Help narrow down 3d printer?

[aeviaanah]

Looking to buy a 3d printer. So far the lulzbot ao-101, ultimaker 3d and makergear m2 are on my list of potentials. Im finding this difficult-so much to compare and without the knowledge of 3d printing.

Any help here? Can someone point me in the right direction for honest comparisons?

I am willing to spend up to 2,000 dollars.

[JohnA136]

Get yourself a copy of MAKE Magazine's Special 3D Printer Shoot-out edition that just came out this week. It compares 20+ printers.

[MeoWorks]

Or feel free to just ask anything that's on your mind. JohnA136's suggestion is almost a requirement though lol, the issue is like a bible. If money is not an issue, that opens a lot of doors for you in terms of tech you can buy.

[Vanguard]

To really get something that completely suits your needs the only way to do it is build your own. This does take a LOT more time, but the learning experience is MUCH much more, and you end up with twice the printer for 1/2 the price. You can incorporate the best components, and you learn a bunch. You can decide how far you want to go with a DIY, from building your own boards, hot end, everything, to just buying the parts and bolting them together.

[rene1981]

I've goy an up! 2 plus printer for a week and a few days now, and I am very happy with it. good qualitiy prints.
People from fablab I spoke, said that the ultimaker is not so good, because of the bow extruder.

[JohnA136]

I am not sure why people do not like the bowden extruder? We used an Ultimaker for 6 months (over 800 print hours) and never had an issue with it. If it is set up properly, it is a gem. I wish I could say the same for our Replicator XL? The main advantage is the lower head mass allows for very fast printing without shaking the bot to bits, something you can not do with a lot of printers.

[aeviaanah]

To really get something that completely suits your needs the only way to do it is build your own. This does take a LOT more time, but the learning experience is MUCH much more, and you end up with twice the printer for 1/2 the price. You can incorporate the best components, and you learn a bunch. You can decide how far you want to go with a DIY, from building your own boards, hot end, everything, to just buying the parts and bolting them together.

This is an option too! I have no idea where to start in terms of building my own. Can you point me to any resources?

[aeviaanah]

Are there any pre made printers with the option of upgrading (DIY style) as you learn?

[JohnA136]

Every kit printer we have bought has been upgraded extensively as 3D Printing technology has improved. Even our Replicator 1 has upgraded extruders and a stretched frame to make it into a Replicator XL with ~200mm added to the Z Axis.

We have build box printers, threaded rod printers and lately, the Prusa i3 Printers. Currently, I would recommend building a Pruse i3 to anyone wanting to build their own. It is FAST to build ( we go from boxes to printing in one day!), has very large print volume and can print ABS, PLA as well as other types of filaments. It can be run tethered, off an SD Card or wirelessly with a Rasberry Pi.

[aeviaanah]

So, I've read the Make Magazine special and I've narrowed my search down to 3 printers. Id like to compare the Prusa i3 but need to see some specs.

The three I am currently comparing are Maker Gear M2, Type A Series 1 and Ultimaker (or ultimaker 2)

Open source is a big priority for me, this is one of the major deciding factors. The quality and print volume are all pretty comparable. Not sure what it takes to better the resolution from .2mm to .02 possible??

The prices are comparable and being able to assemble myself- I'll be able to save some money. The ultimaker 2 is getting pretty expensive and am not sure if ill be able to get that one. Is it much better than the ultimaker?

A few more questions.

1. The models that have plywood frames- I have access to a CNC plasma, am I able to cut new aluminum frames instead?
2. The type A Series 1 is the only printer (within my comparisons) that can print PVA. Is this something of value?
3. Are there benefits to different pedigrees? Makergear M2 uses reprap/mendel prusa. While both Type A Series 1 and Ultimaker are of original pedigree.
4. Should I rule out solidoodle?

Please list anything I may have overlooked about each specific printer. I appreciate your help in advance!