Please help me choose a printer!

[curious aardvark]

okay - so $3000.

Maybe Start looking at deltas - nothing else looks as good in an office environment.

As far as using ninjaflex goes - I can do this perfectly on a $800 flashforge creator with an unmodified extruder.

However you won't get the build volume you're after. Which is a shame as otherwise a flashforge creator pro would definitely hit the spot.

Have you thought about an ultimaker 2 ?
They have dual extruder kits and are, by all accounts are as good as they claim.

Failing that look at a delta a kossel non-mini might do the job.

The biggest problem you've got at the moment is that there are literally hundreds of different printers from small manufactureres and not that many users to say whether they're any good in the long term.

But if I were you I'd look for a dual extruder delta. Should be in your price range and they are just so much fun to watch working, and quiet :-)

Or go with the tried and tested and get an ultimaker 2 with the second extruder kit.
And as luck would have it ultimaker have just launched a us distributor and you get 3 rolls of filament in red white and blue :-)
https://www.ultimaker.com/blogs/news...-north-america

(looks at store) looks like the dual extrusion is only for the ultimaker originals at the moment.

How about the leapfrog machines ?
Altough looking they're not available in the states yet.

Basically in that price bracket, you're spoilt for choice but starved for experienced feedback.

Another option is to find a local maker group and get them to build you one.
Saw a truly ingenious setup at tct. Guy had a direct drive head but with the motor on the frame and a flexible driveshaft driving the extruder on the printhead. Gives all the advantages of direct drive with the low weight of a bowden setup. Ideal for a dual extruder on a delta.

And when I -eventually - build a delta It's definitely what I'll be aiming at.

[Geoff]

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.

Take a read of this great thread by American3Dprinting... good in depth first hand take down of the 5th Gen, basically.. long story short, anything you do that you would want to do in any other printer basically voids the warranty.

http://3dprintboard.com/showthread.p...ead-with-Rep-2

So far the biggest drawback for me is the time... and too many automated features. The flashforge might be simplistic but it heats up in like 2 mins and because the levelling is manual.. I DECIDE when I level, not the dang machine.
5th gen makes you go through hoops before each print.

[richardphat]

http://bootsindustries.com/3d-printers/

Here's one delta with dual extruder and autobed calibration. That might be much more easier than delta with lesser config. My boss has taken order from them, we will be expecting the printer in the next 2-3 weeks.
There's an option for dual extruder, and a third (experimental)
There's also partial assembly, which might save you the hassle.

Edit: Holy cow,just read that one geoff! Such bs from makerbot....

[curious aardvark]

wow those boots industries look good :-)
price is right too :-)

[jimc]

I know i have posted this in other threads but for the op, with your price range look at fusion3design.com. The f306. Probably one of the best printers you can actually buy currently. Corexy design. has the most rock solid z stage goin and a huge build volume. 12" in all axis. It can print all materials. Its also open source running marlin on a rambo board.

[RAMTechRob]

Have you looked at the SeeMeCNC Rostock kit? Nice machine for $1000 in kit form. Or you can pay to have it assembled by another company.

[richardphat]

Have you looked at the SeeMeCNC Rostock kit? Nice machine for $1000 in kit form. Or you can pay to have it assembled by another company.

Keep in mind despite they had their sucessfull kickstarter previously, they somehow changed their strategy this time. More components are being manufactured from China and so it is a question of time. Before everyone is getting their toys!

Have you looked at the SeeMeCNC Rostock kit? Nice machine for $1000 in kit form. Or you can pay to have it assembled by another company.

I wouldn't recomment Rostock Max V2 TBH, I am currently using it and it is no easy seriously. Bed calibration is a complete joke.... As soon as you put those paper clip on the side, it will curve the glass, enough for the printed parts to unstick itself even with tape or even glue! Not to mention the belt backlash so much and requires every few days of checking. The learning curve of this machine is just brutal and I doubt OP will be pleased with the machine.