Hello All,
I’ve been using Cura Lulzbot edition for years, in general i’m happy with it. There has been a few prints where issues were only solved by going to Slic3r and slicing there.
It seems as if Cura LE isn’t getting updated often, i’m wondering if if there are tweaks and add-ins in the regular Cura that would make it better to use.
Side note, has anyone used Simplify3D and prefers it over cura?
There are benefits to using Cura LE just like there are benefits to using Simplify3D or UM Cura. You will find people that like their preferred slicer, but what really matters is that you are getting quality prints. In addition to other people’s comments make sure you experiment and see what is out there. Cura LE like UM Cura is open source and if you have the time feel free to try and make changes that you want to see, and make a pull request.
I was using cura free Lulzbot edition and had pretty decent prints but it went to hell in a handbag when printing any bridging. I had previously purchased Simplify3d when i got the printer (was having issues with my prints so I went back to cura to see what the issue was, ended up being the tape residue left over on my bed from when i had used it before) so i went back to Simplify3d and right out of the gate it made such better bridges for me. I probably could have tinkered with Cura more but I really like the way Simplify 3d is laid out and how the materials page works compared to Cura. I didn’t like having to navigate through a bunch of menus to get the materials and custom materials in Cura. Plus for SOME reason using the touchpad on my laptop i had to hold down the pad when navigating the drop down menu in Cura, letting off selected whatever was highlighted and it drove me NUTS. I am glad you could turn off “auto slice” on cura because every time that selection issue happened it would pause to slice. LOL
It really is a matter of personal preference though when it comes to slicers. It wouldn’t hurt to try them out. I believe there is a “free trial” of simplify3d… I think you have to pay then try for 2 weeks, if you dont like it you get your money back. I really like it though and its worth a try!
I now use prusaslicer and ideamaker exclusively. Both are free, and both are great slicers. Prusaslicer is more user friendly and ships with configs for some lulzbot printers. Ideamaker does great supports and can produce some really nice prints, but is a little quirky in its Usability.
When I used slic3r I noticed it too does bridging better than Cura LE. Ill probably set up a regular Cura profile and try Prusaslicer. My main issue with Slic3r was the ui and it seems Prusaslicer has a similar back end but is better looking.
Thanks for the info 
Simplify 3D is much better than Cura as it offers a lot more choices for your print
As long as you are willing to part with $149.
Being new to 3d printing myself, which slicer was a decision I recently anguished over. In the end, I played around with UM Cura and Prusaslicer, and ended up going with Prusaslicer. Their newest version at least has some printer defaults for Lulzbot that I was able to use as kind of a base template for my Taz 5. I also found that I was able to utilize and modify a bunch of the other preset items to get up and printing quickly.
For me as a beginner, I figured it was likely more important to make a decision and start learning/iterating than agonize over whether or not I chose the “right” slicer. I figure once I have more prints under my belt if I decide to change again, the knowledge I’ll have gained will be able to transfer over easier.
Here is one I just discovered most people don’t use or even know it existed.the matterhackers slicer. That thing is great for lulzbot. Since they promote and sell lulzbot it’s like Cura LE. You cam update the firmware, or calibrate the bed from the slicer. it’s just had a lot of options
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MatterHackers slicer is called MatterControl and is available here.
If you dont mind me asking how hard was it to transfer everything over from LE to Prusaslicer. Im looking to make the move in order to utilize my new palette 3 pro on the way.