Monoprice select mini 3d printer v2 review

Are you in search of a quality 3D printer? No matter what your purpose is, having a printer with high-quality performance can never serve you wrong. But the problem with most 3D printers is their high price.

So, does it mean you have to pay a lot to get a quality 3D printer?

Thankfully the answer to that question is no. With the Monoprice Select Mini 3D printer, you don’t have to pay a whole lot for quality printing performance. Want to know more? Then stick till the end to know all about this printer and decide for yourself if it’s worth it or not.

Monoprice select mini 3d printer v2 specification

• Max temperature: 250 degree C
• Printing speed: 55mm/s
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, microSD, USB
• Dimension: 17 x 14.1 x 10.7 inches
• Weight: 14.1lbs
• Build area: 4.7 x 4.7 x 4.7 inches
• Supported filament: Wood, PLA, Copper fill, Steel Fill, ABS

The cons and pros of the product

If you are not a fan of detailed info and want to know the good and bad directly, here are the pros and cons of this printer.

Pros

• The printer is very much affordable in comparison to other 3D printers.
• Build quality of this one is satisfying and durable
• It’s very easy to operate and doesn’t require any special experience
• You can rely on the printing results of this printer
• This one works with a lot of different filament types giving you a variety of options
• It comes with Wi-Fi, microSD, and USB connectivity

Cons

• The tech support isn’t even worth mentioning
• It takes a long time to print
• Calibrating the printer is troublesome

Review Methodology

So, why should you even listen to us blabbering about this printer? Well, we have been working with 3D printers for years and have good knowledge about them. In addition, we went through this printer with our experience and the experiences of the users. So, what you get here is the combination of both experiences on this product which should give you a distinct idea about the quality of the product. And all you get is authentic information, so there shouldn’t be any question of reliability.

Related: Best 3d Printer for Miniatures

Monoprice select mini 3d printer v2 overview

Interested in the product? Then let’s check out some more facts about this to determine its worth for your needs.

What’s the speaker like physically? 

• Build quality
  One thing that you won’t have any complaints against is the build quality of this printer. It’s sturdy and heavy-duty built ensures it doesn’t break that easily. Even though the roughest of transportation can’t damage the printer, it isn’t bulky at all while it’s that robust. You can still carry it around with ease.
• Design
  The design you see on this one is also quite good. It has got spring on the main pillar that has a quick-release function. Surrounding it has a steel gear which makes it look much better than usual. The printer uses a cable setup called Bowden to feed the filament. It looks pretty simplistic and doesn’t have much going on in the outlook of it. So, you won’t get intimidated when you see it.

How is the product used? 

Using this printer is very easy. It takes around 20 minutes to set this one up for first-time use. Once you set it up, you can check up on the manual you get from their website. It has got detailed information on how to calibrate the printer and start printing.

Other than that, you have to fill in the filament in the spool on the cable setup, then choose the model you want to print. You can either do it through an SD card or USB, or Wi-Fi. After uploading the model, you want to print, you press print, and it should work.

Monoprice select mini 3d printer v2 features and rate performance

Performance

You will love the performance of the printer. Well, it might not exceed your expectations, but it does a great job with the printing. It retains some details on the print that you will love to see. Especially if you are going for 200-micron models, you will get to experience quality details on the prints you do.

Upgradability

There aren’t any official upgrade options on this one. It’s what you can call hackability, and it’s filled with that. For example, you can get upgrades for your printer to get better performance out of it through different tunings and adjustment settings. You can look for such hacks and implement them in your printer, so it has that option.

Ease of usage

The initial assembly is pretty easy, but the perfect calibration may seem a bit tricky. Once you get past that, using the printer is like a breeze. It doesn’t involve any complex steps; you feed the hotrods some filament from the spools and upload the models. You can use an SD card, USB, or Wi-Fi to upload these models, so you are not out of options.

Related: Monoprice Mini Delta Review and Monoprice Voxel 3D Printer Review

Value for money

This is the most attractive and appealing part of this printer. It’s extremely affordable, considering the quality you get. For the price you pay, you won’t have any complaints about the performance and functionality of this thing. It’s the epitome of value for money.

Monoprice select mini 3d printer v2 Alternatives

Don’t like how this one sounds? Well, then we have two alternative options for you. Here they are-

• Printrbot Play:
  This is a great alternative with similar printing quality and power as the Monoprice select mini. Printrbot Play is heavily built and provides duration also priced within the same range. So, it’s worth checking out.
• He3D Delta DLT180:
  While the quality of He3D Delta DLT180 is not as good as the Monoprice, it’s faster. If you need something faster for printing those models, then this is an alternative you can try out.

Verdict 

All in all, if your requirement is a good quality 3D printer at an affordable price, then this should suit your needs perfectly. While it has its flaws and drawbacks, it doesn’t lack performance or printing quality. And considering the affordability factor, you shouldn’t have any complaints regarding this one. It’s overall a great 3D printer to go with.