Lulzbot TAZ 6 Rated
- Print Quality
- User Experience
- Ease of Use
- Durability
- Value for Money
Craft Schmaft Verdict
The Lulzbot TAZ 6 is perhaps the best 3D printer on the market right now. We don’t know of any other machine that’s quite so versatile and user-friendly. Plus, the print quality hits it out of the park every single time.
It’s not cheap and not ideally suited to novices, but there’s no denying that this 3D printer is the top of the market.
3D printing opens up all sorts of opportunities for the creative maker, and the market for 3D printers is vast.
The LulzBot TAZ 6 3D Printer sets itself ahead of the game by pushing to remain on the cutting edge of 3D printing technology — and not in the ways you may think.
The printer’s open source code makes it easy to adapt, and its exchangeable nozzle means that prints can only grow sharper with the improving technology.
Is this a good 3D printer for beginners? Honestly, no. It’s innovative and expensive — and would be best in the hands of someone who wants to push the boundaries of creative printing.
We’ve compiled this complete guide to the LulzBot TAZ 6’s lineup, highlighting its features and included accessories, so you can decide whether or not this professional 3D printer is the one for you.
Let’s take it away…
Contents
LulzBot TAZ 6 3D Printer: The Details
Let’s take a look at some of the numbers, shall we?
Specs
- Weight: 43 lb
- Dimensions: 26 in x 20.47 in x 20.47 in
- Print Dimensions: 11 in x 11 in x 9.8 in
- Filament Types: PLA, ABS, HIPS, Nylon Copolymers, Copolyesters (nGen, INOVA-1800, n-vent), Wood, Metal, and Stone PLA composites, Polycarbonate, PVA, and additional materials as they are tested and approved.
- Ready to Print?: Pre-assembled and calibrated
- Compatibility: Cura LulzBot Edition Software, made for modeling, works with GNU/Linux, Windows, and Mac
- Warranty: One year warranty and support
How Does It Work?
The process of 3D printing takes time, patience, and just a hint of cleverness.
The good news is that entire communities exist that have dedicated themselves to the process and improvement of 3D printing, so videos, blogs, and online catalogues of designs exist in order to make your 3D printing experience all the easier.
To begin a 3D print, you need a design.
The LulzBot TAZ 6 Printer has its own preferred 3D modeler, Cura Lulzboth Edition Software, which works on GNU/Linux, Windows, and Macs.
When creating a model to be printed, you can design your own in Cura or move to other programs including Tinkercad, SketchUp, or Blender — the last of which is better for more experienced or ambitious printers.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to design a print, you can browse the catalogue of pre-existing models included in the Cura software or shared online at thingiverse.com.
The process of printing requires you to digitally slice your model within the software , then transfer it onto your printer. Ensure that your printer is stocked with filament – spools of plastic or other 3D printer friendly materials.
Then, let the LulzBot TAZ 3D Printer heat up its Hot End Tool Head Nozzle and go to work.
It can take several hours for even small models to fully print.
Luckily, the Lulzbot TAZ 3D Printer comes along with several different speed options, all of which still deliver quality work. If you’re in a rush, the Lulzbot TAZ 3D Printer will ensure that you receive your model on time.
Accessories
When you purchase a LulzBot TAZ 6, you also get the following:
- LulzBot Hexagon Hot End tool head with 0.5mm nozzle.
- Quick setup guide.
- Filament feed tube.
- Toolkit bag.
- 15 piece metric hex key set.
- Pliers, needle nose.
- Standard precision knife.
- Dental pick.
- Flathead bristle brush.
- Part removal knife (clam knife).
- Metric ruler.
- Acetone-safe bottle (acetone not included).
- Complete documentation including a detailed manual with information for setup, downloading and using software, and starting your first print.
LulzBot TAZ 6 Features
LulzBot v2 Hot End
As briefly mentioned, the nozzle on the LulzBot TAZ 3D Printer heats your choice of filament until it’s easy to mold, then lays layer upon layer of that warm filament down until the shape of your model is complete.
The v2 Hot End is on the top of the game: the heat it provides makes the edges of your print sharp and near-free of excess filament.
It can reach up to a whopping 300°C (572°F), which makes for some incredibly precise modelling work when paired with the tiny 0.5 mm nozzle diameter.
It’s not a perfect nozzle, especially on the LulzBot TAZ 3D Printer’s higher speeds, but it’s among the best and can be easily removed, should you prefer another nozzle in its place.
Here’s a good look at it in action:
SD Card for Wireless Printing
You won’t have to keep your computer stationary during your print — instead of connecting your model to the LulzBot TAZ 3D Printer via a USB cable, the printer includes an SD card with a graphic LCD controller in order to offer you the option to print wirelessly.
Where shuffling wired printers can sometimes impact a print, the freedom that the LulzBot TAZ 3D Printer offers promotes improved print quality, just like the rest of its features.
Heated PEI Print Surface
In line with the class-act nozzle, the LulzBot TAZ 3D Printer’s heated PEI print surface also works to improve the quality of your print.
Instead of putting still-hot filament in contact with a room temperature surface, the LulzBot TAZ’s print surface is warmed, offering your model more time to settle before it hardens completely.
Self-Cleaning, Self-Leveling
One of the most notable ways that the Lulzbot TAZ 6 stands out from the crowd is from its excellent automatic leveling bed.
Like many others, we’ve spent countless frustrated hours calibrating the build plate of our 3D printer, pausing and restarting printing in order to ensure complete accuracy. And then you take your eye off the prize for one minute and…
Thankfully, that just isn’t an issue with the TAZ 6.
The plate automatically levels itself to perfect calibration between print jobs, ensuring a fresh start every time.
In addition to this is the self-cleaning capabilities of the machine.
If there’s one thing that’s sure to throw a spanner in the works of future print jobs, it’s bits of filament debris left on the nozzle and build plate.
Not so the TAZ 6. You get what feels like a brand new machine every time you use it.
Dual Extruder Compatible
Want to create a print job with more than one color?
The Lulzbot TAZ 6 is compatible with dual extruders for you to do exactly that. Talk about versatile.
LulzBot TAZ 6 3D Printer Review
That’s the data backing the LulzBot TAZ 6 3D Printer, but how does it set itself apart from its competition?
The Positives
No Limit on Printing Material
The LulzBot TAZ 6is among the best 3D printers because it has next to no limit on the type of printing filament it can make use of.
When working to print a model, you could use standard PLA, or plastic, but you could also use Wood, Metal, and Stone PLA composites, or nylon, or any up-and-coming filaments that are still in production.
It’s incredibly versatile in this respect and only promises to become more so. It currently supports over 30 different filament materials with new profiles added all the time.
Super Reliable
One of the things most valued — and one of the features that lead many people to believe that this is the best 3D printer for home use — is the fact that it’s so damn reliable.
The Lulzbot factory in Colorado sees almost 150 3D printers running continuously, producing new components and being monitored for where improvements can be made.
It’s easy to get the impression that this company are dedicated to moving the 3D printing industry forward.
Excellent for Customization
The LulzBot TAZ 3D Printer also keeps its code open source, which means that it’s up for modification whenever you feel you have the time, need, and skill.
Open source allows for the machine at hand to belong entirely to its user. The only limitations imposed on what the LulzBot TAZ 3D Printer can do come from your skill level, and that can only improve over time.
A Large-Volume Printer
Want to print multiple models at once? Or how about a large-scale design?
The LulzBot TAZ 6 is ideal for large-volume prints with its above-average print plate and crafting ability.
Set up multiple figures to print in one run, and while they may finish at separate times, you’ll still be able to save yourself hours in the long run.
Likewise, settle in for large prints and allow yourself to create tools, replacement tech parts, or costume accessories.
The Negatives
It’s Expensive
Unfortunately, with all of the good comes quite the cost.
The LulzBot TAZ 6 is certainly on the steep end for a 3D printer for home use.
This kind of price makes sense given the machine’s drive to be amongst the best 3D printers, but it makes it more inaccessible to the curious who are just learning the ropes of 3D printing.
Easy to Use, but Not a Beginner’s Machine
Likewise, the LulzBot TAZ 6’s many, many perks make it easy to use, but perhaps not ideal for the beginner 3D printer.
It takes time to grow comfortable with the ins and outs of 3D printing and often guidance from someone who’s used one before.
Purchasing a LulzBot TAZ 6 for just yourself as a beginner may not result in the most ideal printing environment.
Making in general is a craft better shared with friends — don’t feel the need to jump into the deep end by yourself right away.
Having said that, if you’ve got some experience with 3D printing are are looking for one of the best machines that will allow you a full field for experimentation and progression, the TAZ 6 makes for an excellent purchase.
Overall Verdict
The LulzBot TAZ 6 3D Printer is an impressive machine, great for large-scale prints that come out clean.
While not necessary the easiest printer to start learning on, and certainly not cheap, it sets itself apart from the competition in its customization and its accessibility.
If you feel like you’re ready to tackle such a machine, then the LulzBot TAZ 6 is yours for the taking.
Are you tempted by the Lulzbot TAZ 6 3D Printer?
