Yet another 3D printer, for $49 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: MadModder
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 22, 2016, 11:48:52 am
content: 101herohttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/101hero/101hero-the-world-first-us49-3d-printerIt's not only cheap, it looks cheap too.But the early birds are gone, so now it's at least $74.I wonder if the delivered printer will be 3D-printed, like the prototype.

author: JohnSL
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 22, 2016, 11:31:57 pm
content: I noticed that they're in Raleigh, NC. However, I designed and built a delta of about the same size, and the electronics alone were more than the total cost of this printer. They also said they had innovations that allowed them to reduce the price, but they never said what they were. Then I noticed some grammar issues, so I checked their domain registration:Registrar: HICHINA ZHICHENG TECHNOLOGY LTD.Registrant City: BeijingI also noticed that it was fairly slow, and then noticed they're using small, round steppers, which are probably really cheap. I wonder if their "innovation" was to use really cheap Chinese parts and manufacturing.

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2016, 03:49:29 pm
content: They say the retail will be $99. So is it worth the risk? They are already funded 5x more than asking, with 24 days to go, so there is no more "duty" to support the campaign, it will be funded and they have plenty more money than they asked. I would sit back and wait until some units are shipped and there is feedback. I think it's worth spending the extra $25 to be reassured that it is not a complete disaster. Still, for $99 even a shoddy printer may be enough to get some people into it. But yeah.... $74 (at least) versus $99.... Not enough difference to risk it at this point. I'll do this...

author: BobC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 16, 2017, 07:12:53 pm
content: Yes, this is an old thread, but since it's still the only thread concerning the 101Hero, I decided not to add a new thread for a topic with such limited interest.I backed this campaign simply because it was the least expensive way to learn just enough about 3D printing on which to base future decisions.I received my 101Hero with one dead motor, but fortunately I had joined a group buy for replacement motors and they had arrived before my printer, so my printer was working right away.It has proven to be everything I had hoped it would be! So cheap and poorly built that I had to learn atonabout how to make it print halfway decently, and how to optimize designs and slicing to avoid its weaknesses.And it has so many weaknesses. The creators are so minimally competent at business that it's amazing they were able to ever ship anything.The delta mechanical design is just about what you'd expect for a printer than needed to have a COGS under US$30. Lots of flex, lots of slop, terrible accuracy, but basically functional despite all that.Their customer support is pretty much non-existent, but the 101Hero community has filled much of the need, completely independent of the manufacturer.Despite using the Open Source Marlin firmware, they have yet to release their config files, meaning I haven't been able to make some of the tweaks needed to smooth some of the printer's rough edges.One good thing with a printer that runs at 1/10th the speed of a Prusa i3 clone is that you can get away with using even the cheapest filament. In other words, there is no reason to put expensive filament into such a cheap printer. I'm using only those PLA filaments I can get for under US$20/kg total cost, delivered.I've made a few mechanical tweaks. First, I added rubber bands around each pair of pivots to take up the amazing amount of slop in the ball joints. It works great, but it is important to not make them too tight, or binding can result.Second, I slid acrylic panels between each of the pylons to stiffen the wobbly structure. It mainly helped on designs that had the extruder doing more traveling than printing, such as for parts with multiple separated vertical structures, such as the legs of an inverted table.Bottom line, I have no regrets whatsoever getting this printer for a delivered price of US$80.But after only 5 months of use, I've grown bored with prints taking overnight. So I backed the $99 BuildOne printer campaign by Robotic Industries to gain experience with a much faster and more capable Cartesian printer.