I literally have another video uploaded and ready to release, but I’m holding off on that one because this needed to be out right now.
In my haste to make this video, though, I might have skipped a few critiques I had prepared. Like how they’re trying to make 16 sample rolls of filament for $20 sound like a deal, when you can buy 20 sample rolls on Amazon for $10 right now. Or the fact that the ceramic nozzle means this is basically a 3D pen on an arm. And when I checked out it added a $20 shipping charge, regardless of where you were shipping it, making this actually a $110 3D printer with free shipping anywhere.
I will admit this has less red flags screaming at me than past campaigns have, and there have been enough surprise green flags that I’ve had to re-think whether I should be worried or not.
Striking the right tone in this video was tough. I didn’t want to come across as accusatory, I was going more for “analytical”, but I’m afraid I landed on cynical. I worry that people are going to think my goal is to tank their campaign. And if people start bailing out because of this video, I would feel bad. But, then again, maybe this campaign should have just been a preorder. And maybe they should have tried getting their units in reviewers hands 4 months ago, instead of 2 weeks before their campaign launched.
I’m a critical reviewer. I know this. It’s a choice. If a 3D printer delivers on it’s promises and moves the world of 3D printing forward, I will praise it’s name all day. But if it’s crap in a box, I will give it no quarter. So I don’t blame a company when they say “Yeah, don’t give this guy our stuff.” And that’s okay. If the only 3D printers I ever review are vying for the S rank on my next tier list, and really delivering on that challenge… oh, that would be heaven.
It’s been getting harder to release videos recently. What with all the sound and video and syncing and editing, and trying to keep people attention with cuts every 5 seconds and sound effects. I really only have a few hours a day to work on this stuff nowadays, and I always feel like I’m falling behind. And then something comes along where I more-or-less need to get it out rapidly so I fire up OBS, record it in an hour (few failed takes, one good one that was too long, and a second one where I’m a little more concise), then I mug in front of a screen shot in OBS to get a thumbnail as quick as possible, and throw it up on YouTube in a night.
And I can immediately tell that this video is going to do great. And despite knowing the answer, I can’t help but as “Why can’t they all be like this?”
Update: So before the video even went live, the comment section had some drama. A commenter pointed out that the prints surrounding that printer clearly did not come from it. And in response, the project creator doubled down on the lie, claiming that they could be colored afterwards or assembling them. Now, that’s technically true, but that’s clearly not what’s happened here. Otherwise the batman would have had more color than just the best and logo, the low poly pokemon would have been different as well. These are very clearly 3D prints made on a different 3D printer, with dual color capability and a bigger build volume, and posed around this printer. for a pretty picture. But they couldn’t just be honest about it and it calls into question the rest of their claims.
Again, there’s a reasonable explanation. The person doing the marketing and the people doing the engineering are not the same people. So there’s a very good chance that the engineering is still good. But there’s also the chance that this is a scam and they’re trying to cover their butts. Them doubling down and trying to convince us that those prints came from this printer doesn’t bode well for their overall campaign.
