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Category: 3D Printing

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  • Zonestar P802QR2 Double Extruders 3D Printer DIY Kit

    Zonestar P802QR2 Double Extruders 3D Printer DIY Kit

    Almost everyone who gets a 3D printer thinks about two or more extruders to create multi color prints. The Zonestasr P802QR2 is a simple to build kit that has two extruders that feed into two nozzles. It consists of a full metal 1 ½ mm thick. It has a 220X220mm bed and 240mm Z, although the Z only has 185mm actual usage. The placement of the LCD catches the PTFE tubes that guide the filament into the hot ends. I’m going to bend it 180 deg up to keep it from catching and I think it will look better. That or I’ll cut it off and design and print my own display holder in 3D computer aided design. Which is my favorite thing about 3D printing.

    Zonestar P8020R2 Specifications

    BrandZonestar
    ModelP8020R2
    Package size58.00 x 48.00 x 12.00 cm
    Package weight9.4000 kg
    Product size46.00 x 42.00 x 42.00 cm
    Product weight9.4000 kg
    TypeDIY Kit
    Frame materialSheet-metal structure
    Nozzle quantityDouble
    Nozzle diameter0.4mm
    Product forming size220 x 220 x 240 mm
    Layer thickness0.1-0.36 mm
    Auto level sensorYes
    Memory card offline printSD card
    LCD screenYes
    Print speedMax 150 mm/s
    Supporting materialABS, Flexible PLA, PETG, PLA, PVA,Wood
    Material diameter1.75 mm
    LanguageChinese, English, Portuguese, Spanish
    File FormatG-code,OBJ,STL ​​​​
    XY-axis positioning accuracy0.012mm
    Z-axis positioning accuracy0.0025mm
    Working Power250W
    Host computer softwareRepetier-Host
    Packing Typeunassembled packing
    System supportWindows, Linux, Mac
    Voltage Range100 – 220V
    CertificateCE,FCC,RoHs
    Cell

    I’m not a fan of the frame style. Like the Anet A8 it has little support from wobbling side to side. But you can easily print supports which you can find on the Thingiverse website. Although many complain online about the 3D printed printer parts, I’m fine with them. Sure, some parts don’t get very accurate but the great thing about these things is they can self- heal by making new parts. The Zonestar P802QR2 also comes with an auto level sensor which is a nice feature.

    zonestar p802qr2

    Unboxing

    Like most DIY kits, the Zonestar P80QR2 has a lot of parts. The only part assembled for you is the Extruder. That is because the dual hot ends are very hard to get even. They did a good job assembling mine. The parts were separated by foam to keep the parts from damage during shipping. None of my parts came broken or damaged.

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    SD Card

    The SD card comes with all the documentation for all of Zonestars 3D printers. It makes sense but I believe some users may choose the wrong model because they are very close in name. It also comes with test print files. Overall, it was well done and very well organized.

    Assembly

    Assembling this printer is about the same as every other kit out there. Kits like these are fun to build, at least for me it is. I was busy at the time so I built it over a couple of days. The guides are very easy to follow and it should only take 3-4 hours to build. Having dual nozzles add a bit of complexity. Nowadays, you get kit printers that are mostly completed at the factory leaving you to put 2 to 4 pieces together.

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    Software

    The recommended Repetier-Host software on the SD card is not my favorite program to use with printers. The software just “hosts” a slicer engine. The slicer is the program that slices the 3D object into layers, then turns it into instructions the printer can understand. If you need a free program then I would recommend Slic3r or Cura, but if you can afford it I would recommend Simplify3D.

    Multiple Extruders

    This printer has two hot ends and two nozzles. Multi extruder machines come in two ways. The first being each extruder having its own nozzle. The second is each extruder feeds into a splitter and out ones nozzle. The multiple nozzles type has more downsides then the single. For instance, it takes more room so you have to enlarge the printer to get each extruder to reach all of the bed. Another and the most important is leveling the bed. When you have two or more nozzles, your bed and X axis have to be 100% parallel. On top of that the nozzle tips have to be 100% even. When the layer thickness is 0.1mm and some even 0.05 then you can imagine how even they need to be.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    The reason is if one is off by more than 0.1, then it will drag one of the nozzles across the top of you prints leaving ugly marks. Another problem is that if you are printing one color and the second nozzle is not hot, it can catch your prints and knock it off the bed ruining your print. It can also happen if the second is heated also. Just heated, there’s a chance it will melt it and cut through the print. Plus the supports that help your print overhangs get knocked down easy if the second nozzle is lower then the main nozzle. So you are better off having the second nozzle a bit higher rather than lower. Having two nozzles has oozing problems. While one is printing the second one oozes filament from the nozzle being hot. Therefore when you start printing with the second nozzle the tip is empty leaving holes in your print. Not to mention the oozing filament get all over your print.

    The many extruders to one nozzle type gets rid of the oozing and leveling problems but is not without its own problems. For instance, when one filament is retracted back it leaves a small thin string of filament. So when the next filament get inserted it sometimes jams from it not fitting in the tube with the string left behind. Also, the nozzle being filled with melted filament from the last color will bleed that colour into the print where it shouldn’t be. To counter that, the slicers now have a purge block where it prints the block between color changes so the bleed goes into the block and not the print. The problem with that is the block is a big waste and sometimes is more plastic then the print itself.

    It is for that reason multi color printers are not as popular as they should be. This printer comes in three models. One with one extruder. This one with two extruders and two nozzles. And the third being two extruders into one nozzle. Oh, and one nozzle gives you the big bonus of mixing the two colors.

    This is what it looks like if your bed and nozzles are not 100% level. I let this go to show you what happens when it is not level.

    zonestar p802qr2

    Calibration and Printing

    PLA

    PLA is the easiest of all filaments to print with. It sticks to the bed well, it doesn’t shrink and warp as easy as other filaments. Most use PLA unless they need to print something that needs special properties such as UV tolerance or extra strength.

    My first few prints were to calibrate the two nozzles. To calibrate the slicer and printer needs to know the distance to the second nozzle on both the X and Y axis.

    The first print I did was with the two calibration blocks that come on the SD card. There is a dual color print wizard in simplify3D. It’s a bit buggy because sometimes I open the app and the dual processes disappeared. The first one had a large layer shift. The second one printed ok and showed an x axis offset.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    The Block did give me a proper picture so I printed this target looking test print. (Not on the SD Card)

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    After setting the offset in the firmware through the menu, I printed the two-color globe. I didn’t have enough blue so I used pink for my daughter. As you can see the ooze from the nozzle not in use takes its toll on the print.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    After some light sanding I got most of the pieces sticking out but it didn’t come out all that great.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    Next, I decided to try one filament just to see how the printer prints. I printed the 20mm XYZ cube and it printed pretty well.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    In one of my reviews I printed the Star Wars clock from Thingiverse. I’ve seen this dual color Batman once and had to try it. It was a tough print and the two colors do not stick together as well as it should have. Also the second nozzles leave marks on the top layer.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    The last PLA print was a simple single color minion. The print quality while not great is acceptable. The thing about these printers is you can always improve them if you have the patience.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    Flexible Filament (TPU)

    Flexible filaments are very cool. I usually print quishi toys for the kids. The problem with the filament being so flexible is that it can spool around the feeder gear. The Zonestar P802QR2 has extruders with a small enough gap, but because it’s so small I had trouble loading the filament. I had other ones laying around so I installed them.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    One plus side to having separate nozzles is that you can mix types of filaments. That is great if you want to print something like a 3D printed hand to have hard fingers (PLA) and flexible joints. I tried but failed twice and moved on. I will give it another try when I have some time.

    zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2zonestar p802qr2

    PETG

    PETG is a tougher alternative to PLA and is widely used. The first print failed because the second nozzle kept ripping the supports down so I stopped it. Then I printed the Kratos bust that didn’t need much support. This print came out nice and you can barely see the layer lines on some parts. PETG is stringy and hard to get the retraction settings correct.

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    PROS

    • Dual hotends
    • Extra stepper driver. This lets you add another extruder.
    • Metal frame.
    • Auto level sensor
    • Prints well
    • Price

    CONS

    • Dual nozzles
    • Frame design is flimsy in the X axis.
    • 3D printed parts can be inaccurate.

    PRINT QUALITY: 7/10

    Good start and I give it 7 with room to grow.

    BUILD QUALITY: 7/10

    Metal frame is better than the cheaper acrylic printers on the market.

    USER INTERFACE & NAVIGATION: 4/10

    I’m no fan of the 5-button LCD panels. Especially since the full graphics displays are so cheap today.

    VALUE FOR MONEY: 6/10 

    The Zonestar PQ802 QR currently being sold at $250 isn’t too bad. There are cheap printers for sure. But this does have two extruders and a stop for a third. It even includes the third driver.

    Conclusion

    The Zonstar P802QR is an entry level printer for sure. And a dual color one at that. But I can’t in good conscience recommend a dual nozzle printer for any beginner.

    If you really want a cheap printer with two or more colors, I would recommend the Zonestar M8R2 Colour mixing printer first. It uses one nozzle and you don’t have to be concerned about the nozzle ruining most of your prints. Most people who get these dual nozzle ones take the nozzle off the second one and use it as a single color printer. I’m going to be making the Y splitter and feed 2 or 3 into one tip.

    Where To Buy

  • AnyCubic i3 Mega 3D Printer Review

    AnyCubic i3 Mega 3D Printer Review

    AnyCubic i3 Mega

     

    I was first introduced to AnyCubic i3 Mega while I was searching the difference between the AnyCubic printers. After seeing it’s interesting features and affordable price, I decided to review it. In this review, I will test its print and build quality, stability, ease of use and many other things.

    AnyCubic I3 Mega is the third printer released by Chinese AnyCubic brand. Some of the notable features of i3 Mega are :

    • Full metal made frame
    • Auto-level
    • Filament detector
    • Resume from outage
    • Touch-screen

    Quite honestly, the printer itself picked some very good reviews online and at the first glance, it really seems like a good cheap 3D printer for beginners. But is it all that good? Let’s find out.

    AnyCubic i3 Mega: Technical Specification

    The best way to familiarize yourself with a 3D printer is to take a quick look at the technical specs of the product. In the table below, you’ll be able to see most notable features and characteristics of the AnyCubic I3 Mega.

    [go_pricing id=”anycubic_i3_mega”]

    Unboxing

    The printer comes in a huge 15kg package. Once opened, the box contains two layers of mini foam boxes. These boxes contain all the parts you need to get your i3 Mega up and running. Everything inside is very well protected and packed. Nothing arrived scratched or damaged.

    What I really loved is that AnyCubic provides not only a 1kg roll of PLA filament but also spare parts. Incredible. I am so pleased that they included an extra limited switch, gloves, spatula for removing the prints, but also bunch of tools you’ll need to assemble or disassemble the printer. One of my favorite things added is a spare hotend.

    The manufacturer paid special care that you have parts in case something brakes, so you’ll have zero investments if some of these things stopped working.

    So what’s exactly inside the box?

    • 1x AnyCubic i3 Mega base
    • 1x AnyCubic i3 Mega frame
    • 1x 1k test PLA filament (random color)
    • 1x quick start guide
    • 1x SD card reader
    • 1x 8GB SD card
    • 1x USB cable
    • 1x spare hotend
    • 1x spare endstop
    • 1x spool holder
    • 1x power cord
    • 1x tool set
    • 1x tweezer
    • 1x pillar
    • 10x screws
    • 1x scrapper
    • 1x glove

    Personally I was quite surprised to see some of the tools included such as tweezers (useful for removing extra filament from the nozzle), scrappers (extremely handy when removing printed objects from a surface) and glove (not much useful, but you’ll look like a doc while operating your 3d printer).

    Assembly

    The best thing about the  AnyCubic i3 Mega printer is that it arrives nearly fully assembled. There are few minor things you’re required to do, which, depending on your previous experience with 3D printers might take from 10 to 25 minutes.

    Assembling the printer

    First thing first, you should check if all the parts are there. Upon checking, you need to assemble the Z carriage onto the base. There are only 8 screws to screw, and you assembled the printer.

    Onto an SD card which came with the printer, you’ll find assembly instructions in PDF. Besides that, AnyCubic has a video guide on how to get your i3 Mega up and running.

    Wiring

    Even though this part may sound scary, wiring the AnyCubic i3 Mega basically means put the 3 cables into the proper connection.

    The problem I had with the cables is that mine were not labeled. So I just had to figure out myself which is which, but that’s not hard at all. Speaking of wiring, the cable management is excellent. All the cables are tidy and neatly secured and the printer looks very clean.

    Besides the 3 wires, you also need to put AC cable into your printer. Once connected, you can turn the printer on.

    Bed-leveling

    An essential thing in 3D printing is learning how to properly level your heat-bed. i3 Mega has an auto-leveling sensor already installed, which makes the whole process a bit faster, though the manual leveling isn’t hard either.

    Software adjustment

    In order to 3D print an object, you’ll have to “translate” the 3D model into a code that a 3D printer understands – G.code. Software which handles the “translation” is called a slicer. There are tons of 3D slicing software on the web. I’ve always used Cura, it’s free and it worked well for me so far.

    On the micro SD card you’ll find the Cura software. The version provided in an SD card is quite outdated 15.04.06. This is something I did not quite like, so later on, I tried with the newest Cura 2.6.1 but I was unable to make my prints work, though I must admit I did not invest much effort into it.

    To summarize, AnyCubic I3 Mega works great with supplied slicer – Cura 15.04.06 if you follow the software setup instructions carefully. Making it work with never Cura versions requires some modifications I yet have to figure out.

    In this paragraph, I will not talk much about how to configure Cura software, since the instructions manual covers that pretty well.

    After adjusting your software you’re ready to print.

    AnyCubic i3 Mega: Design and Build quality

    After closer inspection of the printer, it was obvious that one of the biggest strengths of the printer will be – well the strength. In other words, i3 Mega is quite rigid, stable and well-engineered machine. It does not feel or look cheap at all. All the wiring inside and on the outside has been well made as well.

    The only part of the whole pack, I did not like, is the stick for the filament roll, which is quite bigger than it should be. Well you can always 3D print a replacement for this one, or just put a marker or a pen instead.

    Print quality

    When you have everything set, initialize a print from a memory card or a PC (depending on if you’re having a 3D printer as an offline device or connected to the PC). Instructions on how to start print can be found in the instruction manual.

    On the card, there’s a test file which already has been sliced so you can print even before you

    First Print

    On the card, there’s a test file which already has been sliced so you can print even before you adjust the software, right after you’re done with leveling the bed. This first print turned out pretty good though some slight overhangs can be found on the top. But for 0.2 resolution, I’m satisfied with how it turned out.

    Printing PLA on AnyCubic i3 Mega 3D printer.

    PLA

    After printing some of the less challenging stuff and calibration objects, I decided to put the printer to a real test. Hollow Darudi is considered to be quite hard to print figure, especially because it’s printer without any supports. I was quite skeptical, but the print turned out great. I was impressed with the way i3 Mega handled such a complicated figure.

    Next, I decided it’s time to print some upgrades for one of my 3D printers from Anet series.

    I also 3d printed a frame which resembles the famous Wayfarer from Ray-Ban. You can download the STL file here.

    PETG

    PETG is a material which melts at a higher temperature compared to PLA. It’s slightly gloosier and easier to bend. In order to sucessfully print PETG, you’d have to put the hotend temperaure to 230-240 °C and slow down the printing speed slighty.

    I used the 235 °C and 70 °C for the heated bed, and 30mm/s speed. All other settings were the same as in the instruction manual. Results were great. However the adhesion of the PETG is even stronger, so was very hard for me to remove the objects from the heated bed.  Below you can see some of the PETG prints I made.

    Here’s the link to the PETG filament I used in this test. I am very satisfied with how it worked and would recommend it.

    WOOD

    The wooden filament is not 100% wood. It’s actually a mixture of some wooden elements and the PLA. It prints the same way as the PLA. This was my first experience with wood filament and I was shocked with how well the prints turned out. I used the same recommended settings and in my opinion wooden figures turned out better. This is probably because the temperature was about right for this type of filament.

    Benchy, Calibration cube and Marvin

    The only complaint I have when it comes to how wooden filament works with AnyCubic i3 mega is adhesion. Again, it was very hard to remove the figures from the build plate and since the wooden filament is slightly softer compared to the PLA I used, the damages caused by the spatula are obvious on first few layers. This is quite visible on the calibration cube and the Marvin leg.

    Like most of the 3d printing enthusiasts printing with wooden filament, I wanted to print out a Baby Groot, a fictional superhero appearing in the Guardians of the Galaxy. The print came out amazing, even though I re-scaled its size it down by 60%. The figure was printed in whole, not in parts, with no supports.

    I used this wooden 3D filament and I highly recommend it.

    FLEXIBLE (TPU)

    Quite honestly, I did not expect flexible filament can be printed on this printer. The reason for this is a Bowden setup which printer uses. The rule with cheaper 3d printers is that if a 3D printer has a Bowden extruder, it will either not be able to print TPU, or it would require modifications.

    Benchy – printed with Flexible filament

    Without much hope I put the Flexible filament into an extruder. I was shocked when it began printing without issues. I realized that AnyCubic i3 Mega can print flexible filament with no modifications, right out of the box. There were no jams.

    The particular flexible filament I used is SainSmart TPU 1.75mm.The end results were quite good. There was some stringing on the figures, but usually strings like that are normal for TPU filaments. I’m sure though that it can be reduced by tweaking settings.

    In order to print the flexible filament, you’d have to adjust the hotend temperature (for the filament I used, temp range is 200-220°C). Additionally it is recommended to reduce the printing speed. I set my printer to 10 mm/s for these models.

    User interface and navigation

    You might not know, but on this site, we also test action cameras. We love user-friendly action cameras with an LCD screen. This is my first 3D printer which has a touch screen navigation. I must admit it’s quite simple and easy to use. Just like with tiny action cameras, the touch screen helps a lot.

    My only complaint is that an LCD screen is not the most responsive one, so sometimes you’d have to put more pressure or press twice.

    As far as the navigation goes, the design of the interface is simple and it won’t take long before you get used to it.

    From the user perspective, i3 Mega is the remarkably user-orientated 3D printer.

    New Ultrabase AnyCubic i3 Mega

    As I was finishing this review, AnyCubic released the upgraded version of the i3 Mega called AnyCubic i3 Ultrabase. It is absolutely the same printer, but it has an improved hotbed and has no auto-leveling sensor. They also moved the filament sensor, which is a big plus. Basically with ultrabase edition they solved some of the issues.

    The AnyCubic i3 Mega ultrabase can’t be easily found online under that name. The reason for this is because they want to replace i3 Mega with i3 Mega Ultrabase. It is possible that even if you buy the regular Mega, you’d get an Ultrabase, but to be on a safe side just ask the seller you’re buying from if it says Ultrabase on the heated bed.

    Here are some stores where you can find AnyCubic i3 Mega Updated Ultrabase version

     

    UPDATE : The ultrabase platform is now sold separately as well, so the previous version owners can easily upgrade. You can check it out here.

    AnyCubic i3 Mega: Final thoughts

    If I could describe this printer in a single world, that would be – reliability. From the moment I unboxed it I haven’t had a single major problem with printing, which was not the case with my previous 3d printers.

    I am really impressed with the metal frame which makes the whole printer quite stable. It works right out of the box, it’s very easy and fast to assemble it. The instruction manual was quite good, though I think they should make a video about auto-leveling as well. Furthermore, I’m impressed with the cable management and features like filament, auto-leveling and outage sensor.

    One thing that I really did not like sort of a BuildTak surface the printer has. Even though it makes layer adhesion work remarkably, it’s sometimes extremely hard to remove the printed objects from it. If I would have to nit-pick, the spool holder could have been better and if I was a designer of the printer, I would’ve put the filament sensor onto a printer, not on the filament holder.

    Personally, the build volume of the printer might be an issue for some, though personally for me it was more than enough. Recently large print volume appears to be a trend, so i3 Mega is slightly smaller than some of the competitor printers which appeared on the market in similar price range.

    Pros

    • Stable, rigid and firm build quality
    • Easy to assemble
    • Great print quality out of the box
    • Prints multiple materials without any issue
    • Easy to swap between filaments
    • Bunch of spare parts included
    • Resume from outage, auto-leveling and filament sensor are great features
    • Very good and concise user manual
    • Extremely easy user navigation thanks to a touch-screen and minimalist user interface design
    • Good cable management

    Cons

    • BuildTak surface makes printed objects very hard to remove from the heated bed. Causes breakages of the figures in some cases.
    • Not the most silent printer out there
    • Touch-screen is not always responsive
    • Filament sensor sometimes gives warnings on low filament level when turned on, even though the filament is loaded.
    • Filament sensor position should be on the printer, not on the spool holder (there’s a 3D printable upgrade which solves this)

    In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend AnyCubic i3 Mega as an extremely well-made, mid-range 3D printer. If you are a complete newbie who can spend around 350$ for this printer, I really think you’ll be satisfied. However, if it’s a bit over your budget, take a look at some of other cheap 3d printers we reviewed. I am quite happy with the printer and I already have plenty of fun projects in mind.

    Where to buy AnyCubic i3 Mega?

    Here are some reputable stores which sell AnyCubic i3 Mega

  • Creality3D CR-10 – 3D Printer Review (Large print volume)

    Creality3D CR-10 – 3D Printer Review (Large print volume)

    3D Printing is perhaps one of the most exciting advancements in technology that a lot of people are now interested in learning. However, a  Creality3D CR-10 printer is significantly more expensive than a regular printer. Not to mention the additional cost of the filament that you need to print a 3D object.

    The Creality CR-10 is a good example of a 3D printer. In fact, it is regarded as one of the best performing printers in its price range. That said, this review will cover all the essential things you need to know about the Creality CR-10.

    What is the Creality CR-10?

    The Creality3D CR-10 is an FDM 3D printer which managed to shake the 3D printing community. In a very short time, it became one of the most popular mid-range 3D printers together with Anet’s A8 and A6. What makes CR-10 so special that it has twice the price compared to the other kit printers?

    3D printer
    CR-10 is popular, large volume 3D printer

    First of all, CR-10 comes nearly assembled. Other kit printers take a couple of hours to complete from scratch, whereas the CR-10 takes only a few minutes. Second, it has a huge printing volume of 300mm x 300mm x 400mm. The biggest question is, is CR-10 worth the ~500$ price tag?

    In this review, I will try to figure that out. I will unwrap it, assemble it and print tons of stuff to test its performance, durability, print quality, and safety.

    CR-10 variations

    With the rising popularity of the CR-10, Creality 3D released few more versions of the printer. The only difference between the versions is in the printing volume and of course – the price. Larger the volume, higher the pricing. Additionally larger printing volume models included a 2x 1K roll of filament.

    So far CR-10 can be found in these sizes :

    • 300 x 300 x 400 mm (link) – standard
    • 300 x 220 x 300 mm (link) – known as CR-10 Mini
    • 400 x 400 x 400 mm (link)
    • 500 x 500 x 500 mm (link)

    Update: Creality 3D released CR-10S which is a dual lead screw Z axis printer and has filament sensor.

    CR-10 Specification

    In this review, I’ll take a look at the most standard CR-10 model, the below table shows the technical specification of the product.

    Printer modelCreality 3D CR-10
    Printing size300*300*400mm
    Printer Dimensions490*600*615mm
    Printer Weight10.3kg
    Print speed20mm/s – 100mm/s
    Layer resolution0.05mm – 0.4mm
    Axis positioning accuracy0.01mm – X

    0.002mm Z

    Material diameter1.75mm
    Printer Frame MaterialMetal
    Platform board materialAluminum
    MainboardTriGorilla
    Pre-assembled✓

    90% pre-assembled

    Screen✓
    Extruder typeMK10 Bowden
    Heated Bed✓
    Max Nozzle Temperature~250-270°C
    Max Heatbed Temperature~71°C
    Auto-leveling sensorx
    Filament sensorx
    Resume from outagex
    Enclosurex
    Recommended MaterialABS / PLA / Wood / Nylon
    Power Input110V/220V AC, 50/60Hz
    Retail priceCheck the price

    CR-10 Unboxing

    I received my CR-10 from BangGood. The box arrived looking tired, but everything was well packed in foam and has everything needed to get started. My oldest daughter has an unboxing video located below.

    https://youtu.be/nWRias_H8As

    What’s inside the box?

    3D printer parts and manuals

    • 1x CR-10 3D printer
    • 1x rack shelf stack
    • 1x sheet metal wall
    • 10x cable
    • 1x pilers
    • 1x scraper
    • 1x power adapter
    • 1x USB cable
    • 1x certification
    • 1x hose
    • 1x socket wrench
    • 1x 8G SD Card
    • 1x T Z Fixed Block / Z limit
    • 1x T Z Fixed Block
    • 1x tape
    • a bunch of screws, bearings, nuts, and washers
    • 1x nozzle
    • 2x tube connector
    • several alien wrenches
    • 1x screwdriver

    Creality CR-10 Assembly

    After unboxing it’s time to assemble the CR-10. Even though some newbies might think this part is scary, it’s actually quite easy. Two of my daughters helped me and had some fun along the way.

    Inside the box, you’ll find the printed building directions. However, they are quite blurry and vague. On the other hand, the pdf manual, which can be found on the SD card is great. It contains a sufficient amount of information to assemble.

    The hardware was not complicated either.  I can’t stress this enough, but the whole process was straightforward. The CR 10 came in two pieces: the base and the Z axis. Eight screws connect the two main parts. And that’s pretty much everything. The frame is completed.

    Next came the cable wiring and they are all bundled and very clearly labeled. My desire for organization greatly appreciated this. This printer came with an SD card containing plenty of information for new and experienced printers; operating instructions, a basic troubleshooting guide, slicing software, and even screen grabs of the settings they used when slicing the included .stl files.

    CR-10 Cura Setting

    Cura is one of the many slicing software compatible with the Creality CR-10. You can use the default settings or make some adjustments according to your needs. For beginners, you can check online discussions and forums where other users of CR-10 share some useful information about the different settings they use. Also, you may want to save your g-code to the Micro-SD card that came with the printer for convenience.

    Design and Build quality

    From the aesthetic point of view, CR-10 looks quite unique. It has stripes on the frame which make it stand out from other printers. Lately, some other manufacturers began copying the same stripe design (Anet E10).

    3D printer

    The frame is quite sturdy and the slot bearings are quiet and a very smooth motion, only 2 needed tightening upon arrival. I feel this is a great printer design and I would only make one change to the frame and one change to the carriage. Details about these can be seen in the upgrades section.

    The 300mm x  300mm hotbed took a bit to warm up and kept the room warm, but at that size, it is expected. Leveling the bed was quick and nearly painless.

    CR-10 Upgrades

    I upgraded my previous printer, the Anet A6 multiple times. I worked to improve extrusion which is how much filament is extruded with each step on the motor for this I added a Greg’s Wade geared extruder, I printed frame braces to improve stability and enable me to add tension to the belts which help reduce wobble. I added an e3dv6 hotend to improve print quality and used a Bowden setup to lighten the carriage.

    Two printers
    Two of my printers, Anet A6 on the left, CR10 on the right. While A6 required some upgrades and modifications, CR-10 works the same right out of the box

    All this except the Wade extruder come built into the CR-10. This makes it a great print out of the box printer. Just to give you an idea on how much improvements some 3D printers need, take a look at Anet A8 upgrades list.

    Because most issues a printer may encounter are engineered out of the design I will only be putting a cross piece to stabilize the Z axis and lessen wobble and a better parts fan. There are several great designs available on thingiverse.com at the minimum I would recommend everyone get the upgrade available that lessens stress to the heated bed wires solder joints.

    So far, I had no need for other modifications and upgraded or printed parts. If I come across a worthwhile piece or upgrade, I will update the article.

    User interface and navigation

    Loading the filament with the MK-10 extruder was quick and easy and the filament flows wonderfully. The display is nice and bright with adjustable contrast. The dial navigation made selecting in the menu a breeze. I do feel the grouping of the menu items could use a little work. However, I may be biased since I am more familiar with my other printer. My daughters were able to navigate the menus themselves.

    However, I may be biased since I am more familiar with my other printer. My daughters were able to navigate the menus themselves.

    3D printer

    The display shows bed/nozzle temps both set point and current value so you know exactly where the printer is running, flow rate so if you notice either over extrusion (too much material) or under extrusion (too little material), fan speed If the part is too warm you can also adjust this while live printing and live display of each axis coordinate which is nice since these are set during slicing and tuning may be required to maintain a quality print. It would be good to mention the progress bar is not a representation of % completed but layers completed.

    Printing quality

    Luckily only two test kitties were lost to loss of adhesion. Some glue stick and away she printed. The stock kitty stl has had several weird loops it made while printing then the y-axis seemed to have shifted at the neck I couldn’t let the poor kitty suffer when it shifted again. I’m going to blame the file.

    It turns out some sd cards have a corrupt kitty stl affectionately named decapi-cat on the CR-10 forums. It is kind of like an initiation step in owning a CR-10. There is even a cleaned up version of the decapitated cat that has been modeled.

    It was time for a bench and the bench came through and I am very impressed by the print quality. It wasn’t perfect but that is remedied by changing settings. At 80mm/s the printer was quieter than I am used to.

    Having printed multiple items on the CR-10 I can say I am impressed. The overhangs are well formed with no drooping. The infill isn’t visible through the print wall. The bridging all completed without issue and taller objects have little to no Z banding even at higher print speeds, which is seemingly a standard to most FDM printers.

    I placed my Anet A6 printed bench and my CR-10 printed bench side by side and I had to be careful to not mix them up they were so similar.

    With one upgrade and after adjusting only a few of my slicer settings I was able to dial in the printer to run on par with my heavily modded Anet A6.

    3D printers gun replica
    3D printed UNSC Magnum Halo 4 gun replica

    Safety

    I believe a well-built machine can run safely for extended periods of time. I pushed this printer running back to back long prints with total times ranging from 18 hours to over 45 hours. I have left the printer idle for several days and returned it to running long and intricate prints and it is still printing without issue.

    Rose Quarts sword
    3D printing of the Rose Quartz sword took around 45 hours on CR-10.

    Rose Quartz sword

    The electric box for this printer is well designed and the cable connections make assembly easy. The cabling is all covered in protective sleeving and its bundled in a way that makes routing the cables easy. One thing which adds an extra layer of safety is an external mosfet for the heatbed.

    The mosfet is one of the most common upgrade recommendations for most Chinese kit printers. It costs around 7-10$, but it’s even better when it’s included with the printer, so you won’t have any extra investments.

    CR-10 3D Printer Pros and Cons

    PROS

      • Large Build volume
      • Simple to use
      • Easy to build
      • Quiet running
      • Prints out of the box
      • Requires little to no upgrades at all
      • Removable print bed
      • Intuitive control box
      • Flexible power supply
      • Good community

     

    CONS

    • Only has one lead screw, 1 Z-axis motor, instead of having one on the other side of the gantry. The said lead screw is found at the lefthand side.
    • Without an enclosure, the heat bed can reach only 70 degrees. The bed also takes a while to heat up thoroughly.
    • Due to the large heated bed size, it warms a room quite a bit.

    All pros easy to build and simple to use, a large print area, and its quiet running. The printer is quick and easy to set up, and it prints great out of the box. It can also run for extended periods of time without issue.

    Moreover, the fact that the glass print bed is removable allows some users to replace it with a borosilicate glass or mirror which is believed to have its own benefits in producing really smooth first layers. Such glass or mirror can be fixed into the printer’s heated bed with ease.

    If I have to come up with a con, it would be that the printer’s heated bed will warm the room it is in while it is printing. However, I am not a fan of being cold, so that kind of works for me.

    Since receiving the CR-10, I have successfully printed Decapi-cat, Benchy, Clash of Clans: Hog Rider, Dare Devils cowl, multiple Triforce key chains, 14 Ninja headbands from Naruto Shippuden, Crystal Gems and Rose Quartz sword from Steven Universe. I also printed the logo to Final Fantasy VII, Dancing hotdog from Snapchat, several Leaves of Lorien, a Groot flower pot, Guardians of the Galaxy emblems, Starlords blaster, the UNSC Magnum from Halo 4, the idol from Raiders of the Last Ark, and two forearm bracers for a cosplay project.

    Where can you purchase the Creality CR-10?

    This printer is available on Amazon and other online retailers. For an 18% OFF coupon for Creality CR-10, check out this link e27d8dUSE Coupon code: e27d8d

    Final Review of the Creality CR-10 3D Printer

    All in all, this is a great printer design. I’m shocked to say that I have nothing bad to say as 3d printers can be fickle. I have and will recommend this printer for new people in the 3d community that want to jump right into printing.

    I do recommend a few simple upgrades mentioned above that will improve the life of the printer. Some advice I wish I could have heard would be to remember to use the resources around you, ask questions when you have them.

    Most of the 3d printing forums and groups are great resources of data and the people in the community are eager to help beginners learn more about the printer. Sometimes the correct terminology is all that’s standing in the way of a successful search or question. Always search the file section. There are some key sites to remember.

    The community behind CR-10 is massive. There are plenty of user-groups on Facebook where you can get immediate online help from owners of the printer. If you have a question about using the printer or need assistance in troubleshooting or calibrating it, you can visit this group (there are few, but this one has over 13 000 members).

    CR-10 is an amazing printer. I would highly recommend it to beginners who are looking to enter the 3D printing hobby or experienced users who need a stable printer with a large build volume.

  • Tevo Tarantula vs Black Widow vs Delta 3D Printers

    Tevo Tarantula vs Black Widow vs Delta 3D Printers

    Tevo is a 3D printing company, known for their Tarantula 3D Printer. Besides Tevo Tarantula, which is i3 Prusa style affordable printer they have two more mid-range printers in store: Tevo Black Widow and Tevo Delta (aka Little Monster).

    Tevo 3D printers
    Tevo currently has 3 printers to offer.

    In this article, I would like to compare these 3D printers side by side. There hasn’t been much information on the web while I was researching Tevo brand, so I decided to make a comparison and features table. Even though these two printers do not look like each other at all, it is essential to emphasize the differences between them, as each of those can be used differently.

    The goal of this article is to show you the differences and help you decide which Tevo printer is right for your needs.

    Tevo Printers Specification

    Specification table below depicts a major feature, technology and design difference between Tarantula, Black Widow and Little Monster (Delta).

    [go_pricing id=”tevo_printers_3d”]

    Tevo Tarantula 3D Printer Kit

    Tevo Tarantula Overview

    Aimed at the entry-level customers, this RepRap Prusa i3 style printer certainly has its advantages over some other i3 clones. Made of aluminum, with a Bowden type extruder and a 200X 200 X 200mm printing area, Tevo Tarantula certainly sounds promising for those which do not wish to break their bank.

    Besides optional heat-bed upgrade, Tevo offers two more features: extruder and auto-leveling sensor upgrade.

    What makes Tarantula stand out from the crowd is that you do not have to ponder over which part is the best, what improvements to add, and how to enhance printer’s performance. The manufacturer did this for you. Of course, both of those improvements will increase the final cost of the printer.

    Tevo Tarantula

    Tevo Tarantula Firmware

    Tarantula’s Repetier firmware is available for download from the official website of Tevo. If you wish to use the Marlin firmware, you may acquire it from other online sources. Make sure that you’re downloading the firmware that is specifically configured for this printer.

    Assembly

    For the Tevo Tarantula assembly process, you may refer directly to the Tevo Tarantula instructions manual provided by the manufacturer. You can also check other online sources where experienced users provide a detailed guide and some useful tips on how to assemble your printer kit correctly.

    How to Calibrate the Tevo Tarantula?

    Calibrating your 3D printer is easy. You just need to locate the thumb nuts on the print bed of the 3D printer. Then, lower or raise the corners of the print bed just enough to allow you to slice a thin sheet of paper right below the nozzle of the printer.

    Tevo Tarantula Parts

    Some of the parts you can purchase for your Tevo Tarantula mods and upgrades are as follows:

    • Heated Bed – for a large, heated bed upgrade
    • TEVO Volcano hotend – for 1.75mm Direct Filament 0.4mm Nozzle
    • Dual Z-Axis Upgrade Kit
    • MKS MOSFET – for the heated bed
    • Print Fan – ideal for a temperature-sensitive filament
    • Mega Anti-Tangle Spool Holder – to prevent tangles from the printer filament

    Tevo Tarantula Upgrades

    If you wish to make your Tarantula a little more than just another “newbie 3D Printing kit”, the manufacturer offers some options. Tevo offers expandable build option for the Tarantula. You can upgrade your heat-bed and increase printing size to 200 x 280 x 200 mm.

    If standard single-color Bowden extruder is not the best for you, you can upgrade it with the following options :

    • Pro Metal – this extruder allows you to print flexible filaments
    • Dual Extruder – this type of extruder allows you to print with two filaments at the same time, multicolor.
    We highly recommended that if you buy, you decide to buy Tevo Tarantula from these official sources |Official AliExpress Store| Official website|

    Besides the extruder upgrade and heat bed expansion, there’s also an optional auto-leveling sensor upgrade which involves installing an auto-leveling probe.

    With the total weight of approximately 7.8kg, Tarantula is the most lightweight of the trio.

    Aimed primarily at lower-budget customers, it is interesting that, according to the specs, its printing speed can reach up to 150mm/s, which is faster than its expensive relative – Tevo Black Widow.

    Tevo Black Widow

    The mid-range 3D printer from Tevo is called Black Widow. Its printing volume is 370 X 250 X 300mm and it weighs ~13kg. This printer is literally midst among everything between the lower-end Tarantula and higher-end Delta. One feature which I am still unable to confirm is that it has only a slower printing speed 100mm/s compared to its little brother – Tarantula.

    Tevo Black Widow

    It’s not as customizable out of the box as the Tarantula, but it has an auto-level sensor optional upgrade. Compared to Tarantula which utilizes wheels on all axes of the aluminum frame to move, the Widow uses the rod for the Z axis.

    Buy Tevo Black Widow from these official sources |Official AliExpress Store| Official website|

    Tevo Delta – Little Monster

    With the printing area of 340 x 500mm and dimensions of 600 X 600 X 1200mm it is not a surprise why this 38kg Delta machine is called Little Monster. The most robust of all three (both by design, weight, and features), Delta has the highest price tag.

    Tevo Delta - Little Monster

    Little monster pretty much dominates in all fields. It can reach up to 300mm/s printing speed, which is nearly twice as fast as the other two. One more major advantage of the Tevo Delta is that it arrives pretty much assembled. According to the manufacturer, 80% of the printer inside the box is assembled, you just have to connect a few parts and you are ready to print.

    With features and the price like this, Delta is probably neither a toy nor a beginner’s 3D printer.

    It is recommended to buy Tevo Delta from these official sources |Official AliExpress Store|  Official website|

    Final Review: Tevo Tarantula vs. Black Widow vs. Little Monster (Delta) – which one is the best?

    I hope that so far you managed to determine which printer best suits your needs. But if you are still undecided, here is my two cents. If you are a newbie on a budget and you wish to get a Tevo printer, you should probably go for the cheapest i3 style printer – the Tarantula Printer Kit. Tarantula DIY Kit offers more than enough customization options to suit almost any beginner’s need. Another good choice for beginners outside of Tevo is the Monoprice Maker Select or Monoprice Select Mini.

    On the other hand, if you want a bit more stable of a printer with larger printing volume above all, but you don’t have a fortune to spend, Black Widow is a logical solution.

    Finally, if you are an advanced user who needs tough, stable 3D printer with enormous printing volume and speed, Tevo Delta Little Monster is probably your best choice.

    Question for you

    Do you have any of these printers? What is your experience with it? Feel free to leave a comment and help us spread the knowledge. We’re waiting to hear back from you.

    Oh, and if you found any mistakes or you’re aware of more differences than provided in this article, I would appreciate if you could share it. Sharing is caring.

    Contributors

    Following members of the community pointed out to some of the mistakes I initially made in the article and helped me make this writing more accurate and complete.

    • Ben Bisares
    • jayiii (reddit)
    • Paco Raap

    Useful Links

  • AnyCubic 3D Printers Compared – I3 Mega vs Kossel vs I3

    AnyCubic 3D Printers Compared – I3 Mega vs Kossel vs I3

    AnyCubic is a 3D printing company from China which has been getting quite a lot of attention from the 3D community lately. Company’s focus is the production of 3d printers, parts, and filaments.

    On their website, I was able to find out that AnyCubic was founded in 2011. Their founder Bryant began making his own 3D printer after previously spending the entire savings on a MakerBot.

    In 2012 they began producing and selling printers. In the next few years, the company was growing, mainly selling their products through AliExpress, Amazon, and eBay.

    The brand name was changed to AnyCubic from Drepart Trade Co in 2015. Today, these guys have over 70 employees and 3 main 3d printers with 2 more in development.

    In this article, I would like to clear the confusion and present to you all the differences between AnyCubic printers. The printers I will compare in this article are :

    • AnyCubic I3 (Pruisa I3 style printer)
    • Kossel (Delta style pritner)
    • AnyCubic I3 Mega

    3 3D printers

    Before we unveil which 3D printer is better I3, Kossel or I3 Mega, I would like to tell you that at the time of writing this article, all the information has been gathered through the internet. I spent hours researching, reaching out to manufacturer, sellers and user groups to verify and make sure all the data is correct.

    That being said, do not take measurements and other information for granted. I haven’t done the measuring of the size, print volume and other important things myself. We will have to rely on official sources and AnyCubic.

    Specs: I3 vs Kossel vs I3 Mega

    The easiest way to compare these three 3D printers is to put them side by side and look at each product specification.

    [go_pricing id=”anycubic_printers”]

    AnyCubic I3

    I3 is the first ever printer made by the manufacturer. It is based on a famous Prusa i3. The printer is quite similar to a popular Anet A8. I3 has an acrylic frame and is the only of the three which has a direct drive extruder.

    AnyCubic i3
    i3 is AnyCubic’s first 3d printer.

    Kossel

    This delta style printer confused me quite a lot. Unlike the other two printers, this one has few variations. Officially, Kossel printer is available in four versions :

    AnyCubic Kossel Variations

    • Kossel Linear (link)
    • Kossel Pulley
    • Kossel Pulley Upgraded (link)
    • Kossel Plus (link)

    What is important about all Kossel models is that they do not come with a heated bed. This means you won’t be able to print anything besides PLA (which does not require heated surface) unless you buy a heat bed separately.

    AnyCubic Kossel Firmware Related FAQs

    What programs can you use with the anycubic kossel?

    The Kossel buyer’s guide lists down the different software that you need before you can create some 3D print. These include the Repertier firmware, Marlin firmware, Arduino, and a few drivers among others.

    The Marlin firmware can be downloaded directly from AnyCubic’s website along with the specific drivers and slicer software for your printer kit. Make sure to download the driver and slicing software that is compatible with your computer’s OS.

    How do you update AnyCubic Kossel auto-leveling firmware?

    You will have to update the Marlin firmware for this one. You can download it from the manufacturer’s website or from other reliable sources.

    Kossel Pulley vs Linear

    The difference between the pulley and the linear version is quite simple. Pulley version uses wheels on the aluminum frame to move. Kossel Linear has standard linear bearings on linear rods which it uses to move around.

    pulley and linear

    In my experience, wheels are always much more silent compared to the bearings, but bearings printers are more accurate and stable.

    Kossel Pulley upgraded is the same as a pulley, but instead of 3D printer parts, a printer has parts which were manufactured by injection molding, making them tougher.

    Kossel vs Kossel Plus

    Kossel Plus is a slightly improved version of Kossel Linear with a larger printing volume, nothing else.

    • Ø180×300 mm
    • Ø230×270 mm plus version
    Kossel and kossel plus
    The improved Kossel Plus has a larger printing area.

    I3 Mega

    AnyCubic’s latest release, I3 Mega is their most advanced 3D printer so far.  This model comes in two colors – black and blue.

    AnyCubic I3 Mega Features

    Besides its metal build quality, easy few minutes assembly and stability it has four features which certainly make it stand out from the crowd.

    • Filament sensor
    • Auto-level sensor
    • Outage resume
    • Touch screen navigation

    This Bowden type printer will detect when you run out of filament and automatically pause until you insert new filament roll.

    Furthermore, it has auto-leveling of the heated bed and will memorize the printing in case of an outage or sudden turn-off. A beautiful touchscreen LCD is responsible for quick and easy user navigation.

    AnyCubic I3 Mega Review

    Some of the things you can be excited about this printer are that it includes an Ultrabase heated bed, mechanical filament sensor, impressive user interface, SD card, and SD card reader, and most of all produces a decent print quality without costing you a fortune.

    However, there are a few complaints raised about this printer as well. For one, the filament spool is said to be of low quality, causing the filament to tangle and ooze out of the printer’s nozzle. Good thing you can use the tweezers and pliers that come with the printer to clean out the nozzle of the excess filament. Other issues included problems with the automatic bed calibration, loose cables, and the noise from the printer.

    Final Thoughts on the Different AnyCubic 3D Printer Models

    There you have it. I hope this comparison article was helpful. If you want my two cents on which one to get, it’s obvious that the newest I3 Mega has the best features and is able to print plenty of materials out of the box. On the other hand, due to its price tag, it might be a bit over your budget. In that case, based on my research, I would probably go with the Kossel Linear Plus model.

    Where to buy AnyCubic 3d printers?

    All of these printers are currently on sale on several websites. Some of these retailers have promotions quite often, so make sure to check all the links in order to get the best deal.

    I would like to thank AnyCubic user group for helping me understand the differences clearer.

    Thanks for taking your time to read this. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. If you notice any sort of error in the table or comparison, I’d like to know. Do you own any of the AnyCubic printers? I’d like to hear your experience.  Don’t just read, leave a comment, come on.

    Helpful AnyCubic links:

     

  • Geeetech 3D Printers Compared

    Geeetech 3D Printers Compared

    Lately, I’ve been addicted to researching Chinese 3D printing brands that took the market for 3D printing by storm. The reason for this is a wide variety of geeetech 3D printers that these companies manufacture and the lack of information and comparison of the models.

    If you’re a regular here you probably read my Anet, AnyCubic or Tevo 3D printer comparison. After the trio, I decided to cover one more well-known Shenzhen-based company  – Geeetech (with three E’s). Little did I know that this quest of mine will be quite a challenge. The main reason for this is an enormous variety of 3D printers that Geeetech launched over the years.

    As I mentioned, Geeetech is Chinese 3D printing manufacturer founded in 2011. Since then, they launched and marketed over 15 different printers.

    In this article, I will compare all Geeetech’s printers ever made. With a little dedication, I will keep it up to date with all the upcoming models. So for all of you out there who wanted to find out more about Geeetech printers and differences between them, I hope you’ll enjoy this article.

    Types of Geeetech Printers

    Since a number of products are so overwhelming, I decided to break this comparison into pieces. First, let’s see what 3D printing models company offers.

    • I3 type 3D printers
    • Delta Rostock type
    • MakerBot type

    All of these are types. For each type Geeetech produced variations over the years. Variations are a result of improvements (quality and safety) and different modifications to satisfy different needs.

    GeeeTech I3 type 3D Printers

    Let’s begin with the most common cheaper printer – I3, popular RepRap Prusa model.

    [go_pricing id=”all_geeetech”]

    Geeetech I3 Mendel

    The very first I3 Mendel type printer of I3 is not included in this table since it’ll take plenty of space and make the table unreadable. This early model was more of a  prototype which has been discontinued for quite a while. However, you can read about that printer on GeeeTech Wiki if you’re interested. It’s outdated and not available for sale anymore.

    Geeetech I3 Aluminum

    As its name implies, this model has an aluminum frame, which is tougher and more stable compared to acrylic ones. With 7.2 kg weight, it’s the most lightweight of all 7 I3 models. This model has the oldest mainboard Sanguinololu and does not support auto-leveling. The printing area size is 200 x 200 x 180mm.

    Geeetech I3 Pro B

    Two major improvements over the I3 Aluminum is that the I3 PRO B comes with an improved motherboard GT2560 which supports auto-leveling. Its frame is acrylic which boosts it’s overall weight to 8.5 and makes it more fragile. You can download the Repetier firmware for this printer directly from Geeetech.

    Geeetech I3 X

    Compared to the two printers above, I3X has an improved heat-bed surface made out of aluminum and slightly smaller printing area 200 x 200 x 170m.

    Geeetech I3 A Pro

    If there’s one printer that stands out from the crowd, that has to be the A PRO. This printer has quite an obvious differences compared to the others. First of all, it is the only one that has the 3-in-1 3D control box. The box contains a power supply, main board, and a 12864 LCD. I3 A Pro is the only printer from the list which has the 3 in 1 control box which reduces the total stress on the frame.

    One more advantage of the printer is that it has an aluminum-made frame and the heat-bed. The disadvantage is that in order to enable auto-leveling some changes to the firmware had to be made, and that’s not quite easy to do (according to Geeetech support). Overall, I3 A gathered best from all previous I3 models and combined it. It has 200x200x190 build area and weights 7.2 kg. The price tag might put some people off.

    BangGood has this printer which is a huge saving compared to the retail price.

    Geeetech I3 W Pro

    I3 W is the only wooden-made printer by Geeetech. It supports auto-leveling. For some reason, this one is the cheapest of all printers. It’s nearly impossible to find it online except in their store (link) and on AliExpress (link).

    Geeetech I3 C

    The main selling point of the I3C is the ability to print with dual-extrusion. Which means it can put different colors layers onto a heat-bed surface. This allows you to print multi-colored objects. It’s printing speed is quite good 60-110 mm/s, but its frame is acrylic and has the non-aluminum heated bed. Also, it does not support the auto-leveling sensor.

    Geeetech I3 M201 Dual

    Most advanced and priciest of all – I3 M201 comes with a different mainboard GTM32 which like the I3C supports dual extrusion. Its hotbed is made out of aluminum and the frame is acrylic. M201 has the largest build size 280 x 210 x 200 and weights the most, approximately 9.5kg.

    The price of this printer can be costly, but I managed to find it much cheaper in these stores: Link 1 | Link 2

    Which Geeetech I3 printer to get?

    If you want my two cents, I would probably go with Geeetech I3 A Pro. Mostly because of its build quality. On the other hand, I3 PRO W appears to have quite good specs for its price, it can be a bargain, though it’s quite hard to find online. If on the other hand, you’re into dual-extrusion and multicolored printing, I3 M201 really looks good, especially at the discounted price.

    GeeeTech Delta Type 3D Printers

    [go_pricing id=”all_geeetech_2″]

    Delta Rostock Mini

    Similar to I3 Mendel, this was the first Delta printer company made. It had 3D printer parts and bakelite platform. The main board was Mega 2560. The printer is no longer available for sale.

    Delta Rostock Mini G2 and G2 Pro

    The successor of the previous printer is G2. There are two variations of G2:

    • G2
    • G2 PRO

    The difference in G2 and G2 PRO is in parts. Opposed to G2 which had 3d printer parts, G2 PRO has metal made ones. G2 is no longer available for sale. G2 PRO has a build area of D:190mm，H:200mm and weights ~9.5kg. It has the aluminum platform and acrylic frame. It uses Bowden type, a single color extruder.

    Geetech Delta Rostock Mini G2S PRO

    This printer has a slightly smaller printing area than it’s predecessor –  D:170mm H:200mm. It’s the biggest advantage is dual extrusion and auto-leveling sensor it includes. Its dual extruder feature allows users to use two different filaments at the same time for a multicolored 3D print. Recommended print speed is from 60 to 120 mm/sec.

    What is strange is that it’s only slightly more expensive compared to G2 PRO even though it offers dual extrusion. For example, you can check the price here

    GeeeTech Delta Rostock 301

    301 is the only printer GeeeTech has that supports triple extrusion. You can print with 3 different filament colors at the same time. You can add an auto-level sensor to it optionally. The printer uses more advanced GTM32 motherboard (Check the price here).

    G2, G2S vs 301?

    If I was to buy a delta printer from GeeeTech, I would without any doubt go with the latest Rostock 301. Not only because of it’s triple color extruder and improved mainboard, but also because of the build volume – D:170mm H:230m and printing speed 80 to 120 mm/sec.

    Makerbot type

    [go_pricing id=”all_geeetech4″]

    Geeetech Me Ducer

    Though not really a Makerbot type, I listed Me Ducer in this list. This printer is no longer on sale. It had a print volume of 180 x 150 x 150mm. This printer is no longer on sale. The Geeetech E180 is based on this printer’s design and comes with some accessories like an SD card for your Gcode files (no SD card reader included), a spare nozzle, a starter filament, and spool holder kit among others.

    Geeetech Me Creator

    A building area of 150 x 150 x 150mm and not supported auto-leveling was probably the reason why MeCreator got discontinued.

    Geeetech Me Creator 2

    Creator 2 is a successor of Creator 1. It’s printing speed goes from 60-80mm/s. Its frame is aluminum made, so is the heated bed. It has Bowden single color extruder and can support auto-leveling sensor.

    GiantArm D200

    The most advanced, newly released and most expensive Geeetech printer so far is GiantArm D200. Features like built-in WiFi, app control and notifications, filament and outage sensors really make this printer stand out from the crowd. It has the biggest printing area and weights staggering 18kg. It’s also the only model with a maximum nozzle temperature of ~230°C.

    Printer speed is from 80 to 110mm/s. Giant Arm D200 has improved GTM32 Pro VC motherboard and power supply. As for user navigation, it features a 4.3″ color touchscreen. Even though its extruder only supports single color, it has other advantages such as easy slide removal. I am not 100% confident, but the extruder looks quite similar to a renewed E3D Titan.

    GiantARM D200 can print the largest amount of filaments compared to all other Geeetech printers. The printer itself is extremely user-orientated but has a staggering price tag.

    Geeetech 3D Printer Review: Final Thoughts on our Geeetech 3D Printer Models Comparison

    Thanks for taking your time to read this. I sincerely hope this comparison was helpful. Remember that this is only the specs, features and hardware comparison. I haven’t tested these printers side by side, so my personal choices have been made only by my common sense and not real-life testing. This article is not a review, just a side by side specs comparison.

    If you own any of these printers, feel free to let me know in the comments what is your experience with Geeetech.

    I would like to thank the following people for helping me do the research:

    • Zina Luo from Geeetech support for tirelessly answering all my questions regarding their products and helping me discover

    This article is a work in progress. If you notice any mistakes or have feedback, please let me know, I’ll gladly update the information.