3D Printer Reviews: July

With so many 3D printers available, first-hand experiences via reviews can lead to informed decisions when in the market for a new machine. This aggregation provides a look into some of the most recent reviews of desktop 3D printers available.

Latest Gadget Reviews tried out the FlashForge Finder. The 3D printer is restricted to printing with polylactic acid filament. However, The FlashForge Finder does create good-quality 3D prints and is a good fit for the entry-level user. The review says, “This isn’t the breakout consumer model 3D printer we’ve been hoping for, but the Finder did show flashes of promise.”

Develop3D tested out the Rize One. The Rize One is a higher-end printer, costing $26,000, and weighs 60 kg. It has several key downfalls – it only runs on Windows, and there is no wireless connectivity. On the positive side, “The Rize One builds tough parts — really tough parts. The Rizium material is a Cycloolefin Polymer and analogous to a polycarbonate.”

CNXSoft reviewed the Tevo Tarantula 3D printer. According to the review, the auto-leveling feature is “more of a hassle” and “not totally reliable.” However, manual leveling is “not difficult.” The reviewer was happy with the quality results from printing on glass, calling it “pretty nice.” He does think the printer should include a part cooling fan, though.

High Quality 3D Printer was recently looking for a new 3D printer and decided to create a rundown of Amazon reviews for the Monoprice Select Mini 3D Printer. One review in part said, “The stock hot end is only good for PLA and is prone to jamming due to a gap being between the PTFE tubing feeding into the heatsink and the hot end’s heat break. This can be reduced by butting the ptfe tubing into the heat break, but never totally eliminated. I ended up replacing the hot end entirely with an E3D V6 hot end with an all metal heat break, and have been very happy with the upgrade. Highly recommended. I also recommend using the ‘Zero Offset’ mounting kit for the E3d V6 off of thingiverse.” Another review reads, “Ok, I just received this printer, and so far it’s amazing! However, I’ve noticed some people on YouTube or other places that shows them having a bit of trouble setting it up. So, if you’re planning on getting this printer, use the following steps to have an awesome experience.”

Tom’s Guide recently reviewed the Skriware 3D printer. The printer, which fits nicely on a small desk, comes with a spare brass extruder. “In an unusual move, the company includes a spare brass extruder, the part of the printhead that squirts out the melted material to form the print. These parts do wear out with time, so it is nice to see a extra one included with the Skriware,” the review says. In addition, “I did find a few issues with the print process. My test printer initially failed to connect to the Skrimarket until I raised the issue with Skriware, which put the blame on technical issues and fixed the problem remotely. The Skrimarket also failed to process two test models — our gears test model, which includes all of the parts for a set of planetary gears, and our geometric sculpture model.”

We will be aggregating the latest 3D printer reviews every few weeks to keep you informed and up to date with real experiences using 3D printers. Discuss in the 3D Printer Review Aggregate forum at 3DPB.com.