I bought this Monoprice Select Mini 3D Printer for a young friend for Christmas and I am completely satisfied with it as an exceedingly affordable entree into 3D printing.
I've owned Monoprice Maker Select 3D printer for 2 years now and my young friend has printed quite a bit on my printer. When Monoprice came out with this smaller, highly affordable printer, his experience with my larger Monoprice printer made this Select Mini a natural choice for gifting him. He was here for Christmas break so I helped him set the printer up and he printed non-stop for 2 weeks and I had the opportunity to work with the printer closely during that time.
The features of this printer are quite impressive considering the price. It has a smallish build volume - 4.7" x 4.7" x 4.7" - but larger models can be split up into pieces or sized down. And really, the recipient (a 16 year old) has not found the build volume to be especially limiting. It has a heated bed. It's quite compact for people who are short on space. This would likely fit in any dorm room. It also comes fully assembled and ready to print. This is especially nice for people who have zero experience with 3D printing. You can print via a microSD card, a USB cable connected to your computer or over wifi.
There is a 3.7" color IPS screen on the front and the user interface is very friendly and easy to use.
I am writing this review for people who are completely new to 3D printing so experienced users will likely want to skip this. First of all, 3D printing is about as hands-on, DIY as you can get. For example, every filament is different - even from the same manufacturer. There can be variances in diameter, variances in printing temps, etc. That will affect your prints. The settings in your slicer are also critical and tweaking those settings is a part of the process. Your print bed must be very level and on this printer, that is done manually. It will seem daunting at first but soon, you'll be able to do it in your sleep. The main thing to understand is that there is a constant learning curve. Especially with a budget printer. However, there is a vast community of 3D printing folks who are extremely helpful and have posted countless videos and blogs that are filled with helpful information. There is likely an answer out there for any issue you will encounter.
The included user guide is pretty good for setting this printer up the first time. It's also available at the Monoprice website for download. The printer ships with a plastic spatula for removing your prints, a tiny Allen wrench for leveling the print bed, the filament spool holder, the power adapter, a USB cable, and a microSD card that contains important files. More on that later.
I suggest that if you purchase this printer, you order at least one spool of PLA or PLA+ filament because it only comes with a sample amount of filament. I have had great luck with Hatchbox brand. Be sure to order 1.75mm PLA. This printer will also print other kinds of filament but PLA is the easiest to print and is best for beginners, IMO. Also, I suggest buying some filament cutters like these
Hakko CHP-170 Micro Soft Wire Cutter, 1.5mm Stand-off, 16 Gauge Maximum Cutting Capacity
and some inexpensive calipers to check filament diameter
FineSource Electronic Digital Caliper Inch/Metric Conversion 0-6 Inch/150 mm Carbon Fiber Gauge Micrometer Extra Large LCD Screen Auto Off Featured Measuring Tool - Black
The microSD card comes with the install files for Cura, free slicing software you install on your computer that allows you to adjust your printer settings and send the model to your printer, as well as monitor the printing process. It also comes with a model of a cat to print. The included sample of filament is enough to print this cat model. Cura will need to have certain values entered that are specific to this printer and that is covered in the manual however, there are updated Cura settings available for download from the Monoprice website.
I suggest after ordering that you watch a number of the great YouTube videos that demonstrate how to set up and print with this printer. It will make it even easier to start printing right away when your printer arrives. You should also read on various 3D printing websites about the basics of 3D printing that are common to all filament printers and then pages that are specific to this printer. There are also many videos that cover the modification I suggest later in the review.
I purchased a small, tool bag for my young friend to keep his tools and supplies handy. I added a box of gallon zip lock bags to store his filament in because PLA can absorb moisture from the air so should be stored in something air-tight. I also place my printers on a single, ceramic tile so that I am sure it's on a completely flat surface. A 12" x 12" tile or larger is plenty big enough for this printer. You can buy single tiles at Lowes or Home Depot.
Straight out of the box, the first print was quite decent (and looked fantastic to some other friends who had never seen a 3D print) and we had no issues with printing at all. We tweaked the settings a little for the filament we used and the next print was even better. Again, 3D printing is a hands-on process. We immediately printed a replacement knob for the printer which is easier to turn and it looks great and fit perfectly.
I do have a concern about the gantry, which the print head moves along. It is only attached on one side and I can see at some point that it could begin to sag, which would definitely affect printing. There are already a couple of modifications that require only simple, 3D printed parts and a metal rod and some linear bearings. The parts cost ~ $25. This mod is next on my list. Search "MP Select Mini X Gantry Support + Camera Mount [Reinforced and Realigned] by svideo" on Thingiverse for the 3D printed parts and links to the necessary hardware.
I also added a piece of glass to the print bed because I'm used to printing on glass and it provides a mirror finish to the bottom of prints. Google and you will find a template someone made to cut the glass the correct size. I just used glass from a cheap, Dollar Store picture frame and a thermal mat to adhere it to the bed, but you can use small, bulldog clips instead.
FBApayipa 400mm x 210mm x 0.5mm Silicone Thermal Pad for CPU GPU Heatsink
There are hundreds of thousands of models available for free on several websites. Thingiverse is one of the largest and you can find loads of models to print, all free for your personal use.
Make no mistake - this is a budget printer. However, it's wonderfully affordable and produces nice prints reliably. NOTE: It's often on sale on the Monoprice website so check prices before buying.
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From the manufacturer
Features
- Nozzle cooling fan and main board cooling fan
- Includes accessory kit
- All-metal nozzle
- Wi-Fi, microSD card, and USB connectivity
- 3.7" IPS color screen
- Windows and Mac compatible
- Compatible with Cura, Repetier, and other software
What's in the box
1x MP Select Mini 3D printer, 1x Filament holder, 1x AC power adapter, 1x AC power cord, 1x Micro USB cable, 1x MicroSD card, 1x Plastic bed scraper, 1x Bed leveling hex wrench, 1x Sample PLA filament
MP Select Mini 3D Printer V2
Too often, getting a low-cost 3D printer means getting a box of ill-fitted parts with poorly written and incomplete documentation. You end up spending hours on the internet, searching forums and asking for help to get the printer assembled and operating properly.
This printer not only comes fully assembled, it has already been calibrated at the factory. All you have to do is perform a quick check to verify that the print bed is still leveled, in case it shifted during shipping, then load the included microSD card, load some filament, and start printing the preloaded model. Nowhere else will you find a 3D printer ready to print out of the box at such a low cost!
Features
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Open SourceThe heated build plate and wide range of extruder temperatures allow this printer to work with any type of filament from any manufacturer. Additionally, the ability to use free, open-source software allows you to tailor your 3D printing experience to your personal tastes. |
Improved versionAn improved version of the 3D printer in the world. It features an all metal nozzle, insulated heated built plate, upgraded cooling, 3.7in IPS color screen, and wireless, Wi-Fi connectivity. |
Ready to PrintUnlike most other low-cost 3D printers, this printer ships fully assembled and has already been calibrated at the factory. We even include sample PLA filament and a microSD card with preinstalled models, so you can start printing right out of the box! |
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| Price | — | — | — | — | $316.80 |
| Build Area | 100 x 105 x 100mm | 120 x 120 x 120mm | 200 x 200 x 180mm | 300 x 300 x 400mm | 200 x 150 x 150mm |
| Resolution | 50 Microns | 100 - 300 Microns | 50 - 300 Microns | 50 - 300 Microns | 100 - 400 Microns |
| Printing Speed | 40 mm/sec | 55mm/sec | Up to 100mm/sec | up to 100mm/Sec | up to 150 mm/sec |
| Max Extruder Temp | 572°F (300°C) | 446°F (230°C) | 536°F (280°C) | 482°F (250°C) | 536°F (280°C) |
| Heated Build Plate | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Removable Plate | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Calibration | Auto-leveling | Manual leveling | Assisted leveling | Assisted leveling | Auto-leveling |
| Connectivity | LCD Screen / USB / WiFi | Color LCD Screen / USB / Micro SD card / WiFi | TouchScreen / USB / Micro SD card / WiFi | TouchScreen / USB / Micro SD card / WiFi | LCD Screen / USB / Micro SD card |
| Filament Material | PLA / PLA+ | PLA / PLA+ | PLA / ABS / PETG / Nylon / Wood Fill / Metal Fill | PLA / ABS / PETG / Nylon / Wood Fill / Metal Fill | ABS / PLA / PLA Pro / TPU / TPE / PET / Metal fill |
Videos
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Videos for this product
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Customer Review: Amazing Printer, Awesome Price!
Elemino
Videos for this product
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Customer Review: Perfect for small projects and newbie
trey howell
Videos for this product
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Customer Review: This is the perfect entry level printer.
Llia O.
Videos for this product
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Customer Review: Loving this little gem!
D. Springer
Reviews with images
EDIT -- FAILING!! My First 3D Printer! Spoiler Alert: It works! (not anymore!!)
Filament jam has been FIXED! Do a YouTube search for "Cold Pull." It's actually pretty easy. With the MonoPrice you just remove the little spring things that hold the heat sink fan on, put the fan to the side, unscrew the top hex screw thats on the top side of the heatsink and that will loosen the cable that feeds filament into the extruder.You'll need to pull the filament thats inside the extruder out with the cable so that you now have the top of the nozzle exposed and can look down inside. If you don't see your printing bed through the little hole then that explains the jam. To fix it now just do the cold pull.First, take some of the filament out of the cable so you have at least 8-12 inches of it in your hand and cut it off. You're going to manually feed the filament down into the tube. Preheat your nozzle to something like 235 degrees. Make sure your nozzle is lifted up in Z, it should not be down near the printing bed. You dont have to heat the bed either.Once it's at the right temp, observe the tip of the nozzle. Anything coming out? Now trim your filament you have in your hand so one end is sharp-ish and feed it down into the nozzle from the top down. You'll wanna apply firm pressure but not too much. If nothing is coming out of the nozzle at this point you can still do your first Cold Pull. Leave the filament sticking down into the nozzle and turn off the heat. Allow the temp to go down to like 30-40 degrees.Now take the filament from the top and with an upward motion you're going to pull it out. Make sure to hold down the base of the machine so it doesnt lift up off the table when you pull the filament! It should pop out. You've done your FIRST Cold Pull!Now, inspect the tip of your filament you pulled out. Do you see any dirt or burnt plastic or debris on it? IF you do that means you probably partially unclogged the jam already. If not? Don't worry! All you need is a 4 mm drill bit or sewing needle. Either way, turn the extruder heat back on to 240 degrees. You're gonna do this a couple times until your nozzle is clear!So if your nozzle is still completely jammed make sure you have a 4mm tool you can use to poke up into the tip of the nozzle to force the jam out. You may have to go to the hardware store. I was able to find a sewing needle that worked. Once the temp is at 240 *VERY CAREFULLY* feed the needle/bit up into the tip of the nozzle. You should be able to apply slow steady pressure and push it up into the nozzle. Once its in there just go up and down and try to scoop out as much debris as possible. Now put the tool down and try the filament again.Make sure to trim the filament before putting it back in the nozzle for the next Cold Pull. You dont want to push the same burnt/dirty debris stuff back in there. The filament should be clean. Trim at an angle again and try pushing it down into the nozzle. You should now see material oozing down out from the extruder. Great news! Now all you have to do is turn the heat off again and do another Cold Pull!Repeat this process until you're no longer pulling debris out of the extruder nozzle when you do your pulls and you should be all set. Once its clear trim the filament thats in the cable that goes into the machine at an angle and fit it back into the little plastic tube that feeds it through to the extruder (along the front of the heat sink.) Slide the hex screw thing back into the track you unscrewed it from and make sure its clamping that cable properly into place.Now just put the heatsink fan back on and you're ready for the next step: LEVELING YOUR BED!Leveling your bed is really important and will help prevent future jams. If you wanna know how to do it just look it up! Good luck :)Keeping my original posts so you can all see my fascinating rollercoaster journey with this product thus far:EDIT -- Taking this thing down to 1 star because it's not working anymore after ONE PRINT! The first roll of filament went through ok with zero issues. Then I put in more PLA and my problems started. At first I figured it was user error. So I went to YouTube to find solutions. Turns out "filament jams" on this printer are quite common! The trick is to make sure to clean the inside of the nozzle, this will get the filament running through again. Well, tried that! It works for about 2 centimeters and then gets jammed again.I have tried all temps from 180-250c in hopes temp was a problem. None of those temps worked. I can see through the nozzle, I have disassembled and reassembled the heating element at least 30 times. I have spent approximately 24 hours (I was up all night!) trying to fix this issue. I'm a tech guy. I solder my own boards and make most of my own electronics... you would think keeping a hole from getting clogged would be easy for me. I guess not!!I am either 1:) really bad at this or 2:) this printer is defective.Well, I've tried "getting better" for over 24 hours. I'm now pretty certain the printer is just poorly designed or defective. Or maybe my filament is bad? Either way, they're BOTH going back as returns! Sorry Amazon :(Summary: Getting this thing to print properly is not worth the time and headache unless you love burning your fingers repeatedly and get off on watching machines fail over and over again. It's pretty incredible this printer ever made it to market.Original review (before failing miserably):First print went surprisingly well. I'm a first time user with no experience. I raised the default temp on both the bed and extractor by 5. I preheated and then inserted the SD card it came with. After that I printed the Cat design. The print took 3 hours. I made sure to observe the 1st layer as it was being laid down to make sure the printer head was positioned properly. It looked like maybe it was too close (in Z) but the layout of all the lines it was putting down seemed perfect so I left it alone. With literally ZERO calibration I am happy to report my first print went exceptionally well (And it would be my only print because this failed immediately afterwards.) Now I just need more filament! (No, you need another printer) I give this a 4/5 (modified to 1/5) because the little fan that connects to the extractor needed to be taken off and put on properly (it may have gotten messed up in shipment) and also the filament it comes with isn't on a spool and actually got TANGLED and nearly destroyed my print and/or printer because it was stuck on the spool holder and the extractor was trying really hard to pull it in which nearly caused it to pull itself apart (unfortunately just the beginning of my problems with this printer.) Luckily I watched this entire print and was able to jump in and save it. I think the printer company should include filament on a proper spool to avoid that potential liability. (Or maybe they should focus on designing a better printer)
Top reviews from other countries
Luke Vaughan
Works flawlessly out of the box
Reviewed in Canada on February 2, 2019axpax
Excelente precio beneficio
Reviewed in Mexico on December 30, 2018
axpax
Reviewed in Mexico on December 30, 2018
De construcción sólida y muy elegante para ponerse en cualquier lugar.
Images in this review
Francisco
Ideal para aquellos que quieren imprimir enseguida
Reviewed in Mexico on October 3, 2019
Francisco
Reviewed in Mexico on October 3, 2019
- La precisión es impresionante, puede imprimir modelos con piezas móviles fácilmente
- Fácil de utilizar, después de leer los instructivos y conectarla a la computadora puedes imprimir todo lo que se te antoje (Utilicen "Matter Control" para imprimir más cómodamente)
- Su sistema de auto nivelado es tan sencillo que un niño puede hacerlo
Cons:
- La velocidad de descarga de archivos por la función WiFi es abismal, si quieres imprimir utilizando wifi, ve pensando en invertir en una Raspberry Pi para Octoprint
- El ventilador de la fuente de poder es ruidoso
- Los instructivos no son muy claros en cómo usarla
Notas: Instalen MatterControl, es un software para impresoras 3D, ya viene el perfil de la impresora en las opciones del software, conectan, y a imprimir!
O utilicen Octoprint
Images in this review
