While I have thoroughly enjoyed working with my Printrbot Simple, the mechanical and dimensional limitations of its design make it harder to work with on larger builds. I wanted something with larger build dimensions, and if within reasonable budgeting, dual extrusion. Throughout the summer, I did research on many popular printers that were equipped with such features, and found that many of them were upwards of $1000. Towards the end of August, I took a trip to my local Micro Center to buy computer supplies, and decided to take a look at the 3D printers they had to offer. Amazon was offering the FlashForge clone of the Makerbot Replicator Dual, and Micro Center was offering their own clone, but for far less. The PowerSpec 3D Pro Printer had the same specs as the FlashForge, however, this printer was a reasonable $699 (view here). I have had it for about 2 and a half months so far, and I am very satisfied with the print quality and feature set. Printing from SD allows me to free up my laptop for other activities while the printer runs in a standalone configuration. Dual extrusion works flawlessly, and I have printed a handful of neat demos utilizing two colors. Prints on this printer require a layer of glue from a gluestick to be applied to the print surface to ensure proper adhesion. I did not have to do this on the Printrbot, despite the fact that I use painters tape on both. I suspect it has something to do with the extrusion rates of the nozzles. Overall I highly recommend this printer for enthusiasts in all experience levels. |
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