So, after a few years it seems 3D Printer have made an appearance on Kickstarter again. Below are a few I'm currently backing, have backed or am supporting via review/feedback.
So full disclosure, I am expecting a T22 Max pro in the mail to review and provide feedback on, BUT at this stage I am not recommending it or any of these printers, 1) I don't have the experience with them yet and 2) Kickstarter offers ZERO guarantee you will get what you back, KS is not a shop but a crowdfunding platform.
So lets start with the Creality3D PrintMill (Belt printer). Currently available for £562 + You might get import duty/VAT?
http://kck.st/2KeYgDL
While belt printers aren't new, this is one of the first branded and cost friendly ones. The biggest problem up to now for DIY belt printer builders has been the belt itself, a few have tried but quality have been lacking. Creality with the support of a few 3d printing community members (Bill Steele, Karl Brown) and YouTuber's are really pushing the idea of belt printers. I guess they are hoping to start a new trend?
As someone who's been 3D printed now for over 5 years and own's a number of printers I backed this because of the cost and because I like owning unusual/rare printers. In reality It's not really going to be much use to me or likely to get a lot of use. I see this aimed more at cosplayers for the ability to print probs like swords in one or two parts and of course manufactures who use 3D printing for the same parts, they can set this up to just print continuously without have to remove and restart a print, they would only need to change filament.
Next up another belt printer, The iFactory One. Currently available for £741 + You might get import duty/VAT?
http://kck.st/3f3WzV9
From a Germany based start-up. More expansive then the offering from Creality but boasting some cool features, Raspberry Pi A+ with camera for viewing your prints remotely and they plan to use this to also monitor the print with AI to warn of print fails. It also has a touch screen
I was originally backing this KS but due to lack of updates and actual print videos or 3rd party reviews I dropped it. I am also not happy about how they weren't will to talk about the hardware in the printer, I found out what it is and wasn't impressed, they now seems to be asking backers if they would like upgrade kits after the campaign ends. In reality the Raspberry Pi, camera and what they call "PrinterGuard" are not worth the extra money over the PrintMill, in fact you can buy a Pi and camera yourself and a plugin for OctoPrint already exists called the Spaghetti Detective to do what their PrinterGuard does.
Next up is a printer offering Leveling free printing, The Think3Dim T22 Max pro. Currently available for £284 + You might get import duty/VAT?
http://kck.st/3mofnkE
Is from a new company from China, who already have a couple of printers available but this printer uses 4 strain gauges on the Y axis under the bed itself to measure and level the bed. So the hot end pushes against the surface of the bed to measure the nozzle height and level the bed. Creality actually used KS to sell their CR-6SE which has a strain gauge on the hot end, or should I say the strain gauge has a hot end bolted to it. This I believe has it's disadvantages firstly you can't upgrade the hot end, because currently no aftermarket hot end will attach in the same way. It also looks to be a delicate thing and a hardware failure could break this.
What Think3Dim have done is to use 4 sensors on the Y axis carriage under the bed to achieve the bed leveling data. This means upgrading the hot end is much easier and you can just attach another one in place of the old one and it will function the same.
T22 Max pro has some other nice features including, 300x300x250mm build volume, direct drive extruder, branded PSU, touch screen and silent stepper drivers. I will say at the point the PSU in this is the same as in the CR-6SE, which isn't allowed in the EU for reason which go over my head but worth pointing out.
If you have any questions about the Think3Dim T22 Max pro, please feel free to post them below and if and when I can answer them I will.
Thanks for reading,
James.
So full disclosure, I am expecting a T22 Max pro in the mail to review and provide feedback on, BUT at this stage I am not recommending it or any of these printers, 1) I don't have the experience with them yet and 2) Kickstarter offers ZERO guarantee you will get what you back, KS is not a shop but a crowdfunding platform.
So lets start with the Creality3D PrintMill (Belt printer). Currently available for £562 + You might get import duty/VAT?
http://kck.st/2KeYgDL
While belt printers aren't new, this is one of the first branded and cost friendly ones. The biggest problem up to now for DIY belt printer builders has been the belt itself, a few have tried but quality have been lacking. Creality with the support of a few 3d printing community members (Bill Steele, Karl Brown) and YouTuber's are really pushing the idea of belt printers. I guess they are hoping to start a new trend?
As someone who's been 3D printed now for over 5 years and own's a number of printers I backed this because of the cost and because I like owning unusual/rare printers. In reality It's not really going to be much use to me or likely to get a lot of use. I see this aimed more at cosplayers for the ability to print probs like swords in one or two parts and of course manufactures who use 3D printing for the same parts, they can set this up to just print continuously without have to remove and restart a print, they would only need to change filament.
Next up another belt printer, The iFactory One. Currently available for £741 + You might get import duty/VAT?
http://kck.st/3f3WzV9
From a Germany based start-up. More expansive then the offering from Creality but boasting some cool features, Raspberry Pi A+ with camera for viewing your prints remotely and they plan to use this to also monitor the print with AI to warn of print fails. It also has a touch screen
I was originally backing this KS but due to lack of updates and actual print videos or 3rd party reviews I dropped it. I am also not happy about how they weren't will to talk about the hardware in the printer, I found out what it is and wasn't impressed, they now seems to be asking backers if they would like upgrade kits after the campaign ends. In reality the Raspberry Pi, camera and what they call "PrinterGuard" are not worth the extra money over the PrintMill, in fact you can buy a Pi and camera yourself and a plugin for OctoPrint already exists called the Spaghetti Detective to do what their PrinterGuard does.
Next up is a printer offering Leveling free printing, The Think3Dim T22 Max pro. Currently available for £284 + You might get import duty/VAT?
http://kck.st/3mofnkE
Is from a new company from China, who already have a couple of printers available but this printer uses 4 strain gauges on the Y axis under the bed itself to measure and level the bed. So the hot end pushes against the surface of the bed to measure the nozzle height and level the bed. Creality actually used KS to sell their CR-6SE which has a strain gauge on the hot end, or should I say the strain gauge has a hot end bolted to it. This I believe has it's disadvantages firstly you can't upgrade the hot end, because currently no aftermarket hot end will attach in the same way. It also looks to be a delicate thing and a hardware failure could break this.
What Think3Dim have done is to use 4 sensors on the Y axis carriage under the bed to achieve the bed leveling data. This means upgrading the hot end is much easier and you can just attach another one in place of the old one and it will function the same.
T22 Max pro has some other nice features including, 300x300x250mm build volume, direct drive extruder, branded PSU, touch screen and silent stepper drivers. I will say at the point the PSU in this is the same as in the CR-6SE, which isn't allowed in the EU for reason which go over my head but worth pointing out.
If you have any questions about the Think3Dim T22 Max pro, please feel free to post them below and if and when I can answer them I will.
Thanks for reading,
James.
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