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My nephew gets the credit...it's what he taught her how to use. Of course, I'm sure with some brilliant marketing, the fact that the Lulzbot units are what some of the schools around here is not a simple afterthought...
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I have been "about" to buy one for a couple of years now. What always stops me is the fog of descriptions of the products. For instance this seems to be a great printer: ALUNAR 3D Desktop Printer Prusa i3 DIY High Accuracy CNC Self Assembly
down in the 2-4 hundred dollar range. But then comes along the comment that spending $1500 will get you a Lulzbot mini, and I have absolutely no idea what that extra$1300 actually buys me (besides being assembled) Can someone with experience throw some light on my confusion please? Are there model options within the "PRUSA i3" printers, or are they all the same printer with different prices? Help me out here guys! |
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The short answer is "it's a lot like airplanes". There are cheap kits, more expensive kits, affordable certified airplanes, and expensive ones. Are you a builder or a flyer? What's your mission? |
So then, saying you bought a "ALUNAR 3D Desktop Printer Prusa i3 DIY High Accuracy CNC Self Assembly" is kinda like saying you bought an airplane with wings and a motor. What "brand" did you who bought a Prusa i3 get and how do you like it? What is the next step up from that, something like going from the engine and wings plane to one with two engines or a jet engine?
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In the case of the Purusa i3, it is an open source developed 3D printer, which is why you can replicate the parts yourself. As I understand the situation, there are versions of the Purusa i3 offered by some companies that use lower quality parts, such as stepper motors that may not be durable or very accurate, open frame power supplies that do not have protective covers on exposed power lugs/wires, low quality extruders, etc. The original was designed by Josef Purusa and his company's version is called the "Original Purusa i3 MK2". I purchased mine directly from their web site and waited 8 weeks to get it (lead time was clearly stated on the site). Check out the video of a room full of Purusa i3's making parts for more Purusa i3s. The filament listing is also interesting, including carbon fiber reinforced filament and several embedded metals.
John Salak RV-12 N896HS |
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If you find a kit printer you are interested in, then read the reviews, do a few internet searches (looking for good and bad), and see if there are any forums where you can get help. If you find the necessary positive feedback and available support, then you have a higher probability of success with the kit. BTW: If you find a Lulzbot for $450, let me know :-) ADDENDUM: Lulzbot promotes open source. If you are up for a scratch build project, you can download the entire bill-of-materials and assembly instructions for both the Lulzbot Mini and the latest Lulzbot TAZ 6. |
Lulzbot
I usually check the markets I get to often on craigslist to see regional variations...for me that's usually Colorado and Fort Worth area -- interesting that there were no Lulzbots for sale in TX when I looked, but a number of them here -- I guess it's the local name recognition.
There's two other mini's on Craigs right now for $600 -- the one I bought was listed at $550 and had been listed for 2 months. The guy lived up out of town in an inconvenient place, but agreed to meet me 1/2 way and take $450. I'm assuming his location hurt his ability to sell. Check out boulder or fort collins craigslist if you are looking for a reasonable deal on the Lulzbot machines, they seem to come and go... |
For the poor
If you are poor, you can get a Tevo Tarantula DIY kit for between $200 and $300 from Gearbest. Not for the faint of heart, but hey, if you can build an airplane, this is a cake walk. I have had one for a few months now. It's a blast, but getting in the way of my build time.
This one is currently $195. |
OK, you convinced me, I have one of these on order.
I never did figure out why they get $50 for a 15 cent plug, but figured it was for a 120 volt power supply, and decided to go for it. Looks like it should do for me what I need done (which is absolutely nothing). Thanks to all for the help! Quote:
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