Hi @kawolski144,
Welcome in here.
There is something that is not said in here, so I'll just say this, -you should newer be worry of finding spare parts for an UM2+..
Lots of the "wear and tear" parts is standard parts that's very easy to find.
But the real truth is that all the parts is very well described in design and drawings (stl files) as open sources for this series of Ultimaker printers.
Thanks
Torgeir
4 hours ago, UbuntuBirdy said:Of course, but they (most of them) cost a lot less money...
If I have to pay 2500.- for a new printer or 1000.-, that makes a big difference. But if I have to pay 750.- for an upgrade, I would choose the more expensive printer if it is upgradeable. And this is exactly what I thought I was getting when I decided to choose an Ultimaker 2+...
Do not get me wrong, I really love my UM2+ and in my opinion it is still one of the best printers on the market. But I'm feeling like UMO and UM2 users have been forgotten (or even ignored)... And that is why I'm so disappointed of Ultimaker. And it seems I'm not the only one...
FWIW there are quite a few upgrades available for the UM2, just depends on what you’re looking for. Not necessarily provided by Ultimaker, but through the active community here.
I have two UM2+, I love them as well. Rock solid printers. One is completely stock, the other has been upgraded with the Mark2 Dual Extrusion upgrade (a community project), Bondtech Extruder, Webcam and Octoprint. So I think it has most of the capability of the UM2+ Connect (if not more due to dual extrusion) it’s just not as streamlined because it’s not integrated with Cura Digital Factory, etc.
Edited by dfrezYou are totally right! And hey, I'm an engineer, I can build my own printer! In fact I can build almost anything by my own - but I have not the time to do so. And that's the reason why I decided to buy and not to build a 3d printer. And the reason why it's an Ultimaker, I wrote in my last post.
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I my opinion the upgrade would not need to cover the face plate ext it's only the network connection that is really missing in the UM2+
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On 11/23/2020 at 11:36 AM, Dreamss said:I my opinion the upgrade would not need to cover the face plate ext it's only the network connection that is really missing in the UM2+
I'm not familiar with solutions like Octoprint, but those create a form of network conectivity. What are you missing from those solutions that you would expect from an Ultimaker solution to include?
On 11/25/2020 at 10:03 PM, CarloK said:I'm not familiar with solutions like Octoprint, but those create a form of network conectivity. What are you missing from those solutions that you would expect from an Ultimaker solution to include?
No extra Raspberry Pi! No extra PSU! No extra firmware and keep it up to date! No extra "company" to ask questions if having problems! No extra I don't know what, but I'm sure there is more...
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1 hour ago, UbuntuBirdy said:No extra Raspberry Pi! No extra PSU! No extra firmware and keep it up to date! No extra "company" to ask questions if having problems! No extra I don't know what, but I'm sure there is more...
Exactly. I would like the streamlined and clean, “all in one” aspect of it.
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I agree with the above, I am sure it could be done with a usb network card and the memory card in the sd-reader as storage. The bord in the machine should be capable to handle the rest. This way all the old UM2+ could still work and get support for firmware upgrade network printing etc. I have tried octaprint and don't fell i get the same result when printing, might be a bad config on my part but as this now is part of other printers. I am sure you already have 90% of the software in place and I would pay for the upgrade to not have to bother with a second device and a solid experience.
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Thanks everyone for contributing. I don't think anyone is denying that an affordable upgrade kit for an Ultimaker 2+ to bring it to a similar level as the Ultimaker 2+ Connect wouldn't be appreciated by its users. But I think you might be underestimating the complexities of making such an upgrade, regardless if it is hardware or mostly software. To build it and support the different Ultimaker 2 [...] variations it would generate which all need to be maintained, tested and supported with future (software/firmware) updates. So, while we do understand that it would be appreciated, we can only spend our time once (just like anyone else) and we have to be cautious what to spend it on. We estimated that we could be more impactful dedicating our time on other innovations.
Also considering the fact that alternative solutions exist (like 3DprinterOS), which is indeed not an Ultimaker product, but does cover some of the functionality and I think most people who needed the connectivity weren't waiting for us to develop an upgrade kit, but used the potential of an open source product and managed to find their way.
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I can't and won't accept that because it's not the whole truth.
But it is Ultimaker's decision and accordingly I no longer choose Ultimaker (and I will no longer recommend these products because I can no longer do it with a clear conscience).
If the UM2+ should have been upgraded, the UM2+C would only have had to be developed accordingly. Obviously it wasn't lucrative enough ...
Long live the UM2+, the last true Ultimaker printer!
1 minute ago, UbuntuBirdy said:Obviously it wasn't lucrative enough ...
That is what I said, in a few more words. Let's not forget, Ultimaker is a company and we need to be lucrative otherwise we cease to exist. We try to do this while staying as close with our customers as possible, but that doesn't mean we can do everything. I think this forum and the community as a whole proves among other things, that we like to stay close to our customers and that we listen to them. Even our developers are directly engaged with our customers.
So as I said and you concluded, somewhat alternative products exist and it would take a lot of resources to develop and maintain an upgrade kit. Which makes it not lucrative indeed. And the resources spend on it would be lost on other innovations. Maybe it is me, but to me that sounds like valid reasoning.
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1 minute ago, SandervG said:
That is what I said, in a few more words. Let's not forget, Ultimaker is a company and we need to be lucrative otherwise we cease to exist. We try to do this while staying as close with our customers as possible, but that doesn't mean we can do everything. I think this forum and the community as a whole proves among other things, that we like to stay close to our customers and that we listen to them. Even our developers are directly engaged with our customers.
So as I said and you concluded, somewhat alternative products exist and it would take a lot of resources to develop and maintain an upgrade kit. Which makes it not lucrative indeed. And the resources spend on it would be lost on other innovations. Maybe it is me, but to me that sounds like valid reasoning.
Thank you so much! This is what we (UM2+ owner) needed to know! There will not be an upgrade for our printer an we can invest the reserved money for other products.
1 minute ago, UbuntuBirdy said:Thank you so much! This is what we (UM2+ owner) needed to know! There will not be an upgrade for our printer an we can invest the reserved money for other products.
Without any intentions of keeping you on a leash, I am specifically talking about this upgrade. I can not look into the future so I do not know what will, or will not be released for our Ultimaker 2+ user base.
Just now, SandervG said:
Without any intentions of keeping you on a leash, I am specifically talking about this upgrade. I can not look into the future so I do not know what will, or will not be released for our Ultimaker 2+ user base.
It is simple to look into the future: an upgrade for the UM2+ would never be more lucrative than now. The development of new technologies will go on and the compatibility to older products will disappear more and more...
So, if not yet - then never (ok, perhaps for a retro version in 25 years, but I will not wait for such a long time).
Hope dies last - but you killed it ... 😉 And I am grateful to you for killing it! The disappointment is still there, but you have calmed the anger...
Well, any further discussion would only be speculation, and that probably won't lead to anything. Something could easily become more lucrative if the investment would be significantly less to develop. Time will tell. Ok, well, I'm glad I could help. ... I guess? 😉
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Just now, SandervG said:Ok, well, I'm glad I could help. ... I guess? 😉
In deed, you did!
Im also a long-time owner of an Ultimaker 2 that I upgraded to the 2+. I was immediately excited when I heard about the connect and then disappointed that there wont be an upgrade path. Perhaps it should have been named something different or even a limited upgrade would have been appreciated. Just my initial thoughts.
The name certainly makes a big difference.
I can't remember a single post where somebody grumbled with a UM3 when the S3 was launched that he wouldn't get an upgrade kit.
But I generally do not understand the excitement. I think if someone wants to connect his printer to the network, he has done so for a long time with Octoprint or other solutions. So the added value with an upgrade kit would be very small and then the next ones would come and say that a Raspberry with Octoprint only costs a fraction of the upgrade kit.
4 minutes ago, Smithy said:The name certainly makes a big difference.
I can't remember a single post where somebody grumbled with a UM3 when the S3 was launched that he wouldn't get an upgrade kit.
But I generally do not understand the excitement. I think if someone wants to connect his printer to the network, he has done so for a long time with Octoprint or other solutions. So the added value with an upgrade kit would be very small and then the next ones would come and say that a Raspberry with Octoprint only costs a fraction of the upgrade kit.
Do you know anything about process optimization? A solution with an UM printer and Octoprint is far away from a so called "safe process". It's safety - it's comfort - it's life quality! Oh, I wish I was unknowing and could be satisfied with Octoprint... (not that Octoprint isn't a brilliant product...)
Personally I have not issues with Octoprint, I use it frequently with my UM2+ and the UM2Go.
Don't get me wrong, I'm totally sure that Octoprint is a brilliant Thing and I do not expect any issues while using it. But a combination of an UM printer and Octoprint has way more possibilities for problems than a solution like the UM2+ where it's all from one supplier. And that's why the Octoprint solution is not a safe process.
But you're right, since I'm not expecting any upgrade ever for the UM2+ (SandervG, you killed my hope! 😉 ) I will go with Octoprint. But perhaps with an DIY PCB... That's also not a safe process, but I can make it "a bit safer" than with the original PCB... But this is only an idea for the future...
Octoprint is just one way to connect a printer to a network. I haven't tried anything else, because I am lazy per definition 🙂 and just took an unused Raspi and put the Octoprint image on it and never looked for other solutions. In combination with the Octoprint plugin in Cura, there is no big difference in my workflow. The biggest difference is that you have to double check that you have removed the previous print from the build plate before you send the next, because there is no confirmation to click before you send the next one.
16 minutes ago, Smithy said:...because I am lazy per definition 🙂
Me too - another reason for an UM2+ solution (one system) and against Octoprint (two systems)...
But hey, I've allready found a very promising variant for using Octoprint (Raspberry Pi with appropriate HAT) without a PCB in the printer...
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dfrez
As the owner of two UM2+, I find it admirable that Ultimaker is improving their older models instead of just leaving them in the dust, lol. Any chance of making a retrofit kit to make older UM2's comp
SandervG
That is what I said, in a few more words. Let's not forget, Ultimaker is a company and we need to be lucrative otherwise we cease to exist. We try to do this while staying as close with our customers
SandervG
And there is also a different Z stage. All things considered, where it made sense to enable an upgrade from UM2 to an UM2+, upgrading to an UM2+C doesn't make sense. It would have been really cool tho
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UbuntuBirdy 56
Of course, but they (most of them) cost a lot less money...
If I have to pay 2500.- for a new printer or 1000.-, that makes a big difference. But if I have to pay 750.- for an upgrade, I would choose the more expensive printer if it is upgradeable. And this is exactly what I thought I was getting when I decided to choose an Ultimaker 2+...
Do not get me wrong, I really love my UM2+ and in my opinion it is still one of the best printers on the market. But I'm feeling like UMO and UM2 users have been forgotten (or even ignored)... And that is why I'm so disappointed of Ultimaker. And it seems I'm not the only one...
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