3D Printer for Kids and Beginners,Geeetech Mini 3D Printers with Auto Leveling,High Speed and Fully Open Source,Fully Assembled Direct Drive Extruder,for Home and School,Print Area 3.94×4.33×3.94 in

My look like a toy, but it is a real 3D printer
What an intriguing product! This printer defies easy classification. Although I am not an expert on 3D printers, I have gained experience with several different models over the years. I began my journey with a popular bed slinger approximately six years ago and quickly fell in love with 3D printing, eventually owning a total of six bed-slingers at one point. As is often the case with technological advancements, I have since transitioned to Core XY printers. This particular printer incorporates elements of both designs, and I will elaborate on that later.3D printing has brought me immense joy by enabling me to bring my imagination to life. Additionally, there are numerous models available for free download online. Friends and family have also benefited from my 3D printing journey. As a grandparent, it is my pleasure to spoil my grandchildren; they have enjoyed everything from printed toys to personalized unicorn light switch covers. Therefore, when I discovered the Geeetech M1 mini printer, I immediately thought of my grandchildren. What better way to introduce them to the world of 3D printing firsthand than with a printer designed specifically for children?I have seen printers in the past that claim to be designed for children, but I have always been skeptical. As anyone with experience in 3D printing knows, inconsistencies in the printing process can lead to significant frustration. This frustration has caused many individuals to abandon the hobby, and I did not want that to happen to my grandchildren. Therefore, I decided to take a leap of faith and purchase the M1 Mini.The M1 Mini arrived exceptionally well-packaged. After unboxing and removing all the packing materials, zip ties, and screws, I powered up the unit. After all, who needs to read the instructions for a simple bed slinger? I loaded the supplied filament, selected a model from the SD card, and hit print. However, it did not print, so I checked the display to determine the issue. I was surprised to see a message indicating that the unit had not been balanced. At that moment, I realized I should have read the instructions. This brings me back to my earlier statement regarding the classification of this printer: this is no toy. The printer underwent automatic calibration to optimize print quality, and this feature alone contributes to more successful prints. I decided to explore the printer further to understand its construction and the features it offers. So, I did what most of us do: I turned to the internet to read articles and watch videos. I will not reiterate information that can easily be found online. The pictures display sample prints I sliced and highlight various points of interest. Here is what I discovered:Pros:1) Easy to use. I tried to think like someone with no printing experience. Aside from bed adhesion issues on one print, it just works.2) The display is user-friendly. Although the menus are straightforward, they may present a challenge for individuals with no prior experience. However, after a brief period, beginners will find it easy to navigate.3) Build quality. The printer exhibits excellent build quality, designed to maintain simplicity.4) By utilizing UltiMaker Cura slicing software and your own USB-B cable, you can print directly from a computer. I dislike printing from an SD card. While this may not be a significant concern for some, it is for me. The profiles can be found on the company’s website.5) The printer produces excellent results with PLA and PLA+. Although I have not tested it with TPU, the documentation indicates that it is compatible.6) You can use a standard 1 kg spool of filament.7) The removable build plate makes it easy to remove prints.Cons:1) While the build quality seems satisfactory, the extensive use of plastic raises concerns regarding its long-term durability.2) Adult supervision is required, as there is no guard in place to prevent individuals from placing their hands in the printer during operation. The nozzle can reach temperatures of up to 230°C.3) There are Orca slicer profiles available on the website; however, the Orca software cannot send a file directly to the printer using a USB-B cable. Orca is my favorite slicer.4) Space is required behind the printer. Please refer to the included picture. While it may not seem significant, it is important to keep this in mind.Yes, I acknowledge that the criticisms may seem nitpicky, but no printer is perfect. That said, this is a fully functional 3D printer. While it may resemble a toy, its features and print quality are impressive and hard to overlook. Will it print as well and possess all the features of a printer that costs two to three times as much? The answer is no. The build plate is relatively small, but if I had included this as one of the drawbacks, I believe it would miss the point of the printer. However, does the M1 Mini open the door to 3D printing for children? Without a doubt, the answer is yes. Will the kids be satisfied with what they can print? I believe they will be. The only real question I have is regarding its long-term durability, but hopefully, it is sufficient to teach the necessary skills to transition to a much larger all-metal printer.So, the real question is: Do I believe the printer meets or exceeds its intended purpose for the target audience? I can say unequivocally, yes—and even more so.

Sono un appassionato di stampa 3D, possedevo gia una A20M sempre della Geeetech, con la quale ho dovuto impiegare un po’ di tempo per imparare nozioni, dettagli e tutto ciò che può servire per fare delle buone stampe. Non avendo molto tempo a disposizione non sono mai riuscito ad avere stampe spettacolari, ma mi accntentavo delle mie riuscite. Poi ho visto he è stata lanciata questo modello, e ho deciso di provarlo. Immaginavo che fosse una entry level per chi si vuole avvicinare a questo mondo, ma non credevo che fosse ancora più facile del previsto. Parto col dire che arriva perfettamente imballata, quindi non c’è rischio di trovare brutte sorprese, tutto bene bloccato con spugna e fascette. Le istruzioni sono in inglese ma di facile comprensione. Eventualmente sul loro sito poter scaricarlo e farlo tradurre su un sito. È praticamente plug and play, la accendete fate fare un livellamento del piatto automatico e siete pronti a stampare. Con il filamento dato in confezione sono riuscito a stampare un piccolo bulbasaur e una tazzina per piantine simpatica. È estremamente veloce e precisa, le due stampe sono state fatte con layer di 0.02mm giusto per stampare e provarla, e la finitura superficiale non è per niente male, anzi, se si lavora su 0.01 penso che venga quasi perfetta la stampa. In confezione trovate tutti gli accessori occorrenti per un minimo di manutenzione, e anche una scheda SD dove troverete dei file pronti da stampare, il software sul quale poter scaricare o realizzare nuovi progetti, consiglio fortemente di usarlo perché riconosce già la stampante, quindi credo abbia già molti parametri ben settati. Vi lascio qualche foto e video, ma se volete una stampante senza troppi sbatti, dove volete realizzare oggetti non troppo grandi, può benissimo fare al caso vostro, soprattutto per il prezzo direi accessibilissimo per questo tipo di articoli. Contentissimo del ,io acquisto 😁

Der Geeetech M1 Mini kam in einer schlichten, aber praktischen Verpackung an – kein überflüssiger Schnickschnack, aber dafür punktet das Gerät selbst mit einem überraschend ansprechenden und modernen Design. Der Aufbau war erfreulich einfach und schnell erledigt, dank der zwar englischen, aber gut verständlichen Anleitung. Schon nach wenigen Minuten war alles einsatzbereit.Positiv: Eine kleine Filamentprobe sowie einige Beispielprojekte auf der beiliegenden microSD-Karte ermöglichen es, innerhalb von fünf Minuten mit dem Drucken loszulegen – ideal für Einsteiger. Die Bedienung erfolgt zwar nicht über ein Touchdisplay, aber das intuitive Drehrad mit Taster funktioniert hervorragend. Wer schon einmal mit Marlin Firmware gearbeitet hat oder die Uhr an seiner Mikrowelle stellen kann, wird sich direkt zurechtfinden.Die Menüführung ist logisch aufgebaut, und auch die Sprache lässt sich schnell auf Deutsch umstellen. Homing und Bettnivellierung lassen sich bequem über das kleine TFT-Display starten. Endschalter sind auf allen Achsen vorhanden.. Besonders erfreulich: Das Autoleveling erfolgt direkt über die Düsenspitze welche 4×4 Punkte auf dem Druckbett erfasst, was in der Praxis für sehr gute Ergebnisse sorgt.Auch an einen Filamentsensor wurde gedacht, der zuverlässig erkennt, wenn das Filament zu Ende ist oder reißt – ein echter Pluspunkt in dieser Preisklasse. Die auf der SD-Karte enthaltene Software OrcaSlicer enthält bereits ein fertiges Profil für den M1 Mini und lässt sich bequem starten oder auf einen Windows-PC übertragen.Alle beweglichen Teile sind gut gegen versehentliches Berühren geschützt – ein wichtiger Sicherheitsaspekt, gerade wenn Kinder mit dem Gerät arbeiten. Das macht den Drucker zu einer ausgezeichneten Wahl fürs Kinderzimmer, das Büro oder sogar für den mobilen Einsatz im Wohnmobil. Das Druckbett ist zwar kompakt, verbraucht dafür aber auch weniger Energie. Es erreichte in meiner Messung an der Oberfläche bis zu ~55°C, was für PLA und TPU vollkommen ausreichend ist. Auch traue ich diesem Thermometer durchaus auch eine Drift von einigen Grad zu. Die PEI-Druckplatte mit strukturierter und glatter Seite erlaubt zudem Experimente mit verschiedenen Materialien und Oberflächentexturen.Mein erster Testdruck, ein Calibration Cube, zeigte bereits recht gute Ergebnisse. Die Maße waren weitestgehend korrekt, nur bei der Z-Achse bzw. dem ersten Layer werde ich in den Einstellungen noch etwas nachjustieren. Besonders praktisch: Einen passenden Halter für 1-kg-Spulen konnte ich mir nachträglich drucken – zu finden bei cults3d.com unter dem Namen „GEEETECH M1 MINI 1KG SPOOL HOLDER ADAPTER FOR ORIGINAL SPOOL ROD“. Alternativ kann man natürlich auch einen externen Spulenhalter für ein paar Euro dazukaufen.Fazit:Für einen wirklich günstigen Preis bekommt man mit dem Geeetech M1 Mini einen ausgereiften, kompakten 3D-Drucker. Die Bedienung ist einfach, der Funktionsumfang aber erstaunlich groß – mit vielen Möglichkeiten zur individuellen Anpassung. Ob als Einstieg in die Welt des 3D-Drucks oder als kompakter Zweitdrucker: Der M1 Mini macht richtig Spaß. Meine Kinder werden ihn jedenfalls lieben.