Prusa Mini Clone, Part 2: The Parts

Prusa Mini Clone

A printer is a sum of its part...Quality is the key to success.

Shortly before I made the purchase, I reviewed several online communities such as Discord, Facebook, and Reddit. A lot of folks in those groups were not very happy with their Clone Prusa Minis. It made me very concerned about making a purchase. That being said, I found a deal that I could turn down. For more on the process of how I chose the printer, read part 1: Prusa Mini Clone From China.

I purchased the clone because of the deal but I full expected to get a bunch of crapy parts that might ore might first together much less work.  Support would likely be suspect at best.  From my time on the Prusa Forum, I knew there were others who were interested in my experience and would follow the results.  I originally started this write up on their forum.  I elected to move it here so that I could have more control over the results.  

The parts and box appeared well packed outside the standard damage to the outside of the box.  I would have liked to see a packing list.  Outside of that, everything was in the box.  

The Box

The parts arrived in a well-packed box.  As with most boxes from China, this one had quite a bit of damage.  It will definitely not be retained.  I will recycle it.  

Inside box

Like the Prusa method of packing, the big box contains lots of little boxes and a tube.  I was shocked after seeing the outside of the box.  The parts all arrived in good condition, and we’re very well packed.  

The Extrusions

The framing extrusions were uniformly cut, threaded, and straight.  The frame and carriage were anodized and looked great. I was quite impressed with the quality of this kit; there weren’t any glaring issues at all. There were no scratches or bends.  I wish they were available in orange, but black will work.  

Comtents of tube

The cardboard tube contained the 8 and 10mm rods.  The rods were smooth with no imperfections.  I tested the bearings and confirmed the smooth uniformity.    

Motors

The Nema stepper motors were well protected, and the shaft was straight.  The motors appear to standard Chinese made knock offs.  They spin smoothly by finger.  

The parts box

The box of small parts was well packed, and there were no concerns. I wonder if Prusa buys the same boxes or if FYSTEC copied their techniques from the MK3S packing?  One of the complaints that was common was the PTFE lined hotend that should nto go above 240 C.  The hotend was in the box and it was not the standard FYSTEC hotend.  It was an all metal design.  I must have gotten lucky.  

Heat Bed and steet sheet

The print bed and textured print surface were well packaged.  I am not impressed with the textured sheet but will give it a try.  The heated print bed is a near-perfect copy of the Prusa Mini’s sheet.  My concern about the textured sheet is all about the gold textured sheet I bought for my Mk3S.  It began to peel off in the first month with my first PETG print.  

Electronics

The electronics box came with all of the parts inside, but the display was opened or not completely closed.  There was no damage.  

The bottom line: I was quite honestly surprised at how well everything was packed and the quality of the parts.  Either I am not very picky or FYSTEC has improved their quality control. 

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