The printer I chose for this review was the Raiscube R10 I recently purchased. It is basically a mutant clone of the Creality R10 with a couple major differences. The bed size is slightly smaller and the filament driver with 3 cooling fans is located on the extruder. This was the main reason I chose the R10 and I will get into more of that later.
For me, this review actually came at a perfect time in my 3D printing journey. My only other experience beside in the work environment was with the Da Vinci Mini Maker. That unit is truly plug and print ready and though it doesn’t allow many of the tweaks, it is an excellent starter machine for the price. (My opinion of course). However, as you will see, when I compare this to the Raiscube R10 I can honestly say I am getting a better printer that requires a higher learning curve to operate.
There are a few important things I think about when purchasing a 3D printer.
- Quality
- Print Specs (Assembly instructions, Size, Stepper motors, Extruder, filament driver)
- Filaments allowable and Sample Prints
Quality
The quality of a 3d printer can be viewed from a few different angles. However overall, I am happy with the quality of this printer and after using it pretty much constantly over the last month the durability seems good as well. There were some hurdles. These couple issues needed to have some work arounds implemented, but I am living with them. I purchased this printer with an online coupon for a total of $338 shipped from Gearbest. It took about 10 days to arrive and though I have heard horror stories, I had no issues with that company. As I tell my friends, the printer is worth only about $300 or less out of the box and your skill in assembly and problem solving can bring this easily to the quality level of the $500 printers out there.
Another way of evaluating the quality starts with the unboxing of the printer. This printer comes in a very tightly packed box that almost seems too small for the actual size when assembled. Even so, they manage to get all the parts safely packed and accounted for. I have attached a link to the Youtube video of this unboxing. This video is pretty boring but if you like that kind of stuff, here it is.
I would have given the overall packaging an A, but soon after assembling the unit I found that one of my z threaded rods was bent. I still haven’t determined if this happened in transport or if I just need to loosen and redo the set screws. Regardless, I have very little patience for this and wanted to print right away. So, I quickly drew up a z bracket and attached it to both z screws (though only one side needed it.)
In addition to the z axis some of the pre-assembled parts were incorrect. All the axis wheels were overtightened. They could have also used some WD 40 to help them spin better but none of this was a show stopper. These wheels were easily loosened so they would spin properly.
Also, a few of the screws were loose on the following areas:
- Fan shroud
- Y axis motor mount
I had no complaints on the wiring. All of them were properly connected and easily manage with small zip ties (not included).
Though this is technically not a quality issue, the biggest con I had was with the annoying BEEP! Every time you moved through the screen selections the speaker it screamed like a high pitch banshee!!
The speaker was behind the screen and difficult to get to…. but this is a must to save your hearing and sanity. After removing about 8 screws, I was able to reach it and filled the speaker drum with hot melt glue. This reduced the volume to an acceptable beep.
Sorry I don’t have a picture of this but here is one to show where the speaker is located inside the box.
Specs of the Raiscube R10
The specifications of the Raiscube R10 put it on par and above some of its competitors. The assembly instructions were pretty good and I had the 3d printer assembled within an hour. Some translation elements seemed off and one section about leveling seemed to have been placed out of order. However, that section does note the importance to level the bed when it and the extruder are heated. As a noob to leveling, I was amazed at how much a little heat changes leveling so much. In the end, I was glad the hint was included and really appreciated the instructions.
The Print size of 240”X300X300mm is a perfect size for me. I know everyone always wants the larger bed, but you have to ask yourself if you have the patience for a 35-48+ hour print. While I have done this, I tend to limit myself to the overnight prints.
The stepper motor configuration includes Dual Z axis motors. This really caught my attention. It is actually a feature that is on the newer version of the 3d printer it is cloned from (CR10). This is much appreciated if only they could have kept the z screw straight! Grrr.. but I digress.
Filament driver is in the extruder assembly. This is a feature I absolutely love. This is because it will make printing in flexible filament so much easier!!!
Filaments allowable and Sample Prints
As stated above the filament driver being so close to the extruder will allow you to print in flexible filament. This would be the likes of TPU and others you can find online. In addition, unlike some printers, the filament is completely open and the user can purchase it from any brand. This is both a blessing and a curse as you will find out. The filament for example they included with the printer was garbage and the filament I used that was left over from my davinci worked great. I get the feeling I will have a lot to learn on this front.
Some of the sample prints made from this machine:
3D print test (R10 printed the yellow model, Davinci printed the white model)
This was a 3d print test from thingiverse. I have compared it to the davinci. In some ways it won, and others places it lost. The “wins” include the overall surface smoothness and lack of stringiness in the part. The r10 clearly did better here. The smallest of the actual writing did not appear on both parts but I have read this is also an issue with the builder comments. The R10 surprisingly failed with the overhang test. I believe two issues could have caused this. The bent z screw and the quality of the yellow filament included with the printer.
Simple 3D oval shape
Overall a great print with extremely smooth sides. A bit of an elephant’s foot at the bottom but again this is all in the tuning of the machine. In this case the heat bed settings.
Benchy
I wasn’t going to do this print at first but it seems everyone does one so why not compare apples to apples. This print reminded me how much I enjoy having the bed self level on the other printer I have. Some day we will get to the point were this feature is standard, but until then……ugh…. level the bed. Regardless, I would suggest everyone to do this model at least once with their printer. I found myself really excited printing it! (By the way the mess inside the boat is a ‘GOT’ iron throne. I forgot someone thought it would be funny to add one but it is unprintable. Especially on the “course setting” I had place on the model.
Digital Sundial
Ever since I got into this hobby I have wanted to print this model. I was so updset when I came to the realization that my Davinci was both two small and not capable of the details require for this print. Luckily, the R10 met this challenge and I have made 2 of these for family members. For this example I was able to add a laser etched plate with my son’s name and place a small slot in the jar to make it a coin bank. Works great and I am always getting compliments on it.
One Plate Clock
Once the R10 proved itself with the sundial I went on to this one plate clock version also on thingiverse. I have the pictures of this below and a link to the youtube video showing this in action.
Spool Holder
Basic cylinder with a hole used to holder filament spools with large internal holes. Printed on coarse settings.
Spool Rack
Made this again with the garbage yellow included. Ran out mid print but enough of it was completed that I was still able to use it. Important to note this was one of my first prints. I immediately noticed the wavy sides and realized my z screw was bent. I fixed this later with the little z bracket mentioned earlier. Proper fix though will include replacing the rod. Warning with these overhead spools, as the filament starts to run out they can add a bit of tension to the system and can cause print to be under-extruded. This happened on my first benchy and behold.
Conclusion
The Raiscube R10 is a fairly good clone of the Creality R10 with some improvements. If it wasn’t for the bent z screw and the fact I had to buy a glass plate from home depot (not included) I would have given the machine a solid B+. There is a lot of room for different printers in this hobby but I am happy with this purchase. I hope you enjoyed the review and if you have any question please ask and I am happy to help.