For anyone who’s curious about the undeniably amazing world of 3D printing, the Lulzbot Mini 2 3D printer is a great choice. This printer is easy to use and transport. Yet it’s also remarkably sophisticated, showing improvement on the already-quality first model of this printer. If you need to get the lay of the land when it comes to 3D printing, this Lulzbot model would absolutely make for a suitable first choice. Today we review the Lulzbot Mini 2 3D Printer.
Lulzbot Mini 2 3D Printer Technical Specifications
- Max Print Size: 160 mm x 160 mm x 180 mm
- File Format: .stl, .obj, .x3d, .3mf, .png, .jpg
- Supported Filament Types: Polycarbonate, PLA, PCTPE, TPU, and more
- Filament Diameter: 3mm
- Printer Speed: 300mm/s (travel speed)
- Extruders: One
- Extruder Diameter: .50mm
- Printing Plate: Heated
Design and Features
Portability can really make a difference when deciding which printer to purchase. This sort of printer is great if you need to take your printer to a different place. Its fairly lightweight design (approximately 20 pounds) makes it ideal for business professionals, educators, or anyone else who has the need for 3D printing.
With a 300/ms travel speed, this printer provides results in a very efficient manner. It’s also got a very discrete sound design, which is very useful if you need to focus.
The print surface is made of borosilicate glass, which also happens to be reversible. The print area is 6.30 inches by 6.30 inches by 7.89 inches. The print volume is 281.4 inches³.
This printer also works with more than 30 different types of filaments. Some of the ones you can use with this printer include TPU, PLA, and PCTPE. You can print with these different filaments without having to alternate your tool head.
A single-nozzle printer, this printer keeps things simple. It also has a well-heated bed. Therefore, you can have any potential fears about warping allayed. The hottest the print surface gets is 120°C/248°F. You should be cautious when operating this printer and not let children use it without proper adult supervision.
This printer also features Automatic Compensation for leveling. With this, you can have each initial layer be exactly right, helping to ensure that your prints get off to the right start. You can also connect to it via USB Serial or through the provided SD card (8 GB).
Another excellent feature of this printer is the GLCD (Graphical LCD) Controller. This allows for tetherless printing. All you need to do is have your desired print file on the provided SD card and load it into the printer.
This printer might be easy to transport, but it’s still got a sturdy build. As long as you’re careful when using and moving it and understand proper storage for your filament, you can have a great experience with this 3D printer.
This 3D printer is an excellent way to introduce young people and students to 3D printing. It’s affordable but not a cheap design. It also has an impressively modern look, with its sleek black design.
Printing
The quality of prints produced by the Lulzbot Mini 2 is fantastic. With a wide range of compatible filaments, you’ll have a lot to work with. As mentioned, it operates at a very quiet volume and will prints items quickly.
This printer has a single nozzle size of 0.5mm, which can have an impact on what sort of printing you’re doing. Thanks to its heated printing plate, you can trust the LulzBot Mini 2 3D printer will provide consistent and beautiful results.
While this printer is easy to operate, some have found that the provided user manual isn’t the best guide. If you’re having any trouble figuring it out, you might need to consult online video demonstrations.
If you desire to have a second nozzle, this printer might not be for you. More complex prints can require a more complex printer, but those aren’t hard to find.
There has also been some dissatisfaction with the heating of this printer, with some griping about an inconsistent performance. This might not be an issue if you don’t have much experience with this process. The advantages and user-friendliness of this printer make it a worthwhile investment.
Packaging and Assembly
There’s minimal assembly involved with setting up this printer. The unit is essentially intact as one piece. Buyers have loved how quickly the setup process goes by, typically taking less than 20 minutes.
Once you have it out of the box, you’ll need to install the necessary software. This can be found online. Once this is ready, you can connect it to the printer through a USB cable, along with getting the power cord hooked up.
You can run your first print by using the preprogrammed “Rock2pus” 3D model file. The linked video can help you with loading filament and general operations. Once you have everything set up, it can be quite amazing to see how well the Lulzbot Mini 2 works on its own. The software is very user-friendly, but it might take a few tries before you’re fully comfortable with operating it.
The following items are included with your printer:
- Printer
- USB cable
- Power cord
- SD card
- Tool Kit (including extra wiper blades, glue stick, and scrub pads)
- Documentation (including Quality Assurance Record and Quick Start Guide
- PLA filament (for printing Rock2pus)
Support
Even with a reliable printer like this one, it’s always good to have some backup. With this printer, you can get a one, two, or three-year extended warranty. You can also call their support line any day of the week, from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. EST and on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST. Support requests can also be sent through their website or via email.
Even if they’re not in warranty, the LulzBot TAZ 6, 5, and LulzBot Mini are each eligible for repairs. This likely includes this printer, but you might need to ask about this in your “Submit Request.” There are also fees included with the repair, including $50 for an evaluation fee and $35 for shipping the repaired printer back to you.
Unfortunately, only United States buyers will be able to use Lulzbot’s repair services. Your item will be kept by them for no more than 10 days, after which you’ll need to pay $5 a day for storage. The transparent information and efficient repairs can help you to trust LulzBot.
Lulzbot Mini 2 Pros and Cons
There’s a lot to like about this printer, but there are also a few things that a worth knowing before you make the purchase. Here are the pros and cons.
Pros
- Good warranty options
- Very easy to set up
- Fast printing speeds
- Good price
- Very user-friendly
- Efficient repair services
- Quiet design
- Takes lots of filaments
- Fairly lightweight
- Prevents warping
Cons
- Only one nozzle size
- Lackluster user manual
- No repairs for non-US users
Verdict
The Lulzbot Mini 2 desktop 3D printer is a very good choice for anyone who’s looking to enter the 3D printing game but isn’t entirely confident in their abilities. It’s a very intuitive model. If you know anyone who is adept at 3D printing, you might refer to them for some troubleshooting.
3D printing might have once seemed like some sort of incredible futuristic concept. However, products like this have helped to make it accessible for those who might’ve not thought about doing it. If you’ve assessed that 3D printing could be up your alley, you should purchase the LulzBot Mini 2. It might not be the last one you use or purchase, but it can definitely have a very positive influence on you.
Last update on 2024-05-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
