Solidoodle 4 vs Solidoodle Press (Page 2 of 2)

Thank you all so much. Everyone here seems so supportive and while I hope I never have to use the forums to help solve my problems, I am confident that I can find much help from this community. Thanks again for helping pick a printer.

Oooooooh don't worry. Unless they've put in linear bearings, rearranged the y-axis belt drive, used an all-metal extruder, made the bed out of thicker material and machined it flat, actually QC's the rods for straightness, added a chamber heater against the stratasys patent, read a first-year static mechanics textbook to discover the theory of beam bending (looking at you, z-rails) and gone from "do you guys know anyone who will write software for us" to a full-featured user-tested complete 3d printing software chain in under 6 months, you will.

+1 helping

(not normally so cynical, apologies!)

I was considering the Pintrbot but I decided against it solely because I needed an enclosed printer because I'm keeping it in my dorm and don't want to listen to my roomate complain that everything smells like melting plastic. Also you get less tendencies to warp with an enclosed space. If you don't need an enclosed printer and you have the time to tinker and mod the Printrbot then I would suggest getting it. Also, you have to use PLA because the Printrbot doesn't have a heated build plate. You could potentially use kapton tape or blue painters tape and throw in some ABS glue but it gets difficult and expensive really fast. I have never used a Printrbot though so someone else might be able to help you better as I can only speculate based on what I know about 3D printers and 3D printing.

Also: Please post your question in the "3D Printer Discussion" forum. This thread is for the discussion of the Solidoodle 4 vs the Solidoodle Press.

To hype and promote the product I'm assuming. The model will retail for $599 so they're expecting the people who buy it now will rave about it enough to cause others to buy it thus increasing Solidoodle's profits. They still probably profit somewhate from the current price.

No it's a preorder price. It's the same model as the $599 one just lower priced to entice early buyers.

Not to sound too negative but this auto bed leveling sounds like a trinket

I've leveled my bed once, maybe twice, and that was it for years.  Unless you have a crash why would you ever have to level it again?

Also, with the auto bed leveling your Z axis is constantly moving for each level instead of staying in place.  Seems like bad compensation for an improper set up of the machine.

No, I understand exactly what it does and I stick by my points that I made above.

I've also move my printer multiple times and checked the bed level but never had to adjust it.  The bed needs to be leveled to the axes of the machine and that is all that matters.  My bed is mounted on stiff springs that just won't bounce out of adjustment.  The whole printer could be sitting at 45% and it wouldn't matter.

For smell, you might consider printing in PET, since it has no smell, and also very little warp.

For auto-leveling, does it need to level after each glass removal?

I am a long time Solidoodle 3 user, with a heavily modded printer.  And I must say that even though their quality control is pretty darn atrocious at Solidoodle from my anecdotal experience.  I think they've got a very nice all-purpose design.  There are things that are for sure wrong with it, but then again this is part of playing the early adopter buying game that we are in right now with 3d printers. 

Not excusing there weaknesses in their design.  But I think for what is available Solidoodle offers a great printer for the tinkerers, engineers, and more technical users out there.  If you want a perfectly polished machine solidoodle seems to be a gamble so far.

All that being said I pulled the trigger quite impulsively on a Solidoodle Press because it's a Solidoodle 3 / 4 with a prettier cover, and auto bed leveling compensation.

It was a no brainer for me to drop $460 (that includes shipping) to get a pretty cover and auto bed leveling. Especially since I can turn around and sale my very nicely modded solidoodle 3 for $475. He wins because it's a standalone printing, beautiful calibrated, no risks solidoodle purchase-I have a buyer who is on the verge of pulling the trigger this thursday when he comes to see it in person--I win because I get prettier bones to mod again with minimal financial loss. I'm hoping, perhaps generously so, that after their multiple generations of design revisions we're finally getting close to a real polished consumer product in the solidoodle press as opposed to the mad scientist kit that was really what you bought when you got a SD2 or 3.  As far as customer support from solidoodle... The key is to inspect the crap out of the machine as soon as it arrives, call them immediately with anything that seems unreasonably outside published specs.  Than be prepared to be on your own, and work with the soliforum community.  I have little to no confidence in there customer support.  Even thought they have been very generous with me.  I hear too many horror stories.

From what i can gather the press is a SD3,4 + bed level compensation probe, power switch, and glass bed.  And I am pretty positive it's meant to take the place of the SD4 in their product lineup.  They are simply selling off their stock of SD4's before they kick them out of the lineup.  Honestly I think it's unwise for anyone to purchase an SD4 at this point.

They are obviously angling to be in more brick and mortar stores with the press.  And the workbench, and workbench apprentice is their answer to competition from makerbot, ultimaker, and everyone else.

Anyhow, I'm excited to be in the early batch of Press owners, and I also think that like most technology I expect it to be obsolete in 6 months to a year.  Just part of the tech world we live in.