Concerns about the Mini  

RE: Concerns about the Mini

Important is the meaning of hobby on your side. If you like to play with machines (like lego...) , get a cheap 3d printer kit to play with and upgrade. If your hobby is making 3D things in computer and just want to put your hobby a physical layer, then get an assembled and preconfigured 3D printer.

Mini can be via maturity defined as going to be a teenager. Still does and has some issues, but works, if you know how to handle it. Maybe better would be a MK series for you, if you want it now as Mini is still being improved (released october 2019).

RE: Concerns about the Mini

Mine just arrived on Friday and I'm very happy with it. I have the Ender 5 so comparing the Mini to the Ender 5 is like Chalk and Cheese - The Mini exudes quality, quiet and the 'out-of-the-box' ease of use is way better.

The Ender 5 can print fantastically well, but one needs to level the bed, then buy a few more accessories to make the warped bed perfectly flat, then find that nothing sticks to this new textured glass plate... etc. Did I mention that its loud? Like a tortured Banshee!

To address your concerns about all the technical issues that came up - I ordered mine back in December and had it shipped then, it would have come with all of the issues that people have spoken about. To me, what sets this company apart is their speed to fix issues. My printer shipped with all the updates and fixes that have been identified since the launch. There are a number of YouTube videos (or maybe it was on their website - I don't recall exactly) where Prusa talk about implementing the community identified bugs/issues on new printers being built from a certain date forward. So don't worry too much about issues cropping up between you buying it and it shipping as if there is anything major it will be fixed before it's sent out to you.

That is my experience.

RE: Concerns about the Mini

Posted by: @ben-kindt

I’m considering purchase of a Mini, but as someone new to 3D printing, reading all the posts about technical issues, assembly problems, software difficulties... I’m taken aback.  I’m wondering if perhaps I should just wait a couple more years until the technology matures a bit, and these devices become more reliable.  I’m looking for a hobby, not a frustration.

Any recommendations?  

I would also point out that there's a bias in forum posting and comments for any product: people who don't have problems .....generally don't post that they don't have problems. People who do have issues definitely do. You'll get a skewed perception of a product if you don't take that into consideration.

Prusa stands behind their stuff - and you can communicate with actual human beings when you have an issue. That alone makes buying from them 100x better than almost any other printer manufacturer for someone new.

RE: Concerns about the Mini

I look at all the "problem" posts as a good thing. First of all, how many companies would host a site that points out problems? To me this indicates a willingness to communicate. Then it also means they care enough to want to know all the problems, see what solutions and workarounds exist, so they can incorporate the correct changes and fixes. This is awesome.

Then I  have been given a whole bunch of tools to troubleshoot my printer (when it arrives), if necessary. I think this will make me more successful and productive.

so take the problem posts with a grain of salt, the problems are real, but given the sheer number of printers shipped, it appears to be a smaller percentage than you would initially think that have problems.

RE: Concerns about the Mini

Posted by: @ben-kindt

I’m considering purchase of a Mini, but as someone new to 3D printing, reading all the posts about technical issues, assembly problems, software difficulties... I’m taken aback.  I’m wondering if perhaps I should just wait a couple more years until the technology matures a bit, and these devices become more reliable.  I’m looking for a hobby, not a frustration.

I'd suggest subscribing to a number of 3D printing groups. I've subscribed to just about every 3d printing related topic on Reddit, for example. There I see dozens of posts each days about failures and successes. The most impactful to me were the "first print" posts. For the most part, those posting prints made with a Prusa printer are of very high quality and just need some minor tweaking. Many posted with other printers have fundamental quality issues, often relating to the mechanical assembly of the basic printer and other factors outside the user's control.

Observe for a bit and form your own opinion of what you'd be most satisfied with. No current consumer-grade technology is problem-free. Much like cooking, much is left to the cook. The printer is just the tool that combines your skills, experience and ingredients. Once you form a good idea of what a particular printer can deliver out of the box (or after kit assembly), you can decide if it's right for you.

RE: Concerns about the Mini

If you wait few years for "next big thing" or in this case until it becomes reliable, it may take some time 🙂 We are not int the phase yet, where you go to the supermarket, bring home one box, unpack, connect to local wifi, download app and print. Manufacturers and kickstarters are trying hard, but it's not mainstream and common like 2D printers yet. There is still required some amount of understanding of how it works, and not being discouraged by need to get hands dirty when something breaks. At their core principle, FDM printers are actually pretty simple and dumb machines. What manufacturers can do is make things easier for user by implementing features that help making it "smarter". Prusa is one of the best with this (watchdogs resets with cryptic or absolutely no messages on MINI aside).

RE: Concerns about the Mini

Posted by: @ben-kindt

I’m considering purchase of a Mini, but as someone new to 3D printing, reading all the posts about technical issues, assembly problems, software difficulties... I’m taken aback.  I’m wondering if perhaps I should just wait a couple more years until the technology matures a bit, and these devices become more reliable.  I’m looking for a hobby, not a frustration.

Any recommendations?  

Don’t wait, the mini is a good printer. I’m also new to 3D printing. I ordered my mini in November and it was delivered in April. The majority of the issues were from the units shipped in the first several months. I can tell you the unit I received in April had no broken parts and it was properly assembled. I have been printing nearly every day since I got it and I’ve had no issues.

RE: Concerns about the Mini

Newbie here. I had ordered mine in late october and I've been printing for two months with no issues at all. Every print is spot on. Only thing I did was to reposition the hotend and the minda probe, which was super easy - it took less than five minutes. 

Of course you might have read about a lot of problems here on the forum, but as others have said before, that's because most people come here if they need help, not if their printer's working perfectly.

I'd say if you like the features of the mini, go for it. Most of the issues have been solved already, or can be easily fixed most of the times.