[hackerspaces] reliable 3d printer recommendations?

[Dave Casey]

Hopefully you have already placed an order w/ MakerGear.

FWIW, I deeply regret the time and money I've invested in Ultimaker.  A
quick glance through their google group (
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/ultimaker) will show
plenty of users who are deeply frustrated with the extruder design, the
complete lack of customer support, and multiple reports of egregious
overcharges for shipping.

Qualitiy-wise: The TC controller that Ultimaker sent me had the IC soldered
in backwards, and the filament they sold me varies widely in diameter over
the course of a few inches.

Open-ness integrity-wise: The TC controller board proudly displays the open
hardware logo along with a link that goes to a stub page with no
information whatsoever about schematics, parts, or even a vague sense of
what the board is supposed to do, and definitely not enough information to
build a replacement for the broken one that they sold me as part of a kit
that cost OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS. Inexcusable.

The only way I was finally able to get the Ultimaker to print was by
replacing a large portion of the extrusion path with parts from MakerGear.

Summary:
MakerGear: Great people, great support, great products.

Ultimaker: Huge time and money suck. Avoid.


On Wed, Sep 26, 2012 at 2:39 PM, Russ Ryba <russryba at gmail.com> wrote:

> Makergear does publish their files online. HTTP://github.com/makergear -
> it might be out of date but Rick has sent me files when requested before.
> He's usually just too distracted to get to it. The m2 only has plastic bit
> online but it's a good start.
> On Sep 26, 2012 1:37 PM, "Al Jigong Billings" <albill at openbuddha.com>
> wrote:
>
>>  Well, they cost about $1,600 including shipping but sure.
>>
>> At the Make event recently where they tested a bunch of printers, I was
>> told by at least one participant that while all 3D printing software sucks,
>> the proprietary Up! and Cubify software actually sucked the least.
>>
>> People are recommending the M2 from Makergear, which has good support,
>> but I'll point out that none of Makergear's printers are open source either
>> though they do use the (rather shitty) reprap printing software.
>>
>> Al
>>
>> --
>> Al Jigong Billings
>> http://www.openbuddha.com
>> http://makehacklearn.org
>>
>> On Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 10:34 AM, Sparr wrote:
>>
>>  While the Up! is reliable, I would recommend against it. The printing
>> area/volume is much smaller than other printers in the $2k+ range, and
>> the software is abysmally proprietary and insufficient.
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>
>>
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-- 

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people
always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can
become great.
 - Mark Twain
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