First post. Looking around for information

[NTwoO 8]

Hi, I just joined the community to check out some tips and tricks for the Ultimaker printers. In the past I looked at the printers, but never dived into buying one. My only additive production tool is an AC/DC TIG welder. Since recently, though, I've been considering buying myself a 3D printer. The units of Ultimaker look like decent units and since I want to print stuff and not print parts for my 3D printer, a more complete and functional unit certainly makes sense.  Since I'm based in the Netherlands, the supply of second hand Ultimakers look to be quit decent. 

 

Some questions have arised so far in my seach:

• Is an older 3 with high work time and multiple (relatively new) nozzles a better buy than a 2+ with low mileage?
• What are the advantages of spending more on an S3 or a newer 2+?
• What does a second hand Ultimaker offer over a new Bambulabs X1 Carbon or similar printer?
• How do these two compare over a couple of years?

 

[gr5 2,230]

Get the UM2+.  Fantastic work horse.  Even if it has 5000 hours on it, at the worst it will just need a few cheap parts to get it working like new.

 

If you will be designing your own parts and if regular strong plastic (but can't withstand over 52C) are good enough then get the UM2+. 

 

If you will be printing a lot of nylon (not stronger exactly but more flexible so it's tough as hell - you can typically drive a car over it), or if you aren't designing the parts yourself, or if you really really need dissolvable support then get the UM3 but I'd start with a UM2+ to understand the amazing things you can do with it.

 

If you want to save even more money use this as your guide:

https://www.reddit.com/user/richie225/comments/rnillw/generic_fdm_printer_recommendations_2022/

 

[NTwoO 8]

Thanks for the response! Are there specific things to pay attention to with older models? Are there other advantages with a 3 such as rigidity or better quality parts that could make it worth while?

[gr5 2,230]

UM2 is going to give you better print quality because of the light weight head.

 

UM2 is very easy and cheap to repair if anything is broken.  Most of the parts will last "forever".  The parts that don't are cheap.  the most common part to fail is the teflon isolator which is a white part a bit above the nozzle.  You should change that every 200-600 hours of use anyway.  It's about 20 euros from Ultimaker.  The belts can go bad but 95% of printers never print enough parts to wear out the belts.  Belts are also very cheap.

 

Do you know what kinds of parts you are going to print?  Most people guess wrong so maybe I shouldn't even ask.

[NTwoO 8]

Thanks, man! I'll look into a 2+ with low mileage.

[gr5 2,230]

On the 2+ you can go in through the menu system and it reports how many hours it printed and how many meters of filament it printed.

[NTwoO 8]

I ended up getting a virtually unused 3 with 3 extra hot ends for the price of a low hour 2+. Seeing that I will need ABS for higher temp usage I also bought a climate chamber for very little. The printer works great! I'm very happy

[gr5 2,230]

I hate ABS.  Smells nasty.  There are better materials.  If you need the higher temperature then maybe nGen or PETG is good enough.  Why do you want ABS?  Is it for the higher temperatures?  There are alternatives that are stronger and easier to print.

[Phil0110 0]

Generally, an older 3 with high work time and multiple (relatively new) nozzles may not necessarily be a better buy than a 2+ with low mileage. The work time of the printer does not necessarily affect its print quality, but it may affect its reliability and maintenance needs. It's important to check the condition of the printer and its components, such as the bed, belts, and bearings, to ensure that they are in good condition. In terms of the nozzles, having multiple nozzles can be advantageous for printing with different materials or achieving different levels of detail, but it's important to check their condition as well.

[NTwoO 8]

That was my thought as well. Luckily I found a comfortably priced 3 with virtually no hours on it and a bag of extra nozzles. Me be happy!

[NTwoO 8]

Got to say. The printer has been running quite intensively since I bought it. The biggest problem was some older filament I bought for cheap (well, cheap...). Having dual extrusion is very handy and I use it often. Printing with support or the interlocking of the new Cura are all very handy. The features that the 3 offer over the 2 are used often. The reliability a proper second hand unit with low mileage offers over an cheap ass new machine is just awesome!