I have tried way too long and have spent way too much on this low cost printer and now need the desk space for some other project. I am fairly new to printing and don’t have the perspective of some of you that have been doing it for years.
The question is, is there a reason to keep any of this printer. My thought is to remove all of the parts and recycle them, mostly the metal. I would end up with the motors and the hot end and I could put them in a box so I could do something with them at a later time.
Is there a useful thing this machine could do. I think the problem is the main board, I’m unwilling to try to put more money into it so I will really never know.
One thought I had was to offer it for free on Craigs List to someone, telling them it is broken, maybe someone else is willing spend some money on it.
I can only say that the age of a printer does not necessarily represent the quality of the results it produces.
Even so if the printer was cheap and is old, a sturdy frame is the most important. The components used are the very same “modern” printers use. The only difference is they use more powerful boards and more fancy displays.
I bought only cheap printers back then. ANet-A8 for 90 Euro and a TronXY X5 for 120 Euro. Both are, after more than 10 years, still my main and only printers. The A8 got a new frame, as the old acrylic frame got brittle over time. I invested in a new frame and moved all other components over. Over the years I learned more and more about the given hardware and design flaw, which I mostly solved with 3D printing. So both are still better than factory.
Back to topic. If you plan to 3d print in the future, you can invest in a new board. Those are available for less than 20 buck. Yes, there are more expensive ones, but they are just more fancy and not really required. Depending on the board you may need to build your own firmware to get it up and running again. Which is - of course - very time consuming.
If you want to get rid of the printer, then put it up for sale with the broken board information and a more detailed information on what printer model it actually was. You will find a buyer for sure.
I really feel for you. You have definitely been through it with this printer. But please don’t give up on 3D printing … it’s a great hobby and can be immensely rewarding. There are some great budget type printers that should work much better ‘straight out the box’. I believe the new Elegoo Centauri Carbon is good at around $299. Might be worth having a look. Wishing you all the best with future progress !
I kept my old printer in case I needed to make parts while upgrading my new one so if you’re going that route keep it for a while. Now I have the same dilemma, what to do with it. Putting it back to stock and selling it cheap, keep for parts or ??? Someone else mentioned donating to a school and I like that idea and might look into it. Whatever I decide it has to go, She Who Must Be Obeyed has spoken.
