Cube 3D Printer Review: Close, But Still Not Ready for Primetime

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Three years ago, I was posing the question of whether 3D printers were approaching their inkjet moment — that point where they make the jump from curiosity to something you’d expect to find in the average home.

Cube 3D Printer review, 3D printer in action
Source: Brad Moon

Then 3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD) sent me its Cube 3D printer to try out. Despite being aimed directly at consumers and sold in big box stores like Staples (NASDAQ:SPLS), I wasn’t completely convinced.

I found it an interesting machine and relatively easy to use. But at $1,299, it was expensive, refills were costly, models took hours to print and finding the digital files the 3D printer needs to actually produce those plastic objects were hard to come by.

3D Systems has continued to push for mainstream adoption and I just wrapped up a few weeks with the latest version of the Cube 3D printer.

Does this third generation 3D printer finally live up to the hype? Read our review of the new Cube 3D printer to find out.

Cube 3D Printer Review: Initial Impression and Setup

3D Systems has always done a great job of making its Cube 3D printers look both high tech and non-threatening. The original looked like a kitchen appliance, right down the wide range of colors it was offered in.

Cube 3D Printer review, 3D printers take a while to set up
Source: Brad Moon

The third generation Cube 3D printer is an even more attractive package.

It’s fully enclosed on four sides (the front and back must remain open in order for the print tray to move back and forth) and the print surface is well lit. Dual print cartridges mount flush with the surface on both outer sides and those cartridges are now truly plug-and-play. No manual threading of plastic filament is required.

The case color choices are now just white and black, but the Cube 3D printer remains a very attractive device. Where the original looked like a small appliance, this one, with its glowing lights and white enclosure, looks like it would be at home in a dental office.

Two print cartridges and a glue stick are included in the box.

Setting up was a little more time consuming than I remember, despite the plug and play print cartridges. The print tray on my review unit required manual leveling (after running through the automated adjustment cycle), a process the 3D printer walks you through using instructions on its LCD display. One of the directions I was given was to rotate a small adjustment screw 1/16 of a turn. That’s not exactly user-friendly.

The lid to the glue bottle (adhesive is needed on the print platform to prevent models from moving during printing) popped off during shipping and the applicator was a lump of hardened cardboard, so I had to improvise there.

All said and done, it was nearly two hours before the Cube 3D printer was ready to go.

Cube 3D Printer Review: Improved All Around

The third generation Cube 3D printer is improved over the version I tested in virtually every way.

Cube 3D Printer review, 3D printers make mistakes
Source: Brad Moon

At $999, the price is significantly lower. It can print in two colors at once instead of just one and the print head is a higher resolution one (70 microns). Print speed was faster.

It still took me a few tries before I was printing successfully (that damaged glue applicator made prepping the print tray a bit of a guessing game). After five hours I had turned out a series of failed models. You can see the results in the photo.

Once things were humming, it worked flawlessly. I downloaded the 3D file for a Weeping Angel from the BBC’s Doctor Who series, loaded it into 3D’s free software to output a file format the Cube can read and churned out a trio of the monsters.

About four inches tall and with impressive detail, the models took just under five hours each to print. That sounds slow, but it’s considerably faster than the eight hours some models of similar complexity took on the original.

The end results were detailed, smooth and largely free of imperfections.

Cube 3D Printer Review: Specs

  • Dual jet Plastic Jet Printing
Cube 3D Printer review, 3D printer promo shot
Source: 3D Systems
  • 17 micron print resolution (200 micron fast mode)
  • ABS or PLA plastic
  • Color touchscreen display
  • auto-leveling print pad
  • Wireless or USB app printing with iOS.Android app available soon
  • Uses dual, proprietary Cube 3D printer cartridges ($49.99 each, rated for 13-14 mid-sized creations)
  • Cube Glue $9.99/bottle
  • Safe Home certified, recommended for ages 8+
  • 13.5 x 13.2 x 9.5 inches, 17 lbs
  • Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $999

Cube 3D Printer Review: Conclusion

So, does the new Cube 3D printer have what it takes to become the tipping point — the one that sets 3D printers along the same path as inkjet printers into the consumer mainstream?

Cube 3D Printer review, 3D printers take on Doctor Who
Source: Brad Moon

I don’t think so.

Don’t get me wrong, the new Cube is a big improvement over the original.

The Cube 3D printer goes a long way toward simplifying things (those plug-in cartridges, for example). But the 3D printing process — from sourcing a digital file, to ensuring compatibility,  to laying down glue just right and then doing any manual finishing a model requires — remains fussy.

It also still takes too long. Hobbyists and 3D printer enthusiasts won’t care about multi-hour print jobs. But we’re in an era where people complain because the video they want to watch on Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) took five minutes to cache before they can play it.

At $50 bucks a pop, the plastic filament cartridges remain expensive. That’s particularly annoying if you walk away from a print job (trust me, watching it is fascinating at first but quickly gets old), only to find there was a problem and the printer kept chugging away to produce a $5 bundle of plastic fur. It happens.

Finally, it’s still an issue there just aren’t that many things to print. There are only so many 3D figurines, bracelets and iPhone cases the average person needs. It’s going to get better, but the case for using a 3D printer to produce your own stuff on demand just isn’t there yet — for most people.

If you’re already immersed in 3D printing, you’re likely going to want a more capable machine like the Stratasys (NASDAQ:SYSS) MakerBot Replicator 2 or 3D Systems’ own CubePro. But if you’re curious about 3D printers and ready to dip your toe in the water, the Cube 3D printer makes a fine choice.

As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Brad Moon has been writing for InvestorPlace.com since 2012. He also writes about stocks for Kiplinger and has been a senior contributor focusing on consumer technology for Forbes since 2015.


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2015/03/cube-3d-printer-review/.

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