Which size Prusa?

[untruehero]

Hi All,

I'm thinking about getting my first 3D printer and so far it seems like the MakerFarm Prusa is a good place to start for someone who wants a kit. I've trying to decide which size to get. For someone who is just starting out would I really need the 12" or would I make out fine with the 8" or 10"? What are the real limitations of the 4" and is it worth the $110?

Also, wasn't sure which hot end to get. From what I've read the jheads are easy to work with for beginners but Collin from MarkerFarm said he would go with the hexagon over the jhead any day. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Scott

[ssayer]

as big as your wallet allows and a hex...

[beerdart]

Welcome to the board. 12" Hex.

[gmay3]

Hi untruehero,

I guess it would take a little more background info about what you want to use the 3d printer for to give you a better answer. Generally, the bigger the print the longer it takes, the more chance for the printer to mess up. This rule keeps me printing things as small as needed and I have never used the full 8" limits of my bed.

That being said, if you've got the money, I can't see any reason why you shouldn't go for the biggest one at the time. For me it was a choice between 6" and 8" and I went for the 8".

Definitely spend the extra $20 on the hexagon, it's fantastic. You know you're going to want to upgrade the hotend eventually if you get the jhead so it's worth it to start with the upgrade.

[danrodz]

Not to hijack the thread but what makes the hex so much better than the j-head? Just curious.

[MiniMadRyan]

The only concern I have with the 12" is possible warping, but it shouldn't be a big issue. The hexagon is a wonderful hot end, all metal, well built and it will basically extrude everything, ABS, PLA and all those special filaments. Basically its far more versatile and trouble free than most other hot ends.

I would put it up there in terms of quality with the E3D v6

[untruehero]

[QUOTE=gmay3;40107]Hi untruehero,

I guess it would take a little more background info about what you want to use the 3d printer for to give you a better answer. Generally, the bigger the print the longer it takes, the more chance for the printer to mess up. This rule keeps me printing things as small as needed and I have never used the full 8" limits of my bed.
/QUOTE]

I really just want to learn about how to print 3d objects and go from there. No specific use yet except to make some dinosaurs for my kid. Right now it's just trying to pick up the hobby, which is why I wonder if the 8" would be OK. If I really enjoy it I can invest in more at a later date.

Thanks for all the responses. I do worry about the larger unit warping and holding up since it is wood.

[printbus]

I really just want to learn about how to print 3d objects and go from there. No specific use yet except to make some dinosaurs for my kid. Right now it's just trying to pick up the hobby, which is why I wonder if the 8" would be OK. If I really enjoy it I can invest in more at a later date.

It really boils down to a personal choice based on things like budget, space, and what you want to print. A number of people going for the larger printers have something specific they want to eventually make with them - R/C car bodies, model train cars, etc. Like gmay3 hinted, you'll likely be surprised how long it takes to print something, especially if it has an infill structure and you're shooting for good print quality. If you go with the smaller printer and really get into it, as an future upgrade option MakerFarm does offer a kit for the 8-inch that turns it into an 8x8x12 (12 inches in the Y bed depth).

[old man emu]

As a rough guide, measure the size of your kids' toy dinosaurs. You'll find that the common Action figure sold today is 7" tall, which is a scale of 1:10. Something that size will fit on an 8 x 8 bed. If you put it diagonally on the bed you can get 11".

If your kids want dinosaurs bigger than than, tell then that the Gigantosaurs are over-rated and the really cool ones are the small raptors.

OME

[JohnA136]

You can print small items on a big printer but can not print big items on a small printer. Buy the biggest you can afford and it will extend the time before you outgrow it.

IMG_3954.jpg