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Hello there,
I was hoping someone could compare the Wanhao i3 and 4s duplicators for me. I am a total newb in 3D printing but I would like to get started printing cookie cutters in PLA. Once I get the machine up and running I would like to be able to produce good quality cutters that I can sell. I know the Duplicator 4 can make a great cutter because I’ve been following a popular cookie cutter company that makes thousands of cutters a month on a small farm of these machines.

My main question is how does the i3 and the 4 series compare when printing PLA? I have read good reviews of the Duplicator 4 but saw all these mods that needed to be added for printing in PLA like additional fans and clips to hold the doors open and all that to let the heat vent. Since the i3 has the open Prusa design that doesn’t hold heat is it better for PLA? How do the speed and quality of the two machines compare? I like that the i3 has a larger build volume and the price is great if I want to add more machines down the road but I want to make sure I can print a good product.

Would the Wanhao i3 be a good machine for a newb just wanting to make cookie cutters or should I go for the 4? Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated! Thank you very much!

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Hello,

I have three of the Wanhao i3’s and love them. I run PLA on one, ABS on the next one and Flexible filament on the last one. They are great for a lot of reasons. Mainly because of the price. However, there is a learning curve with any 3D printer. Patience and determination is what got me through it. I print lots of things, but I love printing the cookie cutters on it. I use a clear filament that I buy from MakerGeeks.com that sells FDA / food safe PLA. (http://www.makergeeks.com/fosafdapla11.html). It is only $21.55 with free shipping. There are lots of great tuturials on YouTube (JetGuy) and lots of great mods you can make on Thingiverse.com.

I have never used the 4 series, but the i3 is a great machine. Wanhao has been great to work with too regarding there warranty. My first printer was a first generation machine and had a few issues, but Wanhao worked with me and resolved them.

Probably the toughest part of the 3D printing world is learning the art of leveling. But it is not difficult to learn. Good luck to you.

3dPrinted4u

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Honestly if you are not interested in the tinkering part of 3D printing, I wouldn’t recommend the i3. And based on the warranty response I have received so far, I don’t see myself purchasing another Wanhao anytime soon. So far I have replaced a bent y-axis rod, y-axis endstop, warped build plate, injection molded portion of the extruder, and the Melzi control board. All warranty tickets have repeatably gone unanswered. I would take a minute to go through Best 3D Printer Guide 2023 | Hubs. Lulzbot Mini is at the top of my list for a no nonsense workhorse that is reasonable priced. The Printrbot Simple Metal seems to get a lot of love as well. I do get nice prints out of the i3 after a lot of calories, but I bought it to use as a cheap test mule, not for reliability.

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Hi there,

You can use both printers without a problem to use PLA. I have them both and mostly prints PLA. On the Duplicator I4 i never had to do any modifications or opening the door. Both work well. For a newbe I still would recommend the Duplicator I3. Now if you plan to print ABS, then I would recommend the Duplicator 4 as this is closed printer and better. I do see comments on your post relating the warranty. Now this has nothing to do with the quality of the printer. I run a webshop myself and sell these machines. Ofcourse issues can happen. As I am in EU I extended the warranty to 2 years. If I would not believe in the quality, I would not do this as a seller. We have spaceports and most issue we can repair under warranty. Some are caused by the user and not due to production of the machine. We sell a lot of Duplicator I3 and my buyers are very happy about this printer. Most of them are new to 3D printing as well. Best Regards, Dirk www.3Dfutura.be