davidgeller

I've never used the Taz, but I'm a relatively new UM3 owner and my experience with the printer has been superb. I also have a Prusa i3 MK2, which creates exceptional quality prints - but nothing compared to the UM3. Coming from the Prusa which has a bed movement model similar to the Taz (Y and Z) I'd definitely saying having the bed move in only one axis, like the UM3, is significantly better. I use my UM3 to print parts for a shop on Etsy and this thing, with a 0.8mm nozzle, has been cranking out the prints! I have to order filament (eSun 2.85) every week!

Sorry, but it wasn't obvious to me where to find all the firmware releases for the UM3? What's the typical update frequency?

I've noticed that on a new UM3 with the latest firmware, if I cancel a print job (either through Cura 2.7 or on the UM3's command dial) then the next job will not have active leveling initiated at its beginning. Is this a known issue? I'm new to the forum and apologize if this is already an actively tracked topic/bug. -David

So the print head will remain where it is, or retract and then return to its last good position? Is there documentation online that explains this in more detail?

Thanks for your feedback. Just an FYI - I'm not a doctor. The video I found was a physician using the UM3 to print some anatomic models. I've been 3D printing for a year. Assembled a few Original Prusa i3s (and donated them to our local school system) then moved to the Original Prusa i3 MK2 (bought an aseembled one). I designed some parts for Tesla users to manage their charging cables and have been printing them with my Prusa. I print more than enough to pay for UM3s and, recently, had some issues with the Prusa - perhaps after running through about 75KG of filament. That has been my motivation to consider the UM3. Plus - I really like the idea of stacking parts and using the water soluble material between pieces and then allowing the printer to do its thing for 24 hours or so. Hopefully that's something that's practical and would allow me to place several parts and print them unattended. What remains concerning, though, is some stuff I see that makes that more challenging - like being able to detect low materials and pause print jobs. The Anycubic i3 clone does this beautifully. Otherwise - I think, based upon the comments I'm reading here, I'll take the plunge. While I'm more than capable of assembling low-cost FDM printers, I'm now looking for a work-horse and want to spend less time worrying about spaghetti jobs being created while I sleep.

Good advice. Thank you.

Thanks. That's very helpful.

Glad to hear the firmware has improved. Does the printer now detect when filament has run out and allow you to add new filament and continue printing with the hot-end returning to its last position?

Thank you.

I was really getting excited about the UM3 until I watched this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt8axoVuE9o. Now I'm not sure it's a smart investment. Maybe these and many other issues, across lots of brands and products, is the nature of FDM printing.

I have a Prusa-assembled i3 MK2 which has successfully printed hundreds of objects. However, when I've tried to be more efficient and layout the same model multiple times I've been largely unsuccessful. Sometimes I've had stringing issues and sometimes dramatic layer shift issues. Recently I experimented with Simplify3D's multi-process option where I'd attempt to print 5-10 cm in one corner, move to the next (and down) and continue printing. I carefully positioned my models so that the head assembly would never touch. Still, the Prusa had a tough time - almost as if it lost precise positioning ability going down and restarting a new layer. Add to that the fact that a firmware upgrade forces a painful (and often challenging) recalibration step - I'm thinking of moving into a new class of FDM printer. Can I expect the UM3 to have precise, repeatable accuracy across the entire printing area? If I wanted to stack multiple pieces vertically and use the water soluble material (perhaps only a few layers) between pieces am I likely to be successful? Thanks in advance for any feedback you can share. -David