Lulzbot Mini batteries

If I wanted to make my Mini(v1) mobile and I wanted to print for two hours whilst it being mobile, what kind of batteries and how many would I need?
Thanks!
-aaron

The simplest solution would be a 12V lead-acid battery and a DC-AC converter. If you plan on bypassing the power supply in the printer, then either one 12V or two 12V batteries in series to get the 12V or 24V output of the power supply.

Heating the bed is probably the highest demand and my TAZ 6 is consuming around 400w of AC power with both the nozzle and bed heating while the nozzle is stationary. You can do the math from here to determine how big the 12V battery(s) need to be for 2 hours of run time.

You could just go with a hardware store inverter which runs off the cigar lighter. I have a 600 watt one the you can just plug the printer into it. May need to keep the vehicle running though to prevent its battery running down.

Given the power drain of the Mini, you’ll DEFINITELY need to keep the vehicle running, if you value your auto’s battery. A car battery is specifically designed for short-duration high-current discharges (i.e. starting the engine), and enough deep-discharges by using it to power a 3D printer (or any other similar use) will quickly shorten it’s life.

If you intend to do this regularly, and don’t want to keep the car running, you’ll want to use a very large deep-cycle lead-acid battery, such as the kind used in boats for trolling motors (readily available at sporting goods stores and better battery dealers).

I agree. I would opt for a couple of 6V golf cart batteries in series and an inverter which is what RVs use typically.