That time Santa wants to know what I want for Xmas I said a 3d printer So now I have a spr...

[G+_Jim Hofmann]

That time. Santa wants to know what I want for Xmas. I said a 3d printer. So now I have a spreadsheet of 3d printers. Of course I can't make up my mind. Looking to keep it under (near) $1k.

The Dremel is nice but seems high for bed size, features and appears to do PLA only. $1,000

FlashForge Creator Pro is similar with dual extruders and handles more material. Dual extruders is nice but don't see a NEED 'em. And they are not indepenent. $900 There is a Dreamer version for a little more but all I can find is it's an upgrade. And they are open source. $1,100

Prusa i3 MK2 is an open frame with a larger bed. It's open source and handles a bunch materials. I don't have a shop area but I figure I can get some plexiglass an build an enclosure. $700

Prusa i3 DIY kit looks interesting but as a Noob in 3d printing I'm just not sure. It appears to be just the mechanics and motors and you supply a smart headend. $300

XYZPrint has a line of da Vinci's. Always bothers me when companies put out a line for every niche. They also had the tagged spools which I really don't want to support. And they are not open source. That said, the da Vinci Pro uses "Open Source" ABS / PLA which should be enough and it has a larger bed. $500.

And a bunch more ... Any thoughts?

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

[G+_James Hughes]

I have 2 xyz davinci printers. One has been flashed with repetier firmware and on the other one I have a filament resetter. If you are a little handy with a soldering iron and know a thing or two about arduino programming the resetter is easier. Just feed the non chipped filament through the back.

[G+_Jim Hofmann]

Good to hear there are upgrade paths. They don't seem to be open source and I'm always leary of getting locked in for big tech stuff. I'm looking at the Pro which uses ABS / PLA, no chips. Can't see needing anything else, at least until I know what I what to do with this thing. I like the bigger bed and enclosed case. And most reviews are positive. Thanks.

[G+_Joe Valasko]

I just came across a "Make:" article that is a 3D Printer Buyer's Guide. It might have some information you can utilize in making your decision. I hope it helps.

Here is the link:

http://makezine.com/comparison/3dprinters/?utm_source=MakeNewsletter+20161108&utm_medium=email&utm_content=image&utm_campaign=newsletter

makezine.com - The Make: 3D Printer Buyer's Guide

[G+_Jim Hofmann]

The Prusa i3 MK2 was at the top. It seems to be near the top often, so I dug in a little more. The "ORIGINAL" Prusa i3 MK2 for $700 is a kit. You can get it assemblied for $900.

http://shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-printers/59-original-prusa-i3-mk2-kit.html

All the videos I watched said this thing performs as well as some hi-end printers. It has a large bed and prints with alot of materials. The heated bed doesn't seem to have the issues (no tape or hair spray needed. It has auto leveling due to some sensors in the bed. And they are still developing stuff. They have a 2 & 4 color feed system. There are cheaper knockoff Prusa i3's out there but they seem to have smaller beds, no auto leveling or limit material.

FlashForge & da Vinci are still in the running but Prusa seems to be pulling head. Thanks.

shop.prusa3d.com - Original Prusa i3 MK2 kit

[G+_Joe Valasko]

I wonder if Padre will chime in with his thoughts, advice, and suggestions?