Mendelmax 2 vs MakerGear M2 vs Airwolf 3D XL + 2013 3D Printer Comparison Attached

All,

I have spent more time than I'd like to admit reading about the various 3D printers out there, looking at test prints, out of the box prints, reading independent (?) reviews and comments by disgruntled kit buyers. I think I've narrowed down my choices to either the MendalMax 2.0 or the MakerGear M2. My notes are attached, and include data on other printers in the $1000 to $2000 USD range. Please keep in mind this sheet was originally for myself so it's by no means complete (and is even subjective at times).

Until now I leaned toward the MendalMax 2 for the following reasons:

• Larger print area (1058 vs 640 cu in)
• Faster print speed (150 vs 100 mm/s)
• Faster move speed (500! vs 175mms)
• Higher nozzle temps (240°C vs 220°C)

I called Maker's Tool Works today to confirm availability; I've read the stories about kit producers claiming units are in stock but actual deliveries being pushed out for weeks. My call was transferred to Sales, and then I got a dead line. This made me pause. I haven't found a dedicated MM2 community (unlike the other kits out there) so it's hard to gauge what I'm buying into based on the 4 posts on the Maker's Tool Work's forum, although it's RepRap based so I wouldn't be an island. By comparison, the MG M2 is (or does a better job of marketing) more "out of the box" friendly. The Airwolf 3D XL also appears like it has a better out of box experience, although I would be pushing my budget at $1900 for the kit + S/H.

I'm a first time 3D printer user/builder. I don't mind assembling a kit and I know all 3D printers take some level of setup and calibration. I also have limited "tinkering" time and I want focus more on my design instead of tweaking/upgrading the tool. It seems like most kits in this range will produce a quality print, at whatever speed. I'm looking for consistancy from print to print (with the understanding that filament types, colors, part design, and room temp may affect settings), and I'm willing to spend more time during assembly/calibration if it means the end result is more bulletproof and repeatable.

Looking at the rest of the market, the Bukobot 8 v2 won't be available for 2-3 months, Type A Series 1 for 1-2 months, Lulzbot TAZ is OOS, and the Rigidbot BIG is shipping in December 2013. For me, dealing with the Ultimaker bowden tube seems like aheadache (some people reporting success, some not). I even looked at the Rostock Max delta style printer kit from SeeMeCNC and, based on some of those build diaries, it doesn't sound like I'm a fit for that printer.

All thoughts and rants are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2013 04:13PM by Filip.

Have a look at the Mendel90. Within around 30 minutes of my payment clearing I had an email saying that my kit was on the way. I received it about 5 days later. The instructions are meticulous and everything is included except tools and grease. Support on the forum section for the Mendel90 is excellent and I see Nophead answering questions daily. I'm a noob myself but got the printer working without any severe stress. [forums.reprap.org]

Hi Filip,

I am Mike from MakersToolWorks, AKA MAabots, the designer of the Mendelmax series of printers. Sorry you had problems with our phones today, we had some odd issues. I will PM you with a phone number where you can call me directly to avoid the voicemail tree.

To answer your question, though, yes at present we have kits in stock. If you ordered today, your kit would ship out on Monday. If you have any questions, feel free to let us know.

Mike

Edit: BTW, We just launched the forum a few days ago, so there are not a lot of posts there yet, but we expect that to change soon. Our most active community is our IRC Channel, which you can access from our Webchat page.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2013 11:09PM by kludgineer.

Hello Filip,

The MendelMax 2.0 is an open design. It can use any of the open source software solutions available (there are many). The MakerGear seems to be a proprietary design (as seems to be the Airwolf 3D) using exclusive proprietary software. You may want to factor that in your decision process.

In other words with the MakerGear you'll have to rely on the quality of the hardware and software supplied as well as on their customer support. There's probably a lot less MakerGear printers out there than there are RepRaps.

Even if the MendelMax has strayed from the RepRap philosophy (there are a lot less printed parts on it), it's still part of the family and you'll have a very big community to support you if needed.

I'm telling you that because you posted here, on the RepRap forum, rather than on a more general/neutral community like for example the 3D printing Google+ community.

On a marginal note, I'm puzzled that the MakerGear frame is made of stainless steel. Since it's painted black it seems to me like a total waste of money, with something that size mild steel would have been more than enough and slightly cheaper.

Good luck!

Thanks for the help everyone. I PM'ed with Mike a few times and ended up buying a MendelMax 2.0 standard kit with the LCD option. For me, the faster print/move speeds, larger print area, and the potential for upgrades (dual extruders), and (hopefully) greatly reduced assembly time were what sold me on the MM2. Whether on not all that was worth 2x the price for me (compared to the Mendel90) will take some time to answer.

Ralph,
Thanks for the tip. The Mendel90 looks like an amazing value. The quality of the prints and the size of the print area is competitive with more expensive printers, and Nophead seems to provide great support (based on other threads I've read). As an engineer I like buying into a product that has gone through a multiple iterations, and the Mendel series is a great example of that. I will definitely recommend that kit for people with a smaller budget ($860 shipped to the US!). I've updated my sheet in the original post in case someone else stumbles on it.

Normand,
I admit I was already a bit bias when I posted here. As you mentioned, I didn't want to buy into a product with a limited community. Not at this stage of 3D printer designs. I also didn't like the way the Google+ community is organized, the topics seem overly broad (Printers, Non-RepRap > no subcategories) and it seems hard to find information among all the comments/threads. I guess I prefer a typical forum layout and that makes me a dinosaur!

Thanks again, and I look forward to contributing to the community.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2013 12:53PM by Filip.

Filip any updated on the printer?

Hi Cesar,

I still have the printer. It took me about 12 hours to assemble, and at least triple that time to calibrate and tweak. I'm still having print issues using the default settings: [forums.reprap.org]

Like any 3D printer, a well-tweaked MM2 can produce good prints:
[ohmeye.smugmug.com]

I suppose it depends on your expectations. In many people's views, this hobby is a "journey". I'm sure there are people on here who have spent more time or money than me to get their printer kits going. There are lot of variables so it's hard to put a 'foolproof' kit together and I think MTW has done well. I think I got what I paid for; the kit has good components and their instructions for assembly are relatively easy to follow with lots of comments from other builders incorporated. The more challenging part comes after it's built and you print your first couple parts. I have made mistakes, some of them costing me spare parts but I'm sure that is typical for any printer. I thought I would be further along by now (more focused on making things than tweaking the printer), but it's also my first 3D printer and there is a lot to learn.

I can see why an assembled and calibrated unit sells for so much more.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2013 12:06AM by Filip.

Would you have purchased a fully assembled kit if you had the chance to do so?
Have you printed in abs? Has the builder been helpful as far as support?

Tough question to answer.

An assembled kit was outside my budget and this cost of this kit was already pushing it. I also bought the kit because I wanted the experience of building and tweaking it, so I would know how to repair it and get more out of it if I outgrew the "stock" capabilities. MTW has been supportive but most/all of the post-build help has come from other users (at this forum or others). Buying a kit based off a RepRap or one that uses a more common controller was a big help.

I suppose the question many people will ask you when you're considering other printers is this: How much time do you want to spend building/calibrating/tweaking vs just printing your own designs. I think the main variables are cost, kit quality & service, printed part quality, and your time. You can't have it all of course. I think I got a good quality kit with great potential and a wide base of community support. I spent the most I could justify on a toy, and while I may be spending more time (or less!) than others, I'm reasonably happy with my purchase most days. Many people will say that if you spend enough time with almost any decent kit, you can get excellent prints. Since everyone's skill set is different, this "time to get running" will vary a lot and may be worth more or less to you. The truth is, unless you try out all the kits yourself, and go through the pain/joy of the process for each kit, you won't get a good comparison. This brings me back to setting the proper expectations.

I've only had the printer for two weeks. I have a family and a day job, but in that time I've assembled the kit and printed about half a kg spool of filament. Most of this has been parts for the printer (fan mounts, fan ducts, caps for the extrusions, cable guides, PSU switch and cover plates, lots and lots of calibration test pieces). And chip clips for the wife of course

Great info! Do you have those files, for the printer saved? If I go with it, i can use them to print some stuff for the printer too

Maker's Tool Works provides most of the files in their support section.

Also ThingiVerse has lots of people sharing their upgrades/modifications. The ones I have used are listed in my collection.

Also, I haven't printed in ABS yet, just the red PLA from MTW. The fumes with ABS turn me off and I live in a humid area and I don't want to open the windows.

Hey Guys!

What do you think about Ultibots ZMax???

Thanks!!

I just also ordered a MendelMax 2.0 after reading this thread...

Looking forward to it...

And got it, very quick shipping

Make Magazine's 3d printer reviews did not score the Mendelmax 2 so well.
Make Magazine 3d pinter reviews

2014 results are due later this year I think from August tests.

I like that I can see print samples on the Make robot. Printer manufacturers seem to have amazingly good print samples photographed for their web sites, which don't appear realistic.

Quote
blueytoo
Make Magazine's 3d printer reviews did not score the Mendelmax 2 so well.
Make Magazine 3d pinter reviews

2014 results are due later this year I think from August tests.

I like that I can see print samples on the Make robot. Printer manufacturers seem to have amazingly good print samples photographed for their web sites, which don't appear realistic.

"Best In Class: Prosumer FFF

Replicator 2
Runner-Up: Ultimaker 2"

From personal experience, I can for sure say the UM2 beats the Replicator 2 by a million miles. The Replicator 2 has had nothing but failure in a few different machines I've seen and only after a few months of usage they ran good, there were many flaws in the machine for example with the printbed. It would just not stay calibrated. Whereas the UM2's I've seen ran much more stable and were less prone to user-error.

Anyone else who has any comparison material?

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