Tindie
Marty Rice Reviews
Store Owner
- Marty Rice
- 589 orders / 35 reviews
- Since Nov 30, 2015
- Sagamore Hills, Ohio, United States
- Custom Work
Lance | Dec. 12, 2017
It's good... a couple of things could be better
All in all it is a good product and when the Pi + battery are installed it is a nice package. Here is how it could be improved:
The assembly instructions are very limited. More would be better.
The design fails to accommodate the pins and solder on the bottom of the Pi. Tightening down the screws can bend the Pi board a bit.
I am surprised there is no opening to access the GPIO pins. I know not everyone wants that but modifying the case to permit access
was a bit tricky.
The assembly instructions are very limited. More would be better.
The design fails to accommodate the pins and solder on the bottom of the Pi. Tightening down the screws can bend the Pi board a bit.
I am surprised there is no opening to access the GPIO pins. I know not everyone wants that but modifying the case to permit access
was a bit tricky.
Jason | Nov. 25, 2017
Better than RAMPS in every way.
I've been using the PICA on my WilsonTS RepRap 3D printer for a few months now and it has been great to work with. The creator has been available on his support forum to answer questions and the documentation has been great. If you're used to building a 3D printer you'll be pleasantly surprised by the level of service. The price is higher than what you'd pay for a clone RAMPS board on AliExpress or ebay, but you definitely get what you pay for.
Mounts for the board are available since it's a different size than the typical RAMPS board.
A customized version of Marlin is provided if you don't feel like making the pins.h changes yourself. Repetier firmware also has support built in, which makes setup not much more difficult than the standard RAMPS.
There are plenty of power connections onboard for fans and other peripherals.
High quality parts all around and a good power management design give some peace of mind considering the horror stories you hear about cheap knockoff RAMPS clones going up in flames or blowing other components.
Mounts for the board are available since it's a different size than the typical RAMPS board.
A customized version of Marlin is provided if you don't feel like making the pins.h changes yourself. Repetier firmware also has support built in, which makes setup not much more difficult than the standard RAMPS.
There are plenty of power connections onboard for fans and other peripherals.
High quality parts all around and a good power management design give some peace of mind considering the horror stories you hear about cheap knockoff RAMPS clones going up in flames or blowing other components.
Alex | Nov. 1, 2017
Great Enclosure for Arduino Uno
After looking extensively for an enclosure for an Arduino Uno plus motor shield, I found this site. I ordered two of these enclosures and they are perfect for my needs. Attractive, high quality, reasonably priced, and relatively easy to assemble. They easily accommodate the Uno plus one shield and there's room for a second shield if needed.
Jasper | Aug. 19, 2017
Just what I needed!
TL;DR
This case fits snugly which is great since acrylic squeaks if it moves the slightest. All the ports I use are accessible and my plugs all fit. I love the flat sides since it can now stand on 5 out of 6 sides. Marty was responsive and handled the mishap in a timely manner.
I know the Pi was designed to be a super affordable computer, but somehow I ended up spending more on various accessories than the Pi itself! Went through a few cases before coming across the LiFePO4wered project on hackaday and then patiently waited for that to come out. Then I immediately realized none of my cases fit with the new protruding growth out the side. Tried out various acrylic cases but the quality has never been great. Then one day I saw the LiFePO4wered got updated to use the bigger 18650 battery and went to Tindie to check out price. Saw this nice little case linked in the description and decided to go for it since it was purpose built for the LiFePO4wered! All in all, it's been an adventure getting my Pi protected and now I feel ready to expand the farm!
This case fits snugly which is great since acrylic squeaks if it moves the slightest. All the ports I use are accessible and my plugs all fit. I love the flat sides since it can now stand on 5 out of 6 sides. Marty was responsive and handled the mishap in a timely manner.
I know the Pi was designed to be a super affordable computer, but somehow I ended up spending more on various accessories than the Pi itself! Went through a few cases before coming across the LiFePO4wered project on hackaday and then patiently waited for that to come out. Then I immediately realized none of my cases fit with the new protruding growth out the side. Tried out various acrylic cases but the quality has never been great. Then one day I saw the LiFePO4wered got updated to use the bigger 18650 battery and went to Tindie to check out price. Saw this nice little case linked in the description and decided to go for it since it was purpose built for the LiFePO4wered! All in all, it's been an adventure getting my Pi protected and now I feel ready to expand the farm!
Alan | July 29, 2017
Turns Pi 3 into a "Proper" Desktop, w/BIG heatsink.
While I am away from my desk, I leave one of my Raspberry Pi 3 computers running BOINC with Einstein@Home and SETI@Home tasks crunching with computing options set to 70% processor / 80% memory. In a FLIRC metal Pi3 case, vcgencmd measure_temp reports 69-73 degC, BUT my precious Pi3 and SD card are vulnerable to the "Florida Flicker And Flash" power company.
BTW, this crunching draws about 0.7A at 5.4v at the wall-wart before installing the LiFePO4wered/Pi3 UPS. Since this is below the 0.85A load limit of the LiFePO4wered/Pi3 UPS, there is no electrical problem to support this.
I purchased the LiFePO4wered/Pi3 UPS with this cool transparent blue case. The case went together easily, and is very aesthetic on my desk.
Because the old metal case had an integrated heatsink, I added heatsinks over the CPU and LAN chips before closing up the cool, new blue case.
My Pi3 quickly started reporting temperature throttling (0x20002) so I scaled back the computing load. I ended up having to run with the top cover off yielding temps from 74.1-75.2'C.
When I stuck a second heatsink on the CPU making the total heatsink about 12mm high, and turned the case on edge with the battery down, it is running on three cores, 70% of processor time, 80% of memory and staying around 72-74 degC - Success!
BTW, this crunching draws about 0.7A at 5.4v at the wall-wart before installing the LiFePO4wered/Pi3 UPS. Since this is below the 0.85A load limit of the LiFePO4wered/Pi3 UPS, there is no electrical problem to support this.
I purchased the LiFePO4wered/Pi3 UPS with this cool transparent blue case. The case went together easily, and is very aesthetic on my desk.
Because the old metal case had an integrated heatsink, I added heatsinks over the CPU and LAN chips before closing up the cool, new blue case.
My Pi3 quickly started reporting temperature throttling (0x20002) so I scaled back the computing load. I ended up having to run with the top cover off yielding temps from 74.1-75.2'C.
When I stuck a second heatsink on the CPU making the total heatsink about 12mm high, and turned the case on edge with the battery down, it is running on three cores, 70% of processor time, 80% of memory and staying around 72-74 degC - Success!
Ned | July 17, 2017
Attractive and functional case for PI 3 and UPS
This is a very nice case for the Raspberry Pi 3 and LiFePO4wered/Pi3 combo. Unfortunately I initially received the wrong case - the one I received was for the Raspberry PI 3 without the UPS - but that was quickly rectified by contacting the vendor, who immediately dropped the correct case in the mail.
The case is fairly intricate - a lot of effort went into the design and the plexiglass work is very high quality.
I have only two criticisms:
(1) The end of the battery away from the connector needs more physicals support. I solved that as others have with a double piece of sticky tape.
(2) There's no slot for access to the GPIO connector. I'm going to need that at some point, but I think I can get by with a cable run through one of the vent holes.
The case is fairly intricate - a lot of effort went into the design and the plexiglass work is very high quality.
I have only two criticisms:
(1) The end of the battery away from the connector needs more physicals support. I solved that as others have with a double piece of sticky tape.
(2) There's no slot for access to the GPIO connector. I'm going to need that at some point, but I think I can get by with a cable run through one of the vent holes.
June | May 22, 2017
Base behavior a little weird, mechanical support not great
Previous review was for the LiFePO4 board itself, not for this enclosure. The enclosure is actually pretty awesome, though I do wish it was a little more snug around the pi and had adequate protection for the back end of the battery enclosure, but overall, quite good.
June | May 22, 2017
Base behavior a little weird, mechanical support not great
Without the drivers installed, the base behavior of the addon board is a little weird -- literally no way to turn off the pi without the drivers installed. Additionally, the mechanical support of the addon board is very poor. It feels like the control board might easily break, and there's limited support for the battery enclosure to be anchored to the pi. Overall, though, it gets the job done, given you provide some form of additional mechanical support for the addon around the pi it's attached to (ie: the LiFePO4 Pi case).
Ray | March 15, 2017
Great value piece of kit
Marty Rice is easy to talk to (email) and this kit is really well made and packaged. The parts are all good quality and fit well, and structurally it becomes very strong and rigid when complete.
I've had a couple minor of start-up issues which were my own fault. The only reason it's not all 5 star is because (a) there was one (1) missing screw, an important one, and a difficult one to source locally (3x40mm), and (b) some of Marty's videos are in need of updates. That said, I had no trouble finding the new parts/way to assemble/instructions/whatever either in the forum or using common sense. Honestly, it's been a five star experience compared to some kits I've assembled. A certain CNC router...... well.... I won't go there now....
Marty's firmware "fork" is excellent, and the new bed-levelling (I never saw the old way) works simply and well.
This is my first ever 3D printer but the print quality appears to me to be excellent, so long as you look after your filament.
9.99999 out of 10 Marty.
I've had a couple minor of start-up issues which were my own fault. The only reason it's not all 5 star is because (a) there was one (1) missing screw, an important one, and a difficult one to source locally (3x40mm), and (b) some of Marty's videos are in need of updates. That said, I had no trouble finding the new parts/way to assemble/instructions/whatever either in the forum or using common sense. Honestly, it's been a five star experience compared to some kits I've assembled. A certain CNC router...... well.... I won't go there now....
Marty's firmware "fork" is excellent, and the new bed-levelling (I never saw the old way) works simply and well.
This is my first ever 3D printer but the print quality appears to me to be excellent, so long as you look after your filament.
9.99999 out of 10 Marty.
Robert | March 10, 2017
Great communication regarding customization
I asked if the Raspberry Pi3 enclosure be modified slightly so that I could include a "floating" shield for my LinuxCNC / PICnc board. After making sure he fully understood what I was trying to accomplish, he emailed me an image of his proposed modifications. From the time of my initial query to actually having the modified enclosure in my hand was under 1 week! I can't say enough good things about the service, and the beautiful result.
Alan | Feb. 16, 2017
Stylish and Functional!
Case(s) arrived quickly, and I felt it was quite well protected from scratches by the paper covering on surface.
I feared it would be hard to remove given all the cut-outs, but I was able to remove most in one piece, and at most three pieces, each time starting from a corner and just carefully pulling it up.
I have assembled a Red and and Green case, the Blue is waiting to be deployed to my 3rd Pi that lives in a box on the side of my house - so it will wait for the right day. So far the Green looks coolest, probably because of the greenish tint to the Pi PCBoard itself.
Perfect, but admittedly minimal, instructions for assembly allowed me to assemble it fine on the first try, but did require a little tiny bit of puzzling out how it all goes together. No suggestions for how to improve the instructions since I think nothing short of a video could make it better.
The LiFePO4wered/Pi3 and my PI2 fit perfectly in the box, leaving good ventilation. In my application (piaware from flightaware) I get CPU temperature graphs, and going from a "naked Pi" to in this case only raised the core CPU temp from 120F to 130F while using 30% of the CPU 24x7. Don't know if it matters, but I have my PIs vertical, sitting on the only "edge" without external connectors, which puts the LiFePO4wered/Pi3 at the bottom. This is the same orientation that I used without the case, as I found it also led to the lowest core CPU temperatures.
Case seems very well built, I've taken it apart a few times and put it back together with zero fear that anything will break, unlike some of my previous Pi only cases with plastic catches.
Quite happy
I feared it would be hard to remove given all the cut-outs, but I was able to remove most in one piece, and at most three pieces, each time starting from a corner and just carefully pulling it up.
I have assembled a Red and and Green case, the Blue is waiting to be deployed to my 3rd Pi that lives in a box on the side of my house - so it will wait for the right day. So far the Green looks coolest, probably because of the greenish tint to the Pi PCBoard itself.
Perfect, but admittedly minimal, instructions for assembly allowed me to assemble it fine on the first try, but did require a little tiny bit of puzzling out how it all goes together. No suggestions for how to improve the instructions since I think nothing short of a video could make it better.
The LiFePO4wered/Pi3 and my PI2 fit perfectly in the box, leaving good ventilation. In my application (piaware from flightaware) I get CPU temperature graphs, and going from a "naked Pi" to in this case only raised the core CPU temp from 120F to 130F while using 30% of the CPU 24x7. Don't know if it matters, but I have my PIs vertical, sitting on the only "edge" without external connectors, which puts the LiFePO4wered/Pi3 at the bottom. This is the same orientation that I used without the case, as I found it also led to the lowest core CPU temperatures.
Case seems very well built, I've taken it apart a few times and put it back together with zero fear that anything will break, unlike some of my previous Pi only cases with plastic catches.
Quite happy
Brett | Feb. 8, 2017
3D printer Perfect for a Maker
So I've been part of the Maker community for 4+ years. At the time 3D printers were the must do kind of thing for most Makers, and I was assured by many that I could and should make a 3D printer. I realized almost immediately on the RepRap models I'd seen assembled, a lot of work would be needed on aligning and adjusting. But I did not have the money or time to devote to making whatever printer I'd build into a something I could be proud of and still have a life.
Time passed and I kept watching these complex machines evolve. Prices coming down, stronger frame materials that offered greater size. I started researching and asking questions of what makes a good solid printer. Giving myself some realistic expectations of what build area size I would make the most use of. Etc etc.
I think it was about 14 months ago, someone at the Maker Space, had purchase a Wilson II and built it in the shortest time I'd ever seen one built. This person had some mechanical skills but it was his first 3D printer. It all went together with the help of the very good, detailed videos made by Marty Rice, and that's when I suspected I would be buying one for myself. The build area is smaller than only the largest hobby printers. But very reasonable though I really doubt I'll ever used all the space that this has at once, (I say that now, when I thought, wow I have a 80MB hard drive, I will never use that much space. *chuckle*) but still it is very roomy while the printer takes a reasonably small area.
The shipping was quick! I got my printer in less than a week. Everything was professionally packed, inventoried and labeled clearly. A really astounding job compared to other kits I've built. (not 3d printers but complex mechanisms none the less.) with the major components separated into their own boxes, it made it easy to keep things organized as I worked through the build.
Actual build time was less than 8 hours. I have some reasonable mechanical skills so organizing and piecing the components together was not hard. Again the videos Marty made were very helpful. Since they were made sometime back, many improvements have happened and Marty has ambitions of completing the updated video instruction soon.
When I did run into a problem or two, Marty was quick to reply via email. It was a pleasure to work with him through these problems. I don't know what more I can say about this kit. It is done with quality components. The spare parts provided are impressive spares, not just a couple of screws and t-nuts. The hotend is amazingly robust and I am excited to work though the final tuning of my printer and enjoy the little things and bigger things that will come of it.
Price, performance and value, I give this kit the proclamation of best kit I have ever purchased.
Spend time in his community forum and check out some of the very useful info you will find there. Marty has created a 3D printer kit that I will recommend to anyone.
Bravo,
Remo
Time passed and I kept watching these complex machines evolve. Prices coming down, stronger frame materials that offered greater size. I started researching and asking questions of what makes a good solid printer. Giving myself some realistic expectations of what build area size I would make the most use of. Etc etc.
I think it was about 14 months ago, someone at the Maker Space, had purchase a Wilson II and built it in the shortest time I'd ever seen one built. This person had some mechanical skills but it was his first 3D printer. It all went together with the help of the very good, detailed videos made by Marty Rice, and that's when I suspected I would be buying one for myself. The build area is smaller than only the largest hobby printers. But very reasonable though I really doubt I'll ever used all the space that this has at once, (I say that now, when I thought, wow I have a 80MB hard drive, I will never use that much space. *chuckle*) but still it is very roomy while the printer takes a reasonably small area.
The shipping was quick! I got my printer in less than a week. Everything was professionally packed, inventoried and labeled clearly. A really astounding job compared to other kits I've built. (not 3d printers but complex mechanisms none the less.) with the major components separated into their own boxes, it made it easy to keep things organized as I worked through the build.
Actual build time was less than 8 hours. I have some reasonable mechanical skills so organizing and piecing the components together was not hard. Again the videos Marty made were very helpful. Since they were made sometime back, many improvements have happened and Marty has ambitions of completing the updated video instruction soon.
When I did run into a problem or two, Marty was quick to reply via email. It was a pleasure to work with him through these problems. I don't know what more I can say about this kit. It is done with quality components. The spare parts provided are impressive spares, not just a couple of screws and t-nuts. The hotend is amazingly robust and I am excited to work though the final tuning of my printer and enjoy the little things and bigger things that will come of it.
Price, performance and value, I give this kit the proclamation of best kit I have ever purchased.
Spend time in his community forum and check out some of the very useful info you will find there. Marty has created a 3D printer kit that I will recommend to anyone.
Bravo,
Remo
Kevin | Dec. 18, 2016
Happy owner of a Wilson 2
Pros:
Marty packed the kit very well.
There was printed updated information on some of the changes that were made to the kit and a printed list of the printed parts.
All the parts were divided into their respective groups and labeled, nice touch.
The various cables were labeled as to which connector they were to be plugged into.
All the parts went together without any issues.
Cons:
The heat bed wires (both pairs) could've been a couple inches longer. When the bed is full forward, the mashed loop seems like it's getting caught on the rear Y end piece. Maybe an slight angled ramp would help?
Updated videos, as others have commented before me.
I shattered the glass plate, my fault on this.
Learned:
I love building kits....and I need a real workbench.
Summary:
Would I buy another one, yes! This kit, although more part/pieces, went together quicker and easier than my acrylic i3 from 2 years past. I like how rigid he frame is with the 2020 extrusions.
Keep up the good job Marty!
Kind regards,
Kevin
Marty packed the kit very well.
There was printed updated information on some of the changes that were made to the kit and a printed list of the printed parts.
All the parts were divided into their respective groups and labeled, nice touch.
The various cables were labeled as to which connector they were to be plugged into.
All the parts went together without any issues.
Cons:
The heat bed wires (both pairs) could've been a couple inches longer. When the bed is full forward, the mashed loop seems like it's getting caught on the rear Y end piece. Maybe an slight angled ramp would help?
Updated videos, as others have commented before me.
I shattered the glass plate, my fault on this.
Learned:
I love building kits....and I need a real workbench.
Summary:
Would I buy another one, yes! This kit, although more part/pieces, went together quicker and easier than my acrylic i3 from 2 years past. I like how rigid he frame is with the 2020 extrusions.
Keep up the good job Marty!
Kind regards,
Kevin
Richard | Nov. 17, 2016
Good machine from a producer dedicated to future improvement
I have completed assembly of my recently purchased Wilson II and am very pleased with its performance. After adjusting the extruder steps per mm and setting the Z-offset, the calibration cube from Thingiverse 298812 measured correctly and the X and Y letters on the cube printed sharply. The first five, assembly videos are excellent and easy to follow. The last two videos, however, need updating and Marty is aware of that. When I needed greater clarity with the assembly towards the end, Marty was quite prompt in responding to my e-mails. I had only one significant problem and that was due to a dead stepper driver. Fortunately, the kit comes with a spare.
At the time I was reviewing 3d printer kits, I was aware of the new Prusa i3 Mk2 and was seriously considering buying one. In the end, I chose the Wilson II because of the larger print volume, the improved rigidity of the machine over the previous model, the upgraded controller board and the $200 savings over the Prusa. I would have preferred that the plastic parts were ABS for its higher temperature stability but I will reprint those pieces that are close to a heat source in the near future with super PLA. I particularly liked the fact that Marty is very involved with the continuing development of his printer model and I look forward to future upgrades.
At the time I was reviewing 3d printer kits, I was aware of the new Prusa i3 Mk2 and was seriously considering buying one. In the end, I chose the Wilson II because of the larger print volume, the improved rigidity of the machine over the previous model, the upgraded controller board and the $200 savings over the Prusa. I would have preferred that the plastic parts were ABS for its higher temperature stability but I will reprint those pieces that are close to a heat source in the near future with super PLA. I particularly liked the fact that Marty is very involved with the continuing development of his printer model and I look forward to future upgrades.
Bernard | Nov. 10, 2016
summary
If you use an Adafruit LCD shield, it doesn't fit. It looks like it should. But it doesn't. An end piece interferes with the length of the lcd.
Response from Marty Rice | Nov. 10, 2016
Hi Bernard, is this the LCD you are referring to?
https://www.adafruit.com/products/772?gclid=CjwKEAiA0pDBBRCFtoPyguTh8AUSJADNWeuxVzfNBDWednzszL1dvgvuw9PuHe6k0zQie5ObsfZgkhoCDhLw_wcB
I'd like to know more so that I can update the design to work with either shield.
https://www.adafruit.com/products/772?gclid=CjwKEAiA0pDBBRCFtoPyguTh8AUSJADNWeuxVzfNBDWednzszL1dvgvuw9PuHe6k0zQie5ObsfZgkhoCDhLw_wcB
I'd like to know more so that I can update the design to work with either shield.
Randall | Aug. 22, 2016
Well-Engineered kit with Quality Components.
This is my second 3D printer and the Wilson 2 is everything my old printer wasn't.
I selected this kit because it comes with quality components...real E3D hot end, quality power supply and all the hardware is top-notch. There were no Alibaba bulk orders from China here :)
That is what I knew before I got my hands on it...Once I started the assembly - I developed a real appreciation for the effort and refinement that went into designing and properly printing the plastic parts. It is very VERY well thought out and designed. The package came with every single item needed to actually print something. Well packaged and organized - nothing was missing or broken in my kit and there were even a few extra parts included just in case something did get damaged during shipping and assembly. The new bed levelling works as advertised.
It is a bargain at this price...
The assembly videos are great...but the latest version of the printer has some minor changes/improvements that the video doesn't cover(yet) - I had to refer to online sources for a couple of issues but overall the build experience for me was excellent....took about 12 hours over two evenings to carefully get it put together and printing.
I wish this printer was available two years ago when I bought my first printer...It would have saved me a lot of frustration.
I selected this kit because it comes with quality components...real E3D hot end, quality power supply and all the hardware is top-notch. There were no Alibaba bulk orders from China here :)
That is what I knew before I got my hands on it...Once I started the assembly - I developed a real appreciation for the effort and refinement that went into designing and properly printing the plastic parts. It is very VERY well thought out and designed. The package came with every single item needed to actually print something. Well packaged and organized - nothing was missing or broken in my kit and there were even a few extra parts included just in case something did get damaged during shipping and assembly. The new bed levelling works as advertised.
It is a bargain at this price...
The assembly videos are great...but the latest version of the printer has some minor changes/improvements that the video doesn't cover(yet) - I had to refer to online sources for a couple of issues but overall the build experience for me was excellent....took about 12 hours over two evenings to carefully get it put together and printing.
I wish this printer was available two years ago when I bought my first printer...It would have saved me a lot of frustration.
Mike | July 14, 2016
A great, reasonably priced, entry level 3D printer
Product was well packaged and easy to identify the parts. Could not have assembled it without the online videos.
The videos were easy to follow and far superior to printed instructions. Material quality was excellent. The modified RAMPS board was far easier to connect than the off-the-shelf board. I rated SHIPPING with 4-stars because it took longer to receive than I expected. Would I purchase another one? YES!
The videos were easy to follow and far superior to printed instructions. Material quality was excellent. The modified RAMPS board was far easier to connect than the off-the-shelf board. I rated SHIPPING with 4-stars because it took longer to receive than I expected. Would I purchase another one? YES!
Jarrett | June 16, 2016
A great evolving kit
The mjrice wilson II is an amazingly fun kit and a decent balance between value and performance. The main reasons I purchased the kit:
* YouTube assembly videos
* Continuous improvement
* High quality parts
* A more complete kit than say a Folgertech
Building the kit was very fun. However, since the videos were published mjrice has made some substantial improvements to the kit. Unfortunately this caused a few head scratching moments during assembly.
I recommend mjrice start having major and minor version numbers to coincide with the evolution of the kit. Also, the tweaks are scattered in the community postings so there is no one-source of documentation that matches the version of the printer kit you get.
Speaking of community, mjrice and the community is really amazing.
I took it to my makerspace to get help adjusting the z-axis stepper driver. Our space recently had a 3d printer day where they built 6+ folger tech 2020 printers. Anyway, the guys were saying very positive things about the wilson. Some examples:
* Heat bed has built in fuses, easy to access circuitry
* Lots of positive comments on the PICA board
* Things labeled really well, better arrangement
* One comment, "Oh took all the fun guesswork out of hooking things up"
* The z-axis rack-and-pinion design was "interesting"
* Just looking at them side-by-side, everything looked upgraded on the wilson 2
I hope this helps.
* YouTube assembly videos
* Continuous improvement
* High quality parts
* A more complete kit than say a Folgertech
Building the kit was very fun. However, since the videos were published mjrice has made some substantial improvements to the kit. Unfortunately this caused a few head scratching moments during assembly.
I recommend mjrice start having major and minor version numbers to coincide with the evolution of the kit. Also, the tweaks are scattered in the community postings so there is no one-source of documentation that matches the version of the printer kit you get.
Speaking of community, mjrice and the community is really amazing.
I took it to my makerspace to get help adjusting the z-axis stepper driver. Our space recently had a 3d printer day where they built 6+ folger tech 2020 printers. Anyway, the guys were saying very positive things about the wilson. Some examples:
* Heat bed has built in fuses, easy to access circuitry
* Lots of positive comments on the PICA board
* Things labeled really well, better arrangement
* One comment, "Oh took all the fun guesswork out of hooking things up"
* The z-axis rack-and-pinion design was "interesting"
* Just looking at them side-by-side, everything looked upgraded on the wilson 2
I hope this helps.
Brian | June 6, 2016
Above and beyond my expectations
The Wilson II Kit is the best printer for the money right now, bar none.
Shipping: The kit was on my doorstep 2-3 days after I ordered. I had one piece damaged during shipping in the kit and Marty shipped a replacement part to me for free, and had it 2 days later.
What's in the Box?: The organization of the kit was what really blew me away. I did not expect the organization levels of the kit. Each major group of components is in an individually labeled box within the main box. Within the sub-group boxes are zip-lock bags all labelled to their exact contents. A full BOM is also provided with locations of parts. A small set of instructions and wiring diagram are also provided. I have uploaded a few pictures to Imgur of the contents of the box: http://imgur.com/a/oFGZY
Build Difficulty: This kit is a breeze for the most part to build. The design is well thought out and only a few times was I in an awkward positioning trying to screw a part in. There is a complete video step-by-step guide by Marty on YouTube and I highly recommend you use it. It makes the process fool-proof. Only in a few parts was the video out of date and it's pretty straight forward to figure out what is the replacement piece(which is better than those originally used)
The Printer: I had some experience with 3d Printing before I bought this kit. I expected some teething pains to get the printer dialed in. But nope, Marty has the software pretty much set exactly where you would want it. It was honestly too easy, I was kind of looking forward to the tinkering. If you follow the settings provided online for printing you are almost guaranteed to have a great print quality. The only major tuning that needs to be done is the Z-offset, and once you get that dialed in (which takes all of 10 min) you are set.
The Service: Marty is the man. He was extremely prompt to return emails with questions I had. As I said earlier he was very helpful in immediately replacing a busted part. There is also a huge community for RepRap, and a good size Wilson II in place, so getting help is never that hard.
TLDR;
Buy it,
its better than the expensive name brand printers for 1/6th the cost and outperforms other value RepRap kits on the market. I would give it a 6/5 if I could.
Shipping: The kit was on my doorstep 2-3 days after I ordered. I had one piece damaged during shipping in the kit and Marty shipped a replacement part to me for free, and had it 2 days later.
What's in the Box?: The organization of the kit was what really blew me away. I did not expect the organization levels of the kit. Each major group of components is in an individually labeled box within the main box. Within the sub-group boxes are zip-lock bags all labelled to their exact contents. A full BOM is also provided with locations of parts. A small set of instructions and wiring diagram are also provided. I have uploaded a few pictures to Imgur of the contents of the box: http://imgur.com/a/oFGZY
Build Difficulty: This kit is a breeze for the most part to build. The design is well thought out and only a few times was I in an awkward positioning trying to screw a part in. There is a complete video step-by-step guide by Marty on YouTube and I highly recommend you use it. It makes the process fool-proof. Only in a few parts was the video out of date and it's pretty straight forward to figure out what is the replacement piece(which is better than those originally used)
The Printer: I had some experience with 3d Printing before I bought this kit. I expected some teething pains to get the printer dialed in. But nope, Marty has the software pretty much set exactly where you would want it. It was honestly too easy, I was kind of looking forward to the tinkering. If you follow the settings provided online for printing you are almost guaranteed to have a great print quality. The only major tuning that needs to be done is the Z-offset, and once you get that dialed in (which takes all of 10 min) you are set.
The Service: Marty is the man. He was extremely prompt to return emails with questions I had. As I said earlier he was very helpful in immediately replacing a busted part. There is also a huge community for RepRap, and a good size Wilson II in place, so getting help is never that hard.
TLDR;
Buy it,
its better than the expensive name brand printers for 1/6th the cost and outperforms other value RepRap kits on the market. I would give it a 6/5 if I could.
Ali | April 28, 2016
Great printer, learned a lot by assembling it.
I've been using multiple types of 3d printers for a while but putting one together really got me to appreciate how it works and be able to troubleshoot even the other off-the-self printers better. The documentation and how to videos are very useful. The designer is responsive and helpful. And the print quality is as good as you tune it, meaning you can meet or exceed off-the shelf $2000+ printers. Really happy with the purchase and the experience.
Ryan | Feb. 27, 2016
This kit is fantastic!
Mine shipped right-away, included all the necessary parts and some thoughtful extras. The build instructions are provided by a series of YouTube videos that are comprehensive and easy to follow. The seller has been very supportive and prompt via email and the Reprap Wilson community discussion boards. I couldn't ask for a better, first-time, 3D printer kit build experience. I would certainly recommend this kit to anyone interested in building their own 3D printer.
David | Feb. 21, 2016
I would give more stars if I could.
This little printer is great, but way better than that is the creator and the support he provides. He has helped me troubleshoot what has turned out to be a bad electronic part and bent over backwards to make sure this has been a great experience for me.
The videos showing assembly are far more helpful then can be expressed. It was relatively easy to set up and came with a few extra parts in case some of these wear out down the road.
I'm in the process of tweaking the design slightly to replace the one feature that I think to be the weakness. The auto bed leveling arm can sometimes get stuck for me and cause a false reading. I'm currently replacing it with a cheap inductive sensor that should be able to take more accurate measurements. Being as this is an open source design, the files are readily there for me to modify. I might have given the product rating 4.5 stars if not for the ability to do easily make these changes.
Out of the box, assembled, and calibrated this is a great little printer. I would certainly recommend it to anyone, especially those who love to understand who will enjoy the process more then the product. I had more fun getting this thing finely tuned then actually printing with it, but the feeling you get when you take an idea in your head, design it out, and print it into something tangible can not be understated.
3d printing is amazing, and this well thought out design, with common parts, and amazing support is a great way to dip your feet in.
The videos showing assembly are far more helpful then can be expressed. It was relatively easy to set up and came with a few extra parts in case some of these wear out down the road.
I'm in the process of tweaking the design slightly to replace the one feature that I think to be the weakness. The auto bed leveling arm can sometimes get stuck for me and cause a false reading. I'm currently replacing it with a cheap inductive sensor that should be able to take more accurate measurements. Being as this is an open source design, the files are readily there for me to modify. I might have given the product rating 4.5 stars if not for the ability to do easily make these changes.
Out of the box, assembled, and calibrated this is a great little printer. I would certainly recommend it to anyone, especially those who love to understand who will enjoy the process more then the product. I had more fun getting this thing finely tuned then actually printing with it, but the feeling you get when you take an idea in your head, design it out, and print it into something tangible can not be understated.
3d printing is amazing, and this well thought out design, with common parts, and amazing support is a great way to dip your feet in.
Nick | Feb. 15, 2016
Great experience
As a novice to the 3D printing scene, I wanted to tackle a kit that was very instructional. Marty's explanation in his build videos had the right level of detail to help to understand what I'm putting together.
Assembly was done in three days in 3 hour intervals. I had some follow up questions for Marty that he answered quickly.
All in all, a great 3D printer to have if you want to start out and you're not looking to overpay.
Assembly was done in three days in 3 hour intervals. I had some follow up questions for Marty that he answered quickly.
All in all, a great 3D printer to have if you want to start out and you're not looking to overpay.
Stephen | Feb. 12, 2016
Awesome
I used this kit to build my first 3d printer. It contained plenty of spare parts. I broke a plastic assembly piece, but Marty shipped me a replacement part for free and it arrived the next day. After printing some configuration parts I now have the printer working accurately. I would recommend this kit to anyone.