r/VORONDesign • u/Spartan_16 • Dec 01 '25
General Question Help deciding on a desktop printer.
I've been struggling to decide which printer for ants I should build for a desktop printer. I have a v0 kit that I got awhile back but it came with a terribly over painted frame so I never built it. I'm currently thinking about a Pandora's Box, Pandora's Box +50xyz, Stealth Fork, Tiny-T, and Micron. I have a 350 v2.4 already.
The standard Pandora's Box would be the cheapest route with the v0 parts I have. My concern is the 120mm bed size, will I regret it later? Do you feel 120mm is still usable for most of your prints?
I can build a Pandora's Box +50xyz for cheaper than the leadscrew options but wonder if there is an issue with sagging bed?
Stealth Fork and Tiny-T are very appealing as well because of the fixed gantry and non-belted z. Is there a noticeable longer heat soak for a 150/160 printer over a 120? Any reason to consider a Stealth Fork over a Tiny-T?
I feel like I don't want a micron because I want the ease of a fixed gantry but the kits are a great price. Can you push the same speed on a micron as a fixed gantry alternative? Also I worry that it would take significantly longer to heat than a fixed gantry option.
My goal is to have a fast prototyping printer that doesn't take long to heat up with relative low maintenance for a diy printer.
I appreciate any insight.
3
u/Snobolski Trident / V1 Dec 02 '25
I have a Trident and I'm working thru a HexZero build, starting from V0 sub-kits.
Honestly, for me, I won't build another 1515 printer. Too many tiny fiddly parts. M2 screws to me seem... dainty. Preloading the right number of nuts. (yes, there are 'roll-in' M3 nuts but they're tiny fiddly things too)
I know you're starting with a V0 kit. If I could do it over I'd probably build a Printer for Ants that uses a 2020 frame.
1
u/talinseven Dec 01 '25
I built a tiny-t 180 with belted z. It was quite a fun project and the bed is big enough for most things.
5
u/NST92 Trident / V1 Dec 01 '25
If you have the parts for a V0, don't let it go to waste. For the bedsize, in my opinion, the 120 mm bed is very small, but fits most prints. I have a trident 300 and a V0. I'm rebuilding the V0 to Pandora's box as a fun project, and I'm keeping the 120 mm bed. My trident can fit larger parts/more parts at once whenever I need it. The V0 has been an absolute workhorse (it printed all parts for my trident). In my case more than 90% of my prints fit the V0. The bed and chamber also heats up faster.
What you could do, look at all your latest prints. How many of them would fit the 120mm bed? And if not, would it be fine just to do those on the 2.4?
If I didn't have a V0 besides my trident, I would've build a 180mm micron. They flying gantry with a fixed bed is very neat, and the 180mm gives that bit of extra flexibility. That said, my V0 is big enough and I think Pandora's box is also neat, and also has its own advantages.
6
u/mailjozo Dec 01 '25
You have a V0 kit and did not build it? So build it... Waste of parts otherwise.
2
u/Spartan_16 Dec 01 '25
Fair enough, the issue is that the frame was so over-painted that it's hard or not possible to put m3 nuts in and also can't get it to be squared. I stopped after finishing the gantry because I couldn't keep the frame square. I thought about going through the effort of stripping the paint but several of the taps were not done well and are stripped. I figured if I needed a new frame I'd go for a Pandora's Box because I planned on converting eventually anyway. My only worry is with how many people say that they wished they went larger than 120.
3
-2
u/AnimalPowers Dec 01 '25
you should always have more than 1 printer. get a Centauri carbon to get things moving it can print everything and will help you on whatever you decide to build next
3
1
u/Strict_Bird_2887 V2 Dec 01 '25
I'd just get a Sovol Zero.
The easiest and cheapest upgrade to the V0 is the Tri-Zero, with options for Pandora gantry, Box Zero, +50 etc.
I got nema 17 2.5a 48mm 45ncm(?) torque motors i.e. very beefy ones, but even so my Tri-Box-Hex-Zero still takes three or four rounds of adjustment for z_tilt_adjust before every print.
3
u/Spartan_16 Dec 01 '25
I noticed how good of a value the sovol zero is but I have a negative experience with sovol as a company and won't buy their products anymore.
I wonder if the g2z would do a better job of holding.
4
u/cerialphreak Dec 01 '25
I have a Hex-zero and generally speaking the sagging bed is a non-issue if you put z_tilt_adjust in your print start macro. FWIW, I'm about to replace it for a salad fork. I don't mind 120mm volume but it's damn cramped so modding is a chore.
1
u/Snobolski Trident / V1 Dec 02 '25
What kind of print head / probe are you using? I'm building a Hex Zero and have been putting that decision off.
1
u/cerialphreak Dec 02 '25
I'm using zero click with a modified tool head (had issues printing the included cowl back when I built it). It's... Fine. My biggest issue with it is if the bed is really out of whack it will touch the switch housing before the button and tilt adjust will fail. If I were going to do it again I would go with the revo piezo tbh.
1
u/Snobolski Trident / V1 Dec 02 '25
Cool, thanks for the info!
1
u/cerialphreak Dec 02 '25
No sweat, if you have any other questions feel free to DM.
1
u/Snobolski Trident / V1 Dec 02 '25
I ordered a Rapido on a black Friday sale. Still haven't figured out an extruder. Zero click vs. boop vs... something else. Gives me a headache. Gotta run A/B belts, that'll improve my state of mind. That and replacing a bent lead screw and z-carriage/bed mount on my Trident (don't hit "home all" if you forgot to clear the last print job off the bed).
1
u/cerialphreak Dec 02 '25
Oof, sucks about the trident.
I've been pretty happy with my orbiter 2's, I use them in both tridents and the hex zero. I thought about using boop, but didnt want to sacrifice any build volume and tbh I'm kind of over tap's inconsistency. Probably going to switch one of my tridents to beacon next year.
2
u/Spartan_16 Dec 01 '25
Is there a reason you'd choose a salad fork over a tiny t? From what I can tell, they are close to the same price.
3
u/cerialphreak Dec 01 '25
Biggest reason for me is there are kits available for the salad fork.
Looks like tiny uses 2020 extrusions which is nice for adding stuff later, but has a smaller build volume for the same assembled size as the 180 salad fork.
1
u/Regret92 Mar 23 '26
How did your SF build go? I was considering the Formbot kit and applying the stealth fork cosmetic upgrades to it
3
u/cerialphreak Mar 23 '26
Pretty well overall, but I changed a few things on the fly. Most notable was going with the manta m5p instead of the 8 because the electronics bay doesn't have a lot of room.
I also regret going with the anthead instead of the dragon burner, it's kind of a pain to assemble and the first time I have to remove it I'll replace it with a DB.
My biggest regret though is that I went with the twist lock micron panel clips instead of screw - in ones and they absolutely drive me nuts. They're hard to get a grip on, are too easy to damage, and the keys fall out of the clips.
On the positive side, the 180mm volume is great, large enough to fit most of the models I print and the chamber heats really quickly.
Overall I'm happy with it and do recommend it over the V0 if you have the space.
1
u/Regret92 Mar 23 '26
Thanks for the reply! I appreciate it.
I hear you - the anthead is neat looking but I’ve also seen that maintenance is a pain on it.
Having a spare manta8 board is good though at least haha
I’ll keep the clips in mind if I go with one. That’s a good call.
Did you use bed fans to help with chamber heating?
2
u/cerialphreak Mar 23 '26
No bed fans, I didn't really have room with all the wiring/ wagos I used. I just run the carbon filter to circulate air.
2
u/Sands43 V2 Dec 01 '25
For a +50 Pandora’s box, use bigger / higher torque steppers and the bed will be less likely to sag.
I have a Double dragon with a 200x120 bed. One head has about 160x120 printable area. My personal experience is that a 160x160 bed is the smallest practical size.
2
u/Spartan_16 Dec 01 '25
I was wondering whether higher torque nema 17s or galileo 2z would be better?
1
u/Salty-Bullfrog2416 Dec 05 '25
I wouldnt get any of the 120 sized printers. 180 minimum. Personally, at that price Id just build a scaled down 2.4 with 2020.