Geeetech Prusa I3X Assembly and First Impressions

Yayay for fun work tools / toys! ?

After a few months pondering the ever evolving consumer 3d printer market and looking for a 3d printer to call my own, I went in on this baby when it popped up on ebay for under $300 USD. It filled the bill as an affordable un-assembled kit (good for getting a good understanding for how it works + lower cost) with decent specs (can print in multiple materials with resolution of a least .02mm).

When the package arrived it looked like it had been through some things, but to my happy the parts were all intact. Inside the box were the instructions, small tool kit, and all the components organized by part number in foam inserts and zip lock / anti static baggies. The instructions weren’t the greatest, but they included a parts list and links to assembly videos that provided enough detail to assemble the printer without much confusion (the instructions and videos have since been updated / improved and there is also a user manual, wiki, and community forum that come in handy).

It was a blast building the printer and learning how it all went together. After loading the prints and presets into repetier-host / slic3r, it was printing on the first go. You can see in the end image of the time-lapse all of the early prints – some came out great without any troubles, but others required tweaking of the parameters and prepping of the bed to ensure adhesion. The video-clip above shows the end of it’s hello world print – prototypes of two rocks designed for our zen garden kits (completed in about 20 minutes using the settings provided in the instructions).

TLDR: Good buy – great printer for the cost. Decent prints on first try.

Pros: Do not have to use expensive or brand name filaments. Nice build volume (200 x 200 x 140 mm or approx. 7-7/8 x 7-7/8 x 5-1/2 in.). Includes heated bed and handy toolkit. Makes fun robot sounds as it prints, especially during circular movements. Affordable. Educational – learn as you go.

Cons: Belt mount is not so great – requires punching hole in belt that can easily lead to popped belt (bought extra length of belt off amazon and will be modding the way it mounts soon). Plastic frame – need to be careful during assembly and maintenance not to over tighten bolts.

P.S. This post kicks off our series of reviews, impressions, tips & tricks, and mods on our work tools / toys; so stay tuned!