UM3 vs Prusa

[OOC 2]

Hello all,

 

I am looking to get another printer. Currently I have a Prusa i3 MK2. I am still very new to printing. So far I haven’t had the best of luck with the Prusa.

 

Can someone tell me what I would gain or what would be the difference between the two and what benefits I would gain with going with a UM3.

So far all the videos I have watched on the UM3 have been great. I currently have the money to purchase one but before I pay the money I thought I would try to get some input from people who use this machine.

 

Thank you for your time

[kmanstudios 1,120]

I cannot give a comparative experience to you as I am new to 3D printing meself with only a year under my belt and only on the UM3X. BUt so far, I love my printer and have purchased a second one.

[OOC 2]

How well does the support feature work because I am really interested in getting involved in that.

[kcel 11]

24 minutes ago, OOC said:

How well does the support feature work because I am really interested in getting involved in that.

 

Supports work very well.  One of the reasons I got my UM3E was for handling some prints where I wanted supports.   I've worked with both PVA and Breakaway and they both work nicely.  One thing to be aware of is that not all support materials work with all print materials.  The Ultimaker material resource guide (https://ultimaker.com/en/resources/manuals/materials) is a useful starting point to know what is possible (though I'm sure it's possible to push beyond the boundaries mentioned in the guide).

 

9 hours ago, OOC said:

So far I haven’t had the best of luck with the Prusa.

 

I have a Prusa as well.   It's a very good machine.  I'm curious what issues your having.

 

Something to keep in mind:  There is no magical 3D printer that just magically prints without issue.  They all present a learning curve, they all  have issues, even an expensive beast like an Ultimaker.   So if your having trouble printing with the Prusa, you might run into issues with the Ultimaker that frustrate you as well.

 

Having said that, once you  learn how to work your printer, they will serve you well.  Despite the few frustrations I've had with my Ultimaker I like it very much and it is my 'go-to' machine for many prints.

 

 

[OOC 2]

Kcel,

 

Thank you very much for the guide and the information.

 

The issue I’m having with the Prusa is the print laying down properly on the bed. I have been trough many hours of their tech support and still have not been able to fix it. It also lays out spiderweb looking strings as it travels. I have calibrated this thing so many times and have basically done everything they have asked of me to do for the past 6 months. I hear you when you say there is a learning curve, but when their own support cant seem to fix it either then I’m inclined to think there is something else going on. At this point I want them to take this machine back.

 

This is why i was looking at getting the UM3X. Everything i read says its a very stable printer with minimal error and is user friendly. My son is 14 years old and he is showing a big interest in 3D printing and modeling, so I’m really wanting to support this. The problem is , every time we go to print something, it comes out really really bad. I can give the same file to my friend who used a Makerbot and his comes out really well.

 

My only concern is that the UM3X is expensive and I’m ok with that as long as the machine itself is a really good machine and not just some over priced piece of metal. We really want to get into printing Carbon Fiber and Nylon. When we called Ultimaker they said that would not be an issue and their machine can print it with no issues.

 

Sorry for the long winded response. Just trying to put it all out there on the table.

 

Thank you for your time

[kmanstudios 1,120]

It is possible you just got a bad build on the Prusa. It can happen with any machine. The only thing you will need to do with the UM3 series is get a 3D Solex with hard nozzle to print Carbon Fibre. The standard brass nozzles will not hold up to those materials.

 

My UM3X;s have been bullet proof with the biggest obstacle being user error many times.....just something goofy I have done. There have been a few glitches in one  thing or another mechanical but easily sorted through the US support. I do not knpow whre you are, but if in the USA, FBRC8 and @fbrc8-erin have been really good at sussing out the issues.

[kcel 11]

I concur with @kmanstudios

 

The only issue I've had with my UM3X is related to build plate levelling.  The active-levelling feature can get itself out-of-whack from time to time and you need to do a manual level.  Once you do that a couple of times its easy sailing.

 

And yes, you'll need a 3D Solex for any abrasive materials like carbon fibre, or metal fill materials.  The nice thing with the Solex is you can swap the nozzles with various types and sizes.

[OOC 2]

Awesome,

 

Thank you both for the reply. I am in the US. Thank you both for the tips and advice.

Yeah, I am just having no luck with this Prusa. Who knows maybe its still me. At this point I just want to create stuff and start learning and do the same with my son. I figure if I start him now, he will have a head start, if this is something he will try to use later on in life.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

33 minutes ago, OOC said:

Awesome,

 

Thank you both for the reply. I am in the US. Thank you both for the tips and advice.

Yeah, I am just having no luck with this Prusa. Who knows maybe its still me. At this point I just want to create stuff and start learning and do the same with my son. I figure if I start him now, he will have a head start, if this is something he will try to use later on in life.

It is a salient technology to become familiar with. It will become a thing of the future the same way that computers did. And, there are several disciplines to explore through the 3D printing process itself.

I can say this: While I have aptitudes with some things, I know that unfamiliar tech can be quite frustrating. And my personal experience has been very positive. Enough tinkering to learn from, but not so much to be annoying. And, my first UM3X has been running over a full year with very little 'off' time. I mean 'off' literally as in, not powered down. There have been maintenance things to do, manual leveling, as @kcel mentioned due to mechanical drift and nozzle and core maintenance. Things like that. But, I do not think in the last year that the printer has been in 'non print mode' for mare than a total of a few days when accumulating all the maintenance and times I got up and just powered it down due to being too tired to start a new print.....you know...it is done with one, and wait until I get sleep to focus enough to actually get a new one started properly.

 

I wish you good luck and you have a great community here to get info from. And, FBRC8 is a great company to deal with. Rock solid on the support and info.

[OOC 2]

Thank you all very much for the information. I greatly appreciate it.