3d Printing CURA for Lulzbot Overview - Duration: 9:49. Wordof Bach 277 views. Tested: Lulzbot TAZ 6 3D Printer Review - Duration: 22:43. Adam Savage’s Tested 108,606 views. With Cura LulzBot Edition, you have hundreds of quickprint profiles built in for seamless 3D printing. Pair this with an It-Works 3d Titan Aero PRO Toolhead! Print multiple colors with a TAZ 6, an It-Works 3d Titan Aero 1.75mm Toolhead, and a Mosaic Manufacturing Pallete 2 PRO 4x filament system.
The Lulzbot TAZ 6 has a square 300mm (12 inches) bed (280mm of which is usable) and prints up to 250mm tall. The 3D printer is, by all standards, one of the largest 3D printers in the market.
But does this open source printer have what it takes to be the best 3D printer on the market? In this Lulzbot TAZ 6 review, we delve into everything you should know about the printer.
Lulzbot TAZ 6 Review
In this review, we will cover:
- Unboxing and setting up the Lulzbot 6
- Design of the Lulzbot TAZ 6
- Lulzbot Taz 6 Specs and Features
- Printing with Lulzbot TAZ 6 Review
- Some Bugs with the Lulzbot TAZ 6
- Conclusion and Recommendation
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Unboxing and Setting up the Lulzbot 6
We ordered the Lulzbot TAZ 6 printer from Amazon and it arrived in about 3 weeks. The printer comes with a fully loaded tool bag.
We opened the box and took out the mainframe and the Y-axis subframe. We then screwed these up together with four thumbscrews and added the printhead. Finally, we plugged in the printhead and the bed.
The custom Cura version included in the package has pre-tuned printer and filament profiles. After we installed the software, we loaded some filament into the machine and we were good to go.
After unboxing the Lulzbot TAZ 6, you can start printing in less than 5 minutes.
If you are a newbie with no idea where to begin, go through the unboxing and assembly instructions and the manual to know the steps to take to print your first model.
The operation manual and the assembly instructions have been excellently put together. You’ll find all the information that you need for a successful first print.
If you want to change anything, the manual has everything you need. This is basically a full guide on servicing your printer and tweaking each Cura print settings.
However, you may never use the full guide, especially the Cura settings. The branded Cura version of the printer is preconfigured with a boatload of filament profiles. Moreover, it has covered all types of materials.
You can use the profiles with the exact type and brand of filament configured for them. You can also take each profile into expert mode and then change the setting as you prefer.
In most cases, the filament that you will be using will determine the profile to choose, whether “strong”, “fast”, “high detail” or “standard. Follow the cues that Cura provides on the display to make the right choice.
For instance, since most materials work straight onto bare PEI surface, if you need to apply glue stick on the PEI bed, Cura will advise you appropriately.
Lulzbot TAZ 6 3D Printer Design
Aleph Objects’ printers are famous for their excellent build, both on the surface and in the inside. The Lulzbot TAZ 6 does not disappoint. Every feature of the printer is perfect. Even the electronics compartment, with its Raspberry Pi mounting whole pattern, is not a letdown.
Every Lulzbot TAZ 6 connector has a matching mate and every wire has a crimped end (even those that would naturally not need one). There is a star grounding point and heat-shrined ferrite beads on the important cables.
The power supply has an independent fan on top of the air inlets at the bottom of the compartment. There is also a small fan at the top of the compartment that is always on. The independent fan doesn’t really make a big difference on the noise produced by the printer.
The Lulzbot TAZ 6 has a wire harness hub with a single detach point for every cable. It also has a pre-wired connector for a second extruder on its back. Moreover, Aleph Objects provides a very straight-forward dual upgrade set that you can install.
Lulzbot TAZ 6 Specs and Features
The massive build of the Lulzbot TAZ 6 is partly because it’s built from aluminum machine profiles and partly because of its metal brackets and printed parts.
The printed parts are attractive and make the Lulzbot more user friendly. The printer’s design, especially the metal parts, make it is steady and durable. The only negative thing about the printer’s massive structure is that prints per piece will take longer to produce.
Every printed part of the Lulzbot Taz 6 printer has threaded brass inserts. When we say every part, we are referring to any section that needs a metric thread. IGUS self-lubricating bushings and 12mm round linear rails are used in all axes. The Z-axis uses a massive trapezoid spindle while the X and Y axis use standard 2mm pitch GT-series belts. Quite impressive!
The 3D printer uses a glass bed that has a silicone heater mat on the bottom and a sheet of PEI on the top. Precision-machined washers hold the parts down and are also used for automatic bed compensation. In a way, we can say that the machine is just a “big” Lulzbot Mini, since the setup is almost similar.
Coming to the hotend and the extruder, Aleph Objects has created the hexagon hotend version. However, the extruder is the tried-and-true Wade’s extruder.
There are three fans on the hotends carriage. Two of the fans act as part of the cooling fans from one side while the remaining one is for cooling the hotend. The fans’ arrangement allows more cooling on one side of the printer than the other. However, this is common on most of the printers that only have a fan on one side.
The hotend and the extruder are located on a quick-swap carrier that is held in place with only one screw. This makes it easy to swap in a dual extruder setup or the Lulzbot Flexystruder if you are printing with flexible filaments.
All the electronics are held in an aluminum enclosure on the left side of the Lulzbot TAZ 6. The show stopper in this enclosure is the Ultimachine Rambo. This is basically a classic board with an integrated Arduino Mega. The Rambo also has an SD card reader hooked onto it and a simple graphical LCD screen. It also has a massive 500W genuine Meanwell supply that powers the whole machine.
Basically, that’s everything about the Lulzbot TAZ 6 features and specs. If you want a more detailed description, check out the information on LulzBot website. There, you will find 3D models files, documentation, testing instructions and production.
Aleph Objects is a member of Creative Commons. Therefore, the TAZ 6 is largely open source. Nearly everything about it is in available to the public. Even the files for the Lulzbot TAZ 6 were in the public directory before its release.
Printing With Lulzbot Taz 6
The Lulzbot TAZ 6 and its profiles are made with “quality over speed” in mind. The printer has a slow acceleration setting. The maximum print speed is about 45mm/s, which is not so bad.
You don’t have to spend time playing around with the 3D printer’s settings to get the perfect prints. While some people might be turned off by the speeds, you’ll be happy with your printed product.
The print quality of the Lulzbot, especially on “high detail” setting, is impressive. We used Verbatim PLA, INOVA-1800, and the Eastman Amphora polymer for our first test print. On consecutive prints, we used e-Sun HIPS, and Taulman 910 nylon. All the prints that we did were with the provided profiles.
We can’t complain much about the output we got. That is apart from the overhangs, which were somewhat disappointing, especially the parts near the heated bed. The red HIPS print also had some layer splits even though our studio isn’t cold. Finally, the Amphora print that we did with 5% infill had some gaps. We suspect the infill is what brought about the mess.
We used high detail setting on the 3DBenchy prints and loved how they turned out. We also had no issues with adhesion. Therefore, our previous problem with the heated bed was probably due to its configuration. Perhaps we configured it a little hotter than should be the case?
The Lulzbot TAZ 6 printer has an auto bed leveling setup. The feature has been set up such that when the washers around the bed and the hotend touch, they close a circuit. The printer can detect this circuit and determine the exact height of one corner.
However, the nozzle should be clean for the detection to be accurate. The good news is that the Lulzbot TAZ 6 and the Mini have cleaning pads next to the hotbed. Therefore, before the probing process begins, the nozzles will vigorously rub on the pads to get cleaned up.
The TAZ 6 has a physical switch that the Mini does not have. This switch allows you to use hotends with a different length without the risk of crushing anything. Therefore, you can get more filament profiles and consequently, your hotend will be kept from oozing out through the measuring process. This is an excellent feature and would also have been perfect for the Mini. We actually tried converting the physical switch on the Mini to 1.75mm filament and used a longer hotend and the results were fantastic!
Overall, the Lulzbot TAZ 6 is one of the best 3D printers on the market. The printer offers solid print quality, has an auto-leveling feature and a straightforward setup procedure. Who wouldn’t love a no-calibration and no-guesswork printer?
Bugs with the Lulzbot TAZ 6 3D Printer
The Lulzbot TAZ 6 is intricate such that every single detail feels like it’s in the right place. However, there are a few details that could have been better. We think most of these can be fixed with a software update or a new printed part.
To begin, the belt path for the X-axis is the first real drawback of the Lulzbot printer. The belt rubs on the belt clamps of the carriage and is misaligned in several directions. This is not great, even though you wouldn’t really notice it in day-to-day use.
However, this flawed design can easily be fixed by clamping the belt differently and also moving the stepper motor a little further down.
Another downside is the slightly slanted printer frame that results from poor handling during shipping. The underlying issue here is lack of enough torque on the bolts in the corners of the frame. This is probably the same reason why the X-axis also gets somewhat skewed as indicated by the occasional binding on the spindles. This problem can be easily fixed by applying a small amount of blue lithium grease.
Thirdly, the featured micro SD card in this printer is enclosed in an adapter. Therefore, removing it from the printer is somewhat challenging. Moreover, the SD card is not just loaded with sample prints, but all the design files, documentation, and all other Lulzbot TAZ 6 files. You’ll probably need to format the SD card for it to be read by the printer, which makes the storage device useless.
Finally, navigating the Lulzbot TAZ 6 printer’s menu drags because of the clickwheel configuration. The physical clicks and the software clicks don’t match. Therefore, you might find yourself physically clicking even up to three times to move from one menu point to the other.
Other things that are not necessarily a deal-breaker but are worth noting include:
- Lulzbot TAZ 6 uses 3mm filament. This is pretty unique to it since most of the printers out there use a 1.75mm filament
- The huge size of the bed consumes a high amount of power since it produces a lot of heat. This is especially the case with longer prints (with HIPS or ABS) where it ends up heating past 100°C. The 230 gram sprint uses up to kWh of power, which will increase your power bill.
Be ready to pay an extra dollar on top of the material costs. While this does not drastically increase the operating costs, especially for prints on the “fast profiles”. However, a smaller printer is definably a better preference to keep your power bill low.
Check the video below for a review of Lulzbot Taz 6 printer
Conclusion and Recommendation
The Lulzbot TAZ 6 sells for (check current price at Amazon). Therefore, it’s in the price range of high-end printers. The price is justifiable, seeing that this printer has a lot of goodies.
Lulzbot TAZ 6 is an ideal printer for newbies in 3D printing. Since it comes installed with Cura, even people with only basic computer knowledge can use it. Everything about this top-notch printer is licensed, it has great documentation and it produces authentic prints.
Overall, except for the few bugs that I believe Aleph Objects will soon address, the Lulzbot 6 is the best out-of-the-box printer in the market.
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Lulzbot is pretty well-known for developing reliable 3D printers. They’re powerful machines worth the price. They use open-source software and accept plenty of filament types, so their ease of use helps them adapt to personal and professional use alike.
When they released the TAZ Workhorse, they had big shoes to fill. This beast has a 14% bigger build volume and is equipped with all the essentials. It’s marketed to produce even better, more accurate results.
It’s said to enhance the experience of its predecessor, the TAZ 6, so I wanted to give it a shot and decide for myself.
Specifications
- Build volume: 280 x 280 x 285 mm
- Printer dimensions: 832 x 510 x 520 mm
- Net weight: 16.78 kg
- Technology: FDM
- Layer resolution: 0.05 – 0.4 mm
- Extruder Quantity: Single
- Maximum extruder temperature: 290℃
- Filament diameter: 2.85 mm
- Nozzle diameter: 0.5 mm
- Materials: ABS, PLA, PETG, PETT, PVA, PVB, HIPS, TPU 85A, TPU 95A, Nylon 645, carbon fiber reinforced blends, copolyester, polycarbonate
- Maximum print bed temperature: 120℃
- Slicer software: Cura Lulzbot Edition
- Connectivity: USB serial, USB flash drive
- Software input formats: OBJ, STL, G, GCODE, 3MF, X3D, JPG, PNG
- Power supply: Auto-switching MeanWell RSP-500-24
- Input rating: 110VAC – 240VAC
- Output: 24V DC, 500 watts, 21 amps
Setup
The Lulzbot TAZ Workhorse comes packaged securely in a box with foam inserts to hold it in place. After removing the printer from its box, you’ll notice the clean, effective packaging. It’s packaged with all of the tools you need for maintenance as well as some documentation.
Included is a guide for using the printer with images of all the components with clear explanations so you can familiarize yourself with the machine.
It comes completely assembled, so the setup is relatively simple. In conjunction with the automatic leveling, the self-cleaning nozzle, and the pre-programmed filament profiles, it’s a breeze to start printing right away.
Features
While the Lulzbot TAZ Workhorse contains many of the features that were well-loved by users of previous versions, it also contains some notable features unique to this particular machine. While the company attempts to keep a fair balance between balance and practicality, they also strive to bring extraordinary performance to the table.
With that, they’re delivering the following features that help make this printer even better than the last.
Sturdier frame
The TAZ Workhorse is designed to offer greater stability over the previous version. It features a sturdier frame than the last with strengthened components so it can withstand the stress and motion of higher performance.
Heated build plate
The build plate is made of heated borosilicate glass coated in PEI. It enhances adhesion at the first layer, which helps when printing with ABS and nylon. However, it’s also capable of plenty of other materials, too.
Modular bed:
The modular print bed system on the Workhorse ensures you won’t wait long for it to heat up. It’s useful and versatile, considering that you wait mere seconds for it to reach maximum print bed temperature.
Supported materials
Much like the TAZ 6, the Workhorse supports a wide range of materials, which is really quite impressive when comparing it to other printers. You can now print with high heat composite polymers thanks to the steel tool head.
E3D hot end and 360 cooling
With a lightweight tool head design, hardened steel E3D Titan Aero hot end, and 360-degree part cooling, you get excellent accuracy and precision. The combination of these features means fast heating, excellent components, and fast cooling for more versatility.
Automatic calibration
This isn’t a new feature, but it’s a necessary one. However, it’s a unique concept. New to the Workhorse is a proprietary X/Y/Z Backlash Compensation System, based on professional-grade CNC machines.
With this idea, the Workhorse can use the calibration cube to measure backlash and calculate the lost motion in the mechanical system to help users get the most accuracy in their prints.
Belt-driven Z-axis
This is something unique to Lulzbot machines, but it’s been in every one of them. The printer does a better job of controlling or eliminating wobbling in the Z-axis by making it belt-driven. The design is made of threaded rods and is also effective at surging the cycle times.
Automatic nozzle cleaning
The benefit of cleaning your nozzles frequently is that you can keep your hot ends in better working condition and prevent filament jams. The Workhorse cleans the nozzle automatically before starting any new print.
You don’t have to do it manually and you can ensure that your hot end will remain free of jams and in optimal working order for every job.
3.5” graphical LCD
The touch screen included on the Workhorse is a 3.5” LCD. It’s interactive and intuitive so it’s easy to understand for beginner users who want to get started right away while still including the features that advanced users want and need.
Swappable tool heads
The ability to swap out tool heads means you can use other nozzles for more advanced printing. While it comes with a hardened steel HE tool head and a 0.5 mm nozzle, you can swap it out.
The HE tool head with an SL tool head has a 0.25 mm nozzle, which is great for printing small layers with much more precision. However, if you’re printing with high strength parts, you can swap it for the HS tool head and 0.8 mm nozzle.
You can also switch the tool head out for an HS+, which has a 1.2 mm nozzle. Being able to swap between a wide variety of sizes gives you better control of printing with more finicky materials. It prints quality prints with a lot of reliability.
Open design
This printer is open from all sides. It features a sleek, professional design, but it’s important to use caution when printing. Keeping it away from children is important.
What is nice about this design is that it gives you a view of your print progress from all sides. And much like other open design 3D printers, it works best with PLA.
Full assembly
The Workhorse comes fully assembled so you can start printing right out of the box. It also provides default profiles for multiple filament types so you can speed up the print process without a lot of configuration, which is nice for testing the machine.
Performance
The quality of the Lulzbot TAZ Workhorse is excellent. It’s a great printer for professional use, but even extreme hobbyists may want to spring for it as well. It can produce fine details, great precision, and high-resolution prints, especially when using the right nozzle and adjusting the settings accordingly.
This is a very competitive printer in the professional range because it can produce medical or automotive parts with ease while costing quite a bit less to purchase and maintain than other professional models.
The Lulzbot series is known for its impressive quality, but the Workhorse is even better. It can also print faster than many similarly priced 3D printers, although you may lose some quality at higher speeds, which is typical.
The Workhorse is capable of creating sharp edges and geometric shapes with ease. It’s a practical printer for industries like aerospace as well, but if you like to tinker at home and you’re looking for an upgrade, this may be the one for you.
What you will miss out on are some features like Wi-Fi connectivity and a dual extruder design, which you can find in some even cheaper printers, but you’ll likely sacrifice quality.
Software
The Lulzbot TAZ Workhorse uses open-source software. It comes with the Cura Lulzbot Edition. It’s pre-programmed with a lot of advanced tools and features to make operation easier.
It comes with the pre-programmed filament profiles but you can also manually change the settings if you want more customization. You have complete freedom to slice the design quickly and with user-friendly controls.
Cura has a lot of features, but it’s also relatively easy to use, so it’s a great option for beginners and advanced users alike.
Customer Service
When dealing with complex machines that cost quite a bit of money, it’s nice to know the company is on your side when something goes wrong. The Lulzbot TAZ Workhorse comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Their customer service department is available 7 days a week and their website has plenty of self-serve information regarding the setup and use of your Workhorse 3D printer. The community of users is also huge, so you can use forums as a resource when needed, too.
Price
The Lulzbot TAZ Workhorse is a pretty affordable option considering it’s a professional-quality device. It’s also pretty accessible for serious hobbyists who want an excellent quality printer because they care about the results.
It’s ideal for high-end applications and commercial use, but if you have a limited budget, it might be tough to stomach the upfront cost.
Thankfully, the upfront cost is the most you’ll likely ever spend, aside from any upgrades you might want to make. Maintenance of the Workhorse is relatively inexpensive.
The FDM printing process is incredibly affordable and with a wide compatibility of filament types, you can always choose the cheapest ones. You have a lot of flexibility in your budget once you get the printer home.
Because the printer is made with quality parts, maintenance is pretty minimal. The nozzle takes care of itself and the machine should work for years without any trouble.
Pros:
- Incredible accuracy
- Automatic nozzle cleaning
- Automatic bed leveling
- High-speed printing
- Heated, PEI coated bed
- Swappable tool heads
- E3D extruder
Cons:
- No Wi-Fi
- No remote access
- Expensive for home users
Alternatives
There are a lot of 3D printers on the market, so if you’re looking for something for personal or professional use, you may want to evaluate some of these alternatives.
Lulzbot TAZ Pro
The features of the TAZ Pro are nearly identical to the Workhorse, but the price is not. It’s quite a bit more expensive than the Workhorse; however, it may be the right choice for you if you’re looking for a dual extruder design.
The touch screen is also quite a bit bigger than the Workhorse, at 5 inches. It still uses the same software, has the same build volume, has swappable tool heads, includes the same inputs, and accepts the same wide variety of materials.
Lulzbot TAZ 6
This predecessor to the Workhorse rings up at a slightly lower price point, but it’s still dependable and has only a slightly smaller build volume. It auto-calibrates has a self-cleaning nozzle and accepts a wide variety of print materials.
However, you’ll find differences like USB and SD connectivity. The downside is that you’ll experience a slightly slower setup, but it’s a reliable, high-speed printer that produces acceptable results for many users.
Ultimaker 3
While the Ultimaker 3 design is a bit weary, it’s instantly recognizable to those who are familiar with this series. It features a mostly enclosed case with an open front, which some people like and some people don’t.
It features an antiquated scroll wheel menu, but again, this will be familiar to long-time users. The true benefit to this printer is the dual extruder design, the high-temperature hot end capability, and the Wi-Fi connectivity.
Cura Download Lulzbot
While you can also connect via USB, Wi-Fi makes the printer easier to access and use. It also supports open-source hardware and software as well as multiple filament types. While you can still print with a single nozzle for acceptable results, it truly shines when both extruders work in tandem.
Formlabs Form 3
This printer is a resin 3D printer that uses fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology, which up to this point hasn’t been as good as SLA in terms of exact detail, castability, or biocompatibility. However, the Form 3 challenges that with an excellent one-click printing feature.
It’s slightly more expensive than the Workhorse, but it’s easy to use and is an obvious recommendation for small or medium businesses that need an exceptional amount of detail in their prints.
FAQ
If you still can’t decide which 3D printer is right for you, these frequently asked questions may help you out.
If you’re on the fence about whether a budget 3D printer is right for you, check out some of these frequently asked questions to set the record straight.
What is the best 3D printer for beginners?Many 3D printers on the market today are ideal for beginners. The Anycubic Photon is a great option for resin printing while the Flashforge Adventurer 3 is one of the easiest 3D printers to use overall.
However, if you’re looking for value, you might want to take a closer look at the Monoprice Select Mini V2. While there are a lot to choose from, it will depend on the features you need and your budget.
The Lulzbot TAZ Workhorse may be pricey, but if you’re looking to advance your skills, it’s an excellent option because it comes fully assembled, is easy to use, and includes a lot of features you’ll grow to love as you get better acclimated to the 3D printing tools it offers.
How much does it cost for a 3D printer?However, if you’re looking for value, you might want to take a closer look at the Monoprice Select Mini V2. While there are a lot to choose from, it will depend on the features you need and your budget.
The Lulzbot TAZ Workhorse may be pricey, but if you’re looking to advance your skills, it’s an excellent option because it comes fully assembled, is easy to use, and includes a lot of features you’ll grow to love as you get better acclimated to the 3D printing tools it offers.
The cost of a 3D printer will vary based on size, manufacturer, and features. There are plenty of affordable options like the Anycubic Photon or the Artillery Sidewinder X1. Ringing up at less than $500, you’ll get a great beginner 3D printer.
However, if you want additional features or a printer that offers more advanced operations, you’re going to get a better value out of a printer that costs a bit more. Extreme hobbyists and small businesses will have better success with a printer that costs anywhere from $1000-5000.
What you choose to spend will depend on your budget and the features you need. There are affordable options for recreational users or more expensive options for serious users.
What is a 3D printer good for?However, if you want additional features or a printer that offers more advanced operations, you’re going to get a better value out of a printer that costs a bit more. Extreme hobbyists and small businesses will have better success with a printer that costs anywhere from $1000-5000.
What you choose to spend will depend on your budget and the features you need. There are affordable options for recreational users or more expensive options for serious users.
You can tackle all kinds of projects with a 3D printer. Small businesses can create prototypes while large businesses can manufacture parts. They’re excellent learning tools for children and students.
Schools throughout the world purchase 3D printers to give their students more hands-on experience with evolving technology, but even recreational users at home can enjoy printing small projects.
Schools throughout the world purchase 3D printers to give their students more hands-on experience with evolving technology, but even recreational users at home can enjoy printing small projects.
The Verdict
Lulzbot produces some of the most reliable 3D printers on the market, and the Workhorse is no exception. They have a great reputation for being easy to use while still producing fantastic results.
Lulzbot Cura Software
While you might find that it’s lacking in the dual extrusion space, you’ll find versatility in the number of materials you can use, the swappable nozzles, and fast cooling.
Lulzbot Taz Cura
The Workhorse contains nearly every awesome feature that each of its predecessors had, but with some great new ones. You can rely on this sturdy printer for high-end results. It’s a wonderful option, albeit slightly more expensive, for beginners and professionals alike.