MakerBot Replicator MINI

While I was at first delighted to have a printer that could run more reliably than my heavily modified Printrbot Simple Maker's Edition, I quickly became disappointed by the limitations. Gcode is not implemented (it uses a special protocol) and the build area could be larger with the current mechanical structure. I also found that it printed ovals, not circles, and that it was remarkably difficult to print exotic filaments, but still doable with a lot of tweaking and a little voiding of the warranty. I have even been considering putting RAMPS electronics in it, but it uses a non standard homing procedure. All this said however, if you are just getting in to printing, and you have a lot of money to spend, and want an overpriced machine, or if you are printing more for looks, this printer should do the job. However, there are more impressive printers for the price.

I am so glad I didn't invest my own money in one of these. I've used the one at the local makerspace instead. While the software did a decent job getting prints to the machine, the horrible extruder design (that they knew about when they shipped) meant that it would have to be replaced, at a $200 price point. Selling a defective part so you can sell the replacement later is scummy behavior, and it's a good thing that Makerbot products have been eclipsed by cheaper and better made units.

I love my Makerbot Miniprinter. I have others such as a Printerbot, Mbot, and CTC. I like my makerbot for its easy use. The Makerbot Mini is great. But now I wished I would have bought the larger printer. So my only gripe is the smaller bed for prints.

It is really limited by not allowing to print directly to the print bed (even though it has a removable bed, that could be upgraded to a DIY glass bed. The printer firmware prevents you from printing without a raft, so print quality suffers.

Also at one point the software would not work with older versions of the firmware on the printer, so I was unable to connect to my printer until I could get an old version of the desktop software to upgrade the printer's firmware with. Thankfully the reddit community helped me get a copy. Makerbot wanted to charge $100 just to talk to a support person to fix the same problem.

I had very little experience with a 3D printer so I loved the ease of use. The customer service people are amazing! Quick response and walk you through steps as if they were sitting right next to you. Students and teachers love it! I highly recommend getting the smart extruder.

I am new to 3D printing, and this printer was easy to set up and it is easy to use. Customer support is excellent, and the quality of the print is very good.

This printer is easy to use. The only thing I would change is the time it takes to print.

I always get started and motivated and then can’t complete a project....

As a teacher, I was looking for the best service and the best print quality and ease of use. The MakerBot Mini has it all. MakerBot is a great company to deal with. Their customer service, even with out the warranty, is fast and friendly. It doesn't take up much space in the classroom, and the students adapt to its interface really quickly. I would recommend it.