Replicator 2 top complaints?

[Crystal Butler]

Hey all,

Since purchasing my own Rep 2, I've been loosely following all the technical issues plaguing the machine and trying to keep my own running smoothly, with mixed results.

Just now the New York Times ran an article featuring our hackerspace, Hack Manhattan, as part of an article on 3D printing: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/garden/the-3-d-printer-may-be-the-home-appliance-of-the-future.html?_r=0

There is a mention of the fact that my Rep2 was non-operational when the Times visited. I've since been put in touch with a couple of service personnel at Makerbot, and would like some opinions as to the top issues with the Replicator 2 before I speak with them, so I can tell whether my problems are typical and also to point out issues that are most ubiquitous. 

Anyone have a top 5 (or so) complaints from the Google group worth sharing?

--Crystal

[Eighty]

They'd be the obvious ones:

1.)  Unreliable extruder design (delrin plunger)

2.)  Warped acrylic build plates (should have been glass)

3.)  QA/QC issues with construction or packaging (loose bolts/screws, misaligned gantries, improperly installed parts, etc.)

4.)  Support staff being completely overwhelmed, unable to respond in a reaonable time frame

5.)  Beta (more like Alpha) software to go with the printer.  People have to fall back to RepG, which doesn't appear to be MBI's intent. 

[David Kessner]

The #1 complaint is that MBI advertised the Rep2 as being somewhat easy and reliable to use-- not as fiddly as previous makerbots.  I don't actually see that wording on their website anymore so either I am making this up or they changed their website.  But this has led to the impression that the Rep2 is a solid printer that will work out of the box, and this just isn't so.  The other complaints about the Rep2 would not be as "strong" were it not for this impression.  

#2:  The extruder is junk.  It is badly designed and should have never been put into production.  Fortunately there are printable replacements.

#3:  The acrylic build platform warps easily, or even comes from MBI warped.

#4:  The cable to the X-Axis stepper motor breaks easily due to a design flaw.

#5:  The software, both Makerware and the Rep2 Firmware, is sub-standard.

#6:  Makerbots used to be open source on both hardware and software.  I don't really have this complaint, but some people do.

-David K

[Eighty]

Crystal,

For what it's worth, the people at MakerBot (at least, Melody the moderator) read this forum.  I'm sure they're aware of the common complaints.  Whether they're addressing the complaints, on the other hand, is anyone's guess.  The new model (Replicator 2X) appears to have solved the extruder issue.  And since they're using a heated bed, the acrylic plate warping won't be an issue. 

[da...@4-safety.com]

Same things I have had from day one, Sad

[Steve]

JetGuy:

Is there a simple fix for the X stepper Cable shorting problem you mentioned. If this is going to be a point of failure

then I would like to find a solution.

On Thursday, February 21, 2013 11:33:49 AM UTC-8, Jetguy wrote:

#1 that is a huge problem is the stepper cable for X failing. This is
clearly a bad design and even worse manufacturing issue. The problem
is, they used the same plastic parts from the replicator, then they
changes to using thing ribbon cables so they needed to make up the gap
and did so with cheap sharp steel rollpins. The tech putting them
together jams this sharp metal against the cable and we expect it to
not short out. Basically, a garanteed failure point on every machine
sold. It's not IF, it's when.

#2 is warped beds which cause endless headaches. This is because the
user first can't get parts to stick to the bed, so they keep making it
closer to the nozzle which causes backpressure and feed issues with
the weak plunger system. Then, if you bake PLA long enough in the
nozzle without extruding, it breaks down and clogs the nozzle so it
will never extrude. So this single problem-bed plate warped, exposes
many other weaknesses of the machine.

#3 is the plungeer whihc would barely work as logn as everything else
is "perfect". If anything else causes higher than normal extrusion
pressure, then you will fail to feed. It also wears out rather
quickly.

#4 is temperature sensor issues. This is just another poor assembly
area and combination of bad design. Other bots smartly use a remote
thermocouple amplifier at the head and good wires rated to flex back
down to the motherboard. Thermocouples must be solid wire by the way
they are made, but solid wire is not meant to take constant flexing,
only stranded wire is. Competitors got this area right, Makerbot just
carried over the same crap design from the T-O-M days.

As you can see, items 2-4 are all related and cause the common failure
to extrude.

On Feb 21, 2:15 pm, Crystal Butler <crys...@superluckycat.com> wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> Since purchasing my own Rep 2, I've been loosely following all the
> technical issues plaguing the machine and trying to keep my own running
> smoothly, with mixed results.
>
> Just now the New York Times ran an article featuring our hackerspace, Hack

> Manhattan, as part of an article on 3D printing:http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/garden/the-3-d-printer-may-be-the-h...

[Pascal POECK]

Personnaly had ALL of the issues related here. 

1) Extruder problems

2) X-Axis stepper motor breaks

3) Acrylic build platform warps

4) Issues with construction or packaging

and now it's temperature sensor issues that I need to fix...

Could fix almost all of them thank's to this group and not to MBI support which is not reachable from Europe.

I agree to pay twice the price than in US because they sell it as Plug & Play and shows a lot of amazing picture on their website... but try to print one of them without any modification... IMPOSSIBLE. 

But wen it's done (and when you have lost your guarantee according my reseller) it's really amazing what you can do with it ;)

Le jeudi 21 février 2013 23:30:27 UTC+1, Wingcommander whpthomas a écrit :

Is there a simple fix for the X stepper Cable shorting problem you mentioned. If this is going to be a point of failure

then I would like to find a solution.

I posted some instructions here https://groups.google.com/d/msg/makerbot/0reFv3QO42g/FlT5LRh9VgMJ on how to use a simple zip tie to replace the steel pin and also act as a strain relief on the cable, which bends back and forth in one place more than I believe it should.

[ddurant]

> My biggest complaint is that it doesn't seem like MBI is listening

 

Why should they?

 

They're selling these boxes as fast as they can make them, possibly even faster. The problems are of the same sort that have been torturing MBI users for years but they still out-sell everybody else and people, even people who've been been burned before, keep sending them money.

 

You (and me and many others) think that they should be making the best machine possible but if their sales are through the roof with what's arguably a very over-priced mediocre design, what business sense does it make to change?

 

~6 months after the Ultimaker came out and started stomping the bejezus out of the ToM, MBI suddenly decided to change their basic design to something that looks pretty similar to the Ultimaker. But not nearly as well designed. They did 4 months of dev, cranked up the price and started shipping a new mediocre design. That design is flying off the shelves, even though it really doesn't have ANY advantage over Ultimaker and is more expensive.

 

Seriously, why should they change? People are eating up whatever MBI offers.. They have zero incentive to change they way they operate.

 
On Thursday, February 21, 2013 5:57:49 PM UTC-5, Wingcommander whpthomas wrote:

My biggest complaint is that it doesn't seem like MBI is listening - if someone from MBI were to acknowledge the problems we have encountered, explain the steps they are taking to fix them and acknowledged the good work members of their operator community have been doing to help each-other diagnose and solve these problems (with very little guidance from MBI I might add) then maybe we would feel less ambivalent towards them. If Melody reads these threads she sure as hell doesn't participate in any of them in any meaningful way.

There was also the reported incident at CES earlier in the year where the MBI Marketing Director allegedly made disparaging remarks about this group - that we did not represent Makerbot's customer base and that we were a fringe group of hackers.

I get a lot of thank you emails from members of this group, but the tone of these has recently started changing - this letter below it pretty indicative of where things are at at the moment.

Alex,

 

I would like to tell you that I finally got my Replicator 2 working.  However, very little of the credit can go to you, your staff or your engineers.  That is not meant to be an insult, but it is the truth.  I do appreciate that you allowed me to buy the Makercare after the initial purchase, but that is all the credit I can give you.  I spent many hours in fruitless frustration, needlessly wasting most of my PLA, when the main isssue was poor engineering and your inability (whether forced by management or by ignorance) to tell me how to fix it.

 

The Replicator 2's extruder is inadequate.  The delrin plunger is a horrible design.  Its pressure on the advancing PLA is variable when it should be constant.  This causes countless jams.  Agitating this issue is your acrylic build plate.  Even the "flat" replacement plate that I was sent still had defects in it.  It was physically impossible to get a consistant level across the plate.  levellig with a proper plate is not as difficult as you led on.  Lastly, the PLA that you provided was the poorest quality.  It broke on the spool routinely and after observing quality PLA in action, it was also a major factor in the cessation of extrusion.  Add these factors up and the stock Replicator 2 is not capable of printing the capabilities MB advertises.

I don't understand why Makerbot would set themselves up for certain failure.  Your customers deserve much more.  If you are unaware of the issues then you really need to frequent Makerbot Owners on Google Groups.  If you are aware of these deficiencies and haven't taken action yet, then MB has some serious leadership failures.  The cost of MB's reputation far outweighs the cost of the fixes that would be required to get the R2 working properly.  I shouldn't have had to waste the last three weeks, taking time away from my kids, and addtional money out of my wallet to get a $2300 product working properly straight out of the box.  No one should.  Especially the people who pay your bills. Do you realize that I've had several potential purchasers ask me about my satisfaction with the R2?  People who would most likely have purchased one?  I told them exactly what I'm telling you now. 

 

Many unassociated individuals have saved the R2's reputation by dedicating their personal time to ensure that the R2s can perform as advertised.  Your company owes men like Mr. Thomas, who goes by WingCommander on MB's Owners, a lot.  I don't know him but perhaps your engineers should talk to him.

 

Alex, I hope you realize that I'm not personally attacking you and also realize that you are probably being forced to walk the company line.  You seemed like a nice enough guy on the phone.  However, you and your support team's advice wasted my time and money when I think you knew the real answers to my problems all along.  Your company has a product that has major potential for growth in the future.  Makerbot can go very far and be at the forefront of 3D printing.  However, your company will be left behind if you continue to operate in this fashion, especially when the necessary upgrades to the R2 would cost your company very little.  I know for a fact that I am not alone in these complaints.  Just do a little bit of reading on your product and you'll see it for yourself.

One last note, I've made no physical modification to the R2 or its components which would render my MakerCare void.

Respectfully,

XXXX

I really which I could be more supportive of MBI, because now that my printer works it works beautifully - but no thanks to MBI - after a few week of fun it turned into a nightmare which I had to waste countless hours sorting out. I really wish them no harm, but they do need to get real, fess up, say sorry, fix the problems and change they way they outwardly connect with they community.

[Bottleworks]

This thread has a lot of good, constructive Criticism.

Except - why do you feel MBI support is not available in Europe? Europeans don't have email accounts?

[kent faulring]

I must have been lucky I only had two problems with mine,
1) Extruder, it was replaced with Thomas's mod as soon as I read his tread, it was the last thing I printed with the original one, thanks for such a nice fix.....
2) Warped BP, replacement was in hand the following week, will be upgrading to glass as soon as I get a chance. The one they sent is very flat, for now.
I did have a X motor cable that had no service loop as it came from the connector on the motor, I replaced the roll pin with a plastic tube and gave the cable some
slack on the first day. I love my Rep 2 now that its been corrected. It's been printing flawlessly for the last two weeks and I have no problem leaving it unattended
as it prints away...... Yes, MBI's marketing department needs a good kick in the rear, but I did my homework and knew what to expect, so I'm very happy I bought
it......
   

On Thursday, February 21, 2013 11:15:32 AM UTC-8, SuperLuckyCat wrote:

Hey all,

[mathisyo...@yahoo.com]

Unfortunately true.  No company has an incentive to change anything (except to actually increase the price) while they can't keep up with demand (first time I've used my business degree in a while).  Following these groups, MAKE reviews, etc. led me to consider either a "slime" printer or the M2 or Ultimaker for my next printer instead of the Rep now Rep2 now Rep 2x.  Have to admit, the slime printers look cool but M2 looks like my choice.  Aaron Double have his B9Creator yet?

[ddurant]

> ..No company has an incentive to change anything (except to actually increase the price) while they can't keep up with demand..

 

I guess my whole rant could have been reduced to just that line.. It's sadly true and, IMO, really goes against the whole 'maker' movement, which is kinda sorta painfully ironic.

 

> Have to admit, the slime printers look cool

 

The goo is indeed nice.. Amazing resolution, too - better than we will ever be able to do in FFF/FDM. Small build volumes though, which is a big turn off for me..

 

> M2 looks like my choice

 

Excellent choice, though I'm still an Ultimaker fan.. :)

 

> Aaron Double have his B9Creator yet?

 

I think it's going to be a couple more weeks.. He made the mistake of telling people where he lives - once he gets it, I vote we show up on his doorstep and make rude noises until he lets us mess with it.. That or try talking the MoS into doing another round of printer show-n-tells and drag Aaron along..

[David Kessner]

> No company has an incentive to change anything (except to actually 

> increase the price) while they can't keep up with demand.

Only companies that are looking two months in the future do this.  Any reasonable company that is planning on being around for many years would see that they are sacrificing their name, reputation, and future sales by selling crap today.  For every customer that receives a Rep2 they are loosing potentially several future customers.  It's word of mouth, but not in a good way.  

I agree with Wingcommander in that the worst "sin" is not publicly acknowledging the problem, and acknowledging the people who are making the Rep2 into a usable machine.

-DK

[mathisyo...@yahoo.com]

Almost started rambling on about price elasticity there.  I've followed your posts about the various printers and you've consistently said nice things about the M2.  Besides the M2 itself (and waiting for people like Aaron to figure out the quirks in the new tech) what really clinched it for me was a response I read from Rick Pollack to the recent price increase of the M2 after the holidays (whole series of posts included):

The short answer is - we need to get the lead time down to more like two weeks. Doing that requires substantial investments in inventory. This is when some companies go out and raise venture capital. My preference is to continue to operate off of our revenue and to continue to manufacture locally. We kept the prices down through the holidays, now we need to knock the lead time down and get these out the door faster.

We run very lean and work extremely hard to develop new products and deliver products like M2.

- hide quoted text -

On Thu, Dec 27, 2012 at 11:51 PM, Chris S <expres...@gmail.com> wrote:

In a short while, the M2 will be old news.  Competition is heating up.

On Thursday, December 27, 2012 8:15:53 PM UTC-8, JayC wrote:

One word, demand.

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: Chris S <expres...@gmail.com>

Sender: make...@googlegroups.com

Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:46:41 -0800 (PST)

To: <make...@googlegroups.com>

ReplyTo: make...@googlegroups.com

Subject: [MakerGear] Price increase - ???

Wow...I'm saddened by this price increase.  Why?

It isn't like stainless steel, linear rail or electronics prices have gone up.

No excuses there.  He tells us what they're doing and why (if I were him/them I'd keep control too). I also agree that the maker spirit may be (probably is) incompatible with MBI's apparent business model.

Also, I'll start using the more correct term "goo" instead of "slime" from now on.

[mathisyo...@yahoo.com]

I tend to agree with you but people are actually considering delivery time as an important variable when buying a printer. It's irrational. In a case like this (theoretically) you should increase price until supply approaches demand at some point "x" then come back down.  Or you can just release your newest gen tech and start all over again.

[Jason Aspinall]

I think my top complaint, bar everything else that's been mentioned above, relates to just how flimsy the build platform adjustment platform is.  During certain builds I can physically see the build platform bouncing up and down at the edges.  I put a lot of this flimsiness down to the reduction in support width from the z-arms to the overall width provided by the three screws that hold the build platform, platform. Much stability could be reintroduced into the system if the front adjustment screws were actually in the z-arms, not on some flimsy piece of injection moulded plastic.

It would also help if the z-arms were cnc machined from billets of aluminium too*, rather than injection moulded ABS.  I might make it a pet project of mine to reverse engineer these arms in Solidworks and make myself a pair...

*I appreciated there's a reasonable cost implication here.

[andrew...@sympatico.ca]

I must say this form has really open my eyes and closed my wallet shut
as I look at buying he R2x.. I going to go with the better option and
wait till August for the Robo 3d printer...for less then 1/4 of the
price. Perhaps now that there is a few R2 out there getting the bad
word out Makerbot may just pause for a moment to listen as there sales
dry up.

[ddurant]

> I going to go with the better option and wait till August for the Robo 3d printer

 

The truly abysmal print quality the Robo3d people were showing raised a lot of eyebrows. Sorta left me wondering if their plan was to make something that barely worked then market the crap out of it to get money and use that money to make it work. There's danger in plans like that, especially at the price point they're advertising.

 

You might want to keep looking around at other machines..

 

On Thursday, February 21, 2013 7:28:14 PM UTC-5, reboot911 wrote:

I must say this form has really open my eyes and closed my wallet shut
as I look at buying he R2x..  I going to go with the better option and
wait till August for the Robo 3d printer...for less then 1/4 of the
price.   Perhaps now that there is a few R2 out there getting the bad
word out Makerbot may just pause for a moment to listen as there sales
dry up.

[ddurant]

> ...what really clinched it for me was a response I read from Rick Pollack

 

Rick's one of the good guys.. I don't actually have an M2 (or an M1/Mosaic) but it's pretty rare to see complaints about his gear and I don't think he's ever been accused of shipping stuff with design problems. They've worked very hard for their reputation..

 

> Also, I'll start using the more correct term "goo" instead of "slime" from now on.
 

Heh.. Goo. Slime. Mud. Yuck. Ooze. It's all good and all terms we get to use to poke fun at Aaron.. :)

[Justin Leone]

I had actually assumed that the bed was flimsy on purpose.  Sometimes I don't get a perfectly flat first layer, or a bit of plastic bubbles or curls up on subsequent layers, and when the nozzle hits those layers, the platform flexes a little to compensate.  If it were more rigid, the nozzle would just dislodge the model, and I'd feel that much more uncomfortable about leaving it unattended.

[Bottleworks]

I may be releasing my aluminum arms for the Replicator 2/2X soon. 

[Kletus VanDamme]

The Replicator2 is a wonderful, life changing tool if you invest the weeks of fiddling around that are required to get it working correctly.

Unfortunately, MBI is being run by amateurs, who have turned a blind eye to known serial defects and sacrificed their reputation in the process.

MBI had one golden change to become the leader in desktop 3D printing.

Unfortunately, they have squandered it by forcing each user to spend weeks re-solving known issues.

As soon as Dell comes out with a 3D printer, I'm putting this sputtering piece of junk on Craig's list.

1. From an engineering perspective, the extruder plunger is an embarrassingly bad design.  Whoever released it for production should be fired.

2. The printable fix for the bad plunger has been on Thingverse for many months, however MBI has not released this for a fix for this fleetwide serial defect.  Whoever runs MBI technical support should be fired.

3. The natural color filament that ships with the Replicator2 requires a high melting temp (250 C), and causes skips and failed prints at 230 C.  Why does MBI ship this as starter filament?  Why don't they tell people to adjust the extruder temp?

4. Absence of comprehensive troubleshooting guide.  All the solutions for my problems are known and available after weeks of reading through threads like this and taking apart the extruder 100 times.  Why not create a step by step guide and save 10,000 users 20 hours of frustration each?

5. Temp sense failure.  X-axis ribbon cable failure.

- Matt

On Thursday, February 21, 2013 11:15:32 AM UTC-8, SuperLuckyCat wrote:

Hey all,

Since purchasing my own Rep 2, I've been loosely following all the technical issues plaguing the machine and trying to keep my own running smoothly, with mixed results.

Just now the New York Times ran an article featuring our hackerspace, Hack Manhattan, as part of an article on 3D printing: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/garden/the-3-d-printer-may-be-the-home-appliance-of-the-future.html?_r=0

There is a mention of the fact that my Rep2 was non-operational when the Times visited. I've since been put in touch with a couple of service personnel at Makerbot, and would like some opinions as to the top issues with the Replicator 2 before I speak with them, so I can tell whether my problems are typical and also to point out issues that are most ubiquitous. 

[TobyCWoods]

Wow... Peeeeyoooo! I bet they NEVER get the 2X out the door!

On Sunday, February 24, 2013 8:03:07 AM UTC-8, TheMakerGuy wrote:

 

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Makerbot-Reviews-E480203.htm

[Avandss]

WOW.. why am i not surprised..... you should start a new thread with that link 

as i said after being told off at ces (oh and being told that everyone on this forum is..... not who they care about) i lost complete respect for that company and will not buy another product from them again, if anything i have started a little maker group here and i tell everyone to stay away from makerbot so far thats 6 bot sales they lost because of their arrogance...

and this really sums up the company well based on everything thats going on (from the link provided above)

Very little respect for their own community and their own employees. Complete sense of entitlement from the top brass in every interaction between company and people.

CEO is like others have said way way in over his head. He's paranoid about everyone, that they're out to get him, and completely impulsive about every single aspect of the company and the products. He won't acknowledge his shortcomings, instead he prefers to pretend to know what he's doing.

He hired his father to run the marketing team. It's very weird.

CEO has over inflated ego that is constantly fed by everyone at the company all the time. He's bought into his own BS and acts like he's Steve Jobs. He's definitely not.

obviously you can see how angry i am.... supporting a company.... going to ces and counting the days until i can see the makerbot booth only to get told off really leaves a scar.... 

link to original thred https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!searchin/makerbot/upgrade/makerbot/GJMwajOcDHY/4QKBxZuT-m0J

On Sunday, February 24, 2013 11:03:07 AM UTC-5, TheMakerGuy wrote:

 

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Makerbot-Reviews-E480203.htm

 

On Sunday, February 24, 2013 9:07:18 AM UTC-5, Kletus VanDamme wrote:

[reboot911]

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Makerbot-Reviews-E480203.htm

- show quoted text -

On Sunday, February 24, 2013 9:07:18 AM UTC-5, Kletus VanDamme wrote:

The Replicator2 is a wonderful, life changing tool if you invest the weeks of fiddling around that are required to get it working correctly.

Unfortunately, MBI is being run by amateurs, who have turned a blind eye to known serial defects and sacrificed their reputation in the process.

MBI had one golden change to become the leader in desktop 3D printing.

Unfortunately, they have squandered it by forcing each user to spend weeks re-solving known issues.

As soon as Dell comes out with a 3D printer, I'm putting this sputtering piece of junk on Craig's list.

1. From an engineering perspective, the extruder plunger is an embarrassingly bad design. Whoever released it for production should be fired.

2. The printable fix for the bad plunger has been on Thingverse for many months, however MBI has not released this for a fix for this fleetwide serial defect. Whoever runs MBI technical support should be fired.

3. The natural color filament that ships with the Replicator2 requires a high melting temp (250 C), and causes skips and failed prints at 230 C. Why does MBI ship this as starter filament? Why don't they tell people to adjust the extruder temp?

4. Absence of comprehensive troubleshooting guide. All the solutions for my problems are known and available after weeks of reading through threads like this and taking apart the extruder 100 times. Why not create a step by step guide and save 10,000 users 20 hours of frustration each?

5. Temp sense failure. X-axis ribbon cable failure.

- Matt

On Thursday, February 21, 2013 11:15:32 AM UTC-8, SuperLuckyCat wrote:

Hey all,

Since purchasing my own Rep 2, I've been loosely following all the technical issues plaguing the machine and trying to keep my own running smoothly, with mixed results.

Just now the New York Times ran an article featuring our hackerspace, Hack Manhattan, as part of an article on 3D printing: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/garden/the-3-d-printer-may-be-the-home-appliance-of-the-future.html?_r=0

There is a mention of the fact that my Rep2 was non-operational when the Times visited. I've since been put in touch with a couple of service personnel at Makerbot, and would like some opinions as to the top issues with the Replicator 2 before I speak with them, so I can tell whether my problems are typical and also to point out issues that are most ubiquitous.

Anyone have a top 5 (or so) complaints from the Google group worth sharing?

--Crystal

Show trimmed content

Very interesting to read.  I am sure if you look up the place you work at you will find very much the same thing written.  Besides how do we not that the guy that left makerbot and gave them the one star rating was not the guy installing the cooling fans backwards. 

[Avandss]

first off it was everyone on the page... not one guy

second based on everything that has been happening in the past 1.5 years.... that page actually solidifies something we already knew about the company

almost everyone here is a little shocked and upset at managements decision lately

as for the backward fans, well if you have such a high turnover rate in your employees this would just be a natural side effect 

[TobyCWoods]

No doubt Pettis is having extreme visions of grandeur. Anybody read the new O'reilly book; Getting Started with Makerbot? First chapter titles are The House That makerbot Built and Growing Up with Makerbot. Every word is extreme hyperbole... mainlining coolaide... WAY over the top in terms of promise and semi-truths about owning a Makerbot product.  

The same thing did happen with Jobs and his investors reined him in... eventually forced him out but it took them years to do it. There are big differences here though and the comparison is actually weak.

I do not think there is enough public ownership or external oversight of MBI to cut the stoopids out before they auger in.

The designs for the Rep1 are out there and open. ANYONE can take them and improve on them and do this right.

[reboot911]

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/3D-Systems-Reviews-E2061.htm

 

Looks like the CEO at the company that makes the cubeX has not rated much better.  I contacted them on Friday asking them how much material was contain inside there printer cartridge.  I sent the email to them 3 times.  They finally decide it was best not to answer my question and take the chance on losing the sale.  I have decide not to include them in my choice for a 3-d printer. 

 

This glassdoor CEO rating page is just that.  A place for there employees to vent out.  More so for those that are forced to leave the company to lash back at.  I even look up the CEO for the company I work for and he did not fare much better with 222 out of over 50000 giving him a rating.

 

I think I would look at dealing directly with the company.  My next step towards buying one of these 3-d printers is the create a sample print of what I am looking to do with the printer and see if they will print my sample and mail it back to me.

 

 

[DronE Pump]

The biggest issue with Replicators of all flavours is that they are....Makerbots.  Talk about poor thought to design/planning/production/delivery they have it all.

I pulled my Replicator1 apart and threw away much of it.  I now have a fully working, reliable, accurate 3D printer which was once a Makerbot...

[Owen M Collins]

I think others that have asked for sample prints have been sent to this forum, to see if someone here would print it for you.

O.

--
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[mathisyo...@yahoo.com]

I've posted my concerns w/MBI for a while. I almost ordered a Replicator but these forums had too many posts re: "problems". then the rep2 came and the rep 2x... After my research I've since ordered an M2 for my next printer.  Personally, MBI has sold me good stuff. The ToM I got in July/2011 still runs great and I'm a hack with this stuff.  I don't know Bre Pettis, et al. and can't comment on them personally. Just to be fair, unless you know someone can you have a real opinion on their state of mind? 

[tomlombardi]

My wife ordered me a Replicator 2 for Xmas and when I found out I cancelled! I was reading about all of the same problems I had with my Thing-O-Matic. The guys complaining about electronic failures, been there done that, it's like nothing has changed. I received my M2 last week, it took me about 6 hours to put it together and I've been printing non stop ever since. This is a beautiful design, linear slides, stainless steel hardware and a heated build platform with borosilicate glass, top quality everything. So far not one problem with the extruder or electronics. Rick and Karen answer their emails and seem to care about their customers. I feel like I dodged a bullet.

[Ken Hoven]

Me too had a 2x on order but canceled after discovering Groups. I decided to do more investigation past the website of the printer makers. Ended up choosing MakerGear for my first printer due to proven ABS printing ability. I am already wanting a second printer and I will look again at the 2x after it has been on the market 6 months. I like to experiment but experiment on what I create, not paying for something that someone else has created but charging top dollar for.

[Tom Lauerman]

Thanks for this very articulate post whpthomas,

Clearly the Replicator2 is an experimental machine, and the Makerware software is really like a first attempt at something, calling it Beta is maybe a stretch. 

That said, Makerbot has done just enough to get this product onto people's radar in a way that 3D printing has not been previously. The web site and the machine itself are professional looking enough that a my employer (a university) felt comfortable spending 2k on this device. I'm not sure there is another product on the market right this second that I could have gotten approval to purchase. They are making people comfortable and curious about this technology, in a way that is not unlike the early days of personal computing. All the press (and there is so much press, everywhere) about 3D printing seems to reflexively use a photo of the Replicator 2 as the go-to machine to illustrate what this technology is.  

If you were an executive at MakerBot, how paranoid would you be? Imagine if Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, or Google decided to produce a consumer 3D printer, how quickly the landscape would change for MakerBot. Imagine the press those companies would get, and imagine how many billions of dollars could go into R&D or subsidizing purchases to gain market share. At the other end of the spectrum imagine how many tiny startup companies are on your heels, each producing a machine that could very possibly outperform the Replicator in 3,6,9,12 months. Imagine these companies recruiting you best employees and manufacturing their devices in a far away land.

3D printing technology advances daily as techniques are invented and refined. Makerbot is not a major participant in these cutting edge developments. At research universities there are machines printing flawless objects out of absurd materials like titanium. These efforts have major corporate, government, and defense department funding. The research they produce will trickle down to the consumer eventually, how does MakerBot assure that they and not some startup or some existing corporate behemoth is the beneficiary of these advances. Think of all the companies that produced personal computers in the 1980's, no doubt many of them were run by responsive, honest, hardworking people. Others were run by people like Steve Jobs, who was not shy about borrowing technology, who alienated early core users, turned his back on an open source community, and was massively insensitive in hiring and firing. 

My point is, there is some truth to the idea that this user group (which I highly admire) is not the audience that needs to be reached most urgently. We all are familiar with 3D printing. I'm sure some of you have built/ are building your own machines. The hype surrounding 3D printing revolves around the notion that anyone can use this technology. As whpthomas said, whether you believe the hype is another story. MakerBot is gambling on widespread adoption of this technology, deep penetration into the consumer market. 3D printers as commonplace as an Xbox or Roomba. 

It sucks that you all on this forum are producing better components and software than MakerBot. It's worse that MakerBot rewards you by mostly ignoring your efforts. Still, where is the machine that outperfrms the Replicator2 at his price point? That I can buy today, assembled, and (somewhat) supported. I suspect if such a machine existed we'd all switch camps, and quickly, even if we all thought MakerBot Management were swell folks.

The reason I bought this machine was because I was aware of the large and active userbase you all represent. If I ran MakerBot I'd play to the existing users and support all of your efforts much more enthusiastically, reward your efforts with tangible assets. I'd also likely fail and bankrupt the company because my competitors wouldn't lavish attention on early-adopting power-users who are out front of my own engineering staff. Perhaps an open source initiative will emerge that replaces MakerBot as the 3D printer of consumer choice. It would be refreshing to have a major player in a new technology area that in a sense belonged to everyone. But who would pay to market and promote such a thing to laypeople? Why would venture capital and the media champion it, and make available huge stockpiles of cash? How would important decisions be made regarding it's design priorities and costs?  

Let's enjoy watching this spectacle play out and see who the major players are in 5 years time. At the moment I still see MakerBot as an underdog, an upstart, and a disrupter. I'd like to see them succeed.

On Monday, February 25, 2013 1:37:20 AM UTC-5, Wingcommander whpthomas wrote:

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Makerbot-Reviews-E480203.htm

Just to provide a bit of balance...

I don't think its correct to say that Bre lacks vision - I think he has presented a pretty clear picture of where he thinks 3D printing is heading - whether you agree with him or not is another matter.

Transitioning a company from being a startup to a professional organisation is not easy. We can all sit back and monday morning quarterback the situation, but when you are in the middle of it and you have VC funding, critical revenue targets you need to achieve to keep the company afloat and competing stakeholders pulling you in different directions, its really difficult to stand back and chart the right course - let alone chart your own course.

Its not a democracy, and founders need to have a firm hand in the direction the business is heading. You also need to be reactive - quoting Clausewitz "No campaign plan survives first contact with the enemy". So I think you will always run into disgruntled employees who do not like the changes that are afoot that come with VC funding - take the open vs closed source model change. A lot of employees also have an overreaching sense of entitlement when they see company founders enjoying the fruits of their substantial risk taking which are often perceived to have come all too easy. 

Starting a new business, growing it and surviving - and choosing to manufacture in America and not China I might add - is a risky proposition. No-one knows how the 3D printing market is going to shake out, maybe history will show that MBI is making a shrewd move - maybe they are not - who knows? One thing is for sure, they are certainly not out of the woods yet by any stretch.

[ddurant]

> Still, where is the machine that outperfrms the Replicator2 at his price point?

> That I can buy today, assembled, and (somewhat) supported. I suspect if such

> a machine existed we'd all switch camps, and quickly, even if we all thought

> MakerBot Management were swell folks.

 

You can get an Ultimaker or MakerGear M2 assembled for the same (or less) cost as a Replicator2..

[TobyCWoods]

An assembled M2 costs $1750 plus shipping. The Rep 2 costs $2199 plus shipping. or well... you can also order a Rep 2 via Amazon... only $4969.99... used! LOL!

Truthfully it is hard to switch camps once one is comfortable and used to the suite of factors towards getting successful output. That won't stop me though! I'm thinking M2 or Series 1.

[Matt Hill]

Who makes the M2?

Sent from my iPhone

--

[TobyCWoods]

http://www.makergear.com/products/m-series-3d-printers

[mathisyo...@yahoo.com]

I agree it's hard to change once you're comfortable (I still use repg39 I think it is and skeinforge w/ my ToM because I got some settings that work 4 me). I was going to buy a Rep1 the week that the countdown started on the site so I waited and researched my butt off and oredered a M2.  Now for pronterface/sli3er research/practice (they do look much more user friendly).

[tomlombardi]

I've been printing with ABS for two years on my Makerbot TOM, now I'm using PLA on my new M2 and I'm totally hooked! Smells like maple syrup and waffles! The prints are beautiful and strong, I don't think I'm going back to ABS, I've got two new rolls I need to get rid of.

Tom

[Richard]

Wow, but I am not really surprised.  Nothing in the CEO's background would show you that he's the right person to lead this company long-term.  I think he's a great public face for the company, but you either need to have serious manufacturing "chops" to run a business like this or you need to recognize your limits and bring in people who do.  These guys may be at an inflection point, either up or down.  I had thought they brought in some pretty good experienced senior management reporting to Bre.  When you look at their job postings they have all the right types of positions posted for the type of company they are and where they are facing challenges.  However, from the posts, it seems like the team is a bit overwhelmed.  I know what it is like at a start up from having been at Compaq not from its founding but from its very early days.  The team that founded and led the company was way overqualified with deep technical and operational experience in all areas.  They had a philosophy of leadership that freed every team member to soar.  With their experience and the experience of those they brought in, they were able to lead the company and we overcame the challenges that are unpredictable but sure to appear.  If these posts are representative of what it is like, I hope they can turn things around because they still have the chance to shine.

On Sunday, February 24, 2013 10:03:07 AM UTC-6, TheMakerGuy wrote:

 

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Makerbot-Reviews-E480203.htm

 

On Sunday, February 24, 2013 9:07:18 AM UTC-5, Kletus VanDamme wrote:

[Big-E]

Maybe he should've said "assembled" in the USA.

Honestly, I've been reading this thread, and wondering at the wide array of complaints. It's really quite simple to frame the problems with MBI and their products.

1) MBI is deceptive. My Rep2 took about a month and a host of modifications to get it to print as trouble-free as they say. After a minimalistic extruder mod and a glass build plate, I started to get a reliable machine. The most recent software updates resolved a lot too, but I've yet to try sailfish to see how much better it is.

2) Their hardware is overpriced. Considering point #1, the price paid for my rep2 is inflated. maybe if it worked as well out of the box as they claimed, the pricetag would be justified. Paying a premium price for a mid-range printer is just not fair business.

3) They are slow to address issues. MBI didn't release a new extruder design until members of this community resolved the problem. I really hope Thomas got a check from MBI for doing R&D for them. They will sell you a different extruder to replace their crappy, defective original, when they should really be sending them out to all the owners of one of their machines for free, at least to those with a makercare plan. Don't get me started on the acrylic build plates.

4) Disrespect to the user base. This is the worst part. While not universal to everyone at MBI, considering the users are the ones fixing their buggy firmware, failed extruders and warped build plates, pro bono I might add, this attitude that is directed towards the community that helped them get out of obscurity is unwarranted. there are a lot of companies out there competing with them, some small, some large, all viable. if they keep it up, they will lose the top slot.

I have finally gotten my machine to work well, but it's unlikely that I will buy another makerbot product. I am looking a a printrbot product for my next purchase. Possibly a Type A as well. I figure, if I'm going to need to wrench on my printers anyway, I may as well save a few bucks. I may try building my own printer from scratch eventually as well. I don't complain about lead times, almost all printer companies have lead times lately, but MBI needs to either reduce the price of their machines, or make them perform as perfectly as they imagine they do. They need to be courteous to their customers at ALL times, from the top on down, and they need to address major issues as soon as they are raised by more than a couple users. I will make no judgements on any of the individuals who run the company, but it can be said their is much room for improvement within their operation.

I have other complaints about MakerBot, related to ethical differences, but I'll just hold my tongue on those.

On Tuesday, February 26, 2013 7:41:46 AM UTC-6, TheMakerGuy wrote:

What makes you think the Rep2*'s are built in America? Maybe when it was a wood frame. Certainly the circuit boards and most of the other parts are not.

On Monday, February 25, 2013 5:49:17 PM UTC-5, Wingcommander whpthomas wrote:

 

Tom you also make lots of good points.

 

The web site and the machine itself are professional looking enough that a my employer (a university) felt comfortable spending 2k on this device. I'm not sure there is another product on the market right this second that I could have gotten approval to purchase.  

Yes, the Replicator 2 was the first printer that to my eye looked like a 3D printer you could proudly display in your office. The other laser-cut plywood creations look too hobby-ish for my taste - call me superficial if you must - but my Replicator 2 gets a lot of attention from approving admirers (now that it prints reliably of course ;). The M2 is a close second, but the hot end still looks funky and the Afina isn't bad either, but the Replicator 2 has a serious presence - people have seen them in the media and are really impressed to see one in the flesh - gives me enormous street cred to have somewhat mastered this thing.

The reason I bought this machine was because I was aware of the large and active userbase you all represent.

Same here - but also because MBI for better or worse was trying to design and build something in America at a time when everyone else - including the startup I work for is turning to China - I really want them to succeed on many levels - but I also have enough perspective - been there done that - to know they have a tough battle ahead of them.

I also remember the early PC days,  and its strangely similar - who can forget the Sinclare, Olivetti, IBM PC, Prime, Wang, Amdahl, the Apple II, the Digital Rainbow, Commodore 64, Osborne, Compaq - and countless other small time imitations - how many of those companies are still household names?

I may not like everything they do - but I also accept that MBI needs to do what it thinks it needs to do to survive - after all, until they become cash flow positive, we essentially purchased a 3D printer where the price of it broader product availability (inventory and distribution) and support were essentially subsidised by VC funding - so its a bargain!

[TheMakerGuy]

Have you read this?

 

http://store.makerbot.com/terms#offer_and_acceptance

 

The interesting items:

 

Shipping and Delivery. When an order is placed, it will be shipping to an address designated by you as long as that shipping address is compliant with the shipping restrictions contained on this Website. All purchases from this Website are made pursuant to a shipment contract. As a result, risk of loss and title for items purchased from this Website pass to you upon delivery of the items to the carrier. You are responsible for contacting us to initiate any claim for damaged and/or lost shipments. You are responsible for paying any import duties and taxes on your order.
 For more details, see our shipping page: http://store.makerbot.com/shipping-policies

Returning Purchased Items. ** LIMITED ** MakerBot accepts returns on a very limited basis: for any electronic items, the Company accepts returns only on unaffected devices within 14 calendar days from the date of receipt of merchandise subject to a 4% restocking fee. "Unaffected" means a device has never been assembled, powered up, programmed, or otherwise changed. Similarly, for non-electronic items, the Company accepts returns only on unopened items within 14 calendar days from the date of receipt of merchandise. After 14 days, all sales are considered final.

Chargebacks. Any unilateral chargebacks will be contested and will be subject to a $75 fee charged to your credit card. By ordering from MakerBot you agree to these terms and conditions and give the Company the authority to charge your credit card this $75 service fee to cover the cost of processing any chargeback you initiate. Any chargeback will result in permanent cancellation of credit card purchasing privileges. The Company prosecutes all misuse of credit cards to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Privacy; User Information. Other than personally identifiable information, which is subject to this Website's Privacy Policy, any material, information, suggestions, ideas, concepts, know-how, techniques, questions, comments or other communication you transmit or post to this Website in any manner ("User Communications") is and will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. We and our respective affiliates and our or their designees may use any or all User Communications for any purpose whatsoever, including, without limitation, reproduction, transmission, disclosure, publication, broadcast, development, manufacturing and/or marketing in any manner whatsoever for any or all commercial or non-commercial purposes. We may, but are not obligated to, monitor or review any User Communications. We will have no obligation to use, return, review, or respond to any User Communications. We will have no liability related to the content of any such User Communications, whether or not arising under the laws of copyright, libel, privacy, obscenity, or otherwise. We retain the right to remove any or all User Communications that includes any material we deem inappropriate or unacceptable.

[Big-E]

That's why I ordered over the phone, the bank needed to clear my transaction anyways; there's a limit to how much you can charge to a card on a single transaction. You are only subject to that if you order online; I called MBI directly to place my order, and notified my bank in person of the transaction prior to that. It gives you a means to contest their terms. If you don't like the terms on the website, don't order off the website; go straight to the source. The person on the other end didn't rattle off any legalese, so as far as I know I wasn't a party to it (except for their return policy, which is a bit shifty)

And Thingiverse...Oh boy... Let's not forget the TOS there. That horse was beat to a pulp ages ago. I am always careful of what I choose to submit to Thingiverse.

[Ken Hoven]

Best to stay away... I did not do enough research... I saw the website and was wowed at first but now very pleased they had money coming in (new orders) to pay for my complete refund. I am not saying this is a printer manufacture/Pyramid scheme.

On Tuesday, February 26, 2013 10:22:22 PM UTC+3, TheMakerGuy wrote:

You are one smart dude.

[zenod]

Spot on with those five, 

 You can add 

 6) Feeder stepper cam slips.

 7) side cooling fan plastic moulding venting to extruder nozzle is very flimsy and needs extra screw to ensure it stays level.

1) 

[zenod]

Spot on, and also:

6) Extruder cam slips on shaft (grub screw misses flat)

7) Plastic moulding for cooling extruded plastic (next to nozzle) very flimsy.

[Dan Newman]

On 3 Mar 2013 , at 1:51 PM, short 3d wrote:

> Does anyone else have problems with the connection to a MAC? So far, my
> high hopes for this device relative to the junky 3d systems cube have been
> totally dashed. I have put in 15 hours on this POS, and I would include to
> other problems
>
> 1) the device sticks to the point of needing to be broken to get it off.
> 2) The software is such crap I don't even know what is wrong half the time
> and I cannot tell if it is hardware or software related
> 3) something is wrong with the connection, so far on every mac i have used,
> nothing has printed completely for some reason or another.
> 4) I hate this product as much as the cube from 3d systems.

You are aware that one of the #1 pieces of advice with any Makerbot is to NOT
print over USB. There's a number of issues which can cause prints to fail
when so doing (e.g., computer going to sleep, serial comms noise, when doing
prints at the resolutions used by the Rep 1 and Rep 2, the uprocessor in
the bot really doesn't have the cycles to adequately keep up with fast
USB comms, etc.).

Dan

[Darrell jan]

USB has problems, but so does SD, as Dan is aware since he has been working on it.

For me, sticking to tape is a good thing, and tape is cheap and is easily replaced. I find I have to wipe the blue tape with alcohol to get it to stick well. Even cheaper is hair spray/hair gel. A lot of people have had success with those, but it's not formally documented. Different people use different brands, and different amounts, and some people mix in other things. 

Darrell

[Adrian Fan]

What is the problem with SD card?

[Jay]

I just got on the Ultimaker site...in their online shop the Ultimaker (assembled..lets use apples to apples) is 1699 euros...which is $2225 USD with today's exchange rate....add the difference in shipping/VAT and it costs almost $200 more than the R2. Yes, the kit is ONLY $1564.40 (PLUS SHIPPING AND VAT)...so lets be nice and say $1750 to your door. That's $445 more for the R2....yeah, my free time that would require putting the kit together is worth a heck of a lot more than $450-ish bucks.

I also just jumped on a few other 3D printers Google Groups...there's a lot of people in there complaining about their machines (just like here) so they're not bug-free either.

Not only that but let me add...anyone in corporate who see's the Ulti, rep, or even the Solidoodle would dismiss them out of hand because they don't look 'professional'. The wood and acrylic boxes are definetley 'hacker inspired'. How would that look if it was sitting in your office? The wires hanging out and in some cases the bare circuits exposed which would make a safety inspector cringe.   (I once had an OSHA inspector berate me for 15 minutes because our outside LP tanks didn't have a 10 foot soround of plastic sheeting and gravel to ensure no lightning strikes. Huh?...that was a $250 USD fine...doesn't matter I have never seen one like that AND the company we rent the tanks from laughed at it.) Those machines may be better...but they'll never be as slick (ie - professional) as others such as the R2 and R2x.

I am sure that's why the 3D systems Cube is selling so well to families. They make it out to be (more than MBI does) a desktop friendly home printer. I had one...I killed the head 3x in two weeks and it is now off in never-never land being fixed. So while I have 'owned' it for almost 3 weeks I have only gotten 3 or 4 days of actual production. They also claim it will print PLA and ABS. PLA does well...ABS didn't. These are open (think !Up printer style) with glass, non-heated build plates. They have NO adjustments (or very very few) and use propritery software. Oh...and my build plate was crooked when I got it...One of those "How the heck did this get through QA?" moments.

I also noticed there's a few on here who have a deep dislike for being slighted when MBI went "Hollywood"....You know, it's one thing when it's 5 or 6 guys selling on the internet with ~mabye~ $20k USD in inventory...but when the backers bring you a check for $10 million USD...you got to up your image if you want to sell beyond the small 'tech-geek' community. Not only that but from what a few posted on here, MBI was initially open and had great stuff that sold well....right up to the point when people started cloning them. So they locked down some of the tech...it was either that or go out of business....AND before you say "Good Riddance!" think about what that entails. You would have a bunch of small guys then a huge price difference for a more advanced machine. Not only that but they ARE tech-geeks too...would you rather have 3D Systems corporate pretty boys selling you their locked down hardware? I lusted after the cube till I got a taste of their software...NO THANKS....

Not taking up for MBI....just observation. I own a business and not only see why they did it...but understand it at a business level. I wish them luck and if I wanted something different I would buy it....but this has to sit on my desk and when you're showing off your CNC lathes, mills, and saws then see the 'wooden' printer...well, to say it looks like a 'preacher in a whorehouse' is being nice....

I ordered a 2X and am foaming at the mouth waiting for it. Meanwhile that Cube is going to the local high school as a donation whenever 3D Systems decides to send it back.

Cheers!

Jay

[TobyCWoods]

It depends on what "corporate" you are referring to... At all the Engineering based corps I've been part of... some of the most well known internationally... having open wired, wooden backed stuff on your bench is not only accepted... it's expected.

I think my biggest complaint at this point is that I only have one Rep 2 and that I keep getting turned down on my offers on ebay and craigslist!

I compare my printouts with those from every other make's printer and I get better output and I'm still a NOOB.

[TobyCWoods]

Akkk hit the button too soon.... if your are comparing Ultimaker to MBI be sure to include the interactive control panel upgrade to your cost.

and

before you buy Ultimaker go checkout Series 1 Type A.

[ddurant]

> yeah, my free time that would require putting the kit together is worth a heck of a lot more than $450-ish bucks.

 

I think the time it takes to get an Ultimaker kit working is less than the time it takes to get a makerbot non-kit working.. Then, once it's built, the Ultimaker continues to keep working.

[Matt Hill]

People say don't print over USB, but I do it all the time with no perceived issues.

Maybe for more advanced prints it becomes an issue.

Your other alternative is to save the file, load it on the USB card, and print from the USB card.

You should be able to do that now.

As for the software, hopefully someone more experienced than me can field that one.

-KVD

On Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 3:39 PM, Neil Young <fotoma...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Everyone!

I'm new here, and my company just got a Rep2 and I'm having quite a problem getting the software to install. I also see that dnewman said NOT to print over usb?? If this is correct, then what connection should be used??

Anyway, I'm really hoping that someone can shed some light on my errors so that I can get this up and running. 

1) it's hooked up usb. If this should change, if you could let me know what connector I should be printing over, that would obviously be greatly appreciated.

2) I see that windows 7 (64 bit machine) notices it as via Serial (COM3) when it's plugged into a usb port....

3) When installing, it gets to the point where it's waiting for the conveyor to come up, and a "Conveyor slice command failed" error is displayed. Looking at the details, it shows it can't connect to 127.0.0.1:999. Obviously if it won't print over usb, then this could be the communication issue.....?

4) If I launch the makerware.exe after the installation fails, It shows and error connecting to the job management service. Again, my assumption would be because the software didn't install completely so it can' find the right services as they're not properly installed.
5) When makerware is launched, there is a Service Error which again, looks to be a communication error.

I'm guessing that once the communication issue is resolved, then the installation will work and everything will be as good as it should be.

Again, any help or assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much, in advance,

Neil

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[Dan Newman]

On 15 Mar 2013 , at 3:39 PM, Neil Young wrote:

>
> Hi Everyone!
>
> I'm new here, and my company just got a Rep2 and I'm having quite a problem
> getting the software to install. I also see that dnewman said NOT to print
> over usb?? If this is correct, then what connection should be used??

It's a YMMV situation. In general you will have better success doing your
prints from SD card. However, plenty of people either use a mix of USB and
SD cards or even just USB alone and they are content since it works for
them in their set of specifics (computer, bot, models, print speeds, etc.).
But in general people can and do have problems printing over USB. Will you
be one of the happy campers for whom either works great? No way to know without
trying. It's just not fun to have an 8 hour print fail.

Dan

[Eighty]

Why take the risk of a computer hiccup?  If your computer bogs down with another process, or if it goes to sleep, you may lose your print.

 

Printing via SD card is the way to go.  It lessens the chance of a print failure. 

 

Aside from updating the firmware occasionally, it operates best as a standalone device.

[Neil Young]

Thanks everyone!
It finally connected and my user is using repg to print. They seem too be printing via USB ok, but we'll try printing from the card later this week.

Cheers!

On Mar 18, 2013 6:56 AM, "Neil Young" <fotoma...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Everyone!

I'm new here, and my company just got a Rep2 and I'm having quite a problem getting the software to install. I also see that dnewman said NOT to print over usb?? If this is correct, then what connection should be used??