Classic Prusa: The Review
Hi guys, we bought the classic Prusa on eBay from 3dstuffmaker for $595 and requested express shipping to Australia and they offered it at no extra charge. It literally arrived in Australia within 3 days with FedEx express, super fast shipping. Assembly was fairly easy with an in-depth manual and it came with their own IP software (slic3r was built in). Note: This review is by two Industrial Design students who have never touched or assembled a 3D printer and started with very limited knowledge, so please excuse any misinformation.
Assembly
All the parts came wrapped nicely and marked with coloured tags and names, which was super convenient with the manual.
Electronics were pre-assembled so no soldering was required. It took us around 2-3 hours to assemble. You need to buy your own power supply though, but that was easy, we got one for $15 and it worked well, we also added our own switch. Oh did I mention that the manual kicks ass? It is literally step by step with great pictures and diagrams! 10/10
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Calibration
This took us a while as we were clueless about the endstops at first and forgot to angle the metal L plate into the endstop thus almost breaking the whole thing! But once we got it right, everything worked seamlessly with the computer program.
Print
Print quality was fairly good for medium-big designs while smaller pieces ended up looking horrible. It does not print well on kapton tape so we had to get Scotch Blue Painter's Tape which worked well but not all the time. Also note that we tried using the PLA temperature for printing and it did not work at all as it dried before even making it onto the bed. We had to use 230 (ABS) setting which worked well. The in built slic3r version is quite outdated, although it still worked well; at the consequence of using more material and time than needed. We tested the newer version of slic3r, which ended up saving us a huge load of time and material. The options for infill are much better. (Results will vary, just play with the slic3r settings) 6/10
Program
The program is very simple to use and quite enjoyed it, it reads gcode (slic3r file format) really quick and tells you how much filament is needed and the estimated duration. 8/10
First Successful Test Print: Bat Buddha
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We were amazed at how detailed it looked during the print but when it got to the ears, the nozzle speed was moving to fast, thus the bad quality at the top.
Overall:
We're quite happy for it as a first printer. We find it quite useful (to use and as a learning tool) as we're both industrial design students although it might limit on what you can print, it basically works well with basic forms and shapes. Assembly is top notch easy, it even came with a batch of PLA for test prints! 8/10 (tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)
Suggestions
- This kit uses a gen6 electronic board which limits you from using a heated bed, with a few extra bucks, you should upgrade to a RAMPS board, which is more accessible and expandable.
- Use Blue Painter's Tape for PLA
- I've been told that a 1.75mm nozzles are more efficient (this kit comes with a 3mm)
Where to Next?
Naturally, it has a great DIY look but it is very inefficient as the power supply and electronics board take up too much space on the table. We're currently designing an enclosure/case for the printer, which will be made out of sheet metal. The power supply will be mounted inside the case while the electronics board will be mounted on top. We're going to upgrade to a RAMPS board and a 1.75mm nozzle.
More updates to come.
Thank you,
- Andy & Justin
Hi guys, we bought the classic Prusa on eBay from 3dstuffmaker for $595 and requested express shipping to Australia and they offered it at no extra charge. It literally arrived in Australia within 3 days with FedEx express, super fast shipping. Assembly was fairly easy with an in-depth manual and it came with their own IP software (slic3r was built in). Note: This review is by two Industrial Design students who have never touched or assembled a 3D printer and started with very limited knowledge, so please excuse any misinformation.
3dstuffmaker | eBay
Assembly
All the parts came wrapped nicely and marked with coloured tags and names, which was super convenient with the manual.
Electronics were pre-assembled so no soldering was required. It took us around 2-3 hours to assemble. You need to buy your own power supply though, but that was easy, we got one for $15 and it worked well, we also added our own switch. Oh did I mention that the manual kicks ass? It is literally step by step with great pictures and diagrams! 10/10
Watch our video here.
Calibration
This took us a while as we were clueless about the endstops at first and forgot to angle the metal L plate into the endstop thus almost breaking the whole thing! But once we got it right, everything worked seamlessly with the computer program.
Print quality was fairly good for medium-big designs while smaller pieces ended up looking horrible. It does not print well on kapton tape so we had to get Scotch Blue Painter's Tape which worked well but not all the time. Also note that we tried using the PLA temperature for printing and it did not work at all as it dried before even making it onto the bed. We had to use 230 (ABS) setting which worked well. The in built slic3r version is quite outdated, although it still worked well; at the consequence of using more material and time than needed. We tested the newer version of slic3r, which ended up saving us a huge load of time and material. The options for infill are much better. (Results will vary, just play with the slic3r settings) 6/10
Program
The program is very simple to use and quite enjoyed it, it reads gcode (slic3r file format) really quick and tells you how much filament is needed and the estimated duration. 8/10
We were amazed at how detailed it looked during the print but when it got to the ears, the nozzle speed was moving to fast, thus the bad quality at the top.
Overall:
We're quite happy for it as a first printer. We find it quite useful (to use and as a learning tool) as we're both industrial design students although it might limit on what you can print, it basically works well with basic forms and shapes. Assembly is top notch easy, it even came with a batch of PLA for test prints! 8/10 (tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)
Suggestions
- This kit uses a gen6 electronic board which limits you from using a heated bed, with a few extra bucks, you should upgrade to a RAMPS board, which is more accessible and expandable.
- Use Blue Painter's Tape for PLA
- I've been told that a 1.75mm nozzles are more efficient (this kit comes with a 3mm)
Where to Next?
Naturally, it has a great DIY look but it is very inefficient as the power supply and electronics board take up too much space on the table. We're currently designing an enclosure/case for the printer, which will be made out of sheet metal. The power supply will be mounted inside the case while the electronics board will be mounted on top. We're going to upgrade to a RAMPS board and a 1.75mm nozzle.
More updates to come.
Thank you,
- Andy & Justin