Has anyone used a Type A Machines Series 1?

[eldrick 65]

Considering buying one of these. https://www.typeamachines.com/series-1-pro

Now available with Buildtak system and adaptive bed leveling.

Can anyone share experience with one of these?

[Gigi 43]

[eldrick 65]

I guess that's supposed to be funny.

[neotko 1,417]

IMO the best printer doesn't exist.

This is what I would do if I would need a new printer

Buy a BCN3D, a old model (cheaper)

Change the hotend to um2+ (TFM despite the need to be replaced allows a lot of retractions without fear to clog that full metals can't)

Change the board to Duet3D. To get wifi print, 256 microstep, and possibilityof expanding in the future (I would aim at a 4 tools using Mark2 idea)

Install ZGE on all tools.

Change Z motor to 8x8 nut.

Best printer ever. And possibly not more than 3k price. (Without counting the time to mod all)

[theintrospective 0]

As an owner of several printers, including the Type A Series 1, I can say it's a decent machine. While most machines have their problems, my experience with it has been pretty darned good, and well above most else of what I've owned. It has hands down my favorite hot-end/extruder design, and can get pretty darned hot, as it's all-metal, and is light-weight.

It's pretty reliable, and my print quality has been excellent and predicable. The only thing to note is it can develop resonance at high speeds, particularly in curved surfaces, but this hasn't been a deal-breaker.

The web interface it has built in is based on Octoprint, but the interface has been cleaned up a bit. Not a lot else to say here.

Configuration and calibration was easy, and the bed level has rarely needed adjustment.

The issues I've had were primarily with previous revisions of the gantry cables, which they revised and upgraded for me.

Here's an old timelapse of a print running on it (pay no mind to the glue build-up).

What I own/have owned, so you can get an idea of my experiences: Printrbot Metal Simple, Printrbot Play, Raise3D N2+, Type A Machines Series 1, SeeMeCNC Eris, HicTop Aluminum Prusa i3, Kodama Trinus

-Dirk R

[eldrick 65]

Thanks for the info. I just want to print, not become a printer mechanic. I've owned a Trinitylabs Aluminatus and a UM2 (now with about 6K hours on it).

I have a feeling that Series 1 Z-resonance might be solved by attaching acrylic sides to the machine, like their draft shield. I'd need to do sides and a front door for ABS anyway, and it looks easy to do on the Series 1.

I've become tired of the fussing around and upgrades the Ultimaker seems to need - the Bowden tube design seems to be the culprit, as I never had issues with underextrusion on the Aluminatus with its direct drive.

Edited May 11, 2017 by Guest

[theintrospective 0]

Thanks for the info. I just want to print, not become a printer mechanic. I've owned a Trinitylabs Aluminatus and a UM2 (now with about 6K hours on it).

I have a feeling that Series 1 Z-resonance might be solved by attaching acrylic sides to the machine, like their draft shield. I'd need to do sides and a front door for ABS anyway, and it looks easy to do on the Series 1.

I've become tired of the fussing around and upgrades the Ultimaker seems to need - the Bowden tube design seems to be the culprit, as I never had issues with underextrusion on the Aluminatus with its direct drive.

The resonance appears to be gantry-related, rather than an issue on Z. The Z on mine is pretty good, and I don't have a problem with banding at all.

Keep in mind, the newer models have a reinforced (more rigid) gantry and Z that I don't have (mine is an early model, despite it's upgrades). The open design hasn't caused headaches for me. I expected problems related to that piece of design, but it just hasn't been evident.

I've included the most extreme example I have. This was from a model printed 90 degrees to what you see in the image (hull pointing into the air). This was printed at 80mm/s, and is a 'vase mode' model.  The lines on the lower hull are not resonance, but part of the model. The noise on the fleetside is. The hull you see is about 5" tall.

The image below is what you can expect of a 0.25mm layer height printed at 60mm/s with some (pretty crappy) generic filament.

Finally, the image below shows vase mode at 60mm/s (it was a cooling comparison I did with/without). This is on the more extreme end of what you could expect. Not terrible, by any means, but it's there.

-Dirk R

Edited May 11, 2017 by Guest

[eldrick 65]

Thanks for the images - those are very nice prints. They appear to be more consistent than I have been able to do with the UM2.