Which To Buy? Makergear M2, xyzPrinting Da Vinci AIO, Flashforge Creator Pro, Robo R1

[jdlev]

Hi All,

I've been researching 3D printers and narrowed my field to the following 3 printers: The Makergear M2, xyzPrinting Da Vinci AIO, and Flashforge Creator Pro.

Here's the pros & cons I've found of each, please let me know if I missed any big features, as I'm new to 3D printing.

Makergear M2
Pros:

• Most Accurate @ .02 print accuracy
• 2nd Largest Print Area Behind Robo 1 @ 254mm x 203mm x 203mm
• Prints ABS/PLA, but I've also read it will accepts Laywood (not sure about flexible filament)
• Heated Print Bed
• 4.9/5 Stars on Amazon - the highest rated printer

Cons:

• Most expensive @ $1565 delivered for new unassembled kit
• Single nozzle
• Don't think it has auto bed leveling feature, but not 100% sure.

xyzPrinting Da Vinci AIO
Pros:

• Only printer of these 4 with 3D scanner built in, which I thought was very cool
• Price - 2nd cheapest printer
• Decent Print Quality at 100 micron

Cons:

• 2.8/5 Starts On Amazon - The Lowest Rated Of These 4 Printers

Flashforge Creator Pro
Pros:

• Dual Nozzle
• Heated Print Bed
• 4.5/5 Star Rating On Amazon

Cons:

• 2nd Most Expensive Printer @ $1199 Delivered & Assembled
• Smallest Print Area Of These 4 Printers

Robo R1
Pros:

• Decent Print Quality at 100 micron
• Largest Print Area at 254mm x 228mm x 203mm
• Cheapest Printer @ $799 Delivered & Assembled
• Can Print ABS/PLA/T-Glase/Laywood/HIPS/Flexible Filament
• Auto-Leveling, Heated Platform

Cons:

• 3.8/5 stars on amazon
• Single Nozzle

My Thoughts: I like the idea of the integrated scanner of the da vinci, but the number of negative reviews on amazon are concerning. The makergear M2's accuracy is great as is it's overall rating on amazon, but the price is up there. The robo R1 seems to be giving the makergear a run for it's money though it does have the 2nd lowest rating gettin only 3.8/5 stars on amazon. Right now, I'm leaning towards the makerbot kit, but wanted everyone's opinion before pulling the trigger on a purchase of this magnitude. Thanks!

[jimc]

none of the printers listed have a build quality even remotely approaching the m2. you get what you pay for. the makergear can be had with single or dual head and the beta kit for the auto bed level just went out 3-4 days ago. the m2 is on a totally different level. the m2 will print any material. i have 4 of them. i have printed everything imaginable. one is set up and prints nothing but ninjaflex 24/7.

[jdlev]

none of the printers listed have a build quality even remotely approaching the m2. you get what you pay for. the makergear can be had with single or dual head and the beta kit for the auto bed level just went out 3-4 days ago. the m2 is on a totally different level. the m2 will print any material. i have 4 of them. i have printed everything imaginable. one is set up and prints nothing but ninjaflex 24/7.

Thanks for the info, and I think you're spot on. Let me ask you this (probably a dumb question), how often do you actually have to level the bed? Is it before each print, once a month, or just set it and forget it. I watched a video of a makergear tech leveling the bed, and it looked like a pretty easy process.

One other question...have you purchased any upgrades for any of your m2's yet, and if so, which upgrade did you find the most beneficial?

TIA

[curious aardvark]

Don't have amakergear - but I only level my bed when stuff stops sticking.
ON my flashforge creator that can be as infrequently as oncea onth or (thinking about when I last set it) even longer.

Generally I only re-level if I'm changing print bed temperatures. That's pretty essential - but as I mostly just use pla from the same manufacturer. bed temp rarely changes and I don't recalibrate often enough to take notice :-)

The m2 does get good reviews, can't recall any negative ones round here.

I always find people looking at the highest resolution a machine claims - odd.
I pretty much print everything at 0.3mm layer height. big stuff gets printed at 0.4 and small fiddly things at 0.2.
Don't use 0.1 and I know for a fact that I'd never print at anything smaller than 0.1 anyway. Just takes too long. :-)

[Umpa]

Whats your budget on this project ?

[jimc]

as far as leveling the bed....last time i did that was prob 6 mos ago. once its leveled i dont ever have to change it. one thing i do adjust all the time is the bed gap. that is however because i am changing nozzles constantly. i need to go from small to large depending on what im printing. in any case neither process is a big deal. i can adjust the bed gap in seconds. i have that down to a science. i am on their forum constantly so if you do get one i have a nice tool i will share with you to help you with the leveling and gap settings. as caa said, dont get all hung up on accuracy claims. the claims are all overrated. that part all comes down how experienced of a 3d printer you are and how well you can tune your settings. i print all the time at .08 layer height with no issues at all. josh that works for makergear did a print at .02mm which was crazy. normally though .1 and up is where you'll be. as for upgrades, i have converted 3 of my m2's to a e3dv6 hot end. probably one of the best upgrades. i have a 4th with the dual makergear v4 hot end. that is super nice. all the other upgrades i have made, printed and have on thingiverse. i made adjustable bed corners to hold the build plate with no clips. there are tons of things out there that the users have designed and made. if i was you i would go on their forum and hang out. introduce yourself and chat with us a bit. you will see what the general tone is over there. it should give you a good idea of how the owners feel about the machine.

[jdlev]

I always find people looking at the highest resolution a machine claims - odd.
I pretty much print everything at 0.3mm layer height. big stuff gets printed at 0.4 and small fiddly things at 0.2.
Don't use 0.1 and I know for a fact that I'd never print at anything smaller than 0.1 anyway. Just takes too long. :-)

If you are printing that high of a resolution, I'm sure it probably helps your speed, but don't you get those lines going across the model in any areas where there's a slope? I've heard of people cleaning their models up with acetone, but wasn't sure how well that worked, or what other techniques could be used to smooth out the finish on completed models?

[jdlev]

Whats your budget on this project ?

I don't really want to spend a ton, but anything under $2.5k (if it's really worth it) could be considered.