Printrbot Introduces Dual Extruder Upgrade For Their Metal Plus 3D Printer

Earlier this week, we released a list of what we feel are among the top 10 affordable desktop 3D printers available at this time. Coming in at #4 on the list was the Printrbot Metal Simple, a creation by Brook Drumm and company which has received rave reviews from the 3D printing community. A step above the $599 Metal Simple, for those of you with larger wallets or pocketbooks, is the Printrbot Metal Plus. This machine has an even larger build envelope of 10 x 10 x 10 inches while maintaining the same sturdy feel and precise print capabilities of the smaller predecessor. The Printrbot Metal Plus has also received rave reviews by numerous individuals within the space, but for the price, may have lacked one feature which many hardcore 3D printing enthusiasts have been drawn to as of late, dual extruders.

For those of you who own the Metal Plus (Model 1412), or have been considering picking one up, today the company announced some news which may be music to your ears. For a limited time, and at a price of $250, they will be making a dual extruder upgrade available for this model only.

As the company’s catchy and clever warning/sales pitch for the products states, “Double the pleasure, double the fun! …and frustration. Dual extruder printing is for EXPERTS ONLY. If you are just getting into 3d printing, save yourself a significant amount of grief and stick with the single print head for now. We are serious. If you are not a master 3d printer, do not order this product.”

For the most part, dual extruders can be a bit tricky. It’s actually refreshing to see a company be honest about that fact, especially given that the product is a bit pricey. With that said, if you are someone who feels you have a pretty good handle on the whole 3D printing thing, and are looking to print in multiple colors or materials during a single project, this likely will be an upgrade you’ll find well worth the money. And although the installation and setup of this dual extruder is tricky, Printrbot has put up a guide to help you out.

The upgrade can be ordered immediately, has a lead time of approximately two weeks, and will include the following components:

• 1.75mm Ubis ceramic hot end
• Alu Extruder
• Extrudrboard
• Auto-Leveling Probe for Dual Extruder
• Dual Extruder carriage metal parts
• Stepper motor
• Fan
• Hardware
• Wiring

An ATX power supply is also necessary, and will have to be purchased separately. As we mentioned above, this is only a limited time offer, and will be available for three weeks. Once April ends, so will your chances of adding a dual extruder to your Metal Plus.

Will you be upgrading your Metal Plus? Let us know your thoughts on this dual extruder in the Printrbot Metal Plus Dual Extruder Upgrade forum on 3DPB.com.