3d Printers South Africa

Adenoid Hynkel said:
Is the Creality SPARKX i7 a good beginners model? Does anyone here own one?
Click to expand...
With 3d printing, we are all beginners ...... every design and every problem brings new experience.

If you get one, keep us informed.
Would you go for the printer only or the whole combo route?
One of the lady printer folks here has a Sparx, and the print quality looks really good with PETG and PLA stuff.
Played with one at Best Buy a few weeks back, and it looks and feels just like an A1.
Hoping Creality has a sale for July 4th, if so, I will probably pick one up to play with.

I chose to go with the Anycubic based on recommendation from other printers in the area, and price. Should rock up today hopefully.

Having said all of that, admittedly I am an A1 bedslinger fanbooi me ..... they have served me well and made me a a lot of money.
Resale value here in the US is good too. Used, they go for around $50 less than new.
Most folks dont think to look at the hours on the machine.
Bambu just works .........
 
Anyone used one of these
Check this out on takealot: Creality Filament Storage Box - Moisture-Proof, Magnetic-Close Organizer

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.
www.takealot.com www.takealot.com

I dont print continously- and being close to the ocean, my filament, especially petg, suffers.
 
Adenoid Hynkel said:
Is the Creality SPARKX i7 a good beginners model? Does anyone here own one?
Click to expand...

Whilst I dont own tbe i7, I own a K1 Max and Flashforge AD5X.

My K1 is well known as the frustration station and the AD5X as my "staatmaker".

Im a beginner with 3d printing, but quite handy and know how to google/chatgpt and solder, and figure sruff out.

If I had to do it all again, the AD5X would've been my 1st choice, as long as it is rooted with zmod and running orca slicer.

I've threatened to take the K1 to the shooting range more than i care to remember.
 
xrapidx said:
Anyone used one of these
Check this out on takealot: Creality Filament Storage Box - Moisture-Proof, Magnetic-Close Organizer

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.
www.takealot.com www.takealot.com

I dont print continously- and being close to the ocean, my filament, especially petg, suffers.
Click to expand...
i think a filament dryer would be a cheaper and better solution for you
 
So, the Anycubic Kobra X arrived.
We got it set up, and printed a benchy .... as we do.
No problem there.

So, heres my opinions and observations.

Firstly, the machine build is just scappy compared to Bambu and Creality. The plastic covers dont line up as well, the spool holders are a bit off .... its looks Chinese. But then again, at the price .... I can live with this.

Anyhow ..... the acceleration and speed isnt as good as the Bambu. But not a big issue.
Nozzle changes are going to be fun .... the hotend set up is looking fancy but not sure that its too practical for a workhorse machine.

The prints are good. No issues as yet.
Build volume is pretty standard.

The machine has a 4 color holder and color selection is a bit of a mission from a slicing perspective, but much simpler than an AMS.
Less poop by far .... so thats a plus.

The Anycubic slicer, albeit a fork of Bambu or Orca .... is just cr ap. Unfortunately, the Anycubic slicer is kind of made for the printer, so I guess it will have to do for now.

Would I buy another one .... probably not.
Will keep this for one off orders, my play machine replacing the mini, and speciality prints and go back to Bambu for new machines.

Its a great value machine for home users and hobbyists at the price.
 
Anyone found a place that sells "refills"? Where it's not the entire spool, just a cardboard tube?
I know geewiz sells the Bambu ones, but I'm not paying super premium prices for Bambu filament...
 
warrenpridgeon said:
Anyone found a place that sells "refills"? Where it's not the entire spool, just a cardboard tube?
I know geewiz sells the Bambu ones, but I'm not paying super premium prices for Bambu filament...
Click to expand...
Rapid3D is far more reasonable for BambuLabs filament - https://store.rapid3d.co.za/products/i8d0ced737/7352436000000211458?variant=7352436000001861250

I see now that they have also bumped their prices up quite a bit. I was getting Bambu PLA and PETG (with spool) for R325 just a month ago.
 
RedViking said:
I haven't gotten the magnets yet. But planning to get some when I have a big order on Takealot. Unless I stumble onto something locally. So far it seems to work well without magnets.
Click to expand...
I grabbed a pack of these recently:

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.
www.takealot.com www.takealot.com

They are surprisingly pretty strong and R1.47 each was a pretty good price from what I've seen online... they arrived this week so I haven't had chance to slap em into anything yet. lol
 
Time to play a bit.

It sucks that I was born too early. If I was in my early teens today I'd lose my s**t with stuff you can do with the "Dummy 13" range.
Also, yesterday was the first time I tried printing anything other than PLA. I got some SA Filament Speed PETG in, and judging by how it's going this might be my new favorite and go-to filament for almost everything.

The stuff prints insanely well and I've stopped getting on-and-off print failures on tiny complicated models that used to give me trouble with (SA Filament & Creality Ender) PLA due to collisions and bed adhesion. It might also be 'cause it's high speed filament so works great with the A1.

The stringing is the only "issue" but that doesn't bother me (if it's kept in check of course), I've always wanted to get a proper cordless heat gun anyway.

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Happy Friday everyone, get those printers warmed up.

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