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Thread: Makerbot Sketch

  1. #1

    Makerbot Sketch

    Hello All!Does anyone have experience with the Makerbot Sketch for their classrooms? My school wants to buy another printer and they are offering a tempting package to schools with curriculum and training but I know some people in the community don't seem to like Makerbot. Are there any other printers people enjoy in their classroom? I'm looking for workhorses, nothing too fancy just something I can efficiently crank out a bunch of prints from students for under $1000. A heated bed, leveling help, and cloud printing are a plus.

  2. #2
    Staff Engineer
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
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    886
    I don't know about Makerbot, but for your price, the Prusa MK3 is likely to be a good choice. Our public library has had a MK2 for quite some time and it's been as reliable as anyone could hope, especially since it's been in a public area. They do have extreme supervision on the machine, which probably plays a big part, but it has heated bed, mesh leveling and a great support structure. Not so sure about cloud printing though.

    Get the kit, save some bucks and have a build project out of it as well. The kit is extremely easy to build and there is a good set of build instructions on Prusa's site.

  3. #3
    Super Moderator curious aardvark's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
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    8,818
    makerbot - while the company that pioneered desktop 3d printing. Just aren't the brand they used to be.

    Now one of the problems you will have putting a 3d printer in a school - is the health and safety.
    I suspect you will need an enclosed print volume so that the kiddies don't burn their sticky little fingers poking the hot nozzle.

    If I were you - and looking. I'd be looking at qidi.
    As most of their printers are enclosed.
    so machines to have alook at:
    X-plus: https://www.amazon.com/Intelligent-I...s%2C699&sr=8-3

    Or the slightly smaller x-pro - you could afford 2 of those :-) https://www.amazon.com/Function-Extr...s%2C699&sr=8-5

    The makerbot sketch has a very small print volume: 150x150x150mm
    The qidi x-pro by comparison is: 230x150x150mm
    The x-plus is: 270x200x200mm

    And if you really wanted to push the boat out and use the whole $1000 (well $977.50 anyway) the x-Max is:
    300x250x300mm
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JBXVCWG/ref=emc_b_5_t

    All three are MUCH better machines that the makerbot. qidi has an excellent reputation for support, build quality and reliabuility.
    And all their machines are fully enclosed.

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