I’ve built several custom designs, but for reliability, the M175v2 is great if you want ease and reliability. It costs more than a faster similarly reliable 1.75mm printer these days, but like the lulzbots, the M175v2 can be serviced almost indefinitely… the only part with no easily-attained alternative is the mosquito hot end.
I haven’t used the Meteor toolheads, but they’re new and improved parts from BMG, and Slice Engineering… so they should be better than the M175v2.
Thank you. With Lulzbot not really targeting the same markets as before the acquisition, it’s a little tough to find feedback about their newer products.
It’s the scarcity of 2.85 filament driving my interest. Aside from my own projects, my printers mostly get used to fabricate trinkets for community group fundraisers. I don’t want to turn them away because my machines wont reliably feed the unique filaments they want to use.
Based on my experience with prior Lulzbot toolheads, the difference in print quality between the m175v2 and meteor is probably negligible.
I’ll get an m175 to test!
The money saved can be put toward an adapter and bed upgrade
The only thing that seems to be scarce in 2.85 are decorative filaments. I have been keeping my 2.85mm orbiter extruder on my Taz6 specifically because I’ve been getting PC, ABS, PA-GF, TPU, TPR, and lots of other functional filaments when it’s 50% or lower price than the 1.75mm versions.
M175 is a really nice setup, I’ve got one on my Taz 6 with Wrathernaut’s help.
Slice Engineering makes good stuff - I have several Bondtech/Mosquito combos on several CR-10S machines.
As for 2.85mm, it really isn’t scarce. It’s what the bigger scale printers use - the next size up being pellets for the giant machines. Check out Push Plastic, I had a chance to visit and tour their facility - it was super impressive to see the huge spools for 2.85 for industrial customers!
