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WillB
(@willb)
Active Member
Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

I have been reading about some of the problems asociated with the Prusa Mini - which I was just going to buy.

Is it true there are issues with the extruder (gears?), the ptfe and various clicks and pops and the like.

I have just come from "Is the Mini Cursed thread" And I find it really worrying. If I buy a printer, I really need to know it will work without having to upgrade it....simply because even the Mini is a considerable investment for me.

Can any of the Prusa People  (employed by Prusa) confirm that there are / are not issues with this printer? Is it "safe for me to purchase? I need to know - and I imagine others may as well. If Prusa are selling a product - they should be able to stand by it. I am not seeing them jumping in to some of the problems people are speaking about - which seems to speak volumes - or maybe I am wrong?

Please help me buy this machine!

WillBXx

This topic was modified před 4 years by WillB
Napsal : 18/08/2020 3:39 pm
3Delight
(@3delight)
Moderátor Moderator
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

I'm afraid this is a user-to-user forum and Prusa staff very rarely come on here.  you best bet is to either use the Chat feature on the main Prusa site or drop them an email.

At the moment with all the Covid19 problems it is going to take Prusa longer to deal with issues, please be patient and remember that they sell a lot of printers yet you only hear from the people with problems which is a relatively small percentage.  Most people have no trouble at all with their printers, but there are always teething troubles when a new design is released.  Normally new revisions of the firmware, software or 3D Printed parts solve them quickly, but, as I said, things are in turmoil right now all around the world.

Also remember that 3D Printers are still in their infancy and as such unforeseen problems are likely to arise at times.

 

Napsal : 18/08/2020 3:55 pm
cwbullet
(@cwbullet)
Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

Mine has been printing for 9 months without a single issue.  For me, it is more stable and reliable than the MK3s.  

--------------------
Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog

Napsal : 18/08/2020 3:56 pm
bobstro
(@bobstro)
Illustrious Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

There are issues with EVERY current consumer-grade 3D printer. The technology is not at the level of a toaster (yet). 3D printing is more like cooking than mechanical assembly. You must expect to spend some time mastering the craft. 

The threads you're referencing are the "bad news" discussions highlighting issues being encountered by a subset of users, sometimes under specific conditions, that are being worked on. That is the operative phrase: Prusa is aware of and working on the issue. With most other 3D printers, you wait around hoping for a firmware release. If there is a design flaw, they revise the design but original purchasers are screwed. Not so with Prusa.

The specific MINDA temperature issue is very similar to the issues encountered with the early Mk3 PINDA v1. There are workarounds and Prusa can be expected to release improvements over time. I found the warmup procedure offers significant other benefits, so have never bothered upgrading my PINDA. Also interesting that the GitHub thread on this topic contains some other suggestions that seem to be largely ignored here.

The extruder and hotend discussions are also very similar to those for the Mk3 early on. Lots of people rushed out and wholesale replaced major parts in pursuit of improvements. In the end, most seem to report "minor improvements" if any.

There were a lot of assembly issues with the earliest Minis shipped, but those seem to have been worked out for the most part.

Is Prusa perfect? No, but the company is far better than most competitors in terms of initial quality, durability and support.

Is the Mini perfect? No, but the majority of users are getting good results and those with problems are getting attention from the company. Whether or not they will make everyone happy remains to be seen, but their track record is excellent.

Are you going to get perfect prints on day one? No, but they'll most likely be good to very good. Online Prusa support and community support here will likely get you through any issues you encounter.

Will you enjoy it? That's up to you.

If you're really worried, wait a few months.

My notes and disclaimers on 3D printing

and miscellaneous other tech projects
He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

Napsal : 18/08/2020 4:05 pm
bobc
 bobc
(@bobc)
Reputable Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?
Posted by: @william-b47

I have been reading about some of the problems asociated with the Prusa Mini - which I was just going to buy.

Is it true there are issues with the extruder (gears?), the ptfe and various clicks and pops and the like.

It's a question of statistics, not yes/no.

I'd estimate very roughly that 0.5% of users have issues, that is based on guessing how many are sold and how many unique users report problems here. Some of those issues are solved with user action and/or help from Prusa support. A small number of users apparently never get a satisfactory fix, it's hard to tell how many because generally they just give up. Some people will tell you "my printer worked perfectly since day 1", which is quite useless information. We know at least one printer works...

I have owned several printers, I had some issues which I didn't really expect from Prusa. But all products have issues, especially new ones. Ultimately I believe that Prusa will provide a warranty repair if you can't get the printer working satisfactorily, which is much more than you can expect from other vendors.

Tbh, you may be jumping in the deep end with "advanced" materials. I would get some experience with standard materials first.

 

Napsal : 18/08/2020 4:37 pm
Tracy
(@tracy)
Trusted Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

The Mini has 2 significant issues that I have to believe eventually everyone will encounter. The shrinking hotend PTFE tube is a design flaw that's unavoidable but easy to fix - both temporarily with a new tube and permanently with a new hotend. The other issue is the ever changing live Z. Some people have found a workaround with custom gcode while I choose to live with hot and cold Z values.

Although both issues are annoying, this is an otherwise excellent printer. I use my almost every day and it consistently makes great prints.

Napsal : 18/08/2020 5:41 pm
3DK se líbí
david.l7
(@david-l7)
Active Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?
Posted by: @bobstro

The technology is not at the level of a toaster (yet)

My Prusa printers work better than my toaster.

Napsal : 19/08/2020 3:37 am
trigger from DK se líbí
WillB
(@willb)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

Thanks  everyone for the replies -quite interesting reading - 

It does make a difference to read them, I will defo take it up with Prusa, and see what they themselves say.

It does look like I will still get one. I'll let you all know.

Thanks everyone.

WillB Xx

 

 

Napsal : 19/08/2020 3:05 pm
bobstro
(@bobstro)
Illustrious Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

If you want to balance out the "Mini sucks" posts, take a look through the Unofficial Prusa Mini Wait Thread. There you'll find nearly 200 pages of posts by people:

  • Having ordered their Mini and eagerly awaiting its arrival.
  • Despairing over the increasing wait times.
  • Accusing Prusa of unsavory business practices and threatening to stomp off and take their money to some other manufacturer who provides the same level of service and quality for the price (there isn't one).
  • Getting angry that somebody who ordered later may have received their printer first (even if it's to print PPE for hospital workers) and threatening... well you get the idea.
  • Whining like an over-caffeinated child waiting for Christmas Day to arrive.
  • Excitedly relating their receipt of a shipping notice.
  • Posting pictures of a black plastic-wrapped box.
  • Gleeful postings showing first prints.

A lot of the posters in that thread have ordered one or more Minis as their second printer, so are very familiar with the competition. If the Mini were anywhere near as problematic as some would like you to believe, there wouldn't be near this level of anticipation. It's not perfect. It will be improved over time. You can get perfectly good prints and outstanding support now. YMMV and there can be problems. 3D printing is a skill that you have to develop, but it can be enjoyable to do so.

My notes and disclaimers on 3D printing

and miscellaneous other tech projects
He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

Napsal : 19/08/2020 3:13 pm
trigger from DK
(@trigger-from-dk)
Active Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

had mine for about 6 month i think... have been working 100% but then it started to under extrude.. i just replaced the nozzle and PTFE tube, now it prints like new again 🙂

i think it is pretty good and i have printed ALOT  ! maybe i could have fixed the under extrusion problem differently 🙂 but hey ! it worked 🙂

Napsal : 19/08/2020 4:51 pm
Bargeau
(@bargeau)
New Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

I build mine yesterday.
and started printing whistle to compare filament
I reach to prin 2 whistle and 1 nut. I had underextrusion on the 3rd whistle. 
impossible to fix it. I think i have to disassemble the hotend
Cleaning the nozzle just work for 20mn.

I think it s a bad printer, it s my first one and prints are insane but i haven't been lucky. 
It worked less than 3 hours x)

Napsal : 23/08/2020 10:31 am
bobstro
(@bobstro)
Illustrious Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?
Posted by: @d_bargeau

[...] I think it s a bad printer, it s my first one and prints are insane but i haven't been lucky. 
It worked less than 3 hours x)

Log into the online store and contact support via chat. They are very helpful and will work you through such problems. You paid extra for Prusa support, so take advantage of it. Don't worry, your printer is not destroyed after 3 hours.

 

My notes and disclaimers on 3D printing

and miscellaneous other tech projects
He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

Napsal : 23/08/2020 5:37 pm
cwbullet
(@cwbullet)
Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

I had a terrible day of jams yesterday on my mini.  I finally figured it out.  It was a roll of gizmo geeks pla.  

--------------------
Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog

Napsal : 23/08/2020 6:17 pm
Bargeau
(@bargeau)
New Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

@bobstro

Yes i tried everything

but i had to disassemble completely the hotend and the extruder. change the PTFE tube (too small or incorrect installation)

, cleaning the tube upside the nozzle

 

look at this.

for melting the pla and clean it ^^

Now it seems working perfectly, It's on a print for 4 hours.

Just on thing. The PLA a bought don't melt as fast as the printer work, i hade to reduce the speed and put the temperature to 220°c

i am a novice but a don t recommend SAKATA 3D (850) for printing fast.

 

Napsal : 23/08/2020 7:58 pm
clint.m.harris
(@clint-m-harris)
New Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?
Posted by: @william-b47

I have been reading about some of the problems asociated with the Prusa Mini - which I was just going to buy.

Is it true there are issues with the extruder (gears?), the ptfe and various clicks and pops and the like.

I have just come from "Is the Mini Cursed thread" And I find it really worrying. If I buy a printer, I really need to know it will work without having to upgrade it....simply because even the Mini is a considerable investment for me.

Can any of the Prusa People  (employed by Prusa) confirm that there are / are not issues with this printer? Is it "safe for me to purchase? I need to know - and I imagine others may as well. If Prusa are selling a product - they should be able to stand by it. I am not seeing them jumping in to some of the problems people are speaking about - which seems to speak volumes - or maybe I am wrong?

Please help me buy this machine!

WillBXx

I have had my Prusa mini for a week. It did a good first wizard calibration, 6 hr print results were great. then i tried a 30 min print of two simple cylinders. It got 40% way through the print and then the extruder started clicking HEAVILY, it failed the print, I stopped it. And I have then spent several days trying to get it to work. It is a little nightmare to be honest. As a new user I paid more to get a prusa to avoid these sorts of problems that were more associated to chinese printers. No response from Prusa customer service after 2 days.

 

Now I am spending time trying to trouble shoot the printer and less time modeling and making things. The printer is now able to extrude forward, but if it retracts filament it makes this high pitch zinging sound. All subsequent prints if it retracts it destroys the filement going down.

I have also had to use an acupuncture needle on the nozzle to see if it is clogged somehow on the 2nd print. 

I don't know if this sort of thing happens because its a bowden setup or that the ptfe tube in the hotend is the wrong length and filament is collecting in there. 

Overall I would never recommend this printer as a 1st printer to anyone.

Napsal : 03/09/2020 8:05 pm
Danielo se líbí
Gordon W
(@gordon-w)
Reputable Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

@clint-m-harris

Firstly you'll get a quicker response from Prusa Support using the the web chat on the eshop web page.  I totally agree that the same issues shouldn't still be happening on printers being manufactured now,  but you might find some of the fixes in this thread help solve the problems https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/general-discussion-announcements-and-releases/avoiding-early-prusa-mini-issues-common-issues/

Napsal : 03/09/2020 8:32 pm
clint.m.harris se líbí
Nikolai
(@nikolai)
Noble Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

Honestly I wouldn't recommend any bowden printer to a newcomer. The printing live is much easier with direct drive extruder. But the reality is that the bowden printer are much cheaper and especially as a newcomer you want to spend as little as possible. So there is always a conflict.

That's why I'm always saying: if you can afford $750, go for MK3s. Well designed printer, huge community and a 24/7 support hotline.

Often linked posts:
Going small with MMU2
Real Multi Material
My prints on Instagram

Napsal : 03/09/2020 8:48 pm
Bargeau
(@bargeau)
New Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

@bobstro

Sorry I typed too fast... 
I think it ISN'T a bad printer*

But I still having trouble with it ... 
X alignement, bed leveling with the MINDA sensor, soft crashes =/ 

The support is very reactive ! I have to change some pieces then i will see with them if i still having these problems or not. 

Napsal : 06/09/2020 4:04 pm
Julius
(@julius)
New Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

 

Posted by: @willb

I have been reading about some of the problems asociated with the Prusa Mini - which I was just going to buy.

Is it true there are issues with the extruder (gears?), the ptfe and various clicks and pops and the like.

I have just come from "Is the Mini Cursed thread" And I find it really worrying. If I buy a printer, I really need to know it will work without having to upgrade it....simply because even the Mini is a considerable investment for me.

Can any of the Prusa People  (employed by Prusa) confirm that there are / are not issues with this printer? Is it "safe for me to purchase? I need to know - and I imagine others may as well. If Prusa are selling a product - they should be able to stand by it. I am not seeing them jumping in to some of the problems people are speaking about - which seems to speak volumes - or maybe I am wrong?

Please help me buy this machine!

WillBXx

I have a prusamini, and the quality is amazing. I can print really fine and detailed objects with it. However for me i am facing problems on problems each time i print. I like the design and just prusa in general so i dont like talking negatively about this, but i just want to tellyou this honestly. Im not sure if the problems are due to the PETG material im using, but even if i dont change any settings, the printer cant even print a straight line from one end to the other of the board. I have tried everything, and the y hieght always works perfectly in the calibrations

 

Napsal : 21/03/2022 10:28 pm
HermannSW
(@hermannsw)
Estimable Member
RE: Is the mini a Printer with Problems?

 

Posted by: @julius

I have a prusamini, and the quality is amazing. I can print really fine and detailed objects with it. However for me i am facing problems on problems each time i print. I like the design and just prusa in general so i dont like talking negatively about this, but i just want to tellyou this honestly.

You don't say when you bought your printer. If recently, then any issues reported in this thread 18 months(!) ago are likely to be fixed for new printers. Today you get MINI+ with heat independent height sensor, that was not available 18 months ago. So the posting might be considered FUD.

Im not sure if the problems are due to the PETG material im using, but even if i dont change any settings, the printer cant even print a straight line from one end to the other of the board. I have tried everything, and the y hieght always works perfectly in the calibrations

The straight line issue would best get a new thread, with details (description and poto[s]) and a project exported containing all your settings. Then experienced people (not me, I am new to 3D printing for 4 month) could try and tell you what might be wrong, or whether your problem cannot be recreated and is a problem specific to your printer and not MINI[+] in general.

Napsal : 22/03/2022 7:25 am
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