I live in Australia a common budget 3d printer here is this which is essentially a re-brand of a Wanhao i3 Duplicator it is listed as being $400aud which is something I am perfectly willing to pay. However I have heard fantastic things about the original prusa (about 900aud and that is only a conversion I don’t even know where to buy one in Australia and it would likely cost more than that).
$900 is a little steep for me so firstly I would like to know if the money is worth it and secondly I would like to know if there are better bang for your buck alternatives? I would really like to keep in under $600 but if it is well worth it I can go for more. There are so many Prusa variants out there it is hard to know what is going to be cheap and flimsy and what is actually quality.
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I’ve been wondering the same thing. It’s a considerably higher amount, but could I afford one, I’d go with original Prusa. I keep an eye out for discussions of their machines, and can state that I’ve never heard someone regretting their purchase. That says a lot for me.
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I’m in the same boat. Everyone is saying great things about it but it is also a fair amount more expensive
cobnut
4
The decision really comes down to whether you think the original Prusa is overpriced. If it’s not overpriced, then any machine that costs less than the original is making compromises somewhere; if they cost less than half the original, they’re making a lot of compromises. Whether you’ll see the effect of those compromises - especially in the short term - is debatable, and will vary from machine to machine. Sometimes, perhaps rarely, the clones can be better than the original. I have a FlashForge Creator Pro, which is effectively a clone of the Makerbot Replicator but it’s a very nice machine for the money, and it’s actually rated higher on 3DHubs printer index than the Makerbot.
However, take a browse through the posts here and you’ll see that an awful lot of the “problem” posts come from owners of cheaper i3 clones, but very few from owners of Prusa originals; that should say a lot.
Your decision may also be influenced by how experienced you are and your intended use of the printer. If you’re new to 3D printing, it might make sense to buy a cheaper machine to learn the ropes, spending the left over money on filament and accessories that’ll help with that learning process but which will still be useful if you buy a better machine at a later date once you have more understanding of the processes and how they fit with your working needs.
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Excellent points. I am a beginner so I may opt for the cheaper one and then if I enjoy it just move up as you suggested. I may look around for a better cheap alternative for a little longer though as this is a huge amount of money for me and it would be very annoying to buy something only to find something better too late.
Thanks for the advice
cobnut
6
@Prometheus73 if you’re just starting out there’s an awful lot to learn and even the very cheapest printers can allow that learning process. I was lucky enough to have a friend “loan” me his Velleman K8200 that he wasn’t using and while the quality of that machine is poor compared to even today’s cheaper machines, it allowed me to learn about slicing software, bed adhesion techniques, layer heights, support structures, etc. The knowledge I gained using that machine allowed me to make a more informed decision when buying the first printer for myself, which then allowed the learning curve to continue (which it does to this day!).
On thing to be careful about is that it may be ok to get a “cheaper” printer to learn on but if that printer has issues and inherently just makes bad prints then you are going to just waste time and get frustrated.
There are some good entry level printers out there but you’ll need to read up. Narrow your search down to a few and then scour the forums and google looking for issue and commentary. Look for similar threads on issues. i.e does the printer always have problems with the main board or is there a robust support community?
There is no real mystery to these things but if it seems to good to be true it probably is!! A lot of printers will promise the world but can never deliver so apply some common sense. Such as, if a printer says it will do 50 microns go google it and read up on the reality of the claim.
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That’s great to hear then. I have decided to go for a cheaper printer. I can always buy a better printer in the future if I like it enough. Probably the balco but it is so hard to hit that ‘checkout’ button.
Enza3D
9
The original Prusa (I have the i3 MK2) is a fantastic machine, and easily one of the best printers I have ever worked with. If the $900 price tag is a turn off, I would suggest trying the kit. It will take time, and patience, but you will have an intimate knowledge of how the printer works and it is very well documented. My Prusa was built from a kit, and it does beautiful work.
Generally, I do not advise new users start from a kit or a DIY printer due to all the potential issues with going down that route, but the Prusa is a bit of an exception. There is an active user base (who will be happy to help with an issues that arise, including me!) and it’s a well thought out machine. That being said, you are building/maintaining a machine, which comes along with a whole bunch of hiccups here and there. At the end of the day, the choice is yours and it’s hard to go wrong with most printers on the market nowadays. As others have said, getting a cheaper printer may be opening the door to other issues with print quality just due to certain design decisions that aren’t easily remedied, which is a problem you won’t have with the Prusa.
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That’s interesting. Id actually consider doing that if I could manage to get a kit for under or around 900 dollars. Do you know of anywhere in Australia? Shipping can be painful. Also how full on are the kits for this printer? Would i have to solder anything etc? Or are they just like hi tech complicated ikea furniture?
Enza3D
11
Ouch yeah, shipping to Australia is around ~$100 for the Prusa i3 MK2 (genuine one from Prusa). I’m not familiar with the Australian printer market, so I can’t help much there sadly.
I can’t speak for all printers, but for the kit for the i3 MK2 there was no soldering at all. The kit provides everything you need (including tools) and you just put it all together. The trickiest part was getting things square, but the printer’s firmware can calibrate out for skewed axes if/when they occur. It took me around ~6 hours the first time around, and about 4 hours the second time (I wanted to change out the stock plastic pieces with a different color).
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Thats good to hear (tools and stuff not shipping). If i can find a kit for under 900 i will go with that as a good learning diy experience. But that may prove quite difficult
Check it all out here.
Generally speaking you buy direct. I have only heard of one re-seller and that is in Canada.
Check out their Forums and try the live chat to ask them any questions directly.
Enza3D
14
Yeah, shipping really kills you guys in Australia. Good luck!
Kerry
15
I am like you and live in Australia where shipping costs the earth. I have shipped two Prusa i3 Mk2 kits from Prusa, there is no res-eller in Australia. The kits are pretty straight forward, no soldering required but make sure you follow the instructions very well, especially if you are new to printing. They are good machines, not perfect by any means - so far I have had to replace a few faulty parts which can be frustrating. Their customer service is average so you may have to be pushy if there are any issues.
Being new I would also recommend checking out Makers Muse youtube channel, he recently reviewed a number of cheaper printers under $350 - YouTube. Feel free to ask any questions if you want more info, happy to help.
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It’s a shame that there is no reseller in Australia. Can’t even find any for sale on ebay.
I have actually been watching this guy for the last few days. Fantastic channel. Thanks for the support
In the time I have been looking Kogan has raised the price of the Balco by $50!
Im in Australia and went the easy option of buying a Duplicator i3 - actually two of them. My reasons for this were straight forward: I wanted a cheap machine to destroy, and then rebuild so I could destroy it again. The reality is I haven’t been able to destroy the Wanhao but have learnt an awful lot about the mechanics of 3D printing.
I can recommend the Duplicator i3 -but- they need the upgrades to make them reliable. The bracing, new screws and a glass bed are all necessary. I also have a routine that involves a weekly check of ALL screw, grub screw and bolt tensions as they come loose without warning. I have also built a fully enclosed cabinet for the both and replaced the power supply fans with blowers to keep them cool. The next thing I “might” do is remove all the fans of the print heads and use ducted external to keep the sound down (these i3’s sound like jet airliners taxiing).
I have less need for high resolution prints as most of my assemblies are film props used for discussion so are naturally a bit rough and tough and these get painted numerous times…
Now I have had my fun, I will look for another more expensive machine for the smaller higher-detail items, probably a Form2…
