Geeetech i3 Pro W horror stories

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axpresbom
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2021 6:51 pm

Geeetech i3 Pro W horror stories

Post by axpresbom » Wed Dec 01, 2021 8:12 pm

About a month ago I ordered a Geeetech I3 Pro W as my first 3d printer. To their credit, assembly was fairly easy even though none of the included hex keys fit any of the bolts they shipped. The only weird thing was that literally everything in the box was coated in black....something.

I can count on one hand the number of successful prints I've managed to pull off since assembly. First the belts were too loose, easy fix I just didn't know how tight to make them. Then the belt clamp worked loose - kind of weird. Then the bed would seemingly unlevel after every print. I didn't so much fix this as got around it by installing a BLTouch which took a fair bit of woshowbox speed test
rk on a Pro W. Then the extruder motor cable failed. Easy to replace, but it's less than a month old. I managed to break the fan trying to disassemble the extruder which is totally my fault, however they no longer make the fan they shipped me a month ago. Now it's connected by dupont cables. Today the extruder stopped extruding entirely, again. Filament had oozed out the top of the heat block and clogged the nozzle. The threading came off the nozzle disassembling it though, so that's a loss.

Is this just par for the course with 3D printer kits or did I just order the wrong brand? Just a bit frustrated that so far I've managed to print a Switch game case and nothing else.

RichardL
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2021 9:30 am

Re: Geeetech i3 Pro W horror stories

Post by RichardL » Tue Dec 07, 2021 11:10 pm

axpresbom wrote:
Wed Dec 01, 2021 8:12 pm
About a month ago I ordered a Geeetech I3 Pro W as my first 3d printer. To their credit, assembly was fairly easy even though none of the included hex keys fit any of the bolts they shipped. The only weird thing was that literally everything in the box was coated in black....something.

I can count on one hand the number of successful prints I've managed to pull off since assembly. First the belts were too loose, easy fix I just didn't know how tight to make them. Then the belt clamp worked loose - kind of weird. Then the bed would seemingly unlevel after every print. I didn't so much fix this as got around it by installing a BLTouch which took a fair bit of woshowbox speed test
rk on a Pro W. Then the extruder motor cable failed. Easy to replace, but it's less than a month old. I managed to break the fan trying to disassemble the extruder which is totally my fault, however they no longer make the fan they shipped me a month ago. Now it's connected by dupont cables. Today the extruder stopped extruding entirely, again. Filament had oozed out the top of the heat block and clogged the nozzle. The threading came off the nozzle disassembling it though, so that's a loss.

Is this just par for the course with 3D printer kits or did I just order the wrong brand? Just a bit frustrated that so far I've managed to print a Switch game case and nothing else.
Thanks for sharing. I own the Geeetech E180 and currently having issue with the LCD screen after flashed the latest firmware from this forum. Seeking help from Geeetech and forum and see how it goes. I am also a 3D printer beginner and surely these DIY/entry level products are cheap enough to break and expensive enough to learn lessons from. I suppose from this point you either invest more to make the printer work again / use the working components for your next project. You new project should be able to keep you busy in the coming holiday at home.

realmrcool
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2019 1:50 am

Re: Geeetech i3 Pro W horror stories

Post by realmrcool » Sun Dec 12, 2021 2:55 pm

I know the i3 pro3 can be frustrating in the beginning. If you want out-of the box solutions there are more expensive straight forward printers.

I got frustrated a lot too in the beginning. Then I changed my mindset. And got interested in upgrading, maintaining, troubleshooting the printer. Now I understand a whole lot more about 3d printers and how the functions. So the learning curve for a geeetech i3 is steep

Now my i3 is printing for ages in great quality and without any issues.

Upgrading the rods is a must if you want real quality prints. Also use wd40 if the printerhead is not moving freely to clean any hairspray residual. But do not forget to oil it up again with correct machineoil. Preparing the buildplate is key.

Keep it up and enjoy the ride. This forum was always a lifesaver when I didn't know what to do. William always helps and is totally competent

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