Can't decide between Replicator 5th Gen, Ultimaker 2, and Robo3D R1

[csshih]

Yeah, I hear you, I wanted to upgrade everything on this thing before I even had a chance to see how it runs stock. I ended up just going with a few upgrades: 24V 31A power supply, dampers on the motors, which makes it much more quiet, and a screw-in thermistor, for which I had to drill and tap a hole for in the hotend (which made me nervous). I really want to go dual extruder and I'm looking into whether or not an all metal hotend would be a good idea (E3D for example).

What you're looking for is definitely what I was looking for. Except once I started looking at 8"^3 build volumes, I wanted even more!! Have you looked into Airwolf printers? They look really good too, albeit a little pricey. They have a really nice looking hotend, so no need to upgrade that part.

That airwolf does look interesting, but I'm not sure there's much of a community around it yet. We'll see! so many new manufacturers have been popping up, it's crazy.

[jimc]

have any of you guys looked at the makergear m2. one of the best printers goin, fantastic support and company to deal with. you wont find a better more helpful community.

[atoff]

have any of you guys looked at the makergear m2. one of the best printers goin, fantastic support and company to deal with. you wont find a better more helpful community.

The M2 was one I was checking out during my research. It has some really great reviews, but ultimately, I passed on it. It has a direct drive extruder, whereas I was looking for a bowden setup, but it is a really nice looking machine, and a good choice I'm sure.

Btw, I received some sample prints from Zortrax a few days ago, a keychain, and spiral box with lid. I had requested samples a couple of months ago when I just started shopping for a printer. They look and feel really good. I'll perhaps print the same items with my Rostock and compare. I've been getting some really nice prints from the Rostock, I'll have to post up a review with some pics.

[jimc]

huh, may i ask why you are looking for a bowden setup?

[atoff]

I'm no longer looking, I already have my printer up and running, but when I was looking, it was for the sake of increasing speed / reducing weight. I suppose it also reduces the amount of vibration by not having the motor mounted to the hot end assembly. Seems to be working really nicely on the Rostock. My next step is to go dual extruders. I'm waiting on E3D to release their V6, or waiting for something better. An all metal hot-end that performs just as well with PLA.

[RAMTechRob]

I'm done looking as well. I passed on the MakerBot 5th Gen, and went with the Orion Delta.

[ravnistic]

New User here, I've been reading through the thread. We just took delivery of our Fusion3 3d Printer, and after having looked at so many others I am very pleased with the purchase. Perhaps it does look homebrew, but the design is solid and extremely stable. We've been printing almost non stop since we got it, and have not found a single thing (yet) it can't handle. If you are still in the market, take another look at it.

[jimc]

yes that is chris's printer. i have been keeping an eye on that printer for awhile. fantastic design. if i was going to break down and buy a printer today i would probably be purchasing his printer. i do wish it was an enclosed design though but with it being a core xy and the steppers outside the frame i think it would be a little hard. once you get a little more time with it please do a review and give us some pictures. there is very little on the net about this printer or chris's company.

[atoff]

No doubt it's a great printer. I had done so much research and weighing of pros and cons to come to a conclusion as to which printer to buy. I ultimately decided not to go with the F306, but it had nothing to do with the quality of the machine. First of all, the price is considerably high for what it is. The design is great, but it can be built for under a grand without significant shopping around for parts, though I do realize you're paying for a pre-built / pre-calibrated machine, and they do need to make a profit. I also felt that it would be smarter for me to learn the ins and outs of 3D printing by going with something significantly cheaper, and by building it myself, which is why I went with a Rostock kit. There's also the resale value... I upgrade often. I upgrade my PC's, I upgrade my phones, I upgrade my ebook readers... I like staying on top of technology. While I know it's a great machine, its resale value is very low, because though I may be willing to spend $3k for it, not many others are. It's not a known name. I wouldn't have a difficult time selling a Makerbot or Ultimaker for example. Several other reasons I decided not to go with it, but that's the gist.

[csshih]

we're on the verge of purchasing an ultimaker 2, just wish there were spare parts more readily available (print bed et all)