Printrbot Play 3D Printer

Our Printrbot 3D Printer arrived last week! Last year, we were able to get a Makerbot 3D Printer for each of our middle schools. This year, we are doing research to see if we can find an affordable, easy to use 3D Printer for some of our elementary schools. After visiting the Tech Museum of Innovation and the Tech Shop, I learned that they both highly recommend the Printrbot brand. Their newest model, the "Play" is just $399, a fraction of what other printers sell for!
When the Play arrived, it was assembled and the instruction manual was online. One thing that surprised me was that there is no power switch, so you must use the electrical plug to turn it on and off. Also, the print platform is 4"x4"x5", I was okay with this, but it is something to consider. Like other printers, Printrbot recommends covering the platform with painters tape for first layer adhesion.

Printrbot doesn't have is own software, but it recommends using a software called Cura. I liked that it was pretty simple to drag and drop my stl file into the software. However, Cura runs with specific codes, like "M500" which can be difficult to master and troubleshoot. Luckily, once I entered the codes correctly, it printed my first object pretty perfectly!
Unfortunately, as soon as I tried to print my second object, I ran into some trouble. The nozzle was too low and started scraping the tape and platform. I did some online research and troubleshooting, but was only able to manually adjust the nozzle, which isn't going to be practical when printing multiple student projects. I also learned that Printrbot does not offer phone support, so I sent them an email and am hoping to hear back soon!

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