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SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → 3D Printer Discussion → solidoodle press - alternatives
let us discuss what machines provide a reasonable alternative to the press in terms of features and price point. feel free to include emerging models but please make very clear if they are announced models or models with actual field testing e.g newmatter ( announced) vs printrbot simple metal ( field tested)
Robo 3d Printer. Simple metal printrbot.
/sage/
I have used the Up! Mini printer at my work. I've set up 3 of them that were all bought months apart and I was literally able to pull them out of the box, remove the styrofoam, and start printing with them immediately after plugging them in. It was awesome. There's also an unboxing video on youtube that's 6-7 minutes long where they take it out of the box and start printing in a single continuous take (that's what sold them to my boss).
They also have a neat approach to the bed platform which is essentially a PCB with holes and a solder mask. The rafting plastic goes into the holes a bit and helps a ton with preventing curling. The only downside with that is that not all of the plastic comes out of the holes when you peel it off, but they poke out easily or you can get away with leaving it in there for quite a while.
Also notable is that the printer has an internal micro sd card, so once you send the file to the printer you can unplug the computer and it will keep printing (really nice for us so one laptop can switch between the different printers).
The obvious drawback is the smaller print size. IIRC it's 4.5"x4.5"x4" or similar. I view this as a direct trade-off: smaller area for excellent software/firmware. I bought a SD Press for myself because I got the first day $350 pricing (really $410 after shipping), but I can't get it to correctly home the y axis without holding the cable out of the way, and when I went to print it was about an inch off the bed. But 8x8x8" is a lot bigger, and if the software gets sorted it will be worth it.
Oh, one last neat-o thing they did with the Up! mini-- the extrider head assembly is held on with neodymium magnets, so if the spool gets jammed (happened to us once, my fault for not having it on the holder correctly), the stepper motor pulls the head off instead of pulling the entire x/y axis up from the tension until the filament or printer breaks.
I don't like it when I hear people say that all printers under $1k have lots of setup and that you have to expect it, because it's not true for the up mini. However, it's definitely settling for a smaller build area printer if you get one.
Davinci 1.0: http://us.store.xyzprinting.com/us_en/c … /daVinci10
Plastic Scribbler: http://www.plasticscribbler.com/products
Flashforge: http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6f131 … 00_jpg_srz
Printrbot Simple Metal: http://printrbot.com/shop/assembled-simple-metal/
And of course Prusa i3. It comes as a kit, however you can get one even from US for $350 and it comes with real bearings, better heated bed, better PSU, and standard GT2 belts and pulleys and open source.
https://www.3dprintersonlinestore.com/r … rework-kit
or
http://www.geeetech.com/unassembledfull … p-884.html
A custom enclsoure won't cost you more than $20...
And this has just been incredible:
http://www.soliforum.com/post/80433/#p80433
First mods tried to make counter-arguments, then insults, then treatening to ban, and finally just completely ignoring posts and the valid points raised and closing the thread for reason which has already been addressed. Good job mod(s) for giving even less reason for disappointed newcomers to stick with Solidoodle or even think of getting one in the future.
I'm going to move that to another forum with less bias, people considering Solidoodle deserve to know what they're getting into and those who want a refund deserve to know how *by law* and you can't stop us there.
Delete this post if you want, ban me because I'm against "the spirit of the community", you'll just be making things worse.
Any list of alternatives to the Press should stay with enclosed or boxed printers with heated beds if you want alternatives that are equivalent. The enclosure and heated bed are a significant advantage when printing ABS and other warp-prone plastics. The Metal Simple is a good printer, but has neither of those. The Flashforge (and other Replictor clones) isn't enclosed, but it is is easy to add walls.
I have an Ord Hadron which is the same configuration as an i3, using Makerslide and V wheels rather than rods and bearing. ABS and HIPS are very challenging, so I'm making an enclosure for it. Since I want to heat the inside, it was also necessary to make a box for the electronics and power supply to keep them outside of the enclosure which is far more complicated than simply adding panels to a box frame.
The prints for the Scribbler look Ok, but the Z axis doesn't look very well supported compared to other Prusa i3 type printers out there. They've built a box around it, but not taken the opportunity to use the box to make the printer more rigid.
The only one that comes close as a direct comparison is the Da Vinci 2.0
And from what I see similar issues with tuning and set up as the SD>
Lets look at the features of the Press
professional looking design and enclosure
dual extruder.
8 x 8 x 8 print area.
Heated bed.
The Flash forge machines a great option but unless you find a deal a metal frame machine will run about $1400 and a wood frame machine $ 977. Same features plus LCD/SD control.
Most of the machines mentioned do not have dual extruders or any enclosure. IIRC the robo 3d enclosure is an option and the plastic scribbler would easily be enclosed with plexiglass sheet.
Tin
Press doesn't have a dual extruder...
The only one that comes close as a direct comparison is the Da Vinci 2.0
And from what I see similar issues with tuning and set up as the SD>Lets look at the features of the Press
professional looking design and enclosure
dual extruder.
8 x 8 x 8 print area.
Heated bed.The Flash forge machines a great option but unless you find a deal a metal frame machine will run about $1400 and a wood frame machine $ 977. Same features plus LCD/SD control.
Most of the machines mentioned do not have dual extruders or any enclosure. IIRC the robo 3d enclosure is an option and the plastic scribbler would easily be enclosed with plexiglass sheet.
Tin
have you compared the price of those machines to the press? not even close
Again Press is not dual extruder, so it is more comparable to Davinci 1.0, which as of now is actually cheaper than a Press ($500 vs $600).
Plastic Scribbler is also a bit less than $600 (570).
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