SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — creatbot f160 , prusa mks+ or other

Re: creatbot f160 , prusa mks+ or other

2021-03-11T14:00:50Z

looking for one that is more reliable and with more support then i got with my xyz printer

that statement right there says you want something in a higher price range..

$1000 or less is really not going to have the customer support you are looking for. Yes, the machine itself may be of higher build quality, but not going to come with much in the way of customer support. Granted, it may be somewhat better than XYZ, but not by much.

I, personally, am not a big fan of the Prusa style machines - I don't like the movement of them. That is my personal choice, however.
I also feel that the Prusa brand is overpriced for what it is - you are paying a premium for the name (kinda like designer clothing).
Again, just my personal opinion.

I have a friend that has a Raise 3D Pro2 printer... He absolutely loves it.. quality machine with excellent customer support - but not cheap (starting at about $4k).
He does a lot of work with a machine shops doing proof of concept, prototype and one off fixturing stuff - it is far cheaper to produce items on the 3d printer to check for fit before spending the man hours actually making the metal parts just to find out that a hole needs to move 1/8th inch, or a profile edge needs to be changed, or something else.

So yeah.. there are 2 basic categories of 3d printers - the hobby group, and the professional group.
Hobby group has some decent offerings, but pretty much no real customer support* in the $1500 or less range. (* - unless you want to pay for it)
Professional group has both quality machines AND customer support, but you are paying for that in higher prices.

There is very little "in between".

As an aside - I run a small fleet of highly modded Solidoodle 4 printers (3 of them), an FT-5 kit printer and I am a beta tester on a professional level printer - a spot i earned. I have built several kit printers from Folgertech - an i3 model and their kossel, as well as the FT-5 - all were decent enough for what they were. The i3 and the Kossel have gone on to other owners, and to my knowledge, are still running.
The thing is - ALL of them are/were open source machines - meaning I could make changes to the firmware, hardware, etc as I needed to in order to get them operating at optimum levels. They were not locked down to only run on manufacturer supplied software. And that, to me, is a big deal.
Solidoodle, the company, is no longer around, but the printers are, and for me at least, they make great workhorse printers if they are set up properly. The key is in knowing how to make that happen. Something that far too many are not willing to learn.
Which, i guess, is ok.. but expectations need to be tempered a bit. These things are far from a "plug & play" standard. Yes, they get closer all the time, but you still have to maintain them - more like a restored classic car than a home appliance, if you follow my meaning.

sorry for writing a book... lol - i tend to get that way.

Re: creatbot f160 , prusa mks+ or other

2021-03-10T23:51:00Z

Thanks for your input Carl. I appreciate it. I definately was not trying to say that i expect a printer that requires no adjustment or repair. I am however am looking for one that is more reliable and with more support then i got with my xyz printer. A lot of folks recommend the prusa for these qualities. However the lead time is quite a bit on one right now. I am just trying to get some input on my other options. I want to make sure I make the right choice this time.
Thanks
Travis

Re: creatbot f160 , prusa mks+ or other

2021-03-10T22:25:17Z

The build volume of the Creatbot would take it off my list. At a 6 inch cube you are limited on what you can print. We have a Prusa at work and it just works all the time. But like Hearltess said they are all machine and all machine require PM and then repairs as well. So you will never get a truly issue free printer unless it comes with it's own tech or a repair contract which will probably bump you to the $2k plus region.

Re: creatbot f160 , prusa mks+ or other

2021-03-10T02:40:58Z

news flash - there is going to be maintenance with ANY printer.. belts need adjusting, things need lubrication, etc. there is no getting away from that. the only way you wont have that is to not use it.

I cannot recommend, or discount any of the printers you have named because I have zero personal experience with them.
All I can say is do your homework/due diligence. Ask others that own them what customer service is like, if that is important to you.

My other half researched for a good 6 months, possibly longer, before purchasing our first printer, but that was over 6 yrs ago, before the influx of cheap Chinese brands.

creatbot f160 , prusa mks+ or other

2021-03-10T00:42:03Z

I am currently in the market for a printer in the 1000 dollar range. I am A tinkerer/hobbyist who has owned a davinci duo for a few years. I am sick of the constant maintenance and lack of support with the davinci duo and i am ready to move on. With that being said I am looking for a printer that will give me quality prints reliably without a ton of adjustment. I have been leaning towards the prusa mk3s+ however I also like the creatbot f 160 , and can find it for about the same price. Used ultimaker 2,pulse xe 3d or makerbot replicator+ also seem to be in my price range. Does anyone have any suggestions between these three or have another model they would recommend.