Right im finally gonna take the plunge and get myself my first printer but cant decide between the prusa i3 or the mendel 90 any thoughts would be great. Thanks
Mendel 90 is a proven workhorse. The latest iteration is especially well built. Unless you want to spend countless hours tinkering, get the Mendel90.
M90. Though the i3 isn’t that bad of a choice, either.
I have a Mendel90 and have heartily recommended it many times. I have yet to see a post of problems with it !
I’m building a Mendel90 (sturdy version) in my copious (hah) spare time, and there’s a lot of good thought gone into it. If your main goal is printing rather than tinkering with the printer, get the full kit and follow the excellent manual.
Auto z leveling is in Marlin main, Cartesian bots can use it too ;). From scratch i3 vs kit anything (kossel mini, mendel90, i3) and you’ll be more likely to have something that will print well faster and cheaper (imho, sourcing parts and multiple shipping adds up). Go with a reputable kit.
MakerBot all the way… It’s the best worst decision someone could make.
Fully agree with @Ross_Hendrickson - sourcing your own parts not only won’t save you much, it can also be a huge time sink. I’ve probably spent more time researching and acquiring bits for my Mendel90 than I have spent actually building it. You can see that in my notes at http://repstrapdk.blogspot.com.
Lars is right. I sourced myself and ended up having to make three more orders and pay for shipping for each of them. It’s best to get all the right parts the first time, especially if it’s your first printer.