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Dec 2016
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Dec 2016
Mar 2017
wirlybird
Dec '16

If neither machine has a major issue over a similar time frame then your first paragraph is really irrelevant. Which it really is anyway. You are comparing two products built by different methods and different parts with a considerable cost difference that can do the same basic function. Really an apples to oranges comparison. There is no dispute that the M2 is a good machine but saying the MK2 is not because it is not built with the same parts is disingenuous.

In the second paragraph - again you make a comparison that is irrelevant. You compare “old-different” models of the i3 but not the MK2 of discussion to the M2 so your claims of reliability etc are again baseless.

“One of their new features is literally a software program that enables you to print on a mis-assembled machine — this is not something that one would even want if quality and performance are their top priorities.”

Again, you over dramatize a feature with “mis-assembled machine”. An advanced feature of the firmware and leveling system is its ability to adjust for very small alignment issues. To say that you can incorrectly put the machine together wrong but a magical “software” will make it all better is misleading.

The purpose of this feature is to let the builder and user know there is an issue and have a means to diagnose and correct it. No machine stays perfectly aligned and level as it is used. Some do better than others but we are not talking high end CNC machines here.

You must then feel auto leveling systems are also only to compensate for problems on inferior machines or for users who don’t know what they are doing and thus have no business on a “quality” machine.

With all respect, all you have done is give this guy a lot of miss information and innuendo. If you like and have experience with the M2 more power to you and provide him with useful pros and cons of the machine. It does seem to be a well made albeit expensive, well received machine.

If you don’t have direct experience with the MK2 then negative comments are hearsay and not useful.

Personal experience with older models can be relevant to address issues of past so a potential user can research to see if it is still there.

I tried to give the person my personal experience and opinion of the MK2 and made it a point to say I have no experience with the M2 thus couldn’t comment.

Ok, I think we have all said enough! Let’s move toward helping a new user make an informed decision.

Thanks for a spirited debate.

PepCo_Parker
Dec '16

If you’re looking to go into 3D printing for fun, I’d vouch for the prusa I3 mk2. I have 4 China model mk 1 prusa I3s that I got as kits, and they’re a ton of fun. Only just recently have they started breaking down, and I was hitting over 2000+ hours on some of them (I have another post on me thinking it was the motherboards) Only thing I’d have to say is, one of th best parts of the prusa machines is building them yourself, and truly learning your 3D printer inside and out during the process. I don’t have experience with the Mk2, but honestly with the way 3D printing is evolving and expanding at a rate much faster than previously imagined, spending the extra 1000$ on a machine that could quite likely become obsolete within a year or so seems like a waste to me. Personally I don’t see any real gain for that extra money spent. It’s like the equivalent to having purchased a 4000$+ makerbot 4 years ago, yes the machines work but their print volumes, tolerances, speeds, ease of use, and customer service have become obsolete since then.

Maker5162
Dec '16

Great points.

Lets just be clear though, I would never mistake a MakerGear for a Makerbot. If you’re not careful when recommending 3D printers, an engineer might end up with an expensive kids’ toy and a teacher may end up with a heavy-duty workhorse!

PS: I’d love to pick your brain for ideas about possibilities for developments in 3D printing. You seem very knowledgeable and on-the-frontier… For the benefit of the OP, what future features might we see in a Prusa machine that we’re not finding today?

JacobBlumberg
Dec '16

Yeah that is what I was discussing sorry if there was confusion I was abbreviating.

wirlybird
Dec '16

This guy has been on the attack on anyone who mentions anything other than worship for the M2.

My opinion for what it is not worth - if you like the M2 and have had a good experience with it then great but no reason to attack everyone with a differing opinion or experience.

He won’t like this then! Aside from “Make” another very respected site had this ranking of their top 20:

Best 3D Printer 2016-2017 #1: Original Prusa i3 MK2

Best 3D Printer 2016-2017 #14: Makergear M2

2 months later
John_Doerter
Feb '17

I spent a lot of time looking at these two printers, ultimately I went with the mk2. The most likely use will be 3d gaming scenery. The review on fatdragongames.com 2 ultimately sold me. I like when products over deliver… mk2 claims .05 resolution, but reports of printing with great success .025, and he isn’t the only one, appeals to the overclocker in me. Dreams of warhammer quality miniature armies, not really but the possibility of, are nice if not the current reality. I have waited years to get a 3d printer, till the quality, stability, and value/$ ratio got to the present levels. I am hopeful that in two years I will be buying a new one at even greater resolution, speed, volume , and ability than the current m2 even suggests at mk2 pricing or lower.

In the mean time I will build scenery for my games, toys for my kids, and start learning 3d. 20 years ago I’d have bought the kit version, at 50 now though, I’d rather concentrate on learning the use for now… time enough to learn the build if I discover a need/ability to upgrade components going forward. If I was looking at this from a buisness stand point, the ability to have two running in case one went down would be appealing… dual extruders would be nice for dissolvable supports but, that is a consideration for the future. My hope now is that the mk2 system will allow implementation of multiple spools of same material on same extruded, so that as one roll ends the next can provide uninterupted material supply. Might require sensor upgrades on the feeder, but problem seems solvable in my naïveté . It might not be a huge issue, but It would suck to have to have 9 or 16 pieces of scenery/ figures aborted because I ran out of material 80% of the Way through a print.

I have played the tech game on computers for almost 4 decades, Looking for the sweet spot far enough back from the bleeding edge to not waste too much money, but far enough forward to get the functionality I need to be happy. For me at least, I am going with the mk2. I understand that the m2, might be better. Like the top end $1000+ CPU is beter than a $300 CPU when I build a computer. But the demonstrable benefit to my life at this time, in a field I expect to continue developing relatively fast, is minimal.

I did appreciate the conversation I found here. For those like me who are starting out, this is where I landed. If the noise level is a problem, that will mearly determine which room this printer ends up in. Of course with three kids under 9, printer noise is likely the least of my problems there.

john

1 month later
btdevine
Mar '17

Hi Marc,

I just recently bought a Prusa i3 Mk2, and have fallen in love with it. I bought the pre-assembled version for $899, and there was very little hassle from taking it out of the box and to getting it running. I am a beginner in 3D printing, as you are, and this printer was very easy for me to understand. I love the amount of filaments to choose from, along with the heated bed and relatively low price. I would recommend getting the pre-assembled version if you aren’t too pressed for cash. It’s much simpler to get running, but if you have enough time and patience, maybe opt for the kit. One caveat to keep in mind is the somewhat long delivery time; mine was about a month and a half. I have never used the Makergear M2 myself, but I certainly like my Prusa. Check out my hub for a few initial prints I have made with it.

-Brendan