I got my Mecreator 2 almost one month ago and I have some suggestions to enhance it:
Please survey the quality check more closely... The printer was simply not working at all when I got it.
-> The backwark extruder plug was not fully inserted, I spent an entire evening before I saw.
-> Once the previous issue was solved I got a "Maxtemp Error". I read some articles and found that's meaning that the thermocouple was making a short circuit somewhere. I finally found it, the thermocouple wire was pinched between the extruder chassis and the derivation box cover.
- error.jpg (584.65 KiB) Viewed 7857 times
- cut.jpg (469.06 KiB) Viewed 7857 times
-> the nozzle out layer was broken.
- nozzle.jpg (745.99 KiB) Viewed 7857 times
-> one of the bearings was not correclty mounted
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I already spent 8 hours...
Honestly, I have some doubts about the print sample I found in the box. It's not possible that this printer produced it.
An the sticker "Dear customer, this printer did a 24h test bla bla bla" is just a joke.
Once the main issues were solved, I was able to print my very first model.
It was not complete and under-extruded.
I thought that was my full newbie fault and started a second one, a marvin keychain: better but still under-extruded.
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I searched for 3 full weeks, learnt the hard way:
- I installed several slicing software as optimizing the settings in repetier host was not working.
-> one interesting thing: normally, there is a link to the config file in the manual, page 44, it's not working
- I learnt to optimize the drivers
- I learnt how to maintain it correctly
- I found dozens articles about the common problems and how to solve them.
Finally I spent a lot of time to get 3 barely usable prints out of dozens. Of course, I blamed myself first as I'm a newbie.
Finally I found one cause: The feeder was faultly. I got doubts from the beginning, now it's confirmed.
In between, I ordered a metal feeder which was 'compatible with the Mecreator 2'. I got it and the orientation was false. I contacted the sales team and of course, it's my fault, I ordered the wrong one... approved by the same team! I asked. Great.
I decided to do something else: I printed one feeder (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:650957)(I was standing 2 hours beside the printer to manually push the filament into the original feeder), modified and installed it. It was working better but not completely.
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I did some tests out of the chassis, it was working better.... Weird... It set it back, it was still blocking. Finally I found that the motor shaft was grinding the front radiator. I made some researches and found that some Makerbot Replicator got a radiator with a 12mm hole in the center, mine was 6. I drilled the center hole to 10mm.
Grinded radiator:
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It's the second day that this printer can be really called a 3d printer.
- result.jpg (508.77 KiB) Viewed 7857 times
On the right, my DIY feeder, same settings.
To summary:
1/ Your quality check is bad and useless
2/ The manual has some errors
3/ The delivered plastic feeder is bad and should be replaced by an metal one
4/ Don't let the sales guys answer to technical questions
5/ Use only parts which have been stored in good conditions. Rusted bearings on a brand new device is just a joke.
My last suggestion: I you really want to continue this way, just drop the price by 2. For the moment, if I'm calculating the efforts and the time I invested, it simply not worthing the 400€ I paid for it.
I really was tempted to buy a DIY printer and finally I spent as much time as I did it.
It was Christmas a few days ago, feel free to refund me half of the price and you will get one of the happiest customer on this planet
