It’s immediately obvious upon unpacking the MakerBot Replicator that substantial engineering resources went into this fifth-generation machine’s consumer-focused hardware and software. It sports a large, bright, color LCD interface, mobile or PC app-controlled LAN / wi-fi printing, an internal print-watching camera and a magnetically attached, sensor-packed Smart Extruder. The onboard LCD interface was by far […]
Last year the Felix 2.0 was our “surprise hit.” This year’s model, the fully assembled Felix 3.0 (also available as a kit) has been upgraded with injection-molded parts and a dual-extrusion option, but it retains its portability, minimalist feel, and excellent print surfaces. This machine doesn’t ship with a printed manual, but their site provides […]
Afinia continues to live up to its “easy to use” reputation with their updated H-Series printer. The H480 printer may appear identical to the previous model, but it now includes automatic platform leveling and nozzle height detection. Automatic Calibration Leveling a print bed and setting the extruder height are two of the biggest challenges for […]
Type A Machines’ 2014 Series 1 Edition is its first sleek, tooled, powder-coated aluminum and acrylic paneled printer with the largest build volume (one cubic foot!) of any printer we reviewed. Easy Setup, Minimalistic Controls Type A Machines invested considerable attention in crafting the documentation and unboxing experience. As a result — from setup to first prints — prepping […]
Looking for a truly consumer-grade printer that integrates looks and portability with smart design? You’ll find it in BeeTheFirst. Portugal’s BeeVeryCreative provides a fantastic out-of-the-box experience that allows anyone to painlessly enter the world of desktop 3D printing. Neophytes will be up and running quickly and this portable, polished machine is sure to look great […]
Back for a second year, Vancouver’s Tinkerine Studios has added a shiny new printer to their lineup, the Ditto Pro. We put the bright white machine through its paces and found that there’s a lot to like. Unique Open C Frame Keeping with the open design of their previous Ditto and Litto models, the new […]
The all-metal construction of the Printrbot Simple Metal feels more like a professional power tool than an entry-level 3D printer. The weight of this small, portable printer gives it a real sense of quality, and the inclusion of a now-standard auto-leveling bed makes it a real step up from its wooden predecessors. This printer is […]
