Hi everybody!
I want to buy an Wanhao duplicator 4X. Is it a good investment to start?
1 Like
Hey there @davidepecchini . depends what you mean by an “investment”. Will you be able to sell enough 3D printed products to pay for the printer? Maybe. Really depends how creative and enterprising you are. Will you be able to get the money back when you sell it? Nope. Fraid not. Will you enjoy learning about 3D printing and join a fantastic community of people who are experiencing life at the ground floor of a world-changing revolution? I’d say that’s very likely. Is that worth the money you pay for your printer? Only you can say.
If you want to know if the Wanhao Duplicator 4X is good value for money and a good entry level printer, keep an eye out for 3DHubs’ Printer Buyers’ guide or if you can’t wait for that, Search 3DHubs for someone who has a Wanhao and ask them.
Cheers!
Andy
4 Likes
Hi @davidepecchini , nice choice @Cinter , @edddy , @Joerg_4 and @Francesco_P , what do you guys think?
Cinter
November 28, 2014, 11:17am
4
Hi @davidepecchini ,
I believe this machine is a copy-cat of the popular Makerbot Replicator 2/2X. In general terms you tend to get what you pay for and you may find that the quality, support and durability of this machine may not be on par with the popular, yet more expensive machines.
As with all 3D Printers though, you will find maintenance and spare parts are eventually going to need to be tackled, so it will be better if you are experiencing this with a machine that has a good customer support, parts base and a community of users who have posted their knowledge, tips and tricks online.
We have started with a Makerbot Replicator 2 which is around £2000 but we recently invested in a PrintRbot Simple Metal as a reliable backup machine, costing around £500. The parts for this machine are good value, there is a large community of users and they are a known reliable brand. It may not be a dual extruder, it will require a bit of a learning curve and some experimentation to begin with but it can deliver great results on par with a Makerbot Replictor 2 at 1/4 of the price. Hope this helps!
James - London Community Mayor,
1 Like
Joerg_4
November 28, 2014, 12:05pm
5
Hi @davidepecchini
I can’t say anything about the Wanhao but may be this is thelpful anyway
You should ask yourself some basic questions before you decide:
- Is the printer for fun or business?
- Do I need a strong community where I can look for help?
- What about spare parts?
- What about the free choice of filament?
- What materiasl are subject to be printed? PLA, ABS, XT…
- Do I *really* need a dual extruder?
And addtional you may have a look at the reports and the buyers guide here.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Joerg
1 Like
edddy
November 28, 2014, 6:53pm
6
I’m ok with all my peers , so what to say more…
wanhao dX4 is a chinese copy of replicator X2, seems exactly the same but very cheapest http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/wanhao-3d-printer-new-version-Duplicator-4X-Wanhao-3d-printer/120824\_1485391062.html
you can ask to @makersaffair , she got one
it shall be a good investment if you need it ^^ personally I prefer Ultimaker (or a chinese copy of it if you want :D) but it’s in a part cause I’m europeen
the real question is are you need a FDM printer, what are you expect from a 3d printer
Lots of great points! I agree with Andy, the DX4 is a great printer for beginners. I’ve had mine for about a year running 3-4 days per week for both business and fun, with few problems. Spend what you save on assorted filaments and gain some design & print experience before moving up to a higher level system.
Chayak
November 29, 2014, 5:10am
8
It’s a fairly unknown printer company so I’d be cautious. The top 3 printers in Make’s yearly shootout were the Ultimaker 2 for first and the TAZ 4 and Printrbot Simple Metal tied for 2nd place. Printrbot just released the Plus Metal for $999. It’s a much safer buy from a reputable company.
Hi davidepecchini,
I have purchased and have been using my Wanhao Duplicator 4s for quite some time, it’s a great printer with a metal frame construction, it uses the MK9 Dual extruder, which is a great product. I just looked at their web site www.wanhaousa.com and they now use the MK10 dual extruder. This printer is going for $979.00, over all if you use the correct filament it prints perfect. I have been experimenting with different filaments and they all seem to work but some need more heat and or a cooling fan. The filament I got with my printer works perfect!!! I have not had any issues with my printer except my filament gets stuck, or breaks off in the extruder. A easy way around this is to pull the filament out by heating up the extruder and removing the filament. This way it doesn’t pull it out cold and won’t leave any broken pieces in the extruder head. My only issue with the printer is getting it to print on the bed with out any painters tape and glue stick or rafts. Hope this helps!!
Hi davidepecchini,
I have purchased and have been using my Wanhao Duplicator 4s for quite some time, it’s a great printer with a metal frame construction, it uses the MK9 Dual extruder, which is a great product. I just looked at their web site www.wanhaousa.com and they now use the MK10 dual extruder. This printer is going for $979.00, over all if you use the correct filament it prints perfect. I have been experimenting with different filaments and they all seem to work but some need more heat and or a cooling fan. The filament I got with my printer works perfect!!! I have not had any issues with my printer except my filament gets stuck, or breaks off in the extruder. A easy way around this is to pull the filament out by heating up the extruder and removing the filament. This way it doesn’t pull it out cold and won’t leave any broken pieces in the extruder head. My only issue with the printer is getting it to print on the bed with out any painters tape and glue stick or rafts. Hope this helps!!
I now use the duplicator 4s having got it after leaving my uni lab having had a Makerbot 2X and its almost identicle but I have to say the 4s seams a much more reliable printer most the time, it works great and I’ve had no issues with it. I’ve only had it 2 weeks it does seam to have a little Z wobble but its an easy fix I will soon upload some parts to eliminate it.
My good investment is the EcubMaker Fantasy II
It works like a charm
I bought it from Amazon
Here is the link to the 3D printer
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WFKK3JG
@Cinter, @edddy, @Joerg_4 and @Francesco_P, what do you guys think?