I’m having issues with a brand new Form 2 (less than a week old). Support is trying to help me. I need a 1.3mm hex as recommended in the procedure sent to me. The tools I bought so far (based on spec) are not a good fit and could potentially strip the screw and do more harm. I’m on my 3rd try to buy a set of hex tools, not sure how many tools of the same type I needed to buy to get this right.
I have other printers I bought from different sources, most of them have tools included, even the cheap ones from china has them.
I’m not sure if this was even mentioned before, but having physical tools in the package of new printers should be of great value and provide less stress for loyal customer and not go through what I’m dealing with now.
Honestly I’m having more stress with the Form 2 now than my cheap china printer. I also have a form 1+ which is doing absolutely amazing at the moment. Hopefully it last a little bit longer.
I don’t think they want people to self service the machines typically. Most the tools out are made in China. The nippers that are included with the Formlabs machines are pretty cheaply made when compared to Xerons that I use but there is a significant difference in price where the Xerons cost around $12+ and Formlabs ones guessing $3. Having a tool kit I would guess in this case would have cheap wrenches and only add to the cost of the machine if supplied by the manufacturer.
If the hex key seem loose it and calls for a specific size then chances are the screw is partially stripped. Best bet is get both metric and sae key sets and find the one that is closest and replace that screw.
Many companies use electric screw drivers when assembling units and often over torque the screws.
How come the procedure they gave me requires the use of a tool? I was under the impression that they are asking to do it myself. So given that they are suggesting that, I was hoping a tool kit will come in handy. If people can buy a $4000 printer, A tool kit that adds a few dollars minus the headache is the best value in my opinion. Not all people are technically gifted to go through all this. For me, a labeled toolkit that have the necessary tools recommended in their customer self service procedures are more valuable than the scraper, tweezers and flush cutter included in the package. I’m not saying they are not important but I can buy those stuff with my eyes closed.
If additional cost is your concern, then have them sell a separate toolkit. I would love to buy one now to save me from further tinkering and buying incompatible stuff
Also, not all people have these tools ready, you need to buy them anyways if required. So why not buy one that’s already a good match? I don’t think FormLabs will make cheap tools by the way.
Fact of the matter is, for the price, even a cheap kit should be included because at some point they are likely to ask you to open it. I agree that a tool set is something to be included beyond the foot adjustment disc. Both my Robo and Ultimaker came with decent sets and they didn’t really affect price.
That being said, you may want to just order a tool in exactly the size you need instead of trying to get close enough. Best of luck.
I believe they try to do the service themselves in most cases to avoid warranty issues. Not everyone wants to tear their printer apart or attempt to fix themselves. In rare cases FL does have the customer do self service but majority of work is done by FL.
Adding a tool kit to the package would lead consumers to believe that the machines always have issues and need repairs and would not come across marketing wise on the ease of use message they try to keep.
cjryker, im glad you see my point in suggesting this to formlabs. If you read my post, I actually ordered the exact recommended size of 1.3mm. One came with a set of other sizes. It turns out, not all brands have exact sizes, some brands have + or - the actual spec size. Unfortunately mine came but it’s a loose fit so I have to order again. Again the exact same size. So I’m hoping this other one will be the correct tolerance and would be a perfect match. Hence my suggestion, if only formlabs have made these recommended tools available then I don’t to go through all this.
KenCitron, At this point and from reading in the various threads in this forum, YES they always have issues. And YES i’m not having an easy time with my printer at the moment. So ease of use is kind of like questionable at this point. Reliability I’ve yet to see.
Also I don’t want to fix the printer myself, but Customer Support is asking me “the customer” to grab a tool which I don’t have at the moment and re-torque a grounding screw. What choice do I have? Can I say NO and they would just send a brand new printer?
My less than a week old printer suddenly is displaying “RESIN SENSOR ERROR” and would do nothing else. I contacted customer support and suggested that I reseat a ground screw but the procedure they sent needs a 1.3mm HEX KEY which I don’t have, so I have to go and buy. Hence this suggestion post, why not include a tool kit for the recommended tools to be included in the package or atleast make them available for sale to remove guess work from the customer.
I see your point and if that is a new machine and under warranty then FL should fix it on their dime. I would think it would be unreasonable to ask the customer to self service a machine that is under warranty. Issues like that are the result of poor qc. Seems like someone in qc needs a career change. IMO unless FedEx played football with the package during shipment there should be no reason for the machine not to work as expected out of the box especially for the price.
Put pressure on them and get it fixed/replaced on them. That is the right thing they should do.
Thanks KenCitron, yes, that’s exactly what I’m trying to say. Speaking of poor QC here’s another issue from last night, I already opened a ticket and still waiting for a response, remember this is a brand new sealed unit when I got it a few days ago.
Unfortunately I’m having problems with F2 and it’s been three weeks and I have not been able to solve it unfortunately I do not seem to be aware of the demand for printer problems with the V2 resin. My impressions are not the same.
Why are the hinges discolored? Look nice if they are supposed to be antiqued but look like crap if they tried to chrome them.
Looks like someone snagged the wrong screw. Not a big deal but poor qc. When i first got my Form1+ i lost my first tank and bottle of resin trying to get one good print. Turned out the inside was so dusty the mirrors needed to be replaced which i had them do under warranty. After that it prints pretty much flawlessly and only failed prints I had since were do to my own error.
I found the 1.3 mm hex drivers on Amazon. I ordered 2 for $7. When my package came I found I had ordered 2 packages with 10 per package. I bought 20 for $7. I followed the instructions sent me. I loosened each screw, then re-tightened the screws and I have not had a problem since.
I’m not sure how frequently support really is asking users to open their printers. My F1+ hasn’t had to be opened ever (though the F1 that preceded it did go back to the factory twice.)
If they really did want to include tools, they could put them in a heavy envelope marked do not open unless instructed by support, or even put a panel with a warranty void sticker on it to hold tools.
Alternately they could just offer to ship the tools needed for a support issue. Would be a lot cheaper than shipping the whole printer 2 ways.
