Portabee GO 3D Printer

[3dman]

This is the first time I've heard of this printer. The Portabee Go. I saw it on youtube this morning and was quite impressed.



However, I look at the specs and it seems like the resolution isn't that great.
Wall thickness : 0.48 mm / 480 microns
Layer thickness : 0.1 mm / 100 microns

Do you guys think it's worth it for only $595?

[DarlyB]

I have just taken delivery of this printer the other day and so far impressed with its design and build. The idea is that it is portable so folds flat, a fun operation with a lump of metal and no beveled edges

Check out these vids made of my first print, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyWC94iDoYw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT3JMs4dhTg

It does have auto leveling however because it uses the hot end if any PLA oozes during calibration then it fails to detect the end-stop, not good. The way around it is to turn the heat on and then start the print hoping the end it as the correct temp just before printing - seemed to work and if I had tried this earlier I recon you can be up and printing with 30 mins of unboxing it.

PS I got in early in November so bagged this for $395 so in total with shipping to the UK got it for £319 - yet to get the import bill which is likely to be around £70.

[Feign]

I like the looks of this design, the stable build platform looks like it would be good for delicate parts. Sad to hear that it's difficult to fold, though it looks pretty good while folded.

Is it difficult to change out the hot end and extruder? Perhaps a better extruder might solve that oozing problem?

$595 seems like my kind of price range, I'll have to look into this.

[DarlyB]

I like the looks of this design, the stable build platform looks like it would be good for delicate parts. Sad to hear that it's difficult to fold, though it looks pretty good while folded.

Is it difficult to change out the hot end and extruder? Perhaps a better extruder might solve that oozing problem?

$595 seems like my kind of price range, I'll have to look into this.

I think the folding is good, just that its quite weighty and the sharp metal edges, eg I unpacked and worked out how to unfold only to find 5 minutes later has a nice cut on finger dripping blood. Folded it back up in seconds so the design is really good and just folds flat.

I did take a look at the extruder and it should be easy to remove as just fits to sliding bed with a right angle bracket on the x axis arm using the 4 servo screws. It could fix it however as I have seen by using a piece of tin foil and heating it the smallest bit will not make a contact. I have yet to contact the makers as did get a successful print albeit with a fudge.

I will post up some vids later of the kit etc, only one thing my missus is yet to know I have one - this will be fun

[DarlyB]

Here is a vid of the unboxing and the printer setup showing how it unfolds ready for printing - this time I avoid cutting myself

[Feign]

Wow that is... um... very portable.

Okay, it's small. Really really small. That said it looks rock solid, which is pretty unexpected for a $600 assembled printer, and absolutely essential for a portable printer. Other folding printers I've seen look like they're made of hopes, dreams, and balsa wood. This thing really has the kind of professional look to it that even a normal person would pay $595 for.

I guess if you're wanting a demo unit for going to events this is pretty much perfect.

[Eddie]

This just in! The Portabee GO is now available for open orders! More details at: http://3dprint.com/9708/portabee-go-3d-printer/

[crowbar]

Looks pretty good for geeks who travel a lot. The price point is not bad either.

[zidlov]

Just a warning for anyone who is considering to buy the Portabee Go: The printer is doing pretty good quality prints once it's dialled in.
BUT: The customer support is a joke! I'm waiting for a replacement hotend since four months and all they managed to do is send me two emails with the same questions repeated all over again after about five weeks of silence from their side.
During the first months of using the Portabee Go I had alot of issues due to nonexistent documentation and a lot of beta issues that were easily remedied but took always a lot of time because the communication with romscraj is just sooo bad.
They promised a "tuning guide" around December 2014 that was supposed to explain all the issues and I should just wait for it "a few more days". These few days still haven't passed, and it's now March 2015. All they managed to do in terms of documentation is two videos (obviously uploaded by a user) showing how to disassemble the hotend to remove stuck filament.
They don't reply to questions, and if they do, they let you wait for months.
I waited SIX MONTHS from order till I actually got the printer, then it took about two-three months until I could actually use it because of the beta diseases it had. The y-axis belt would always slip from it's ball-bearings and they let me know that they are still experimenting with another way to mount the belt. The auto-calibration routine intermittently just didn't work and there was no way to find out what to do about it.
My questions about the problem were simply ignored with standard-bla-bla emails or none at all. Then, after about two months of finally being able to actually use the printer, the hotend shorted out (it gave a spark when doing the auto-calibration) and that was it. Goodbye 3D printing. I'm trying since November 2014 to get in contact with them to replace the broken part, let me send back the printer for repair or do whatever with it to get it working again. The only reaction since November from them was that they asked me to measure the continuity between the heating-element and the hotend, which I did and replied to them with what I measured. Since then, nothing....
So until this company isn't turning around 180 degrees in their customer support behaviour, forget about the Portabee Go. Once you have any problem with it, you can just as well throw it away because you won't get any support. They state half a year of warranty.
It's simply a lie. They will just ignore your requests. I even called them in their office. The guy on the phone spoke such a horrible english that I just couldn't figure out what he was actually saying. He told me they will "send me a replacement hot-end". Sure. No reply to emails again whatsoever.

[zidlov]

Update: It's now SIX WEEKS since they told me they will "send out a replacement hotend" so that I will be "up and printing as soon as possible".
You guessed it. Nothing showed up at my door yet. I now call the printer my "Paperweight Go" and in the meantime bought another one.