Beginner recommendations / concerns
I am looking for a first printer and am leaning towards the Prusa MK3 for the feature set vs price as they seem to be a good value. However; skimming through this forum it seems there are still some refinements to be had in this latest version of the I3. Something I do expect and I am sure many are counting on is that many of these issues will be sorted out in the very near future, perhaps even before I were to take delivery. In the meantime though it does appear that many appear to have certain challenges to overcome before their printers are ready for primetime.
One question I have is if these are primarily due to purchasing kits and sorting through some of the intricacies with that and if they can be avoided by purchasing an assembled printer, or if they are universal.
I am very interested in doing the kit as I am technically minded and would enjoy learning more about the printers and how they can be optimized, yet I am leaning toward an assembled unit for the additional support and to have a fully functional printer to start with and can be tweaked down the road if needed. Is the assembled kit that much more of a guarantee that problems would be mitigated?
Another concern I have is the power supply for a device that could potentially be left running unattended for hours at a time. Is this something that would be safe after a software update, or should a new on be budgeted for?
Thank you in advance for your guidance.
Re: Beginner recommendations / concerns
Scott, glad to see you are so interested in the i3 printer. Since you are technically minded, I'd be more inclined to recommend the kit variant. This way you understand every functioning component of the printer and will feel more comfortable with future repair and enhancements. I've read through the online assembly instructions as well as the user guide, and I felt more comfortable once reading what others have gone through before me. If you are looking for immediate use of a printer that has been assembled by those in the know, it would be inconceivable that PR would send you something half assed.
Your concerns over the PS are valid and from what I've read between the lines, PR is aware of the situation and is not ignoring the issue. What their ultimate solution is for this moving forward? Hard to say.
I've read plenty of forum posts where a job took hours & hours (unattended even through PR says otherwise). I have full confidence letting the printer run all day while I'm away. There are also some active threads on using Octoprint via RPI Zero with a Raspberry camera so you and peek in on your job remotely. Either to gloat over your ongoing success or be able to stop a crashing print.
Best of luck friend. Hope to hear of your successes soon.
Re: Beginner recommendations / concerns
Scott, as Martin said, if you are technically minded, go with the kit, take your time and follow the manual carefully, then I see no reason for the kit being any worse than the assembled ptinter.
Also, with a technical mindset and interest in understanding 3D printing you have the most important pre-condition for successful printing!
FDM is an amazingly sophisticated technology available to everyone, but it really requires some knowledge to be successful.
With regards to the MK3, it is an amazing machine and IMHO a sitting in a sweet spot. There is a risks that some design flaws will have to be addressed with an MK3-S version in the future. But Prusa has always made these available as an upgrade.
The MK2S is also a great machine, and a proven design. The main downsides are IMHO the noise and the fixed print surface, which makes print removal so much harder. The bed leveling works well on both, with the MK3 being more stable.
The other MK3 sensors are more of a bonus, not a must, IMHO.
I recommend the MK3 to any friend, but always add the note of caution, that FDM printing is great but not fool proof yet.
Anyway, the delivery time is still long, you can go ahead and order, and cancel later if you change your mind!
Cheers!
Re: Beginner recommendations / concerns
The delivery time is Long... because there are LOTS of prusa's being shipped...
the forum is a focal point for support,
people rarely go out of their way to say well done!
the result of the above suggests to me, that whilst there are complaints,
there are only a relatively small number of complaints.
a lot of the posts on here are people who cant actually see the problem, helping people who can see the problem, work out how to address the problem... which is very supportive.
I have had a mk1, mk2, mk2mmu and now have a mk3 working and in service.
at this instant my mk3 has two non standard items.
1, a revised X axis back panel, just in case I had to readjust the X axis belt..... I have not yet needed to adjust the X axis belt after assembly, on any of my Prusa's
2, a revised part cooling fan duct... the old fan duct worked, but the new one lets me see the nozzle more easily.
My mk3 has 1 issue,
a, the filament sensor seems to have difficulty with My shiny, transparent, green filament.
I turned the filament sensor off, whilst prusa investigate why it's not working as intended....
the printer carries on printing... and I manage filament monitoring...
the flexible steel build plate is fantastic...
I suspect it you visit any other printer forum, you would have a similar experience,
with Prusa, you don't have to :
* worry about exposed / poorly guarded / in secure mains cable issues...
* worry about future support and evolution
* sort out your own slicer settings from the suppliers basic release status
* worry about sourcing spare parts everything is open source and printable parts files are available to replace broken parts.
I am not saying there are no issues, nor detracting from those who are suffering issues. simply pointing out that there are a lot of happy users, getting on and printing with prusa printers....
regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
Re: Beginner recommendations / concerns
I agree with pretty much everything said so far. The kit is 100% the way to go.
I'm getting back into printing after a few years away, and this is far and away the best printer I've ever used.
My only issue so far is, like Joan, some filaments trip the sensor early. I've got some 3D Mars White PLA (Check amazon great price: $19/1200g and no issues printing it) that will trip the sensor while printing. Other filaments work fine.
Anyway, the delivery time is still long, you can go ahead and order, and cancel later if you change your mind!
Important to mention that the Prusa online store will charge your CC at time of order, not time of shipment like you may be expecting. It certainly was a little bit of a surprise to some of us when we pre-ordered.
Re: Beginner recommendations / concerns
I had an absolutely blast assembling the kit. There were a few frustrating parts but if you find yourself struggling you really need to take a time out and do exactly what the instructions are telling you to do. One example of this was assembling the new cover for the heated bed wires. I couldn't for the life of me get the covers together until I read that they must be equally screwed together for them to properly fit.
I think you'd be very happy with the kit if you have a technical mind. I truly enjoying printing more knowing how every moving part of the printer works.
Re: Beginner recommendations / concerns
All,
Thank you for your input. It sounds like the kit may indeed be the way to go.
Re: Beginner recommendations / concerns
Definitely get a kit. You will learn much more about the printer building it yourself. Additionally I am convinced the building yourself is better as everything will be properly torqued and will have not have loosened or broken during shipping.
As for this issues, yeah there are a few, but most of the problems are using Octoprint and/or printing with a computer via USB. So far I have stayed away from using Octoprint (although I fully intend to when the bugs get worked out). I have an MK2 using Octoprint flawlessly. But, for now I have stuck to transferring sliced models to the SD card directly in my PC and moving the card to the printer to print. Using this method I have had no issues since the cooling problem from the first firmware release. Using the current firmware, I have had no problems related to the printer.
Jump in, get a kit!
Re: Beginner recommendations / concerns
For context, I'm one of the (few) owners with a dead PSU.
I absolutely recommend you pick up a mk3 *kit* if you can be patient.
The base printer here is amazing. I have an Ultimaker (original) and a Rostock Max v2. Both can do quite effective printing. The mk3 can do finer/faster printing (although the ultimaker is close on a good day), but most importantly it does it more reliably and with less fuss.
The major features for me of the mk3 are:
What you read here are a few teething pains
So, a long list of issues, but all of them are relatively minor or relatively rare.
Go for it.
I'd say get a kit because you will want to tinker, swap things, adjust things later. That is just part of 3d printing. If you put it together yourself you'll get it a bit sooner, you'll pay less, and you'll know how things go together. Your hesitation on taking things apart to fix issues will be much lower.
Re: Beginner recommendations / concerns
Paul,
That is a very thorough breakdown of issues with a good overview of the resolutions of each of them. Thank you again.