$189 Monoprice 3d Printer!!

[magnumb 97]

Been waiting until the prices of 3D would drop and looks like they are in striking range.

The one below looks interesting....just wonder how strong the parts would be say compared to Shapeways. 

 

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=21711

 

 

[VagabondStarJXF 350]

I would say that Shapeways would be stronger by default because it's a different type of printing method to the Monoprice. Shapeways use SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) printers that use Nylon powder as standard. The Monoprice looks like a typical FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) printer that uses a plastic filament (usually PLA). According to what I've read & watched... The SLS uses lasers to melt a pattern in a thin layer of nylon powder before another thin layer of powder is applied on top so that the laser can continue on with melting the next layer of the pattern onto the previous layer. The FDM printer melts the plastic filament and lays down a string of plastic onto a flat plate, a print bed, creating the first layer of the pattern before going back to the beginning and laying down a new layer of the pattern on top of the previous, cooled/semi-cooled layer. From what I understand, if both are done optimally and without error, the SLS method generally has less weakness between layers. That being said FDM can be plenty strong as well so don't count it out if you want to give 3D printing a shot. Just remember that, with standard setups, neither SLS or FDM produces parts that are as strong as injection moulded parts.

[yogi-bear 2321]

that looks like a pretty cheap but capable 3D printer. I would add that it being open like that, you are going to have issues with ABS and would probably have to stick to PLA. With ABS you need a fairly stable and warm ambient surrounding temperature, otherwise you get lots of warping.  You can just enclose it though, so not a massive issue.

The print area is small though (120 mm x 120 mm x 120 mm), which means small parts only, or lots of joins. The Anycubic i3 Mega I have is 210 x 210 x 200 mm and that was about $345 AUD.  At that size I have to print a 1/10th scale car body in at least 3 pieces, usually 5 if I don't want to use lots of support material.

So you should work out what size objects you are making and if you will need to do lots of joins, if that will be an issue.

[VagabondStarJXF 350]

I agree with yogi that the dimensions of the print area is really important. I went for something that was the largest I could get at the time (my Tevo Tornado was approx. £300 shipped when I got it), which has a print area of 300x300x400mm (w/d/h), and that sounds a whole lot larger than it actually is in practice. TBH I think I'd have preferred it if the width were swapped with the height, i.e. 400x300x300, as most of what I want to print would benefit from a wider base.

I don't know if the Monoprice is any good but what I like is that 3D printers are being released in a 'plug & play' format at an affordable price, ready to print straight out of the box (after calibration tests). My Tornado was a 1/2 assembled kit but, even then, there's still a lot of tinkering to get things working right. In fact my printer has been out of action for a few months now (I blame Christmas & New Year  ) and seeing a printer like this, one that's ready to print right out of the box at a cheap price, makes it really tempting to just give in and buy another one.

[yogi-bear 2321]

2 hours ago, VagabondStarJXF said:

I agree with yogi that the dimensions of the print area is really important. I went for something that was the largest I could get at the time (my Tevo Tornado was approx. £300 shipped when I got it), which has a print area of 300x300x400mm (w/d/h), and that sounds a whole lot larger than it actually is in practice. TBH I think I'd have preferred it if the width were swapped with the height, i.e. 400x300x300, as most of what I want to print would benefit from a wider base.

I'm jealous, thats a pretty good print size!  Is it enclosed?

2 hours ago, VagabondStarJXF said:

I don't know if the Monoprice is any good but what I like is that 3D printers are being released in a 'plug & play' format at an affordable price, ready to print straight out of the box (after calibration tests). My Tornado was a 1/2 assembled kit but, even then, there's still a lot of tinkering to get things working right. In fact my printer has been out of action for a few months now (I blame Christmas & New Year  ) and seeing a printer like this, one that's ready to print right out of the box at a cheap price, makes it really tempting to just give in and buy another one.

Thats exactly what I did. I had a CTC Dual extruder that started playing up, and after looking around for parts, it just seemed easier and better to upgrade, so I settle in the Anycubic i3 MEGA. It was the plate adhesion that decided it for me, but overall its proven to be fairly reliable printer with PLA. It was 3/4 built when I got and pretty easy to setup. I could have upgraded the CTC to match, but given I am time poor, a new one seemed a better decision.

[VagabondStarJXF 350]

51 minutes ago, yogi-bear said:

I'm jealous, thats a pretty good print size!  Is it enclosed?

Not yet. I'd intended to have it all upgraded and enclosed by now but it isn't even working right now...

[yogi-bear 2321]

7 hours ago, VagabondStarJXF said:

Not yet. I'd intended to have it all upgraded and enclosed by now but it isn't even working right now...

oh, what's wrong with it?

[VagabondStarJXF 350]

I'd gotten midway through 'Stage 2' of my upgrade 'plan' when I lost all my settings during an update and everything just kinda stalled at that point. Then I decided to just go all out and do all the upgrades all at once before realising that I can't afford all the parts all at once... Now I'm saving up for everything and hoping that I don't see anything more enticing along the way.