heartless wrote:

For some of us*, going to a Maker Fair is not really an option - 5 hour drive one way? nope, sorry, not happening - not in one day anyway (and planning a multi-day trip is a bit of a nightmare).

Too bad.  You're missing on a lot of fun.

At the last faire I met people from as far away as Australia, Taiwan, Hawaii, and as close as "Canada", and yes they had come for that weekend event.

If this is something you truly like, then a 5 hour drive is not a huge burden.  and with proper planning it could be a fun time.

Yeah, I am sure it is a good time, but we have animals that have to be cared for and because we live so far out, nobody wants to come out here so we would have to board them at a kennel - that costs money - and when there isn't a lot of that to spare.... Then there would be hotel costs, and in big cities, those aren't cheap...
It is getting better now that I am working again, but things are still very tight here.

Heartlander - our 1st SD was a $400 used purchase and I wouldn't hesitate to put it up against the more expensive machines. Yes, I had to invest time and a few parts to get it to where it is today, but all totaled the cost is still under $750.
Speed - yeah, some are faster, but with the upgrades done I have been able to increase the speed a fair bit - altho faster is not always "better".
Dependable? #1 is my most dependable, and with very repeatable results - I get consistent quality every time, with pretty much any color filament I have (and I have a lot right now).
The time spent getting it calibrated and learning to use it, and the software, is time that would more than likely be spent on just about any printer on the market. You have to learn how to use it properly, regardless of the money spent.

You do whatever it is you want to do, it is your choice after all. All I am saying is "more expensive" does not always equate to "better".

jagowilson wrote:

TheNeck wrote:

i want the makerbot replicator z18 because it has a pretty big build volume.

have you actually read reviews on it? you don't want it, from all the negatives I've heard. how much build volume do you need? that'll help with suggesting alternatives.

yeah i read the reviews of it, but i need to use one for myself.

i have the makerbot replicator mini, and it had horrible reviews, but i have one myself and it's a great little machine.

I have two of the Z18s in my lab and other than a few issues with the extruders which I fixed they rock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a04rtr3JN4

look at the internals

https://www.youtube/watch?v=7XTQ9HN1lBA

Review update

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSA7ZhWjvz8

And for those that want to get under the hood and tinker with the robox settings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51VsyV4i7OM

For some of us*, going to a Maker Fair is not really an option - 5 hour drive one way? nope, sorry, not happening - not in one day anyway (and planning a multi-day trip is a bit of a nightmare).

Too bad.  You're missing on a lot of fun.

At the last faire I met people from as far away as Australia, Taiwan, Hawaii, and as close as "Canada", and yes they had come for that weekend event.

If this is something you truly like, then a 5 hour drive is not a huge burden.  and with proper planning it could be a fun time.

As a hobbyist, that kind of cost just doesn't make sense to me. not when I can get excellent results from a used or kit <$500 printer with good calibration and setup.

I think far too many people want perfect, instant, plug & play results, and 3d printing (for the majority of us) just isn't there yet.

So, yeah, an SLA would be nice except the replacing the resin trays seems kinda expensive and 'd have to learn a new set of problems (I hate being the village noob)... I think a well-tuned FDM makes some pretty darn good parts for the money, esp if you're just prototyping for injection molding.

I'm about to conclude that the three best FDM printers under $5K are, generally speaking, the Ultimaker 2+ (or Extended version) $2500-$3000), the Fusion 3 ($4k) and the CEL Robox ($1500).

With a $5000 budget I could buy a Robox and one of these (for $3k): http://mediummachinery.com/index.html

But then you have the cost of mold making. Molds for some materials (low temps and pressures) can be self-made cheaply of epoxy. For stuff like ABS or PC you're looking at an aluminum mold being made for you. BenchTopMolds.com specializes in this kind of thing. Molds can run from several hundred to several thousand dollars.

For some of us*, going to a Maker Fair is not really an option - 5 hour drive one way? nope, sorry, not happening - not in one day anyway (and planning a multi-day trip is a bit of a nightmare).
Not to mention that the machines presented at these fairs are so highly calibrated & tweaked, they are hardly representative of what the general public would be receiving if they bought one. The manufacturers want the printer seen in the best light possible and do everything in their power to make that happen.

We* also, most likely don't have a maker-space near by either, which leaves that option out as well - altho it would be a great option if you do have one near you. Go visit, talk to the folks there, find out the pros & cons of the machines they have, 1st hand experiences, etc.

For those of us* in this situation, online reviews, videos, forums, etc, are the way we research our options.

That said - one needs to take the time to visit multiple sites to get a good "overall" picture of what ever it is you are researching. Only going to 2 or 3 sites is not enough... a dozen or more would be more appropriate. The bright shiny new model is not always the best option...nor is the cheapest a good idea... One place may give a glowing review, and another be filled with problems. One has to take both into account and weigh the pros & cons to find the balance.

(* those of us in rural areas)

Just my 0.02 cents worth on the subject...

Nah. There doesn't seem to be one between here and Chicago. Dynamism sells them and Ultimaker.

http://www.dynamism.com/3d-printers/robox.shtml

That's why I'll probably wait to check out the new crop of printers this May at MakerFaire.

I want to see the raw output of these things, not a video, or a photo of a cleaned up model.

Personally if I had $5K to spend, I'd buy a SLA printer.  Maybe the DWS XLab, or alternately spend half on an Ultimaker and the other half on a Formlabs.

http://www.dynamism.com/3d-printers/robox.shtml