Almost three weeks ago I ordered a MakerBot Replicator 2 and it still hasn’t shipped. Reading more about it, did I make a mistake? Should I cancel my order while I still can?
I am interested in a machine with which I can experiment with various cases for electronics (touch panels etc) and of course some robotics and toys
If I cancel, what should I buy instead? I want a machine that hopefully works most of the time and just prints.
An Ultimaker?
Hyrel looks very promising but with a long lead time.
I got a Rep 2 for my school and it has been a mixed experience. Ease of use is very good and it works"out of the box", but it is very finicky and I have had two major problems that have resulted in significant downtime while waiting for the slow tech response from MakerBot. There are a host of upgrades that people have developed for the Rep 2 and the consensus is that they address a lot of the shortcomings of it. I don’t have enough experience to advise you one way or the other but thought that sharing my experience might help.
The upgrades I have gathered so far are:
1: The plunger upgrade. Essential.
2: The x-axis-cable stress release.Essential or the cable will break.
3: Glass bed. Essential for larger prints.
4: Tools to help level the bed.
I’ve had very few issues with my MakerGear M2 that weren’t caused by myself or bad filament. It’s been rock solid for me so far, and MG support gets praise. I chose it over MBI because it’s built with more solid hardware, which means higher durability and less maintenance. It’s quite a lot cheaper too. I don’t see a drawback, to be honest.
I got my R2 from Robot Shop for that very reason. In the mean time you could order all the upgrades you’ll need.
So far here’s what its taken to get my R2 working like I had expected for my $2500.
Aluminum arms (best upgrade)
Aluminum carriage.
Kraftwerks aluminum filament extruder upgrade
Upgraded thicker filament cooling fan mount.
X cable stepper and stop switch rewire strain relief
Replaced all bushings with linear bearings. ( huge difference in accuracy and motion)
Replace extruder cooling fan with ball bearing unit.
Filament spool mount.
Looking at @Frank_Fisk_IV 's upgrades, I’d say the MakerGear M2 wouldn’t need any of those. I might upgrade the cooling fan mount to a sturdier design, and print a different filament spool mount for wider spools from other suppliers. The M2 comes with what I’d consider to be CNC class linear rails, and structural parts are metal, so there’s no need to replace arms, carriage or bearings. The M2 also has a bigger build volume, 8"x10"x8" = 640in3, which is quite a lot more than R2’s 410in3. And it supports ABS (and I think someone mentioned nylon). And it’s cheaper! The only drawback seems to be a longer wait to get the printer after ordering. I ordered mine prebuilt, waited for it, and though it felt like ages I think it was worth it.
Really, after all that and you still want one? I agree with Ketil Froyn. Cancel you’re order ASAP. But I’d go Lulzbot or TAZ for a production tool that will give you more material options. Lulzbot uses extrusions correctly but aren’t pretty, oh well.
When I got my R2 my Lathe was down and I needed parts made ASAP. The R2 paid for itself several times over but was impossible to use for large items, mostly crap my girlfriend wanted and thats when I ran into trouble. I kept the R2 for in home use and am ordering anything but a Makerbot for work. Turnkey is nice to have but not at the cost of you’re time or sanity.
Great choice which one did you pick? I’d always planned to give my R2 to my 12 year old cousin, he’s getting into the science fair scene at school and he learned a great deal from our R2 upgrade adventures. I’d really like to know youre impression of the Hyrel.
Actually, I did not order the Hyrel. Just got an offer. Still have the Rep2 on order and I am still thinking about canceling. Undecided what should I do???
If you’re impatient like me, I would add a second glass (borosilicate) bed plate, because then you can switch the glass plate and start your next print before the first has cooled. I also got extra hot ends/nozzles, but I’ve not swapped from the first one. Perhaps get a .5mm nozzle for faster builds. I might go for the LCD interface actually, nice to have the option to print without a computer.
