Looking for a new printer - thoughts on the Robox?

[clusterflux]

I'm new to 3d printing and have been researching which one to buy. The features I am looking for are:

Build Volume: 6"x 6" x 6" - a little smaller is ok
Resolution: not as important as I won't be doing fine detail prints - but I see most printers in my price range are in the 100-200 micron range
Dual Extruders: this is a must
Heated-Build Platform: this is a must
Auto-Level Bed: Highly preferred
Material: PLA, ABS, Nylon, PLV
No proprietary cartridges
Price Range: $1500

Now, after researching every printer in my price range, I have settled on the Robox:
http://www.cel-robox.com/technical/

The Robox is yet another crowd-funded printer that started shipping earlier this year. It meets all of the above requirements. It even surpasses some (20 microns, more than 4 materials). However, they are currently sold out and not shipping any more until December. Since I can't wait that long, I've started looking at other options. In particular, I've been eyeing the MakerBot Mini and the Flashforge Creator Dual. I'm leaning more towards a MakerBot Replicator II clone like the FlashForge, but the lack of an auto-leveling bed for most of these is a major downer for me. In considering a MakerBot itself, I've found that it and most of its clones do not print nylon, which the FlashForge does.

Another thing I realized about getting a Robox is that they are not well-known and there doesn't seem to be much community support for them (for example, no specific forum for them here). Is anyone familiar with them? Am I correct in thinking I will not get much community help if I do end up purchasing one?

What other printers would you recommend in my price range? Is it unrealistic to look for nylon printing, dual extruders, and an auto-leveling bed at a price point under $1500?


Disclaimer: I have read other posts on this forum where people are asking what printers to buy. I do not see anyone else looking for the capability to print nylon at a lower price point, which is why I have made this new post.

[Brian_Krassenstein]

Not a bad machine at all from what I'm hearing. If you don't mind the smaller build envelope, then it's probably a good bet.

[jimc]

Why is auto bed leveling so important. That is basically unneeded fluff. You level your bed and basically forget it. I havent leveled my bed in 5 mos. you also dont need anything special to print nylon. If you have a heated bed to do abs then you can do nylon as well. Also if you havent ever had a printer before then dont mess with 2 heads right now either. You have a long time learning how to print with one head before jumping to 2 heads.

[clusterflux]

Why is auto bed leveling so important. That is basically unneeded fluff. You level your bed and basically forget it. I havent leveled my bed in 5 mos.

I did not realize that leveling was basically an initial setup step only. If it doesn't need to be done often, you're right - it's not that important.

you also dont need anything special to print nylon. If you have a heated bed to do abs then you can do nylon as well.

I did not know this either. If that's the case, I'm surprise more manufacturers don't advertise their printers as being able to print more materials. You would think from an advertising standpoint, they would want to appear to have more features.

Are there any temp considerations to keep in mind? Or is "good enough for abs" pretty much always "good enough for nylon?"

Also if you havent ever had a printer before then dont mess with 2 heads right now either. You have a long time learning how to print with one head before jumping to 2 heads.

My roommate recently acquired a 3d printer at work and I agreed to get one for the house. The one at his work has 2 heads so we are trying to keep things similar. Considering we will be learning to use one with 2 heads anyway, there's no point in being cautious with the learning curve on this.

Not needing an auto-leveling bed and being able to get any abs capable printer and use it for nylon really opens up the possibilities. What would you recommend in my price range considering the points you have made?