SeeMeCNC Rostock Max

The purchase was easily done online. Shipping costs to Canada was a little pricey but worth it - $200 CAD for duty over the converted unit and shipping prices.  The total being $1800 CAD all-in.

The package was not damaged or mishandled in transit.  All of the parts were packaged very well.  After 30 minutes of unboxing, knolling the components, and reviewing the assembly guide I started working on assembling the printer.  The build time lasted 5 days, at 4 hours a day, to match the estimated build time of 20 hours.  

Programming and flashing the firmware was easy enough but could have gone wrong if I had not followed the instructions provided - FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.  Everything went smoothly until I got an error on the printer display.  The connections to the thermistor were not done properly and I broke one of the provided heating resistors trying to diagnose and resolve the original problem.  This delayed my first print by another day as I had to find a local source for a thermistor and heating resistor  (Find your local source because maintenance of the effector assembly is inevitable if you use the stock components).  

Once the printer was programmed and calibrated I printed my first part in PLA, the PEEK fan shroud.  It printed flawlessly and was added to the hotend so I could print in ABS.  

After a month of printing the board died but John from SeeMeCNC sent me a replacement at no cost - I was glad I chose a company that offered a warranty.  The current board has been printing almost every day since.

The experience, from initial research to first print, was very educational.  I had never used arduino software or had any prior hands-on experience with 3D printing when I purchased the Rostock Max v2.  All of the research I did resulted in SeeMeCNC being the final choice and I'm glad I chose them.  The company and community support is exactly what a first-timer needs.  I would recommend this printer to anyone that is looking for a high quality machine from a company that can back their product with warranty support and part sales.

Love the auto level and the large build volume. The heated bed heats up quickly.  Didn't use the Matterware went straight to Simplfy3D.

Only had three problems: 

1) A broken glass build plate when it arrived -which they replaced. 

2) The USB cable hookup port was not in the holes on the side of the machine, which were obviously drilled for it, so we hooked up  it up by removing one of the upper plastic corner panels and hooked directly to board.

3) Needed to install Rambo driver for USB connection

I am new to 3D printing, but have a daughter and son-in-law who are avid hobbyists.  They took me to MRRF in March 2018 to see the wide variety of printers.  After looking at dozens of designs, I found the SeeMeCNC booth, and was impressed by the quality and cleverness of their designs, the knowledge of their staff, and after a brief internet search by their reputation.  So I purchased a Rostock Max V3.2 kit.  After three weeks, I am very glad that I did.

Being my first attempt at this equipment, I was a little confused at first with which build guide to use, as the guides for the previous versions were still available on the site.  Once I got that worked out, the assembly was fairly easy, though time consuming.  I did delegate the soldering of the hot bed to my son-in-law, as my skills in that area are crude to say the least.  He and his cousin not only did the soldering, but finished up the last assembly steps,  commissioned the printer, and then did several "test prints" just to make sure it was set up correctly.  My son-in-law was so impressed with it that he has ordered one for himself.

The V3.2 now comes with a Duet3D Wireless board instead of the Rambo of the previous units.  It works very well.  After a brief setup of the wireless settings with a USB cable, you can do everything over wireless from then on.  This has proven handy for me as the best place for the printer was on the other side of my office from my pc.  No cables stretching around corners or across the floor.  The web based GUI is laid out well, provides lots of information, and seems to cover everything that is needed.  You can leave the micro SD card in its slot, and upload files to it wirelessly.  I have had no problems with the interface or the printer during the two weeks of nearly non-stop printing.

The build volume is one of the main reasons that I went with this printer.  My wife agreed to let me buy a printer if I made some vases and lamps for her.  The Rostock is a delta with a build volume that is over 10" in diameter by 15" tall, so you can do a lot with it.

The other main reason that I bought this unit is that they are designed and built in Ligonier, Indiana, about an hour from my home.  Although I doubt that I will need it, the one year warrantee was a key factor as well.

I highly recommend the SeeMeCNC Rostock Max V3.2 to hobbyists.  For professional printers or commercial use, SeeMeCNC has a more rugged unit in the Artemus 300. 

My best experience since I am not a techie person was that the printer printed perfect parts right out of the box.  Meaning I was able to see the possibilities of the printer without having to run set ups, calibrations, etc.; HUGE peace of mind.  Since I've had the printer I have become adventurous and I've changed settings, bed positions, upgrades so I've had to run set ups and calibrations; never imagined the ease to do so.  Due to my adventures in upgrades I recall having to call tech support and they answered right from their manufacturing plant, not from some person's house across the continent.  Don't complicate yourself by buying some cheap machine from some place in Europe or China (like my friend) and have problem after problem.  SeeMeCNC has created a printer that any level hobbyist will enjoy right out of the box.