewhat limit what else can be modded on it (like the Z brace mod).
Another thing is, I’m not all that crazy about the electronics underneath where all the printing crap tends to land… Stick with a well modded i3 v2 and I think you’ll be better off. Of yeah, doing the longer Y axis extension mod would likely be impossible with the Plus too.
Hello,
Welcome. The wanhao Dup i3 is a great printer in my opinion. I have three that I run all the time and am looking at getting the new Duplicator i3 PLUS. If you are going to get one, from what I am reading is that the i3 PLUS is the way to go. The enclosed housing and cable management are worth it to me. It takes up less space and from what I hear, it seems those that have it are happy with it. I would spend the extra $100.
I have a i3 Plus and i decided to spend the extra money for the space savings and better cable management. There are other minor upgrades included as well, they made a video to show all the changes: Wanhao Duplicator i3 PLUS vs Duplicator i3 V2.1 - YouTube
However, I think the 2.1 is still definitely worth consideration. Especially if you enjoy tinkering with hardware. I have found far more DIY upgrades for the 2.1 than the Plus, but I am still very happy with my decision. You have to decide for yourself if you value the upgrades that come in the box with the Plus enough to justify the price difference. Remember that regardless which one you get, you will still spend a lot of time and effort (and money on hand tools etc) to get the best out of it.
On the other hand, if you really want a printer that simply works without any effort, the new Prusa i3 Mk2 has easy mid-print filament swapping and amazing automatic bed levelling which even adjusts to print perfectly on an accidentally curved bed. However, it’s about twice the price of the Wanhao i3 2.1 - again, you have to justify the upgrade for yourself: http://shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-printers/59-original-prusa-i3-mk2-kit.html
If you’re worried about the Z Brace mod in particular, someone has already adapted it for the Plus: z Brace for Wanhao Duplicator i3 PLUS by spool3d_canada - Thingiverse
I plan to do this mod myself soon 
