The MACH 2 Printer Review: A Comprehensive Analysis

As I began my journey with the MACH 2 printer, I was immediately struck by its TMC a21 300 stepper motor drivers. These drivers are not only capable of handling large movements but also offer crash detection and recovery in case the printhead runs into something during a print. This feature alone is a significant improvement over other printers on the market, as it eliminates the need for mechanical stops and reduces the risk of damage to the printer.

One of my first tests was to print out some pre-made objects, including a boat that I had downloaded from an SD card. After two hours of printing, the boat was complete and looked very nice, with only a couple of spots showing any imperfections. This test demonstrated the printer's ability to produce high-quality prints, even on complex designs.

Next, I printed out a whistle, which was also included on the SD card. The printer performed flawlessly, producing a precise and detailed model that showcased its capabilities. With this successful print under my belt, I moved on to testing out the two included slicer programs. The first program is more beginner-friendly, offering only a few adjustable settings and ensuring that users won't mess up even if they're new to 3D printing.

However, as a seasoned user who prefers to experiment with exotic filaments, I found that this program was limiting. I had to switch to the second program, which allowed me to fine-tune the printing parameters of my machine. While both programs work well, I did notice a small slicing problem in a couple of models, where parts would go missing. To resolve this issue, I used Netfabb to repair the STL files and found that it effectively eliminated the problem.

I then experimented with smaller peel aprons and a large print that took around 10 hours to complete. In both cases, the printer performed reliably without any issues, demonstrating its ability to handle different print sizes and styles. To further test the printer's capabilities, I printed out PLA in various colors, which resulted in prints that were just as good as those produced with standard PLA.

Next, I attempted to print with other materials, starting with black ABS. The printer handled this material with ease, producing a normal-sized pair of bolts and nuts without any problems. I then moved on to printing an oversized bolt and nut holder, which was also completed successfully. However, the next filament I tried – White's PGG – proved more challenging.

The printer produced another bolt and a smaller USB SD card holder, but not as well as I had hoped. The quality of these prints was hit-or-miss, with some parts showing significant imperfections. This led me to believe that fine-tuning the parameters would be essential when working with this material.

I then tried printing with filler flex, which is a flexible filament that starts out promisingly but can become problematic if not handled correctly. Unfortunately, I experienced issues after just 5 minutes of printing, as the hot end became clogged. However, by slowing down the print speed to 20% and re-calibrating the hot end, I was able to produce prints without any problems.

The only issue with flexible filaments is that they can be difficult to remove from the bulb platform, and improper handling can cause damage. Despite these challenges, the results of my test were not bad, considering that I had taken some shortcuts. Finally, I attempted to print with wood filaments, but unfortunately, two clogged hard ends demonstrated that this printer still requires fine-tuning.

As I delved deeper into my testing and experimentation, I realized the importance of resources like the 3D printing handbook. These manuals offer valuable insights and advice on everything from cleaning the steel sheet surface to solving common problems with nozzles. The Prusa forum is also a wealth of information for users who need help or guidance.

With these resources in mind, I can confidently say that the MACH 2 printer is worth its price tag. Its combination of new features, reliability, and quality makes it an excellent choice for users looking to upgrade their printing experience. The price-performance ratio is particularly impressive, offering a great value for money.

One area where I might nitpick is the printer's aesthetics. While the metal frame along with 3D-printed parts provides sufficient stability, I'm not a fan of Cartesian-style printers. This is largely subjective, and I acknowledge that many users will appreciate the unique look and feel of this design.

In conclusion, my experience with the MACH 2 printer has been overwhelmingly positive. Its ability to produce high-quality prints, combined with its innovative features and reliable performance, make it an excellent choice for users looking to improve their printing experience. With proper fine-tuning and maintenance, this printer is sure to deliver exceptional results – making it a great value for money.

If you enjoyed watching this review, don't forget to Like, share, and subscribe! Stay creative, and I'll see you in the next video.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhen it comes to 3d printing then I love to showcase budget-friendly 3d printers in my videos the only problem with such a low-cost printers is that they to work decently but not always good enough which can in my case lead to a lot of frustration that is why I've been recently looking through lists of the best 3d printers to find out that many people seem to favor the original Prusa i3 Mach 2 which in its kit form comes with a reasonable price but while looking at the product lineup I noticed that they recently released a new puja free version which offers tons of improvements so I reached out to them for review unit and a couple of weeks later I received it in this huge package and in this video i will show you my experiences ahead with the machine what special features democ 3 offers and finally whether I think it is bro of the price tag let's get started after opening the package I found a bag of gummy bears a list with all past tests of my printer a t-shirt an introduction letter which was also a packaging list and the 3d printing handbook about which I will talk in more detail later and while opening up the sides of the package I found two more smaller boxes which contained a spool of gray PLA filaments and a bunch of accessories like a USB cable a power cable a spool holder glue stick tools an SD cards and an alcohol pads with an acupuncture needle the last thing to do for the unboxing was to lift out the Prusa i3 mach3 which as you can see is the assembled version but there also exists a kit version with a noticeable price drop and after removing the zip ties and a bit of carports we can already see the first special feature of the printer it's removable platform which due to its flexible makes it a breeze to remove Finnish prints combine that with the magnetic heat beds and you got yourself a feature that due to its convenience will hopefully be a standard for future 3d printers but nevertheless I continued by powering up the printer and connecting it to a computer through the included USB cable next I downloaded the driver software and the newest Mach 3 firmware from the Prusa 3d websites installed all of its and updated the 3d printer to its newest firmware version afterwards the printer did a small self calibration and it was ready for printing so I added the spool holder to the frame slid on the included peel a filaments preheated the machine to PLA temperatures and simply inserted the filaments which brings me to the second mentionable feature the optical filament sensor not only is it useful to automatically load new filaments but it also causes the current print when the machine is running out of filaments and continues when new one is loaded that is a pretty handy feature for large prints but then again this sensor is not perfect for example when you got a clock hardened these sensor usually noticed that too late and thus the print cannot be saved but anyway as a first test I went with the included spattering test file before each print the printer will execute it smash pad leveling procedure in order to guarantee a level print then it has a wipe outside the print area and ultimately starts the actual print now the printing process is pretty much what you would expect from every 3d printer except for in my opinion the best improvement of the mock 3 to get an understanding for this feature here is how a typical 3d printer sounds like during printing and here is how the Mach 3 sounds like not convinced yet well let's change over to stealth modes and listen again the Mach 3 year is quieter than other 3d printers because it utilizes the TMC a21 300 stepper motor drivers which obviously are for quite movements but not only that they also enable crash detection and recovery if the printhead runs into something during a print and they also eliminates the need for mechanical and stops moving on once the battering print was completes I popped it off the print pads and inspected its quality which was decent but what 3d printer reviewer would be complete without the Banshee test print so that is what I tried next and after two hours of printing the boat was complete and except for a couple of spots also looked very nice last but not least I printed a whistle which was also included on the SD card and then moved on to the 2 included slicer programs the first one is more beginner friendly which means you can only adjust a couple of settings and will most likely not mess up if you use one of the predetermined materials if you're like me though and want to use exotic filaments you have to use the second piece of software so that you can fine-tune the printing parameters of your machine all in all both programs work fine but I noticed a small slicing problem with a couple of models where parts just went missing what I did then was repairing the STL files with netfabb which up until now always solved the problem and with the slicing power achieved I tried out smaller peel aprons as well as a very large peel a print that took around 10 hours in both cases the printer did the job reliably without any problems at all and I think the results of the prints pretty much speak for themselves and after I tried out PLA in a few different colors which as it would expect not decrease the printing quality at all I wanted to print with other materials first off black ABS out of which I printed a normal sized and an oversized pair of bolts and nuts which opposed no challenge for the printer next White's PGG out of which the printer created another bolt and not pair as well as more challenging and bigger USB SD card holder in both cases the quality has its up and downs for which the reason was probably the missing fine-tuning of the parameters from my sites SD second-to-last filaments I tried out filler flex which obviously is a flexible filament and as you can see it started out promising but after only 5 minutes of printing the hot end was clocked so I remove the flexible filaments flush the hot end with some PLA and tried the printing once again but this time way slower with only 20% speeds this way the feel effects printed without any problems but due to my impatience and later increase the speed to 33% which luckily also worked flawlessly the only problem of such a flexible filament is that it is not easy to remove from the bulb platform and can also lead to damages of its if you're not careful but nevertheless the results may have been a bit stringy but not too shabby at all for the last material tests I tried out wood filaments for which I was also too lazy to find you in the parameters which resulted in two clocked hard ends that showcases well that such a printer is not magical and still requires fine tuning and it also brings me to the importance of the 3d printing handbook there pretty much everything you have to look out for before during and after print is very well explained like cleaning the steel sheet surface with isopropanol before every prints or how to clean a nozzle with an acupuncture needle which solved my clogging problem along with the Prusa forum you can find pretty much answers to every which brings me to the conclusion of this review do I think the printer is worth its price tag yes definitely with its combination of useful new features which were actually too many to fit them all in this review along with the reliability and quality of the prints that make the Mach 2 so popular this is a 3d printer that especially as a kid form offers a great price performance ratio the only thing that I would nitpick is its look now while the metal frame along with the 3d printed parts does offer enough stability I'm generally not a fan of Cartesian style 3d printers but of course that is completely subjective I hope you enjoyed watching this review if so don't forget to Like share and subscribe stay creative and I will see you next timewhen it comes to 3d printing then I love to showcase budget-friendly 3d printers in my videos the only problem with such a low-cost printers is that they to work decently but not always good enough which can in my case lead to a lot of frustration that is why I've been recently looking through lists of the best 3d printers to find out that many people seem to favor the original Prusa i3 Mach 2 which in its kit form comes with a reasonable price but while looking at the product lineup I noticed that they recently released a new puja free version which offers tons of improvements so I reached out to them for review unit and a couple of weeks later I received it in this huge package and in this video i will show you my experiences ahead with the machine what special features democ 3 offers and finally whether I think it is bro of the price tag let's get started after opening the package I found a bag of gummy bears a list with all past tests of my printer a t-shirt an introduction letter which was also a packaging list and the 3d printing handbook about which I will talk in more detail later and while opening up the sides of the package I found two more smaller boxes which contained a spool of gray PLA filaments and a bunch of accessories like a USB cable a power cable a spool holder glue stick tools an SD cards and an alcohol pads with an acupuncture needle the last thing to do for the unboxing was to lift out the Prusa i3 mach3 which as you can see is the assembled version but there also exists a kit version with a noticeable price drop and after removing the zip ties and a bit of carports we can already see the first special feature of the printer it's removable platform which due to its flexible makes it a breeze to remove Finnish prints combine that with the magnetic heat beds and you got yourself a feature that due to its convenience will hopefully be a standard for future 3d printers but nevertheless I continued by powering up the printer and connecting it to a computer through the included USB cable next I downloaded the driver software and the newest Mach 3 firmware from the Prusa 3d websites installed all of its and updated the 3d printer to its newest firmware version afterwards the printer did a small self calibration and it was ready for printing so I added the spool holder to the frame slid on the included peel a filaments preheated the machine to PLA temperatures and simply inserted the filaments which brings me to the second mentionable feature the optical filament sensor not only is it useful to automatically load new filaments but it also causes the current print when the machine is running out of filaments and continues when new one is loaded that is a pretty handy feature for large prints but then again this sensor is not perfect for example when you got a clock hardened these sensor usually noticed that too late and thus the print cannot be saved but anyway as a first test I went with the included spattering test file before each print the printer will execute it smash pad leveling procedure in order to guarantee a level print then it has a wipe outside the print area and ultimately starts the actual print now the printing process is pretty much what you would expect from every 3d printer except for in my opinion the best improvement of the mock 3 to get an understanding for this feature here is how a typical 3d printer sounds like during printing and here is how the Mach 3 sounds like not convinced yet well let's change over to stealth modes and listen again the Mach 3 year is quieter than other 3d printers because it utilizes the TMC a21 300 stepper motor drivers which obviously are for quite movements but not only that they also enable crash detection and recovery if the printhead runs into something during a print and they also eliminates the need for mechanical and stops moving on once the battering print was completes I popped it off the print pads and inspected its quality which was decent but what 3d printer reviewer would be complete without the Banshee test print so that is what I tried next and after two hours of printing the boat was complete and except for a couple of spots also looked very nice last but not least I printed a whistle which was also included on the SD card and then moved on to the 2 included slicer programs the first one is more beginner friendly which means you can only adjust a couple of settings and will most likely not mess up if you use one of the predetermined materials if you're like me though and want to use exotic filaments you have to use the second piece of software so that you can fine-tune the printing parameters of your machine all in all both programs work fine but I noticed a small slicing problem with a couple of models where parts just went missing what I did then was repairing the STL files with netfabb which up until now always solved the problem and with the slicing power achieved I tried out smaller peel aprons as well as a very large peel a print that took around 10 hours in both cases the printer did the job reliably without any problems at all and I think the results of the prints pretty much speak for themselves and after I tried out PLA in a few different colors which as it would expect not decrease the printing quality at all I wanted to print with other materials first off black ABS out of which I printed a normal sized and an oversized pair of bolts and nuts which opposed no challenge for the printer next White's PGG out of which the printer created another bolt and not pair as well as more challenging and bigger USB SD card holder in both cases the quality has its up and downs for which the reason was probably the missing fine-tuning of the parameters from my sites SD second-to-last filaments I tried out filler flex which obviously is a flexible filament and as you can see it started out promising but after only 5 minutes of printing the hot end was clocked so I remove the flexible filaments flush the hot end with some PLA and tried the printing once again but this time way slower with only 20% speeds this way the feel effects printed without any problems but due to my impatience and later increase the speed to 33% which luckily also worked flawlessly the only problem of such a flexible filament is that it is not easy to remove from the bulb platform and can also lead to damages of its if you're not careful but nevertheless the results may have been a bit stringy but not too shabby at all for the last material tests I tried out wood filaments for which I was also too lazy to find you in the parameters which resulted in two clocked hard ends that showcases well that such a printer is not magical and still requires fine tuning and it also brings me to the importance of the 3d printing handbook there pretty much everything you have to look out for before during and after print is very well explained like cleaning the steel sheet surface with isopropanol before every prints or how to clean a nozzle with an acupuncture needle which solved my clogging problem along with the Prusa forum you can find pretty much answers to every which brings me to the conclusion of this review do I think the printer is worth its price tag yes definitely with its combination of useful new features which were actually too many to fit them all in this review along with the reliability and quality of the prints that make the Mach 2 so popular this is a 3d printer that especially as a kid form offers a great price performance ratio the only thing that I would nitpick is its look now while the metal frame along with the 3d printed parts does offer enough stability I'm generally not a fan of Cartesian style 3d printers but of course that is completely subjective I hope you enjoyed watching this review if so don't forget to Like share and subscribe stay creative and I will see you next time