• Scam Alert. Members are reminded to NOT send money to buy anything. Don't buy things remote and have it shipped - go get it yourself, pay in person, and take your equipment with you. Scammers have burned people on this forum. Urgency, secrecy, excuses, selling for friend, newish members, FUD, are RED FLAGS. A video conference call is not adequate assurance. Face to face interactions are required. Please report suspicions to the forum admins. Stay Safe - anyone can get scammed.

Tips/Techniques Which printer to buy advice needed

Tips/Techniques
GummyMonster

GummyMonster

Ken
Good day,
This sub forum is pretty quiet, hopefully someone will read this.
I'm asking about new 3D printers for a friend.
She has had nothing but grief getting going. She bought a Creality Ender-3 V2 3D Printer for her boys. She bought the first one from a private seller on Amazon, and it turned out to be a fake. Nothing but problems so she returned it. Bought a second directly from The Creality store. The first one had different decals and even the memory card was a cheaper/different one.
But now this new one is having all sorts of issues. The bed is overheating, then the nozzle started cooling down in the middle of the print. There's other issues too. She is quite tech savvy, and has no problems with computers, software, etc.
So I don't think she's doing things incorrectly. She emailed Creality but they are closed until Friday for the Lunar New Year.
Now she's considering getting a different brand, but which one?
That's my question. Has Creality gone downhill as far as QC? Which other brands are people having good luck with now? This whole 3D printing industry is changing at such a fast pace that it's hard to know what to use.
Her budget for the machine is about $600, but I'm sure she'd pay a bit more for better quality if needed.
Any input is appreciated.
Thanks,
Ken
 
I have 2 different anycubic printers and they have both been problem free

I always thought the Ender 3 was kind of an entry level project machine

There is always the option of just fixing/upgrading the current printer, if her boys are old enough that could be a project in itself
 
Prusa might be the way to go for above entry level (less problems). I would go with them assembling the 1k machine...

Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ | Original Prusa 3D printers directly from Josef Prusa

Loved by makers, valued by professionals. Silent, reliable and powerful 3D printing workhorse by Josef Prusa. 24/7 support. Made in EU, worldwide shipping.
www.prusa3d.com www.prusa3d.com

www.pcmag.com

The Best 3D Printers for 2024

More affordable than ever, 3D printers are booming for personal, professional, and educational use. Here's everything to know before you buy one, along with the top models from our hands-on testing.
www.pcmag.com www.pcmag.com
 
I think the Ender quality can be hit and miss. I've read horror stories and complete rave reviews.
My Ender 3 v2 has been pretty good with zero (and I mean none, nada, zilch) upgrades or maintenance. I have run five rolls of filament through to make my PrintNC CNC router, parts for another local PrintNC builder, various and sundry shop projects and stuff around the house.
 
GummyMonster said:
Good day,
This sub forum is pretty quiet, hopefully someone will read this.
I'm asking about new 3D printers for a friend.
She has had nothing but grief getting going. She bought a Creality Ender-3 V2 3D Printer for her boys. She bought the first one from a private seller on Amazon, and it turned out to be a fake. Nothing but problems so she returned it. Bought a second directly from The Creality store. The first one had different decals and even the memory card was a cheaper/different one.
But now this new one is having all sorts of issues. The bed is overheating, then the nozzle started cooling down in the middle of the print. There's other issues too. She is quite tech savvy, and has no problems with computers, software, etc.
So I don't think she's doing things incorrectly. She emailed Creality but they are closed until Friday for the Lunar New Year.
Now she's considering getting a different brand, but which one?
That's my question. Has Creality gone downhill as far as QC? Which other brands are people having good luck with now? This whole 3D printing industry is changing at such a fast pace that it's hard to know what to use.
Her budget for the machine is about $600, but I'm sure she'd pay a bit more for better quality if needed.
Any input is appreciated.
Thanks,
Ken
Click to expand...

I've had good and bad luck with the printers. The first one came from China FedEx for $240 7 years ago and I'm still running it but I did have to do some modifications. Not the best.

Then I thought I'd try a dual extruder Delta 3D printer (about $500) and I wanted to update to a BeagleBone Black along with a Replicape and Touch screen. The printer mechanically was a disaster. I had to buy all sorts of parts to bring to a reasonable but still wobbly configuration.
The Replicape had one driver (soldered on the board) fail and by then the developer had moved on and support was zero.
It's still just sitting there. Piece of S... Haven't yet fixed all the mechanical issues which is why it's project 42.5...

Before buying a new one I'd look at what is going wrong. A bed overheating could be as simple as the temperature feedback connection unreliable. That's fixable. Even with new sensors etc.

Temperature changing could be same issue or something in the slicer code shutting down the heater. As long as the unit is mechanically sound the rest are all issues that aren't a big deal.
 
I have a mk3+ S from Prusa. A few problems but generally it just prints & prints. I want to print not fix my printer And it does that. There is this new kid bambu making printers with much faster performance. Impressive but not much history yet. They’ve definitely raised the bar on peoples expectations.

I bought the kit and assembled it. It took a number of hours but makes you familiar with it. And saves some cash.
 
Right now there is a change in the 3DP marketplace. It is shifting towards more consumer 'plug and play' experience. Many vendors are offering the printer 90% assembled, with only 20-30 minutes of 'put together' time.

The Sovol SV06 only requires the gantry to be bolted in with 4 bolts, two plugs, and 2 screws for the touch screen. they can be had for about $400.

The Bambu experience is similar, but at a higher price point - about $850.

This year's printing experience will be far more trouble free than last years' I think even the lower end products are getting better. That said, every manufacturer has a dud from time to time. Hers is definitely a dud.
 
Thanks for the info as always.
She is impatiently waiting for Creality to get back to her, hoping to solve the issues.
But some of the printers listed on this page has her interest.
I'm trying to talk her into joining the forum, so she can discuss things directly.
Her husband is really good with hardware, and she knows software, so they'd be a good addition I think.
Ken
 
You did not say it what 3d printer platform, assuming based on your note that is a FDM.
I have a SLA, from same Creality... The machine is well built and solid good design mechanically, but the Tech Support is a real clusterfock.
Creality Halot Sky is much better built mechanically then my previouse Epax E10 but the E10 had better features in firmware.
My next printer will be Phrozen, I am tracking the reviews for over two years, the least complains so far for Koreans.

What I would suggest for next time you wanna drop some money on it...
Chose the best working slicer based on reviews.
Look on their forums what is a best machine they recommend.
T^his way you have a chance to get it right.
 
If this person does not want to deal with the printer itself and just wants to get useable parts off it with the least amount of faffing around, I would second getting one of the pre-assembled prusa printers.

One thing not mentioned so far is the inclusion of a bed levelling probe (which the prusa's and some others come with). Bed levelling probes are becoming more common on hobby grade printers but for many it is extra feature you install after the fact. I would consider myself a 3d printing expert, and I would not buy a printer without a leveling probe.
 
I thought I'd update this discussion.
My friend messaged me this morning, and she ended up ordering this printer:
- https://qidi3d.com/products/qidi-technology-3d-printer-x-max?variant=40481842069640
It's way above the original budget she set, but her husband fought with the Creality one after her, and they decided to start with a printer in a different league.
It's expensive, but she did a ton of reading and found that this company gets very highly talked about , the machines have little to no issues, and the customer support is second to none.
She was researching the Bambu printers, but the lack of history her.
Her husband has a very high level job, but due to that his time at home is limited. He'd rather make prints with his kids then fight the printer or software.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how this beast works.
I told her again to join this forum as others would be interested as well.
Just an update. And she said to thank you all for your input.
She bought a different brand, but you led her to the decision and she appreciates it.
Although this seems to have gone from something for the boys to something for mom and dad that the boys will have access to....
Ken
 
GummyMonster said:
It's expensive, but she did a ton of reading and found that this company gets very highly talked about , the machines have little to no issues, and the customer support is second to none.
Click to expand...

Sometimes cheaper is more expensive. I'll be following your future feedback with great interest.
 
I hope it all goes well with the new printer for @GummyMonster's friend.
$1000USD with free shipping had me interested until I noticed months-old unanswered questions on the product page. The text for 'features' on that page is also not always clear, which can happen with poor translation. Do any products come with good documentation nowadays, or is the answer : 'Consult with the Community on our Forum' universal?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top