Please help me choose a printer!

[Superslimeboy]

I've recently become fed up with my Cube 2, and have been saving for a while to get a new 3d printer. I have been looking at the makerbot 5th gen, as its specs suit most of my needs, but I've become very worried as more and more people are saying there are lots of jams, errors, and general malfunctions costing a hefty amount to fix. My budget is $3000 (a little over will be fine, I just want my needs met). I need something that can print large objects, preferably dual colors, looks nice enough to have in a modern office, a high resolution (about 100 microns) if possible support for colorfabb woodfill and ninjaflex, and finally user friendly enough for a person to operate without years of experience. I'm hoping to avoid cubify, but if they have something i don't know about that suits my needs, i might take a look.
Thank you, and please help.

[richardphat]

Are you fed because of proprietary filament? Also, I thought some of the makerbot printer use its own brand filament only? One of my friend tech had to replace the makerbot's head 4 times within less than 6 months, because PLA jammed and leaked in the head itself. Repairing and maintenance was a completely fubar operation.

On topic,
to be honest, I think you should buy some open source and a brand that is trusted. For the sake of repairing the printer yourself. 3D printers will always have stupid problem, that is unless you are buying big stratasys machine. Yet, even with industrial 3D printer grade, you will have maintenance and repair if you are not careful. That is when you will pay a ton of money!

Get some open source in which you can access to the hardware easily and so the electronics. You will figure out how to repair. It is annoying in the beginning but it is worthwhile. The learning curve might be driving you mad, but when you understand your machine, repairing is a complete joke. As it happen with my ultimaker. I use to spend the whole day repairing it, now I can just repair within 20 minutes.

Have a look at airwolf, ultimaker, Prusa type. Only check rostock max delta and other delta type printer IF and ONLY IF you are experiment user.
While the ultimaker and rostock might be harder to print ninjaflex, i.e., you have to print in the 10-20mm/s because it use bowden tube.

[richardphat]

Also, can you list more of your requirements? Basically, open source 3d printers can just do what you just listed above.
Anything that is definitely a must, optional, and whishlist?
It might solve the problem faster.

[Superslimeboy]

Thanks RichardPhat, both your posts were very helpful. To answer your question, I didn't mind the proprietary filament TOO much, but the real issue is that despite my efforts, my printer has stopped correctly reading models and will fail at the sizes of the model, sometimes doubling two instances of the model on top of eachother, and the small print bed. The makerbot 5th gen does have proprietary filament, but you can use external if you either create a slight mod or just wrap the external filament around the makerbot spool. I'll update the post soon with more requirements, and take a look at what you've suggested.

[wpilgrim]

The makerbot 5th gen does have proprietary filament, but you can use external if you either create a slight mod or just wrap the external filament around the makerbot spool. I'll update the post soon with more requirements, and take a look at what you've suggested.

I am assuming you meant to say that the Cube 2 has proprietary filament as I know they do and it also just isn't true with Makerbot Printers. Makerbot SAYS you should only be using their filament but you can use plenty of other brand filaments without any modifications at all and lots of specialty filaments with a bit of tweaking.

I personally own a replicator 2 (gen 4 line) and it has been great. I have moded it for more peak performance and I am able to run a variety of filaments through it. I also would be very wary of the 5th gen reps though as the smart extruder is more prone to clogging and seem to have multiple other issues. Also they seem priced too high for what you get. There are other makerbot clones out there that are simple enough to upgrade and perform as well as the rep 2's and rep 2x's, such as the flashforge and duplicator 4 or 4X. I have heard good things about a variety of less known printers and they would surely save you some cash but having not personally messed with them I can't recommend much outside of what I know.

[Superslimeboy]

I was addressing the fifth gen printers, they have top loading smaller spools.other filament spools don't fit, but I'm sure that soon someone'll make spools that fit in it.

[Geoff]

Just don't buy a 5th Gen makerbot, it goes against everything you want in a printer.

[richardphat]

Just don't buy a 5th Gen makerbot, it goes against everything you want in a printer.

Care to elaborate more ? I am ignorant when it comes to makerbot 5th gen.

[wpilgrim]

Care to elaborate more ? I am ignorant when it comes to makerbot 5th gen.

You state that you want something that can print dual colors, - 5th gens don't
You state that you want something that can hit 100 microns, - 5th gens claim to but quality is not what you can get with other printers
You state that you want to be able to print with specialty filament, - 5th gens can't print with flexible filament and while probably can technically print other filament, you will also, according to Makerbot TOS, void any warranty you have by doing so, plus gen 5's are already temperamental with filament.

Makerbot 5th gens are not the printer for you (or likely anybody for that matter)

[richardphat]

You state that you want something that can print dual colors, - 5th gens don't
You state that you want something that can hit 100 microns, - 5th gens claim to but quality is not what you can get with other printers
You state that you want to be able to print with specialty filament, - 5th gens can't print with flexible filament and while probably can technically print other filament, you will also, according to Makerbot TOS, void any warranty you have by doing so, plus gen 5's are already temperamental with filament.

Makerbot 5th gens are not the printer for you (or likely anybody for that matter)

Not me, the author does ;P
I was just curious about the makerbot, never got involved with the policy BS from proprietary.
Thanks for the explanation though.