RepRap printed parts, with professionally printed gears available in Black, Blue, Green, Natural, Silver, and White.
Gen 6 Electroncis All 1 board electronics,(dead quite)
VS
All professionally printed parts (not just the gears) available in Lemon Yellow, Fluorescent Red, Bright Blue, and Black.
Generation Techzone Remix Gen 3 electronics (soldiering required)
It really is amazing how this market has changed in the last few months. A fully functioning Mendel kit for what I paid for My full Makerbot kit a year ago? Amazing. These kits are almost identical, except for one uses the Techzone Gen3 Electronics, and the other used the Gen6 Mendel-Parts electronics.
One guy asked me which I would buy, and I would have to go with Mendel-parts, only because I have read so many bad things about Botmill customer service, and seen so many people brag on Mendel-Parts service. Also I have seen video of the Mendel-parts Mendels printing, but never a video of the new RP Botmill kits printing (if there is a video, please post it in the comments!).
Also if you are selling full kits for Mendel in the sub $1000 price range, and I didn't list you please mention it in the comments.
Throw the Makerbot Ultimate Kit at only $899 (which now includes a Automated build plate AND a Mk5 extruder) into the Mix and a person deciding on what to buy in the sub $1000 price range in RP hobby has some real thinking to do.
Also notice that the thick sheets from mendel-parts seem to be far superior.
ReplyDeleteThose professionally printed gears look tempting. As I've been getting my Huxley finely tuned, I've noticed that I've got about 1mm backlash in my x axis. I really need to replace those gears (I'm using .2" pitch belts with 5mm pitch gears that are push-fit and definitely not professionally printed), but for about the same price as those professionally printed ones, I can commit heresy and order a set of real metal ones with the pitch to exactly match my belts from mcmaster, and pick them up monday morning instead of waiting for shipping from Europe.
Those gen 6 electronics are also temping, but I want to wait until I see the new electronics from Makerbot and Ultimaker using the Atmega2560 instead of the Atmega644p. Though I've had to hack and fix them quite a bit, my Techzone electronics are now working pretty reliably, so I can afford to wait and see what develops. I have a feeling that the electronics based on the more powerful µC will soon be able to do some things that the less powerful ones (including, unfortunately, the 644-based "gen 6") can't.
The Botmill kit is $945, not $940, and -- critically -- doesn't appear to come with electronics. Their "Unassembled Mendel with Motors and Electronics" is $1165.
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