Makergear/Mendelmax3-Microcenter/Robo3d

[CCVirginia]

Sorry for another “which printer” thread, but it does get confusing!

Purpose: General printing, want to be able to use PLA&ABS without proprietary lockin. Want larger area for prosthetics. I am just getting started (have computer background).

Tending to Makergear-M2 or Mendelmax3 - similar specs & price.

Makergear - consistently very good reviews - solid and reliable - perhaps a bit old. Issues: a bit less open. Advantage - Can get assembled (perhaps I’m a wimp, but seems like a good idea)

Mendelmax-3 - very new, seems to have similar quality to M3, very open. Very new. Very “kit”.

Both are un-enclosed, which may be an issue with ABS. Perhaps could run in a closet, don’t know – don’t see why more are not enclosed so perhaps it is not a real issue. Also both move the print which seems like it would just be a bad idea mechanically, but this is also common.

Then there are the tempting $800 alternatives.

Microcenter powerspec pro / FlashForge Creator Pro clone / makerbot X2 clone or Robo-3d

Powerspec (clone of clone) – enclosed, reasonably good reviews, doesn’t move the print. Just a bit concerned about quality and aging design. Flashforge doesn’t seem to offer any advantage, but also has good reviews. Not sure if print quality is on par with the above printers.

Robo-3d – interesting new kid in the block, good specs but mixed reviews. Only $800!

Every time I go around this circle I seem to be tending to the M2 as something that will really work. But every time around the circle something else pops up. Then I get tempted to go down to microcenter and just try it for half the price! There is no good way to really compare the print quality, reliability and effective speed.

Any thoughts?

[miki_v2005]

Good morning

I can print easily. I need only file in stl

[ArthurH]

Hey, It might be interesting to check this out: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-choose-use-and-improve-a-3D-printer/ It does not tell you which printer to choose, but it does tell you what to keep in mind and pay attention to when choosing one.

[toquidam]

What kind of prosthetics do you plan to print ? (I print hands for e-Nable).

If you want to print ABS you definitely need a heated bed and an enclosure to control the environment.

If you want openness, go Reprap. You can get a Prusa i3 (kit or assembled) for very reasonable prices.

I assembled mine and am very happy with it, it eats any kind of filament (PLA, ABS, PCTPE, Nylon, Filaflex, Ninjaflex, Bronzefill…).

[Neil_1]

I’ve got a MM3 with dual extruders. It will take you awhile to assemble and the build instructions are marginal but if you set it up right, you can do amazing things since the motion hardware is so precise. The community irc is great as well. Pretty much any time 24/7 someone knowledgeable is on and can assist you with your issue. This is the real value for me. The hot ends are great as well. For the enclosure, I think one of the big companies has a patent on that so you would have to figure that out on your own. I made a box out of polycarbonate that the whole printer fits into at one time. It helped. For price, it really depends what the large build area and ability to print in other materials like nylon or simultaneous dissolving support is worth to you. If you’re not a technical person, don’t get a kit for your first printer, you’ll get fustrated. I’d get a 2x if you just want to buy something that world’s out of the box and have sone flexibility.

[Constantine_1]

It all comes down to your budget and what are your needs. Those printers really runs the same sure they have pros and cons, but it all does the same thing meaning it can print stuff. Sure some of them print dual extrusion and have dual print heads, but it all comes back to what are your needs? Right now i have MakerbotRep2x and MakerGearM2 both runs great and invested on a software which is Simplify3D and both of those machines just runs great, i had no major issues yet.

[Michael_Hammers]

I just got my Makergear M2 about a month ago, and it has performed really well, and I jokingly like to say it’s built to withstand a nuclear blast. It’s built like a tank. It’s small, has a huge build area for such a small footprint, looks good, and built like a tank.

[CCVirginia]

This is where I get a bit confused, there are SO MANY comments about issues with printers and comments about some having much better performance (e.g. “you can do amazing things since the motion hardware is so precise”) and better reliability (e.g. “it has performed really well”). My informal look at what people say suggest the M2 is very good, the MM3 may be similar (but it is early to tell). There are almost no bad comments about the M2, not true of any others I have looked at.

Then there are other comments like “it all does the same thing meaning it can print stuff” which would imply the end results are mostly the same. If the rigidity and smooth motion are important, then the Prusha would not seem to perform as well - but not having as much experience as you guys it is hard to tell. (the box of the powerspec looks very rigid, but the parts may not be as high quality).

If the results are going to be mostly the same I would tend to the Powerspec (or similar) or even a Prusha as an easy & low$ start, and then see where it leads. But I would rather spend the $ if that is just going to be a frustrating experience.

As for kits, its just a matter of where to spend the time & $. I would be capable of such an assembly.

Thanks again for your thoughts!

[Constantine_1]

I think we are just thinking too much, but i totally understand. If you really like the MakerGear M2 and what they offer go ahead purchase one. Its going to be worth it and just does its job as long you learn and understand the software that came with or if you decide to invest on one i would prefer Simplify3d. I know its a bit expensive and i know there’s are alot more free software out there, but its better overall in my own opinion.

[CCVirginia]

Over analyzing would be within character

It is not so much that I “like” the M2 as have grown to trust it a bit more based on the comments of others. Spec wise there are things to like about all of them, the MM3 has great specs.

[FantasyFormer]

I think you are looking in the wrong place for a kit. I would recommend most highly the Maker farm Prusa iv3. It kills, the only issue that I have is that I have trouble homing my z axis. I cannot explain why, but it is darn tough to keep my z homed after eight hours of printing. Other than that, there is little to no limit on speed, when tuned properly it runs very quietly, it is a real value in the three d printer space and it is not open, but I print in PLA and PET plus right now, no issues, not a single warp.

[3DSamui]

Have a look at this Delta: http://www.instructables.com/id/Detailled-Assembly-Instructions-of-the-Rostock-Min/

[CCVirginia]

My over thinking it self did take a dive through the delta printers - very interesting and cool. The issues seemed to be a lower resolution and some “finicky” calibration - which makes sense given the geometry. I’m sure some people have great success and love them! In that 90% of the printers seem to be the cartisian style I thought it may be better to stay with the mainstream for our first printer. But, I am posting here for advice!

[3DSamui]

The printer in the link above has fully automated Auto-Calibration, which is not to be confused with Auto-Leveling! It makes the Calibration process much easier.

[CCVirginia]

I ordered a mendelmax-3, will let you know how it goes.

Why:

* More up to date and recent considerations seem designed in (Than Makergear-M2)

* What reviews are out so far seem very good, company has a good reputation - expect it to work our of the box (well, out of assembly)

* Uses readily available e3d and built in support for dual extruders

* In fact all it’s parts and supplies are very available (e.g. Ultimaker uses odd size filament). I think this important because some of these early 3DP companies will go out of business. Of course I hope they make it.

* Looks solid

* Cost is within range

Why not:

* Somewhat new, not a lot of reviews

* Not cheap - certainly some lower cost alternatives “get what you pay for”? But not most expensive either.

* Build looks somewhat complicated - lots of bolts.

* Doesn’t have the build area of the Deltas (Have concerns about deltas and some of the suppliers - but I also find them interesting)

Also thinking about: Is Simplify3d worth it?

[CCVirginia]

Update: After reading the installation instructions with care I decided I was not so sure about some of the design choices. For one thing the number of parts and physical connections would seem to introduce a lot of potential for alignment or rigidity issues. Also, the build is quite long. I’m not sure this is the best first printer. A recent review from Thomas Sanladerer suggested the same.

So, I canceled the order. I’m going with the Makergear due to the overwhelming positive reviews and solid construction - will report back as I know more.

[Constantine_1]

In my own opinion for me Simplify3d is worth it to buy, as long as you are willing to learn the software. Sure there is alot more open source software out there, but the support you get and the features that you get from Simplify3d, just pays for itself in the long run. That’s great you went for MakerGearM2, great choice you will not regret buying this printer. Sure it has pro’s and con’s but in my opinion its a great printer combined with a powerful software. Good thing you went to this community first before buying any of these printers, because if i had a choice again i would totally choose M2 over the MKB2x. Im just having alot of print quality issues with my Makerbot Rep2x, but it is what it is. I might sell my Rep2x and keep my M2 then get the MendalMax3 it seems like a good printer as well for backup printers.

[CCVirginia]

Good suggestion on Simplify3D - with paying “premium” for it to just work (I consider the M2 premium compared to some of the reprap kits and printers from China), it is a good idea. It is also what Makergear recommends.

If I was feeling a bit more experimental, perhaps with some more experience, I would consider a Delta.

[TheMeek]

Not sure how much advice I can give you, because I am new to printing myself. I settled on the Robo 3D and am very happy with the hardware, but I will have to modify the cooling of the ramps board because when I’ve tried to print at higher temps the machine crashed. I am not happy with the MatterControl software that comes with it however because it crashes all the time and when I updated to the latest version it became unusable. I have resorted to buying a newer PC to try to resolve the issue. Hope this helps!

[JasonOfOCotUU]

I’m probably too late to this discussion to help you, but maybe we can help others in the future. I have a Robo 3D and wish I had bought a kit - would have been less expensive and have better documentation for opening it up and making minor repairs when I want to use it.

I had an Asterid 1100 that worked for about 3 months before it started jamming every time I used it. Tried to fix that for several months before giving up and buying the Robo - which arrived with broken parts and started giving me problems a week after I got the replacement parts (which put it outside the window for returning an open box).