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3D Printers

Here's my current set up:

2 x Flashforge Adventurer 3's (one on loan from @Sven Normansson )


The Pro's I have found are:
Works straight out of the box with no additional set up or tinkering.
Easy to level from the control panel
Nozzle simply clicks in and out making it extremely easy to change nozzle diameters
Bespoke slicing software, very intuitive
Print quality is excellent.
Spare parts readily accessible
Download files via WiFi or USB
If filament runs out will pause the print and resume perfectly once you install more
Has a camera installed
Can be monitored/controlled via the web, so you can stop, or pause, a print if there's a problem.


The only Cons:
It is a little slower than some other printers on the market,
Will only hold a 0.5kg reel of filament, BUT an adaptor, or rollers are easily available
Print size is only 150 x 150 x 150mm

Overall I would say that it is perfect for an absolute beginner
 

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I have regularly researched getting into 3d printing. Then realise the gulf between what you need as an entry level vs what I want once experienced. In other words, scope creep.
On this model, is the pro offering any extra value?

And what else should I buy as a newbie, so I can print from day one?
 
Calimori said:
I have regularly researched getting into 3d printing. Then realise the gulf between what you need as an entry level vs what I want once experienced. In other words, scope creep.
On this model, is the pro offering any extra value?

And what else should I buy as a newbie, so I can print from day one?
Click to expand...
The Adventurer Lite doesn't have a camera, nor filament detection,

The Pro has a glass bed rather than a flexible carbon fibre bed. So 'stickability' for the start of a print may need a bit more tinkering, also removing the finished print from the bed will be different. Obviously you can't bend the glass bed - but it should be more durable. However a replacement flexible bed is only £15 from Amazon.
The Pro also allows you to print in a wider range of materials than the standard or Lite, but I don't see that being an issue for a new starter. I have only ever printed in PLA or PLA+ so far.

You wouldn't need anything else to start printing straight out of the box, as you get a half kilo of sample filament - but I'd buy a couple of rolls of filament in different colours to get you started.

It comes with a 0.4mm nozzle - more than versatile enough for the vast majority of prints. I have also bought a 0.3mm and 0.6mm nozzle to experiment with.
I also bought a wallpaper scraper to help remove stubborn prints, but have never actually needed it.
Some sand paper or sanding sticks will help get a perfect finish - especially when removing supports.
Likewise I've just ordered a dental pick (2.99 from Amazon) to remove supports from tricky areas.

I did buy some rollers so I could use larger spools of filament (cheaper to buy and less need for changing) but I've since found an adaptor specifically for the Flashforge (FOC on Thingiverse) which you print yourself from the initial 0.5kg spool.

There are literally 10s of thousands of free models to download and print yourself. The biggest mistake I think people make is thinking that they can print anything they imagine. The hardest thing is designing the item in CAD first.
 
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Prusa surprised everyone with their Mk4 release yesterday. Looks stunning, but will ideally see some hands on reviews before jumping in. The Mk3s is a proven workhorse and the most capable of home printers in my experience, so hopefully this one follows suit.

 
Think im in the first batch of pre-orders for the XL but sadly prusa have dropped the ball and im cancelling as bought the bamboo now.

This MK4 is also over priced for what it is IMHO. Also no heated chamber means the same old warping issues.

Still no doubt a nice printer but over priced for what it is.

Having now used a core XY i cant really imagine going back to a "bed slinger"
 
kevlar said:
Thanks for that, I now have to binge watch all her vids!
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I did have a look at some of her other vids - for research purposes. She certainly has an extensive wardrobe. Her review of the VTOL drone, or testing how to get out of cable tie restraints, would definitely not look out of place on some other adult sites.
 
"Think im in the first batch of pre-orders for the XL but sadly prusa have dropped the ball and im cancelling as bought the bamboo now."

Afterthought, if anyone is interested in an XL then i can keep the slot and take the printer and pass it on boxed to someone if it helps. Pre ordered first or second day if i remember so am guessing im in the first batch.

Also will be moving on the MK3 i have. Light use and hasnt skipped a beat since day 1.
 
paulg100 said:
Also will be moving on the MK3 i have. Light use and hasnt skipped a beat since day 1.
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That's what's been so good about them - they're reliable workhorses. How have you found using core XY's in terms of reliability and 'plug and play' usage?
 
Resins. Didn't care for one until I noticed resin printing and perfect for toys. I haven't done a ramp yet and I don't need print one as have bought formed ramps but eager to see what comes out like with some clear or even the transparent red.

1680180511167.png
 
3dprintbeginner.com

3DPrintBeginner | Guides | Reviews | Slicer Profiles

3DPrintBeginner is the home for 3D printing lovers. FDM And SLA 3D Printer Guides, detailed Reviews, and carefully tuned Slicer Profiles.
3dprintbeginner.com 3dprintbeginner.com

This site may well be of use to anyone considering their first printer, or to get further detail - the Flashforge isn't that highly rated for anybody other than beginners
 
With these things, there is the fear this first investment will be quickly replaced by the next step up. Is there a machine that is easy for newbies but also has some depth to it also?
The MK3 took my eye before, is it that much hard to get going on due to all the possible configurations requirements?

Is there anything I should know about enclosed vs open?
 
Enclosed is better for ABS, open for PLA.

That's the level of my knowledge for that.

There's always a fair few printers on eBay if you don't want to risk too much for an initial outlay - and should be able to resell when you want to upgrade
 
Calimori said:
With these things, there is the fear this first investment will be quickly replaced by the next step up. Is there a machine that is easy for newbies but also has some depth to it also?
The MK3 took my eye before, is it that much hard to get going on due to all the possible configurations requirements?

Is there anything I should know about enclosed vs open?
Click to expand...
We've had a variety of Creality's a few years back, that just required way too much servicing and attention, the Prusa MK3's (though more expensive) were bulletproof in comparison for repeated PLA printing and have lasted years. Plus they are now upgradeable if we were to choose to do so. Obviously you get the odd issue here and there and we ended up putting Revo hot ends in as a nice upgrade, but they've been great for what we do. I strongly suspect we'll upgrade to the MK4's if they prove as reliable and simple to maintain. Horses for courses though - massively depends on what you need them for.
 
A 3D printer will be another tool like my welder. I knew I often thought I needed a welder, but once I had one, I found many more things to weld.
I don't need professional printing capability. I will be making things of use, when I spot a need. A clock holder, support bracket, box to hold unique shapes.
I also will use it to teach my kid, so will make a lot of naff 3d models in a single colour which will be a real disappointment over time. I am right in saying that multi-colour printing is still not accessible for entry priced machines?

Is assembly of the Prusa printers a chore as a MK 4 kit seems like a possible first step?
 

This one's only £400 - dual extruder. Could do 2 colours, or use one for soluble supports.

You can print multicolours, but only by layers, by pausing and changing filament halfway through. I've printed these before.

As I mentioned earlier, the tricky part isn't the printing, it's the designing of what you want to print
 

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I bought some rickety thing off ebay few years back to see if it was for me. Decided it was and splurged on an original Creality CR10.
Many many many spools of filament were consume. Much useless plastic tat was fabricated. Very happy with my CR10 I was.
Decided last year to splurge again. Got a CR-X pro. similar to a cr10 but more modern. Dual extruders, auto bed levelling and the gubbins are all contained below the print bed.

Talk about chalk and cheese. What a total PITA its been. I gave up trying to use the 2nd extruder (I was going to use it to print the supports with soluble filament).
Currently the thing struggle to print benchy. Ive tried different filament, new extruder feed mech, several new hotend assembleys and much bowden tube. I am on the cusp of putting the thing on EB as spares or repair ! (And maybe dipping my toes into resin printing)
 
Calimori said:
A 3D printer will be another tool like my welder. I knew I often thought I needed a welder, but once I had one, I found many more things to weld.
I don't need professional printing capability. I will be making things of use, when I spot a need. A clock holder, support bracket, box to hold unique shapes.
I also will use it to teach my kid, so will make a lot of naff 3d models in a single colour which will be a real disappointment over time. I am right in saying that multi-colour printing is still not accessible for entry priced machines?

Is assembly of the Prusa printers a chore as a MK 4 kit seems like a possible first step?
Click to expand...

i bought the self assembly mk3 kit back in 2017. Its not hard the instructions are excellent. took 2-3 days part time to put together. If you go that route just dont rush it. I took my time and it worked perfect straight off the bat where others had allot of issues. Its not hard to cause headaches later down the line if you miss little things.

What ever you go with, main thing IMHO is pay for reliability and "plug and play" as much as you can. If its a printer that needs constant fettling and suffers with routine failed prints then the appeal will wear of fast.

Auto bed leveling a must IMHO,

Maybe take a look at the bamboo P1P. Its less than the Mk4 and has allot of the carbon features. Frames easy to enclose. fully assembled so "plug and play".
 
Jazzbouche said:
That's what's been so good about them - they're reliable workhorses. How have you found using core XY's in terms of reliability and 'plug and play' usage?
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was plug and play stright out the box. Just threw some old PLA in it. Perfect and i mean perfect first layer and lovely print stright off the bat.

Reliability only just got it so will see, You tube reviews after several months use look encouraging. Bamboo support has been excellent apparently. And they are adding features to software/firmware based on customer feedback it seems.
 
paulg100 said:
was plug and play stright out the box. Just threw some old PLA in it. Perfect and i mean perfect first layer and lovely print stright off the bat.

Reliability only just got it so will see, You tube reviews after several months use look encouraging. Bamboo support has been excellent apparently. And they are adding features to software/firmware based on customer feedback it seems.
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Sounds great - I might have to take a look at that!
 
Calimori said:
Then realise the gulf between what you need as an entry level vs what I want once experienced. In other words, scope creep.
On this model, is the pro offering any extra value?
Click to expand...
Realistically you need to decide what it you will be wanting to print. Do you NEED to have dual extruders? It may seem cool to be able to print in 2 colours, or use one of them for soluble supports, but how often will you actually use them as they add more fail points to your print. Likewise getting nozzles that are capable of printing with carbon fibre, woodgrain ABS or any of the other 'complex' materials. I would suggest that PLA is suitable for the vast majority of prints, as a bonus it is the cheapest material as well.

Most important is the size of the printbed, in the end it seems that that is what you are paying for, that and speed of print. The quality of the print can generally be improved by slowing down the speed of movement or decreasing layer height - both of which add time. Do you want to have to be constantly tinkering with settings and adjustments, or just use the machine for what it was intended? Not dissimilar to people buying pinballs. Some people just like playing them with a basic knowledge of fixing, others like refurbing and constantly maintaining them (it seems others like just looking at them and adding coloured lights) - your choice.
 
Totally agree about dual extruders. Had o luck with the soluble filament (it's way less rigid than normal pla and so tends to jam the feed).
Functional prints generally won't need different colours and models will get painted so..
Big build beds are grand though
 
Ive got a Prusa mk3+... Contemplating the upgrade to the 4... not cheap though for the upgrade (£600+customs) for a kit... lots of people raving about the Bamboo Lab P1P at the moment... https://bambulab.com/en/p1 which rocks in at £680, however with no customs..

Decisions decisions :)
 
Paul said:
Ive got a Prusa mk3+... Contemplating the upgrade to the 4... not cheap though for the upgrade (£600+customs) for a kit... lots of people raving about the Bamboo Lab P1P at the moment... https://bambulab.com/en/p1 which rocks in at £680, however with no customs..

Decisions decisions :)
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I'm in a similar position. Love Prusa's but sounds like there's some decent competition now. With that said - I've loved the Prusa SL1s for resin printing. Expensive, but damn it's good.
 
Jazzbouche said:
I'm in a similar position. Love Prusa's but sounds like there's some decent competition now. With that said - I've loved the Prusa SL1s for resin printing. Expensive, but damn it's good.
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Resin printing gives awesome results... but wow it's soooooo messy.
I didnt jump into that one because 1. I have no commercial reason to (is just a hobby and something to tinker around with!) and 2. Bloody pricy for anything of any volume....
 
Paul said:
Resin printing gives awesome results... but wow it's soooooo messy.
I didnt jump into that one because 1. I have no commercial reason to (is just a hobby and something to tinker around with!) and 2. Bloody pricy for anything of any volume....
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I've been used to Formlabs, which keep things pretty clean. Have had to adjust to a more messy process with the SL1s, but you just have to get your setup right. It's not as bad as people make out.
 
I am a tinkerer, I like to research and improve. But I recognise I will want quick results at the start, to know I am going in the right directions.
I will ditch the idea of dual extruders, single colour is fine.
I plan to print cases for things, brackets, holders, models and so on. These will largely follow a function, with form being less important. 150mmx150mm feels small.

I am looking at (in no order), will pull the trigger soon, when funds clear in my account.
  1. Bamboo Lab P1P
  2. Prusa Mk4
  3. Flashforge Adventurer 3
  4. Flashforge Adventurer 4
 
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