WHAT WE LIKED MOST:
3.2
This product was excellent a roll of painters 6" tape was purchased instead of the tape sheets that came with the roll, it arrived quickly, and is good quality easy to use. I have already made many items, and my students and fellow instructors are very excited about the work that the printer did. The printer is easy to use. I used a scraper that was provided to remove the printed item from the stage and I rubbed a sharper edge on it. As with all printers, tall items with a small stage footprint will require glue or rafting to ensure the printed object stays in place for the entire process. This is something to keep in mind though.
I purchased this item to use with my family as an idea machine, because my daughter thinks endlessly of different creations, and I thought it would be a better way to bring them to life than DaVinci Jr. 1.0W. When I received this, the best thing I discovered was that I did not need any experience whatsoever. The software available at XYZ makes design and printing very easy. It is self explainatory. We have printed over thirty pieces, and I am very pleased with each piece. The small print area was an issue. However, even one year after purchasing it, I am extremely satisfied with every print I receive. This is the best printer I have owned for a recreational purpose.
This is our first 3D printer, and I could not figure out how to get the filament to come out of the nozzle. I had followed the instructions regarding loading. Suddenly the printer was trying to print, but nothing came out. I called Support and spoke with Alejandra who was very nice. She knew what I was doing wrong. She explained that you need to cut the filament at a 45 degree angle so it feeds better into the extruder. Now we are in business. I highly recommend this printer and this company. Alejandra, you were very helpful.
I purchased it in 2015, and have been using it since then. It does what I need it to do without any problems. I used this in printing small forms for my hobby of keeping ants. There are many other small home items on Thingiverse. It is a great introduction printer that will keep both hobbyist and 3D printer happy.
WHAT WE LIKED MOST:
4.7
This is my second printer. The first one is a Printrbot from 2015. I wanted a printer that was user friendly and manufactured by a company that has been around for a while. I am using this printer for personal and school projects. I am a mechanical engineer. I do not need anything special, nor fine detail prints. I have been happy with my printer. The menu on the printer holds your hand through set up and calibration, and I am very much in favor. The flexible print bed is very easy to take out and put back in. It assists in removing prints, but it does not remove the need for scraping. I love the simple bed leveling touchscreen menu and clear doors to view prints in progress. I printed the frog that was loaded onto my printer. The first layer caused other blemishes because I forgot to set the z offset. After recognizing my mistake, I went through the assisted calibration process, and my next two prints came out perfectly. I purchased a smaller planet gear set, which included a dozen very small prints. I prefer a.34 resolution than a.1. I am really impressed with the finished product. I thought I should share.
I had experience printing with a Beta resin printer, but it would take hours to print, the results were less than satisfactory for what I was trying to print. I also cost the resin, so I decided to get a second printer. I desired one that gave professional results and cost less than $1500. After much frustration with what was available, I finally found the Dremel 3D40 and it seemed to have decent reviews. The most important thing was the excellent tech support when other printers had limited, uncaring, or no tech support. I purchased one in November of 2016. I am glad that I did and I would like to explain why. Many of the reviews on 3D printers are written by people who seem to think that 3D printing is a matter of pushing a button and having a perfect print magically appear. Such is not the case. 3D printing is a black art and how a particular model is designed and laid out is as important as how the printer functions. The Print Studio program available to download with purchase is actually not half bad software. Once one gets used to tweaking the settings (hint, always enable the raft) it nearly always yields successful prints. The few prints that I had were less successful because my model was designed and laid out in the print software. When I reworked the model, the prints were universally successful. I have heard that the 3D40 can only be used with Dremel filament. I have read several accounts of people using other filaments with this printer, but I personally have no problem whatsoever with the Dremel filament. I have encountered instances where I needed to contact tech support and I would like to mention that they are the most excellent tech support team I have ever encountered. Yes, they will come back to you and they have solved every problem I have had. The most common problem is an occasional clogged print head. They have excellent directions that allow you to make the repair at home. I have only had to do this once since I purchased the printer. It is easy to maintain. I experienced a problem with the leveling mechanism. They gave me excellent instructions on sending the printer in for repair or replacement of the defective component. The turnaround time was approximately one week, including shipping time. Save the printer's packaging and the materials inside, just in case it is needed. Printing time is fairly quick. For a large and complex print, the resin printer takes far longer. I've read about the 3D40, and it lacks a heated print bed. However, I have had no issues removing prints, although this could be an improvement for future models. Prints can be easily removed as long as the glass is covered either with Dremel's prepared stick-on surfaces or by blue painter's tape. The filament eventually yields a very nice matte, shine free print. I use white filament. I find that it takes primer and paint very well. Plastruct Plastic Weld, with the orange label, has proved to be an excellent, strong adhesive. Filament is readily available and not that expensive at all. I recommend this printer if only because of the technical support. The only improvement I can think of other than the heated print bed, are better instructions for the Print Studio software. It is simple software, however it contains many parameters that may need to be adjusted to yield the best results. I would rate the Dremel 3D40 five stars and Tech Support six stars.
I wouldn't purchase another printer. I started 3D printing using a Dremel 3D20 model. I traded it in for a 3D40 model when Dremel released that version. While I was absolutely pleased with the 3D20 model. I bought the 3D20 based on price and research. I did not pay $3,000 for a few items. Dremel developed affordable and easy to use 3D printers with the models that were released. The printer is extremely easy to use. You do not have to be a degree in CAD to begin printing. They have partnered with Simplify 3D which is a program that does magic with print files. The 3D40 has very easy leveling, with easy leveling by simply adjusting the two dials and the printer will tell you when it is level. Filament can be loaded from the side of the machine. It stops printing when you run out of filament, and the printer will resume at the point it ran out. The feature is important when printing an large model overnight. I now have three 3D40 printers that I almost run 24 hours a day without any issues other than normal wear and tear of parts. Dremel is made in America, their headquarters and service department are located in Racine, Wisconsin. They are very helpful and knowledgeable on the problems I have had. I print models of tanks, cars, and trucks from the WW I era and present them on the internet. Below is a review I left for myself that was great. I am very excited regarding the pieces that I have ordered from this source. The pieces are packed great, and look fantastic, as they are made to order and the fittings are fantastic. The items always have a very realistic design, what else can I say? Dremel is a printer that you need to buy for your journey in the world of 3D printing.
I received the 3D40 Flex a couple of weeks ago. It arrived with no damage in the box and was very well packaged. I began creating my first object within a short amount of time. The learning curve was quick and not too intimidating. I am completely satisfied with the quality of the objects it creates because the machine has operated flawlessly all the time. I was only able to print the first object. When the construction began there was no filament being extruded. The operator, myself, had not properly fed the filament into the extruder. Once I have learned how to do it properly, I have had no additional problems. I live in an apartment and the machine takes up very little space and operates quite quietly. This is a great thing considering my relatively small workspace. I have already thought of literally hundreds of projects that I plan to begin. Now that I am confident that this machine will more than fit my bill. I'm very happy that I decided to purchase it. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning the world of 3D printing with me.
WHAT WE LIKED MOST:
4.2
The 30000 feet view in this review is GlowForge, it is amazing. You should do it if you like to make things but are uncertain whether to purchase one for yourself. It is absolutely incredible. I recommend the model called Plus. I enjoy the extra power of the Plus laser, and I do not feel that the slot is worth the extra $2k upgrade for the Pro laser. Some people using the glowforge for cutting and engraving large signs believe that the slot is worth the extra cash. I own a 3D printer and a workshop full of woodworking tools. I purchased the Glowforge as an accessory for my woodworking. I thought I would use it to engrave various wood parts when working on furniture. Ive ended up using it for more. Before purchasing the Glowforge, I spent a lot of time and money on alternatives that I thought could be used for the same purposes. Wood burner requires too much skill and time for what I wanted it for. If you are into wood burning for the sake of cultivating the skill then you should go for it. But for me this is just a means to an end and I wanted the fastest way to that end. The 3D printer is good for what it does, but it is not ideal. It only outputs plastic 3. I have used it to cut and engrave wood. Cut and engrave Plexiglass. This scene appears to be similar to the scene on The Glowforge. Cut and engrave leather. I have developed a system for cutting dungeon tiles for D&D on the Glowforge. I have engraved a number of wood projects. I fabricated the plexiglass from it. The item has been finished with leatherworking. It is amazing I would like to refer to plexiglass work. The Glowforge simplifies engraving and cutting plexiglass so you will spend more time looking for plexiglass projects to use. The glowforge edges in the plexiglass are so smooth and so clear that you can shine a light up through the edge and have your engraving lit up. The glowforge cuts the holes for sewing the leather making it very easy. Its pros are that it works with real materials. Wood, leather, plexiglass, and even anodized aluminum is an option. Also, it is very fast. It is extremely easy to make designs for, with a great vector drawing program being required. I use Adobe Illustrator, but a lot of people use the free app inkscape. However, the cons are it only works on flat things. It is approximately.5" thick to cut. It is also approximately.2" thick for engraving. I am unable to cut certain materials that contain chemicals that are toxic when burned. Some examples of my work are given.
I purchased the Glowforge Plus from Amazon a month ago and it arrived two days later. Prime saved the typical $150 shipping charge and using the Amazon credit card garnered another 5% cash back. The unit arrived with the packaging a bit undone, but there was no damage to the machine which was well packed. I followed the setup instructions but did not get the glowing button by default which prompted me to write an email to GlowForge support. The answer directed me to hold the Glowforge button down for fifteen seconds. This would cause it to glow and be in the mode to look for the wifi in setup. I learned to use Inkscape to prepare the SVG files for the Glow Forge and then completed the connection with the WiFi at my residence. I am impressed with Inkscape, and it is free to use. I have been following some helpful tips posted on the GlowForge community forum to improve Inkscape. Install the default color palette for Glowforge, where all colors are in the sequence Glowforge will use in engraving, scoring, and cutting the parts of a project. In design mode, I can pick the stroke and fill colors for the sequence that I want GlowForge to follow. Any cuttings are placed as my last step. Although I know the steps can be rearranged in the GlowForge software, it is nice to have the project presequenced when loaded. I downloaded an extension to make boxes out of Proofgrade draft boards or white hardboards using Inkscape, which I installed and then used to make boxes. The extension allows designing boxes with dovetail joints on the corners. The most recent project used the Box extension to design and cut specimen cases for an upcoming Rock Show. It also has an interior grid of two inches. It comprises 45 cells for displaying small rocks and fossils. My favorites are a medium draftboard, a medium clear acrylic, and an inch white hardboard from Home Depot. The white hardboard has a glossy white surface and a dark interior, which makes for excellent contrast when engraved. This white hardboard is inexpensive at $11 for a four footxetten foot sheet. I required that Home Depot cut the sheet in the store into 19 inches by four feet strips. I then cut these 19inch strips on my table saw into twelveinch widths, so I have 19x12inch boards to put in the GlowForge. The accumulation of smoke on the white surface easily wipes off with a damp paper towel. Or, I will cover the surface with blue painters tape to be the smoke shield. I use the following speed and power settings for the white hard board. Engrave 1000/full power, Score 500/50%, Cut 160/full power. It was an improvement since I purchased my computer, that the GlowForge team was able to save custom settings. I appreciate their continual improvements in their software. A project using medium clear acrylic was to design a 10x10 inch quilting ruler with slots at various distances for guiding a quilter's cutting wheel. I also own a Bob's CNC and use the free Inventables Easel software for router projects. The router has a wide range of applications that are very enjoyable. Draw a rectangle about the entire project just outside of the cut perimeter. The weak setting is sufficient to mark painters tape without touching the material surface. The purpose of the rectangle is to confirm my project placement on the material. If this border does not draw in the intended position, I lift the Glowforge lid to abort the print, then adjust the material location, or adjust the image in the Glowforge view, and restart the project. In summary, I love my GlowForge and have been very pleased with it.
This review was updated since Glowforge is now sold on Amazon. Most of the information in the original review remains the same. And now, there are even more reasons to buy the machine. While preordering the Glowforge I purchased one of the Basic prerelease units and test one of the Glowforge models. It took me seven months to receive my own pro model. I have been using one for almost a year and a half. Time is short. There are now three models of the Glowforge Laser available. You can run this machine without venting it out of a window if you select the optional filter which is available. Unless an unplanned delay occurs, they will be due within a few months. The limitation is a narrower operating temperature range - they tend to pause for cooling at temperatures above 76 F. A moderate ambient temperature is required for longer jobs. In other words, they work better in an airconditioned craft room than a hot garage. The Plus model is the same as the Basic with the addition of a boost of power that speeds up processing and lets you cut through thicker materials. The Plus model offers the same power levels as the Pro model, however it is not outfitted with a passthrough slot. The Pro model has 45 Watts of Power, a wider operating temperature range (60F - 81F) and it has a Passthrough slot that lets you cut 1/4" thick material that is 20" wide, as long as you like. Word art for the walls, bigger boxes, and finished pieces. It is very simple to use, even if you have never touched a laser. When I started testing the prerelease unit, the only lasers that I had ever seen in action were on YouTube videos. I made my first cut within half an hour of beginning to set up the machine. It is as simple as connecting the vent hose, attaching the print head, plugging the machine, and loading the app. The instructions on how to set up are clear and easy to follow. There are numerous tutorials on the GlowForge community forum. In addition, if you are new to lasers, there is now a group of friendly and enthusiastic customers on the Glowforge forum who have become familiar with laser operation and are available to assist people with setting up and helping individuals to get started with their machines. The time is right to purchase. You do not have to be a genius in this area for you to use this device. Everything is enclosed in the main unit or the unit plus filter. This is a small, efficient unit. It operates internally and is set up in my office. Attach a vent hose, plug it in and you are ready to go. I believe all lasers require a filter or a vent. It can create amazing things using it. I have attached a few recent photos that show things I have made with the machine and show the print quality that this laser can achieve. Although it is easy to use for beginners, it can provide many of the same features necessary to complete small tasks and small business projects. The machine is made of superior materials. The Glowforge team incorporated sensors into the print head, that warn if the user sticks in something that is too high, or if the door is not quite closed, and it shuts down the print or refuses to process it. By doing so, it removes most of the usual user error potential. That is real life, but it can happen sometimes but that is okay, then I agree with you on that. The Glowforge team will offer Proofgrade materials to use in the cutter. The proofgrade materials are coded with many more advanced information, such as setting the focal point for the beam, and power and speed settings for that material. So, a new user does not have to know as much to get started. Advanced users can override these settings manually as well if they want to use other materials not sold by Glowforge. I routinely set my own, so you are not limited to using Proofgrade materials. They are a lot easier, and they come with a nice satin finish that eliminates much of the work of post processing. These materials are a significant time saver, and are easier to use than other over the counter items. The cheaper ceramic tiles from Home Depot and Lowe's have been used for engraving and/or cutting fabrics, rubber, silicone, EVA craft foam, papers, cardboards, acrylics, glass, etc. They are turning them into beautiful coasters with Sharpies by coloring in the engraved areas. This machine is ideal for artists who draw with ink on paper. The Glowforge user interface has a trace function that will scan your artwork and quickly turn it into a high quality engravable image that you can transfer onto wood, acrylic, or a ceramic tile. The interface also gives you the option to create a cut line around your artwork, so you can engrave your own art onto wood, then cut it out for display, or to hand out as wooden business cards or postcards. If you do not want to design your own, then you can easily modify the offerings from the catalog by simply dragging and dropping your artwork onto the boxes and leather goods that they have designed for you. If you are an expert in digital design, such as 2D and 3D, you will know that those types of designs can be loaded into the interface as well, including the cutting and engraving process. The Glowforge interface is not a complete digital design suite. Most of the processing on digital files is performed on the file before loading it into the interface. The forum also has several articles on digital design, for those of you interested. Some reasons you might want to consider something else You can get cheaper lasers. They will likely require a much higher learning curve and you could experience significantly more down time. Some of them will get infected with malware. You will likely need to change out parts frequently if you want to be comfortable with taking a machine apart and fixing it. Parts of the units are outside, so they take up more space. If price is the only consideration, then you can get a laser that will do the same things that this one does. The cutting area on the bed on this laser is currently limited to approximately 19.50 inches by 11. inches. Unless you get a Pro Model unit that will have a passthrough slot that allows you to feed in tall material for processing. They will have a limitation of twenty inches wide by any length. Some larger materials may need to be cut down in order to fit in the bed of the Basic and Plus units. In the case of a 20x12 bed, they will fit in the bed. This is a closed system. There is a limitation on the height of the materials that can be engraved in it. The maximum size is about 2 inches, so the machine cannot accommodate anything taller than that. If you need to engrave taller objects, purchase a different laser, There is no rotary device currently associated with this machine. A forum article stated that a manual rotating device allows for cylindrical engraving. We expect one to be coming soon, in a future upgrade or as an addon soon. This has not been a problem for me. If you are uncomfortable with using the Google Cloud to send your file designs to GlowForge for processing, then buy something else. In sixteen months, I have had one file fail to finish due to a power line surge, which I am pretty sure would shut the process down on any laser. They use the Internet to load the file up to GlowForge for processing, and then download the results to the machine. Because the size of the files is relatively small, the actual interaction with the cloud is relatively brief once the results are downloaded to the machine. I have a very slow Internet connection. If you have a connection that allows streaming, it is faster than you need. I have cut and embossed all kinds of wood, plywood, bamboo, acrylic, leather, foam core, fabric, paper, cardboard, and MDF. I am also capable of engraved eggshells. I engraved a phrase on a grain of rice. The results have been unbelievably accurate no matter how detailed the designs have been. This keeps getting better. It is wonderful to find a company that is willing to work with the customers to improve the product. I wish you the best of luck in making your choice. I am still thrilled with this one, and they are continually improving the software and adding new functionality to make it easier to use as time goes on.''
WHAT WE LIKED MOST:
3.9
I purchased the Snapmaker product from their Kickstarter campaign and have been making things ever since the product arrived in June. I was truly impressed by the quality of this machine. The unit is well made, easy to assemble, and I was printing the parts out about an hour after it arrived. I have printed almost every day since that first printing using either the 3D printer laser engraver or the CNC mill. The three heads can easily be changed out. There is also a more powerful laser available for cutting thicker materials. I have printed parts with PLA ABS TPE, and wood/PLA filaments. These items can be obtained through Snapmaker or Amazon. The software that came with the machine is quite satisfactory. They keep it updated frequently and it can use improvements. I use Autodesk Fusion for CNC milling, and Snapmaker for everything else. On their facebook page and forum they also have a friendly community of users, in case you need help. I look forward to future additions to the Snapmaker line since the 5" Cube build area can be somewhat limiting. It is designed to be expandable and thats one of the reasons I purchased it. If you want to have a blast manufacturing or if you want to learn the basics of it I would highly recommend it. The hobbies Ive attempted have kept me interested. I need to make something else.
For those of you familiar with Apple products, it approached the scale of packaging assembly took approximately an hour, but was quite easy, and the manual was very clear. It is not possible to miss beginnings or redos. It seems the only tool that was needed was included with the machine, and it is well made. They were well attached to each other. The alignment of components was good. The materials were good and the controller is quite unique similar to a cell phone. I was first able to print three d's because it had a magnet and a coiled cord, which allowed me to use it. I printed a model, I had already printed it with both of my other printers. It was easy to use, and a beautiful print quality. The software is a bit clunky, but it is built on Cura, it seems. You should be able to print the same model in ABS and PLA. I have not attempted any other types of material. It is an important part of the software that allows ABS and PLA to work. Printing with my Mac mini and the included memory stick is required to print other materials. When compared to other printers, the memory stick option was the best choice. I did an upgrade to the firmware without fuss and the change over to the 3D carving was quick. The kit included a couple of items. My unexperienced operator quickly broke one. I am glad that he made the change. I have not yet tried to use the laser module. I have not tried the laser module yet because I still have some learning curve. I ordered the high power laser and the enclosure directly from Snapmaker. I will wait until the enclosure is ready to test the laser. I will update this information when I become more familiar with the machine in the carving and laser mode, and the 3D printer is a good beginner model. However the work is fairly small, but sufficient for many projects. My update is that I am not impressed with Snaper's support however, I ordered $400 worth of addons from Snaper's direct on 2/5. You can not get anything in three weeks. Writing them produces an auto response for high volume of emails. Any machine, no matter how excellent it is, will have no support. You may be selfsufficient, but be careful when considering this unit.
I think the 3D printer is solid and performs well with all the functions indicated. The best part of this printer is the after sales support. I received a followup call a day after placing the order, and they continued to help me with getting my order functioning correctly. The following is a list of some of the things I need to know about Snap Maker's after sale support team, Chelsey has worked tirelessly to ensure I am completely satisfied with the purchase, from the services to the actual product. Obviously, this kind of services is rare these days. I am pleased with Snap Maker. I would purchase the 3D printing supplies from Snap Maker without hesitation.
I was very excited to receive this. Everything looks fairly adequate. I opened the box and compared its contents to what I had seen on a few YouTube videos about this product. I have not set it up or used it yet. I apologize, I finally got around to it, but one word, outstanding. I decided to begin with the laser engraver, rather than 3D printing. It is more relevant to a small business I'm in the process of starting. So I engraved my business name and logo on a small piece of wood. The result is impressive. I am considering many applications for this. If you purchase a snap maker, the only thing I would add is an engraving bed. Using that would make it easier to determine exactly where to place similarly sized items for repetitive engraving. I made some nice wooden business cards. I am able to complete six at one time. Since they are business cards, the engraving does not change nor does the position of the cards. As I repeat the process over and over again. So I drew a grid onto the plate and wrote five x five mm squares with a pencil. As soon as the sixth card is complete, I quickly remove them put six new cards on in the exact same spot and hit the play button.
