Buying another Replicator 1... here's why.... - MakerBot Operators

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Message from discussion Buying another Replicator 1... here's why....
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2012 22:50:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: Elbot <tomasre...@gmail.com>
To: makerbot@googlegroups.com
Message-Id: <8cde3b7a-9e6f-43cd-bad4-be83f14d77c8@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Buying another Replicator 1... here's why....
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Okay, shopped around for a bit for a 2nd 3d printer and I was hoping I 
could find something better, but could not find anything better; 

1. Leapfrog Creatr; great metal bot, no more plywood box. Great dual 
extruder. Great spring loaded ball bearing extruder, no more crummy delrin 
plunger. Also, slic3r now actually works with dual extruder since Sept 28! 
HOWEVER, documentation on their website is sparse. It says to install 
arduino driver. They use the arduino mega, BUT the arduino website has 
instructions for the uno, *Duemilanove<http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardDuemilanove>, 
Nano <http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardNano>, or Diecimila<http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardDiecimila>
,* but NO mega?! User friendly instructions FAIL. Why didn't the Leapfrog 
website have their own step by step instructions posted instead of just 
posting a link to the arduino website and then abandoning you? Telephone 
tech support, but you have to dial long distance to the Netherlands. They 
ALL speak fluent English, though. so, I'm really impressed by that. If the 
reverse were true and someone in another country call an American business, 
I doubt that we'll be able to speak their language. I called and spoke with 
them. They're really helpful. If they improve their website documentation, 
then they would have a product that I'd buy and prefer over the makerbot 
replicator. 
*
*2. Japica Print2bot; great dual extruder, great spring loaded ball bearing 
extruder, no more crummy delrin plunger. Also, platform is held more 
securely so no sagging. No more plastic z platform that sags after heating. 
Inexpensive, too, just $1300 for a dual extruder with heated bed. However, 
the software install instructions might as well be from Mars. I am not a 
pro computer programmer nor am I an EE. Again, fail. Software and install 
instructions on github is not understandable by a non-pro programmer. I 
almost pulled the trigger and bought the Japica Print2bot. NO telephone 
tech support. Email only. For as technically a complicated piece of 
experimental technology, it would be pure madness for a layman to buy 
something this complex without telephone tech support.

3. Printrbot. Has a great installer package that installs as one file 
pronterface and slic3r, but no dual extrusion support. Has a single 
extruder kit for $700. It even has a large 8x8x8 in build envelope. Also, 
no telephone tech support. 

4. Replicator 2; no dual extrusion support. 

Winner, winner chicken dinner is....
5. Replicator 1; dual extrusion. Almost user friendly software. They've 
packaged all the software dependencies into one file except for Python. 
ReplicatorG has very detailed documentation for the Windows version and is 
easy to install. I tried Makerware and it is even easier to install and 
even more user friendly, BUT no support for dual extrusion. So, hurry and 
buy your Replicator 1 before they discontinue it and you'd have to shell 
out a lot more money for the Replicator 2X. 

6. I backed the print2file software, the kickstarter project and I hope 
that it will be easy to install and use with just about any 3d printer, 
just like they claim. If so, then I can just concentrate on choosing the 
printer with the best hardware and not worry about software user 
friendliness and ease of  installation. However, their software is not 
ready yet so, for now, the ONLY 3d printer for me would be the Replicator 
1. I have my complaints about the Replicator 1 BUT even with its faults, I 
love it and would not trade it for any other 3d printer. My 2nd 3d printer 
that I'm buying is another Replicator 1. I use their ticket system for tech 
support but occasionally when their technician cannot help me or is 
misunderstanding me on the ticketing system, then I'll call them by phone 
and they are super helpful. 

I am a layman and if you're a computer super geek or an experienced 
reprapper, then you'd probably disagree. However, with the decrease in 
prices of 3d printers as a pre-assembled unit, not as a kit, it wont be 
long until most users of 3d printers are laypersons with little to no 
technical knowledge, just like me.....



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Okay, shopped around for a bit for a 2nd 3d printer and I was hoping I coul=
d find something better, but could not find anything better; <br><br>1. Lea=
pfrog Creatr; great metal bot, no more plywood box. Great dual extruder. Gr=
eat spring loaded ball bearing extruder, no more crummy delrin plunger. Als=
o, slic3r now actually works with dual extruder since Sept 28! HOWEVER, doc=
umentation on their website is sparse. It says to install arduino driver. T=
hey use the arduino mega, BUT the arduino website has instructions for the =
uno, <strong><a class=3D"wikilink" href=3D"http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Arduin=
oBoardDuemilanove">Duemilanove</a>, <a class=3D"wikilink" href=3D"http://ar=
duino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardNano">Nano</a>, or <a class=3D"wikilink" href=
=3D"http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardDiecimila">Diecimila</a>,</strong=
> but NO mega?! User friendly instructions FAIL. Why didn't the Leapfrog we=
bsite have their own step by step instructions posted instead of just posti=
ng a link to the arduino website and then abandoning you? Telephone tech su=
pport, but you have to dial long distance to the Netherlands. They ALL spea=
k fluent English, though. so, I'm really impressed by that. If the reverse =
were true and someone in another country call an American business, I doubt=
 that we'll be able to speak their language. I called and spoke with them. =
They're really helpful. If they improve their website documentation, then t=
hey would have a product that I'd buy and prefer over the makerbot replicat=
or. <br><strong><br></strong>2. Japica Print2bot; great dual extruder, grea=
t spring loaded ball bearing extruder, no more crummy delrin plunger. Also,=
 platform is held more securely so no sagging. No more plastic z platform t=
hat sags after heating. Inexpensive, too, just $1300 for a dual extruder wi=
th heated bed. However, the software install instructions might as well be =
from Mars. I am not a pro computer programmer nor am I an EE. Again, fail. =
Software and install instructions on github is not understandable by a non-=
pro programmer. I almost pulled the trigger and bought the Japica Print2bot=
. NO telephone tech support. Email only. For as technically a complicated p=
iece of experimental technology, it would be pure madness for a layman to b=
uy something this complex without telephone tech support.<br><br>3. Printrb=
ot. Has a great installer package that installs as one file pronterface and=
 slic3r, but no dual extrusion support. Has a single extruder kit for $700.=
 It even has a large 8x8x8 in build envelope. Also, no telephone tech suppo=
rt. <br><br>4. Replicator 2; no dual extrusion support. <br><br>Winner, win=
ner chicken dinner is....<br>5. Replicator 1; dual extrusion. Almost user f=
riendly software. They've packaged all the software dependencies into one f=
ile except for Python. ReplicatorG has very detailed documentation for the =
Windows version and is easy to install. I tried Makerware and it is even ea=
sier to install and even more user friendly, BUT no support for dual extrus=
ion. So, hurry and buy your Replicator 1 before they discontinue it and you=
'd have to shell out a lot more money for the Replicator 2X. <br><br>6. I b=
acked the print2file software, the kickstarter project and I hope that it w=
ill be easy to install and use with just about any 3d printer, just like th=
ey claim. If so, then I can just concentrate on choosing the printer with t=
he best hardware and not worry about software user friendliness and ease of=
&nbsp; installation. However, their software is not ready yet so, for now, =
the ONLY 3d printer for me would be the Replicator 1. I have my complaints =
about the Replicator 1 BUT even with its faults, I love it and would not tr=
ade it for any other 3d printer. My 2nd 3d printer that I'm buying is anoth=
er Replicator 1. I use their ticket system for tech support but occasionall=
y when their technician cannot help me or is misunderstanding me on the tic=
keting system, then I'll call them by phone and they are super helpful. <br=
><br>I am a layman and if you're a computer super geek or an experienced re=
prapper, then you'd probably disagree. However, with the decrease in prices=
 of 3d printers as a pre-assembled unit, not as a kit, it wont be long unti=
l most users of 3d printers are laypersons with little to no technical know=
ledge, just like me.....<br><br><br>
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