Prusa I3

I'm looking into getting a Prusa I3 but I am having trouble deciding which one. Which one is the best bang for you buck? I'm looking to spend around $600 on this printer but I want to get the best kit at this price. Your help is much appreciated.

Hi,

Have a look to the Wanhao Duplicator I3

++JM

What makes you recommend this over the original prusa or the bq prusa? I want a kit because I'm very handy and want to get to know the ins and outs at the same time. So which of all the prusa i3 kits would everyone recommend?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2015 05:40PM by ericjkitchen89@gmail.com.

I like the Folger 2020 one because for 300 bucks you get a printer that will work then you can upgrade stuff as you want from there.

---

Newbie with Folgertech 2020 i3.

Hi guys,

Quote
msaeger
I like the Folger 2020 one because for 300 bucks you get a printer that will work then you can upgrade stuff as you want from there.

There's a lot of things to hate about the Folger kit. From extruder to transmission.
Upgrading a printer and spend at last 50% of the original price to get a good printer is a nosense.
You'd rather getting a good kit at the start, it will be less expensive.

Quote
[email protected]
What makes you recommend this over the original prusa or the bq prusa? I want a kit because I'm very handy and want to get to know the ins and outs at the same time. So which of all the prusa i3 kits would everyone recommend?

Well, I talked about the WanHao Duplicator I3's quality/price ratio overtake any actual regular I3 kit.
The WanHao have :
- rock solid powder coated steel frame with hidden mecanics
- hard electronics case with spool holder
- 8mm ACME screws on the Z axis
- no rubbish threaded rod Y chassis
- aluminium bearing blocks and flange
- a proper cable management system
The only thing you wanna upgrade as soon as possible, is to get a E3D V6/Lite6 alike and print a geared extruder (<$20)
No actual kit offers that much for under $400.

BUT, I understand you want to build the printer by yourself and that's a good point.
Forget what kit builders can say. For them, obviously the perfect kit is the one they bought.
Truely, it is not. There's no perfect kit, definitely. Any kit will need some upgrades.
That upgrades can be pretty expensive as the number of upgrades increase
(like with Folger's or with any cheap chinese kit which is the pretty thesame, even if there's some better chinese cheap kits...),
and especialy if you need to upgrade motors and transmission (Folger use the worst in both cases).

If you want a printer with no further unexpected upgrades at reasonable price,
you should consider sourcing the parts by yourself. It's not as difficult as you think.
There's a lot of trustable BOMs on the web you can follow, or you can make some better choices matching your needs.
For example, if you source nema 17 motors with built in ACME screw shafts,
you will get something close to the perfection at comparable price of a standard motor + coupler + ACME screw,
that will prevent alignement issues, coupling issues, and so on...
At each step of the sourcing, you can get better/comparable components as you could find in a kit.
It's just like picking the best of each kit in a single one, and saving money at the same time.
We can help you to select the best possible components.
I whish someone could have told me that when I was a newbie !
Take some time to think about it

++JM

Do you know of any BOMs that are easier to follow in the United States?

For $600 bucks you are close to the genuine Prusa i3 (shipping extra)
[shop.prusa3d.com]

Hi,

I'm sorry, I don't know about US BOMS, and the french BOMs are pretty good but not translated yet.
You can chat on the main IRC channel, some people will probably give you some links.

The genuine Prusa i3 from Jo Prusa himself is not realy interesting as a printer.
It takes no advantage of all the reworked parts that makes the i3 better.
Just you support Jo and the open source community. It's no bad point through.

++JM

I just got my second Createc Steel i3

I prefer threaded rods because they don't lose position when powered off.

hi guys,

RRuser, you mean metric threaded rods vs ACME leadscrews ?

++JM

J-MAX,
What would you say would be the parts to spend more money on? Which parts is it ok to go cheap at first? Also if I wanted to make one of these BOMs, but make it a dual extruder how difficult would that be? and what would be Necessary?

J-MAX,
Here's what I have come up with. The BOM I used to come up with this list is [docs.google.com]. I feel like pieces are missing. Could you look over this to see if there's anything that I am missing? Also where do I find the instructions on how to put this together? Thanks for your help.

Hi Eric,

To work together faster; I have created your online BOM.

I will organize the BOM, add missing components, and replace links by what I consider more appropriate.
You can modify anything and people here can give links to their good deals or argue about some choices we made, or about missing things maybe. Any help is welcome.
I desagree with some of your choices, especialy the dual hotend, one of the worst money can buy, IMHO.
Some choices are simply expensive. I consider the main goal is to get a good value for money printer.
If you prefer to low the price as possible or get the best quality money can buy, feel free to let me know.

Actualy, the initial price is around $600. We'll see how better we can go

Maybe we should define what are your DIY skills and what toolbox do you have (or have access to).

++JM

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2015 05:34AM by J-Max.

J-MAX,
As far as my DYI skills go I have worked as a welder and have always been good at constructing things. I am currently in school for Electrical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. That's actually a big reason I want to get into 3D printing and learn how they work. I have little experience with soldering but I plan on practicing before I do it on my printer, although from the BOM you sent me it might not be necessary. Do you know of any instructions that I could look at and see what skills would be necessary and then I can better see what skills would be necessary and see if I am comfortable doing this. I really don't want to spend $400+ dollars on a bunch of parts if I don't feel like I am capable of doing it. Also I can't thank you enough for your help!

A couple of these pieces don't have free shipping to the US, so I have put a second option to the right in the BOM.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2015 12:46PM by ericjkitchen89@gmail.com.

Hi,

You can find a lot of guides, here's a trustable one : [reprap.org]
You've got a lot of youtube build videos too.

My question about your skills is because you can save some money if you're able to build a squared wood box frame.
A wood box frame can be even better that a single aluminium sheet frame.
If someone of your family owns a metalshop, you should get a steel frame and the rods at no/low cost.
Download the source files of the P3 Steel just here, and give them to your family member, he will probably be able to make it, and even to weld it for you.
It will be dead sqare and you will save on hardware too !

Frankly speaking, if you've got the frame, you just need 3 basic skills :
- follow some build instructions
- screwing bolts
- solderint wires
My son of 10 is building his first printer...

Sorry for the wrong links in the BOM, maybe you need to do a shopping to get better ones.
As I live in the european area, I don't know about specialist shops in your area.
If you have a fablab in the neighbourhoud, you should go there.
Some people will be happy to make your plastic parts, even help you to cut your frame,
sometimes sell parts from bulk buys, and provide advices by numbers !

I saw your links. I will replace the Dupont wiring by yours.
For the motors, the 17HS4401 don't have the torque of the 17HS8401, I selected them at purpose.
I replaced the initial link by another, can you check there's no shipping cost for them ?

If you want to go further on the BOM or with your build, feel free to ask.

++JM

If there were one or two things that you would upgrade or change on this BOM what would they be and why?

Quote

you mean metric threaded rods vs ACME leadscrews

Yes. At least, 4-start leadscrews. They rotate down by gravity when the Z motors power off.

You can get m10 or m8 with 1.25mm lead, acme screws. They don't need the motor to hold their place and they are a lot more precisely made then a normal threaded rod.

Edit: this link has some useful info and equations to help you choose a leadscrew. [en.m.wikipedia.org]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2015 10:24AM by AudaciousTuddle.

Hi guys

@ RRuser, it sounds like a bad engineering issue.
This happens when the pitch of the screw overtake what the magnet of the motor can hold.
As AudaciousTuddle said, a proper calculation of the screw or better motor choice should have been done.

Quote
[email protected]
If there were one or two things that you would upgrade or change on this BOM what would they be and why?

Actualy, I selected the best value for money components. I could buy exactly the same for me or a friend.
To low the price it's possible to get a single extruder machine (maybe $50 saving).

In an no compromise machine, I would probably upgrade LM8UU for Igus (+$20), or better, replace for linear MGN guides. (+$80)
Also wanted a MK3 aluminium bed (+$8), find some HX cables/connectors (+$8). A PEI build plate ($50). And that's all.
I surely won't change the MKS Sbase for a Smoothieboard (that's $140 more for a so close board),
and the same for a genuine E3D Legend pack, which is probably very close too for $160 more !
My chinese Legend pack works just fine.

++JM

J-MAX,
When I went to order that MKS Sbase it said it had been discontinued by seller. So I need to find another one. I found one that is an MKS SBase V1.2, which from the information I am finding would be a newer version of the MKS SBase V1.0. [www.aliexpress.com]

Does this one work?

Hi guys,

Actualy, the last version of the Sbase is the v1.2. That's the release you want.
There were known firmware compatibility issues on version 1.0.

++JM

J-MAX,

I am receiving all of my parts, but none of the build instructions that I have seen thus far aren't for a dual extruder. Also which plastic parts should I use? I got some but they aren't the right ones.

Hi Eric,

Can you list and post pictures of parts you own ?

++JM