A Sad Used Monoprice 3DP...

[Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!]

...at least I believe it's a Monoprice.

So, this woman is an artist - and she connected with me online. Been doing a ton of emails over like 3 weeks time. She's an older artist - her and her hubby do maker stuff with a CNC and a big vinyl cutter unit. Seems she had a friend that wanted to get rid of this printer. No Wonder - cause it's in TERRIBLE Shape. So many connecting wires were not connected - as you can see here:


And, in the next pic - the 2 horizontal guide rides - the bottom one was literally NOT In place on one side - and things were kinda Dangling. I DID manage to slide it over and it went into the hole. But, I know that's not the real fix:


Even the wire cable guides are either busted - or just came apart:


So, the question is - is it even worth it for them to try and fix up this printer? OR - throw it out - and get a basic Ender3 at Microcenter when they go on sale? Since, when they ARE on sale - I know they can be had for like $99!

-K

[Sean]

I would say that it depends on how much you are going to charge them for repairs.

Given that this actually has bearing and rods as a motion system, and a direct drive extruder. In my opinion it would be better than an ender in the long run. 

I would do a quick once over connecting what needs connecting just doing enough to do a basic functions test. If the basics check out with minimal parts replacement. Give'r a tune up, I think it'd be a decent machine to get their feet wet. With it being a bed slinger and slow. They'll want to upgrade to something more modern fairly quick. 

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[Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!]

It's funny - in regards to what you stated. Because - it very much reminded me of a thought that I had many, MANY Moons ago - back when JetGuy was active in the forums. The idea I had was to start a consulting group, a group of folks spread across the USA - who would be consultants for 3D Printing. Essentially available for repair, guidance and maybe quick tutorials on how to get jump started in 3D Printing. But, I never got the concept off the ground and running with it - so - it remained just an idea...

As for these folks - I actually had to plan to help them with the printer. They wanted me to look at it - and see if it was viable to use. Honestly, it looked like it was in such VERY SAD Shape - I thought folks in the forum would say - just Throw it away and don't bother trying to fix it. 

That being said - what you stated was not a bad idea. In fact, I should have told them to bring it to my place, I could have then done as you suggested - connect it together and see if it's in a basic running condition. I may, however, head on down to them - to their place - and see if I could quickly put it together and make it operate. Honestly though - the gal is Struggling to find work - and seems they are NOT in a position to pay to get it repaired. And, initially - I was just going to give them some feedback - like feedback from the forum here. 

I may suggest that they try to plug in the wires and see if it will actually boot up...

Thanks for your Speedy Input!

-K

[Kurt Gluck]

I have this printer.   I bouht my son a Makerbot, and he later bought a couple of other printers (latest was his makergear m2 which I am baby sitting as he has small children).  Anyway my cousin got into 3d printing along the way (he was an architect) and he bought a Monoprice iiip.    He sent it back due to an issue and by the time they replaced it he had moved on to more expensive/better machines - so it sat in a box for a long while.  So for my 60th birthday (7 years ago) just around when he found out he had cancer he gave it to me new in the box.   

I printed some stuff with it, fought its horrible bed leveling, added a raspberry pi with octoprint - had octoprint tell me that the firmware is not safe, no thermal runaway protection.   Found that in order to update the firmware I would have to do real above and beyond stuff.  

Played with it, through the pandemic, ordered the XL when it was anounced, waited till Dec 2023 to complete my 5TH XL order. 

The best thing about the Monoprice 3p is it makes me appreciate the XL. 

While I use my sons makergear M2 when the XL is busy and I want something else - I have not turned the Monoprice on since the XL.  

Kurt-A

[Kurt]

Oh Snap - now my Doppelgänger admits to doing 3D Printing a lot longer than I thought!!!

More feedback in a bit - and thanks for your reply and your feedback Sir!

-K

[mike.h...@gmail.com]

Looks like a Monoprice IIIP, which really is just a copy of a Wanahoo Duplicator i3
It means it is coming up to 10 years old now, and while it might have been decent low cost printer at the time, any modern 3D printer will be miles ahead, especially for a beginner.

To see how old it is, look how young Joel looks in his review video ;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqGs5lPgUzQ

If it can be resurrected just by a good clean, it might be worth giving it a try, but if any parts need replacing, you are quickly throwing good money after bad money. Best use would be to use some of the working parts for other electronics projects for somebody whop wants to tinker and build something.

I.e a used Bamboo A1 mini, which can be found for very little money would give a beginner much better experience from day one.

[Kurt]

I'm looking at the video right now - as I eat me some lunch. I don't know - Joel looks about the same - but, I guess he does look a little younger...

If funny - his older video is not as clean - you can clearly see the cuts in the produced video. 

Ironically - My other printer at my place is actually a WanHao Duplicator-6. 

-K

[Kurt Gluck]

I said I know little, I didn't say that I learn fast :-) 

[Bryan Eckert]

Watching this video:

"This socket now has a cover on it. Complain about something else"

"Also, there is a camera here. It will show the unboxing"

Camera pointed right at a junction box cover dangling off the other wall lmao

On Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at 11:37:47 AM UTC-4 mike.h...@gmail.com wrote: