1 Topic by carl_m1968

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Topic: PSA for XYZ machines.

By the time most of you read this it will be too late as you have already bought one and are looking to jailbreak, fix it or both.

In the event you are shopping and run across this post before buying please consider some things you may not know. The price on XYZ machines look very attractive and it is as they get you on the filament. Most of their machines use proprietary filament that is 25% higher priced that third party. To get around this you have to use paper tags and software to generate these tags. So keep that in mind.

The next issue is dependability. Some people have been lucky but by and large these machines are not well built and will need additional work and modifications to get them to print good. Notice I only said good. I had two XYZ machines myself and I could not get rid of them fast enough.

The next issue is parts and service. The only place to really get parts is from people that are parting theirs out. XYZ does not sell parts. Then come service. Again some have been lucky but in most cases they will require you to send the machine back to Taiwan at your cost.

Now don't get me wrong if you want a cheap machine then XYZ is it. But in this market and all seasoned veterans here will agree you get what you pay for. Don't by cheap machines. Save your money.

I just want people to be aware of the issues with XZY before they buy as I see so many post here with problems or needing parts or needing help hacking and so on with XYZ more than any other brand.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

2 Reply by Tin Falcon (edited by Tin Falcon 2019-11-22 23:57:23)

  • Tin Falcon
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Re: PSA for XYZ machines.

Oh my yes, and the problem is not limited to XYZ brand some of the Chinese kits are soo bad that experienced builders  have not been able to get them to work

When  purchasing a 3d printer research everything you can about the particular make and model . check everything assume nothing . One would assume the ultimakers are open source not so much on the newer models. If you expect any kind of real service this hobby is not likely for you. Make sure parts are available and the machine works  before you purchase . Go with a reliable name brand if you can . There are a lot of decent printers on the market and likely a larger number of Chinese clones that are not worth brining home.

Read the reviews and watch you tube reviews. Join on line forums and facebook groups, ask questions and download the manual . All of this before you lay down your hard earned cash.

As far as top 10 printer reviews I would agree with some of there pick   the davinci for some obscure reason is a brand that shows up on these lists. This is one brand I would advise against.


IMHO one safe purchase that is quite affordable is the new prusa mini

https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-printers … sa%20mini#

$400 USD delivered
These sold 1000 printers in the first 24 hours of release. Order now and you will get the printer in January.



If that is too much the monoprice mini and the mini delta can be had for under $200 these are small format printers but not bad for the money . Again read the reviews do your  homework make your own informed choice.

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

3 Reply by Tin Falcon (edited by Tin Falcon 2019-11-23 14:03:21)

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Re: PSA for XYZ machines.

Another word of caution :
99.99% of printers are not plug and play . Some come close. The point here is before purchasing a printer make sure you have the time and skills to own one or the time to learn the skills.
3d cad: unless you just want to print others projects then one needs cad skills.
Slicer  Then you need to learn understand slicing software and have a basic understanding of G-code.
one needs to understand the host program as well  bottom line you need decent computer skills.

Mechanical skills/aptitude. Even when one gets a printer that is "PLUG and PLAY" down the road something will wear out and break. As of this writing service centers are few and far between so the owner operator has to be able to do basic maintenance and repairs.
Electronics /electrical knowledge  again when something breaks the owner operator needs to be able to fix it.

Parts sourcing skills  open source is great but the owner operator needs to be able to source these parts for repairs.

and last but not least it is very helpful to have a basic knowledge of  Arduino and firmware especially if one like to tinker and upgrade. often a mechanical upgrade or sensor upgrade also requires some tweak to the firmware. 

One does not need to be an expert, but a basic knowledge of all these areas is very helpful unless one considers a 3d printer disposable.

Without these skills a 3d printer can turn into an expensive paper weigh in almost an instant.
And last but not least it helps to have dogged determination. This hobby is not for the faint of heart. One needs to be able to troubleshoot computerized electro mechanical systems.
This hobby can be very rewarding , frustrating at times but worth it in the end for those willing  to invest considerable time and some money .

If you are considering a printer great, do your research and look before you take the leap.

I sincerely hope this helps people especially Christmas shoppers in making a decision and I hope it saves a bit of heart ache and buyer remorse.
Tin Falcon

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

4 Reply by SpoolyMcSpoolson

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Re: PSA for XYZ machines.

First time caller, long time lurker. I am not affiliated with XYZ and have no skin in this game.

I've had my Davinci Jr for 18 months and it's my favourite 3D printer.Over the years I have bought a SeemeCNC Delta at a cost of around £1000  and a Prusa Mk3 at a cost of around £400

Neither of these machines ever worked long enough to get creative - I spent  around 8 years trying to get them to work.
Endless tinkering - buying test equipment - making moisture resistant filament safes - buying new arduinos, new temperature gauges,
temperature guage calibrators, engineer's squares etc. The cost went on forever. And I was just making benchies, the meta-hobby of 3d printing for it's own sake.

I bought the Davinci Jr for £166.79 delivered in early 2018. And it worked.
And when it didn't work XYZ answered the phone and helped with real diagnostic advice.Their ecosystem is composed of repeatable, standardised elements - so it's easier to fix stuff, and easier to spot irregular performance.
Yes the filament is chipped, but this does not seem to matter. Once you have a printer that actually works, you don't waste filament on benchies.You actually use your filament for a print and get on with your life rather than wasting time on test prints.

I use the Davinci Jr for everyday making tasks around the house and for my work - EG: making attachments for VR controllers and headsets, and.. gosh... all sorts of things!

You can hack the Davinci filament NFCs and use your own filament. Which I do occasionally.But in reality - It's actually good to have a consistent "recipe" for your prints and a consistent quality of media.I have tried the cheapest filament on Amazon - and unless you have complete confidence in your printer, your slicer settings and your 3D modelling being perfect (not me)you will never know what's making your prints fail - is it because you are using "Benny's $9.99 Funtime CheepoFilament" - or is it because you set the wrong retraction speed?

With DIY 3D printers I spent all my time measuring filament width with callipers, measuring hot end temperatures with a probe - doing maths, hacking my firmware,baking filament in the oven, performing dehydration spells, working with PLA based essential oils etc etc.

With the Davinci jr - 9 times out of 10 - I get a print in about an hour. No coding, no tinkering not even messing with slicer settings.And this machine is one tenth the cost of my other gear.
that's my rant smile

5 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: PSA for XYZ machines.

SpoolyMcSpoolson wrote:

First time caller, long time lurker. I am not affiliated with XYZ and have no skin in this game.

I've had my Davinci Jr for 18 months and it's my favourite 3D printer.Over the years I have bought a SeemeCNC Delta at a cost of around £1000  and a Prusa Mk3 at a cost of around £400

Neither of these machines ever worked long enough to get creative - I spent  around 8 years trying to get them to work.
Endless tinkering - buying test equipment - making moisture resistant filament safes - buying new arduinos, new temperature gauges,
temperature guage calibrators, engineer's squares etc. The cost went on forever. And I was just making benchies, the meta-hobby of 3d printing for it's own sake.

I bought the Davinci Jr for £166.79 delivered in early 2018. And it worked.
And when it didn't work XYZ answered the phone and helped with real diagnostic advice.Their ecosystem is composed of repeatable, standardised elements - so it's easier to fix stuff, and easier to spot irregular performance.
Yes the filament is chipped, but this does not seem to matter. Once you have a printer that actually works, you don't waste filament on benchies.You actually use your filament for a print and get on with your life rather than wasting time on test prints.

I use the Davinci Jr for everyday making tasks around the house and for my work - EG: making attachments for VR controllers and headsets, and.. gosh... all sorts of things!

You can hack the Davinci filament NFCs and use your own filament. Which I do occasionally.But in reality - It's actually good to have a consistent "recipe" for your prints and a consistent quality of media.I have tried the cheapest filament on Amazon - and unless you have complete confidence in your printer, your slicer settings and your 3D modelling being perfect (not me)you will never know what's making your prints fail - is it because you are using "Benny's $9.99 Funtime CheepoFilament" - or is it because you set the wrong retraction speed?

With DIY 3D printers I spent all my time measuring filament width with callipers, measuring hot end temperatures with a probe - doing maths, hacking my firmware,baking filament in the oven, performing dehydration spells, working with PLA based essential oils etc etc.

With the Davinci jr - 9 times out of 10 - I get a print in about an hour. No coding, no tinkering not even messing with slicer settings.And this machine is one tenth the cost of my other gear.
that's my rant smile

As I said some are lucky but most are not.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

6 Reply by Bozotclown1970

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Re: PSA for XYZ machines.

Also wait until you need a part!

7 Reply by SpoolyMcSpoolson

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Re: PSA for XYZ machines.

Personally I would not try and fix this printer if it had a major fault out of warranty.
I did need a part last year - I needed a new bowden compression fitting. XYZ sent me a pack of 5 - free.

At the price the Jr is a consumable - a beater - a burner. use it till it breaks, buy another.
Do you repair your Canon inkjets when they break?

#GRETA / save the environment:
In comparison to a paper printer, the Jr is easily dismantled for recycling.
There's lots of good Nemas, rod and alu extrusion to recycle for diy projects.
Make an eggBot, use the steppers for a camera slider etc...

This machine cost less than the test equipment I bought to try and get my Delta working.
I was trapped in reprap tinkering hell for 6 years.
Now I just print stuff.

8 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: PSA for XYZ machines.

SpoolyMcSpoolson wrote:

Personally I would not try and fix this printer if it had a major fault out of warranty.
I did need a part last year - I needed a new bowden compression fitting. XYZ sent me a pack of 5 - free.

At the price the Jr is a consumable - a beater - a burner. use it till it breaks, buy another.
Do you repair your Canon inkjets when they break?

#GRETA / save the environment:
In comparison to a paper printer, the Jr is easily dismantled for recycling.
There's lots of good Nemas, rod and alu extrusion to recycle for diy projects.
Make an eggBot, use the steppers for a camera slider etc...

This machine cost less than the test equipment I bought to try and get my Delta working.
I was trapped in reprap tinkering hell for 6 years.
Now I just print stuff.


Well I had three including the first 1.0 that was nearly $900 USD and all three XYZ machines I had failed horribly with plugged hotends, bad harnesses, and bad motors. The proprietary motherboards with soldered on drivers or odd sized drivers XYZ uses are also another major killer when it comes to repairs and or upgrades.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

9 Reply by SpoolyMcSpoolson (edited by SpoolyMcSpoolson 2019-12-13 21:15:18)

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Re: PSA for XYZ machines.

I feel your pain .
3D printing can make you very angry.
I lost approx £1600 on various useless diy machines before deciding to go "disposable" with the Davinci Jr.
I have felt a lot of strong emotions with trying to get into 3D printing.
Here are my mistakes:

MAKIBOX £400 - 2010:
I was an original investor in the Makibox back in 2010. This was not a good decision.
This was not a good machine, even if you got one. I did not get one.

SEEMECNC UK £800- 2013:
SeeMeCnC Launched a UK franchise for their delta machine so I bought one - top of the line. V expensive.
They announced they were 100% behind the UK franchise, a part of their SeeMeCNC "team".
Then the machines turned out to be sub-standard and SeeMeCNC did a U-turn and said
they had nothing to do with this franchise. They disowned their own franchisee!
Never got a refund. The delta sits idle, enourmous, useless. It mocks me.

DIY PRUSA KIT £400 - 2015:
Waterjet Alu + 3d printed parts. Was dleivered in a pizza box.
Not going to discuss this - I should have learned my lesson after so many years.
This too, sits in various states of disrepair and unusability.

DAVINCI JR - 2018:
£166 Works every day. If not - I buy another, it will be delivered next day.

So much money spent - a decade of wasted time and low level anger.
That's why I am using a burner printer smile