Greetings from Pennsylvania

[Belial52]

Hi there! I am looking into buying a 3d printer, and found the rostock MAX to be one of the biggest ones for the price.

What kinds of issues have any of you had with it?

[Jimustanguitar]

The Rostock is a great machine, I'm very glad to own one. Biggest build volume, great value, innovative design, very hard to go wrong. I don't have any gripes with it, and it's a lot of fun.

Understand that it's not a "turn-key" machine. You're buying a parts kit that you assemble yourself. That is one of the main reasons that SeeMe can keep the cost down compared to other companies. It does take some moderate skill to build too, it's probably worth looking through the manual so that you get an idea of what it takes. It's harder than a bookcase but easier than an engine.

Probably the biggest thing to be aware of is that this is an open source design that you're only buying a parts kit for. If you buy one, you are the developer, and the design is constantly evolving. If you don't like the manual, help write it. If you've got a design idea, propose it to the community. If the Slicer settings aren't working well for you, find ones that do and share your findings... Most people's complaints seem to be about not having purchased a "finished" product, and that's just a misalignment of expectations about what open source really means.

To me, that's exciting. I like having a machine that I built and I like the experimentation involved to dial it in every time I make a change. It also lends itself well to customization and accessories too.

So whether or not a Rostock is right for you really depends on whether you're a tinkerer, or if you just want to open the box and click print. If you like building things and experimenting, this is without question the right machine. If you're leaning towards an assembled solution check out the Orion.

[Eaglezsoar]

Great answer Jim.

[Belial52]

One of the main reasons I want to get a Rostock machine is because of the ability to add features and tinker. I graduated from school with an electronics "certificate", as it's not really a degree, but the point being that I am moderately involved with electronics and love to tinker with things. A friend of mine has one that he never finished building, which is a shame, and recommended this printer. I myself probably won't be ordering one for a couple of weeks because I'm going to have to save up from a few pays to be able to buy it. Can't wait to order it and put it together.

I had seen some people complaining about print head issues with older print heads, that's why I was asking if anyone had any big issues with theirs.

[Jimustanguitar]

I had seen some people complaining about print head issues with older print heads, that's why I was asking if anyone had any big issues with theirs.

SeeMeCNC has been using a new nozzle design lately that works much better. It protrudes away from the heat further and reduces the radiant heat that tends to melt your prints. Throw a $5 fan on it and you're set.

[Eaglezsoar]

One of the main reasons I want to get a Rostock machine is because of the ability to add features and tinker. I graduated from school with an electronics "certificate", as it's not really a degree, but the point being that I am moderately involved with electronics and love to tinker with things. A friend of mine has one that he never finished building, which is a shame, and recommended this printer. I myself probably won't be ordering one for a couple of weeks because I'm going to have to save up from a few pays to be able to buy it. Can't wait to order it and put it together.

I had seen some people complaining about print head issues with older print heads, that's why I was asking if anyone had any big issues with theirs.

Sounds like you are the perfect candidate for the Rostock Max. I also have electronic background, started as an electronic technician in the Navy submarine (Posiedon) program
and have been doing it for 40 years. The Rostock was actually a lot of fun to build. Get the latest build manual available on this forum under Docs and take a look at it, you will
enjoy the build and it is the best documentation going for any kit that I have seen. Then there is the cool factor, these things are fun to watch unlike the cartesian style. Go for
it, you know it's the best for the price.

[maximumtwo]

I bought the Rostock Max a few weeks ago and with the help of my 5 and 6 year old children I finished it a few days ago. It was a lot of fun and not hard to do. I am printing and working on calibration now. I have a business degree and am a long way from an electronic expert. So, far I think it is wonderful. I would recommend it to anyone who wants something more than just taking it out of the box.

[Eaglezsoar]

I bought the Rostock Max a few weeks ago and with the help of my 5 and 6 year old children I finished it a few days ago. It was a lot of fun and not hard to do. I am printing and working on calibration now. I have a business degree and am a long way from an electronic expert. So, far I think it is wonderful. I would recommend it to anyone who wants something more than just taking it out of the box.

Welcome to the Forum! Glad to hear that you built the Rostock Max in conjunction with your children.
If you have any pictures of your build, we would love to see them.

[Belial52]

So, I went to visit my old electronics teacher yesterday, took with me an arduino for him and his class, and found out that they had gotten 2 MakerBot Replicator 2s. Looking at the size of it and it's build size limitations, it looks rather dissappointing... I don't think you could print half the stuff I want to print with the Rostock with it.

[geneb]

MakerBot is the market leader in disappointment.



g.