There's a point I would have given this printer 5 stars, but at this point in time I can't do that. The printer always had flaws but in the past I couldn't easily point to another printer and say buy this instead, but now I can.
The most troublesome element for me is the reliability of the Auto-leveling feature. It fails very frequently. Sometimes a little scrubbing of the nozzle and pads will fix it, and sometimes, maybe due to material that keeps leaking a bit, it will never work. It's very time consuming either way, as I have to wait several minutes for the failure to happen.
The next problematic element is the filament. This printer uses 3 mm (2.85 mm) filament, which is not as popular as 1.75 mm filament. There's no significant advantage that you get from this larger size, and it means your selection of printing material is more limited that it would be if you had the smaller filament. But, more importantly, 3 mm filament jams and breaks more easily. Filament comes in rolls and therefore and in a fixed spool shape. With 3 mm filament, the spool shape is held more tightly, particularly as you get closer to the center of the spool. Not only does this make the filament more likely to get jammed in the filament feeding tube (as the curve forces the filament against the tube walls), but it also makes the filament more likely to break when being forced into a straight line. The Taz's size mounted feeding system does little to help you here.
I've tried changing the printer over to 1.75 mm using an entirely new print head with a new nozzle, but I wasn't able to get the system to work reliably.
In addition to these filament issues, replacing the filament on the Taz 6 is requires more work than other printers, and it's easy to get the feeding tubes jammed into the print head.
The print surface is OK, but you'll still be dealing with prints you can't remove and material getting stuck on the surface. I spray a layer of Aqua Net down buy I'm still having to carefully work a plate Spatula from time to time. It's nearly impossible to get all the material off the surface and it's always ending up on the bottoms of the next print.
I eventually replaced the printer head with a dual extruder, but for reliability reasons again I generally only print from one extruder.
The print quality is fine and it performs reasonably - when it's working, it works, but there are just better printers on the market, especially given this price. But on larger prints I'll often see some layers that split with recommended settings.
I've used Simplify3D for printing for some time. The included Cura software will work for most people, but it's UI is slow and not as good as Simplify3D most of the time. That said, I've only been able to get dual extruder printing working reasonably with the Lulzbot Cura.
These failings aren't terrible, but with other choices on the market there's no reason to put up with them. For the same price you can get 2 assembled Prusa iMk3s and still have $500 left (and more if you assemble yourself). The Prusa is more far more reliable, uses a better filament, and has a removable surface so there's no futzing around with removing prints.
There's basically only one reason to buy this printer: You need to print absolutely freaking huge stuff. I have done things like start a 24+ hour print of several dishes before leaving town and it can work. But the printer isn't going to do much to help you if you fail on these large prints so it's risky. There are certainly long pieces that can't be made on any other consumer printer. And this printer isn't going to print those big things faster that smaller modern printers.
Given the rarity that think about using the entire gigantic bed, it's hard to recommend this over a far cheaper, more modern, more reliable printer, specifically the Original Prusa iMk3. This printer isn't a good value (and the Taz Mini seems like a terrible value, but I haven't used it.) Just get something else instead.
UPDATE:
Just after I wrote this, the printer jammed again, and I have to move the printer down another star. Because of the construction of the extruder, in the event of a solid jam to may have to disassemble the entire print-head. None of the other printers I have used have jammed as easily or made clearing the jam so difficult. It's more likely when you use materials other the PLA or ABS, which is probably why the printer acts like these materials are "experimental" when other printers handle them well. Just don't buy this thing. There are too many problems.
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From the manufacturer
The LulzBot TAZ 6 is the most reliable, easiest-to-use desktop 3D printer ever
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Self-Cleaning, Self-LevelingThe LulzBot TAZ 6 3D Printer features proven self-cleaning, self-leveling technology. Get a clean start to each new print job and never worry about leveling your print bed again. |
Big Printer, Huge PossibilitiesThe LulzBot TAZ 6 has one of the largest build volumes of any desktop 3D printer. So whether you need one big part, or lots of small ones, the LulzBot TAZ 6 has capacity to spare. |
Tested, ProvenAt the LulzBot factory in Loveland, Colorado, USA more than 150 LulzBot 3D Printers run 24-hours-a-day producing components used to build more 3D printers. Reliability is a critical feature. |
Anatomy of a Workhorse
Advanced Tool Head
Features a proven extruder, hot end capable of reaching 300-degrees Celsius, and dual part cooling fans. Modular design allows easy upgrades to flexible or dual material printing.
Heated Print Bed
The heated PEI print surface ensures your parts stay in place while printing and are easily removed when cool.
Quality Built In
Every component of the LulzBot TAZ 6 was selected for a long life of trouble-free operation. From the rugged aluminum frame to the premium power supply, the TAZ 6 is built to last.
More than 30 supported filament materials:
- PLA
- ABS
- Nylon and Copolyamides
- Copolyesters (nGen, INOVA-1800, PETG)
- Wood and Metal PLA composites
- Polycarbonate
- PVA
Friendly, Knowledgeable Tech Support When You Need It
The acclaimed, Colorado-based LulzBot Technical Support Team is available for phone and email support 7-days a week. LulzBot support representatives are 3D printing experts who will get you back to printing fast.
Cura LulzBot Edition Software
Cura LulzBot Edition software makes it easy to load your model files and slice them for printing. Best of all, it's free software, meaning you will never pay for upgrades and the source code is available to all.
- Easy to use with hundreds of Quickprint Profiles built in for LulzBot 3D Printers
- Advanced options for expert users
- Free Software with no limit on installations
- Works with GNU/Linux, Windows, and Mac
- Compatible with STL, OBJ, X3D, and 3MF files
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| Click here | Click here | |
| Build Volume | 280mm x 280mm x 250mm (11.02in x 11.02in x 9.8in) | 160mm x 160mm x 180mm (6.3 in x 6.3 in x 7.09 in) |
| Self Leveling and Nozzle Self Cleaning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tetherless Printing via SD Card | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dual Extruder Compatible | ✓ | No |
| All-Metal Hot End, PEI Surface on Heated Bed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Filament Diameter / Nozzle Diameter | 3mm / .50mm | 3mm / .50mm |
| Layer Thickness (Software Configurable) | From 0.05mm to 0.50mm (0.002in - 0.020in) | From 0.05mm to 0.50mm (0.002in - 0.020in) |
| Free Software, Libre Innovation, and Open Source Hardware, Made in Colorado | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recommended Use | Large and Versatile. Perfect for Professional, Industrial, and Commercial Prototyping and Fabrication, Higher Education and Research. | Compact and Portable. Excellent for Education, Research and Professional Results in Small Work Spaces. |
Customer reviews
I've been a Lulzbot Taz 5 user for a few years and recently upgraded to the Taz 6. What an ENORMOUS upgrade!If you are on the fence regarding this printer - don't hesitate, it's worth every penny. I was up and running with my first print within an hour of the UPS guy delivering the box - the minimal assembly that you need to do is very clearly described and the bed leveling feature is a huge time saver - my first print came out perfectly and every one since (at low medium and high resolution settings) has been perfect.I also just replaced the single extruder with a dual - that seemed intimidating but again the instructions were very clear. I had one configuration question and called Lulzbot - talked to a real (very friendly and knowledgeable) person who set me straight immediately and I now have my first successful 2 color print.
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2018
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2019
If you are on the fence regarding this printer - don't hesitate, it's worth every penny. I was up and running with my first print within an hour of the UPS guy delivering the box - the minimal assembly that you need to do is very clearly described and the bed leveling feature is a huge time saver - my first print came out perfectly and every one since (at low medium and high resolution settings) has been perfect.
I also just replaced the single extruder with a dual - that seemed intimidating but again the instructions were very clear. I had one configuration question and called Lulzbot - talked to a real (very friendly and knowledgeable) person who set me straight immediately and I now have my first successful 2 color print.
What an incredible printer!
By Ianjw on January 4, 2019
I've been a Lulzbot Taz 5 user for a few years and recently upgraded to the Taz 6. What an ENORMOUS upgrade!By Ianjw on January 4, 2019
If you are on the fence regarding this printer - don't hesitate, it's worth every penny. I was up and running with my first print within an hour of the UPS guy delivering the box - the minimal assembly that you need to do is very clearly described and the bed leveling feature is a huge time saver - my first print came out perfectly and every one since (at low medium and high resolution settings) has been perfect.
I also just replaced the single extruder with a dual - that seemed intimidating but again the instructions were very clear. I had one configuration question and called Lulzbot - talked to a real (very friendly and knowledgeable) person who set me straight immediately and I now have my first successful 2 color print.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2019
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2016
Only other thing I want to touch on is the support - you won't get better support with any other 3D printer company (at least in my experience)!
Best 3D printer I have yet to own. Support is phenomenal!
By Nate Brandeburg on November 30, 2016
I can't say enough good things about the Lulzbot TAZ 6. As a 3D printer enthusiast/hacker/printer I love the flexibility of this printer. I have gone ahead and mounted a dedicated Raspberry Pi 3 running OctoPi (Octoprint.org) and a Raspberry Pi Camera V2 which is on a custom printed mount attached to the Z-axis. I also added one [[ASIN:B015R87GQK Lemonbest 2m Resin Flexible USB LED Lights Strip Ribbon 3528smd 120leds 5V Waterproof Cool White]] which provides ample and beautiful lighting to the printer. Attached is a photo of my TAZ 6 with my modifications. As well, here is a link to my imgur post which has more detailed information about my aftermarket modifications - [...]By Nate Brandeburg on November 30, 2016
Only other thing I want to touch on is the support - you won't get better support with any other 3D printer company (at least in my experience)!
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Top reviews from other countries
Nicolas
By far the best 3d printer I have ever used.
Reviewed in Canada on August 15, 2017
By far the best 3d printer I have ever used.
Reviewed in Canada on August 15, 2017
I began my hunt searching for a cheap 3d printer which wouldn't break the bank but man was I ever wrong about buying cheap. I owned two flashforge creator pros and both were a constant nightmare of parts breaking, things not working, etc. I decided to jump the gun and buy this 3d printer and after in depth research this printer is one of the best avalible in its price bracket. I received my printer with high hopes and man have I not been disappointed. I can recommend this printer to anybody who is just starting out due to its auto levelling and advanced users alike due to its open source setup. Unboxing experience was very pleasing. Aleph Objects sure know what they are doing. Overall this printer is the best printer I have ever owned and I have not been disappointed by it.
Reviewed in Canada on August 15, 2017
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Kenny Nguyen
Greatest printer
Reviewed in Canada on April 30, 2017
Greatest printer
Reviewed in Canada on April 30, 2017
The Lulzbot Taz 6 is the greatest printer I've ever use. It's my first personal print and the print quality and the build area is fantastic. Love the open frame design, the frame is strong and solid and is easy to fix and make attachments for. The first thing I did when I got the print have I printed a tool rack for it, to hold all the tools it came with. I highly recommend this printer, even if it has a high price tag I think it was worth it.Reviewed in Canada on April 30, 2017
--After 4 months of use. I can honestly it's the greatest printer or all time. Every print comes out perfect. I haven't had a single print fail yet!! Only down side is the auto leveling gets a little annoying cause it takes a bit but other than that it has been great.
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