Recommended 3D Printer For School MakerSpace

[JonnyAlpha]

Hi,
I am setting up a maker space in my Primary School and would like to kit it out with one or two 3D Printers? I have cut my teeth on a an Anet A8 but need something in the MakerSpace that will be a workhorse get a resonable amount of use and needs to be reliable and easy to use.
Any recommendations would be great.

[MadeBye]

I have come to learn the 2 types of people in 3d printing, that stay. 1, people that want to design and or make things from others designs and 2, people that like to mod and tinker with their machine. If your going to be using this in a primary school than I assume most of the molding and tinkering to keep it running would fall on staff/teachers and probably bum the kids out when the machine is down too. I am also assuming that rock bottom cheap isn't as much of an issue with some budget allotted to make this happen.
If I had the knowledge that I have now when I started, I would buy a Prusa I3 mk3 every single time. Up to you if you need multi material unit or the bells and whistles but with the backing you get from prusa and the community I would strongly recommend them. The Chinese 3d printer company's support is very hit and miss. It took me 3 months of back and forth to get a replacment for a broken part on a brand new anycubic delta I bought and couldn't assemble, and that is time the students can't learn about 3d printing. I would buy one prebuilt and not a kit also unless you have 3d printer knowledge previously. Happy printing.

[cwbullet@mac.com]

Prusa MK3S - It is Idiot proof.

[JonnyAlpha]

I have come to learn the 2 types of people in 3d printing, that stay. 1, people that want to design and or make things from others designs and 2, people that like to mod and tinker with their machine. If your going to be using this in a primary school than I assume most of the molding and tinkering to keep it running would fall on staff/teachers and probably bum the kids out when the machine is down too. I am also assuming that rock bottom cheap isn't as much of an issue with some budget allotted to make this happen.
If I had the knowledge that I have now when I started, I would buy a Prusa I3 mk3 every single time. Up to you if you need multi material unit or the bells and whistles but with the backing you get from prusa and the community I would strongly recommend them. The Chinese 3d printer company's support is very hit and miss. It took me 3 months of back and forth to get a replacment for a broken part on a brand new anycubic delta I bought and couldn't assemble, and that is time the students can't learn about 3d printing. I would buy one prebuilt and not a kit also unless you have 3d printer knowledge previously. Happy printing.

I have done plenty of tinkering on the Anet A8 :-) and it would be me that would be running the Maker Space. That said I get it, the Prusa i3 appears to be

[JonnyAlpha]

Prusa MK3S - It is Idiot proof.

Understood, less downtime and more printing.