I’ve been using a Printrbot Simple Metal for the past year and want to move up to a larger printer and have been looking at getting a Taz.
I have a feeling that the Taz 6 may be worth waiting for, however and can get a Taz 3 for ~$700-800 in good condition.
Are the improvements in the Taz 4 and 5 that significant that the Taz 3 isn’t worth getting? I’m not printing anything that requires ultra fine resolution. My understanding is that the big change from 3 to 4 is that they changed the Z axis from threaded rod to lead screws.
You can upgrade a Taz 3 to Taz 5 motion specifications and extruder specifications for about $300. That would include a new hotend, a PEI sheet, new leadscrews, and the metal X end plates. You can source some of the hardware here: http://i-t-w.com/hardware/
It does require a fair amount of work to turn a 3 into a 5, but there is pretty good documentation in the forum here for the process.
And what if I did’t upgrade the hardware? Is the output of a Taz 3 still very good? If I can get 95% of the quality for 33% of the price, that seems like a good deal.
Its not as good, but it is usable. You will have some z wobble, and overall part thickness won’t be as dead on as it will be under a 4 or a 5 spec z axis. Up to you if the quality is acceptable.