omg you can stand on your printer... that's such a useful feature in 3d printers. i can stand on a rock. What does that have to do with the quality of my prints or the reliability of my printer... let me say this NOTHING.

That's to demonstrate how rigid and strong the printer's frame is, which if you know anything about CNC, rigidity in the framework is very important.

The typical issues being hot-ends not working/breaking,the huge z axis wobble, substandard construction all-around with cheaper than cheap parts. Software so awful that the community had to pitch in to fix it.... hmmm what else

it's community written software, the same software that's in use on pretty much all 3d printers.

no but I wish that I had. that would have been quite fun

as far as I know, there is only one person that received a not assembled solidoodle,  that's the guy who received a frame, painted it, then sent it back for assembly.

don't just think about it, do it! this was one of the things that bugged me taking the printer out of the box. there were just no instructions.
the FAQ pages on the website don't really help. the getting started guides are arranged as articles rather than steps.

it was a headache, and appeared to leave a reasonable amount to the imagination of exactly how things should be setup.

rather than having a proper documented procedure. in easy to follow steps with printed instructions.

I understand about upkeep. I've been in software development for about 30 years and hate documentation. I do it, but reluctantly. I have a huge system that I maintain from a software company that provides no documentation. I just have to figure everything out on my own. It is not fun. My printer on the other hand is supposed to be fun. Documentation would help beginners have fun instead of frustration with their machine. Just my thoughts.

Your suggestion is well noted. I'll talk to the folks who approve projects about it.

That was the first thing I looked for in the box. A short setup manual with some basic instructions would be nice. The big problem with printed manuals is keeping up with the constant software/hardware changes. However, if the manual included some rudimentary sketches of the machine outlining some of the basic items including Z-Bed adjustment screw, heated bed, hot end, etc so the beginners could identify compnents it would be helpful. Also include some basic steup and tuning instructions like bed leveling, hot end/heated bed tuning, firmware upgrade process, Kapton tape replacement procedure, rod grease instructions, etc. These things do not change much with hardware variences. In fact, the same manual could be included with both SD2 and SD3. If you had a fast laser printer, you could print the manuals in the shop so as things changed, the manual could change with them.

The upkeep is the real issue. It can be daunting. There exists the beginnings of a manual in TEX format. Perhaps I can see if it can be open sourced. I'm sure there are other TEX nerds in the Soliworld.

You could also set up a link on the your web page to allow customers download the latest manual. That way the customer could review the manual while waiting for their machine. I think the biggest frustration new customers have is trying to figure out the component names and locations in their machine. For example, the Z-height screw for the print bed is not easily spotted so some customers may overlook it while reading a post on bed leveling. Many of these terms are new to a number of users so a printed guide with diagrams would be helpful. Studying these things prior to getting a printer would be extremely useful.

Certain calibration would be a great help like autotuning the bed heater, hot end, etc. Som calibration is unavoidable due to the handling when shipping. Bed calibration changes based on humidity and factors like bouncing around. While the bed may be calibrated at the factory, shipping these things around the world and expecting the calibration to hold true is expecting a lot. Z height calibration may be more reliable from the factory with the new bed but we'll see. expecting to get a 3D printer and just print, regardless of the brand, is like buying a car and not expecting to put in gas or change the oil.  Obviously to succeed, you need to continue to improve the product quality and customer response. This is happening and we appreciate it. We all bought these machines warranty free, but from what i've seen; you have provided replacement parts, even when the machines are a few months old. Things were rough at first but they are improving at a reasonable rate.

One thing we have toyed with is a comprehensive manual. Perhaps people might be more inclined to read a booklet with the machine.

3DPrinter4Life wrote:

omg you can stand on your printer... that's such a useful feature in 3d printers. i can stand on a rock. What does that have to do with the quality of my prints or the reliability of my printer... let me say this NOTHING.

You indicated cheap construction. I don't see anything cheaper on this printer than any other in its price class, Oh wait, there isn't any Out-of-the-box ready for print 3D printer out there in this price class. Some companies indicate they are working on one, but try to order it. My prints are much higher quality than I saw at Maker Faire from printers that cost twice as much. Most reliability issues are related to inexperienced owners. I still have 100% of all my original Solidoodle components in mine. Sure I ordered a spare Hot End so I can swap out when mine is plugged as well as a few other components. Overall, with a little fine tuning, mine prints better than expected. What you have to say is correct. NOTHING.

We can always work on making things more reliable for those unfamiliar with 3D printing. In our eyes, our biggest goal in that sense is to reduce the need for initial calibration.

omg you can stand on your printer... that's such a useful feature in 3d printers. i can stand on a rock. What does that have to do with the quality of my prints or the reliability of my printer... let me say this NOTHING.

You indicated cheap construction. I don't see anything cheaper on this printer than any other in its price class, Oh wait, there isn't any Out-of-the-box ready for print 3D printer out there in this price class. Some companies indicate they are working on one, but try to order it. My prints are much higher quality than I saw at Maker Faire from printers that cost twice as much. Most reliability issues are related to inexperienced owners. I still have 100% of all my original Solidoodle components in mine. Sure I ordered a spare Hot End so I can swap out when mine is plugged as well as a few other components. Overall, with a little fine tuning, mine prints better than expected. What you have to say is correct. NOTHING.

It works for you... sure... maybe you should ask for real statistics on solidoodle failure rates and support issues per printer sold.

If we don't know the statistics here, they certainly aren't available to you, unless you are a disgruntled ex-employee.

The typical issues being hot-ends not working/breaking,the huge z axis wobble, substandard construction all-around with cheaper than cheap parts. Software so awful that the community had to pitch in to fix it.... hmmm what else

Funny. Same software every other 3D printer uses. Firmware has to be customized for most printers because they do not all use the same electronics. Other components are off the shelf 3D printer parts available for most 3D printers. Hot ends are common failure points due to filament overheating. Obviously dodn't research 3D printing prior to purchase if you really bought one. I can stand on mine without damaging it. Try that with a Reprap.

It works out of the box, but we tinker... we all love to tinker.

From what you've said, you never even received one, much less used one.  The main fact is, this printer works.  Some of us just want to make ours work better, to have features that were never on the original specs, and make our lives easier.

This is certainly not the place for you.  I rarely call "Troll" as most people are reasonable, but in this case, Here's your sign!

"TROLL!"

+1