Tempting prospective buyers with its pinpoint precision and rugged construction, the Monoprice Maker Select Ultimate 3D printer looks like a great value at first glance. Does this printer live up to its promising name, though? We take a hard look at this printer to uncover its true merits and flaws in today's Monoprice Maker Select Ultimate 3D printer review.
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Printing Speed
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Build Size
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Precision
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Value
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Design
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User Experience
Monoprice Maker Select Ultimate 3D Printer Review Basics
The Monoprice Ultimate’s specs align exactly with what you would expect from a 3D printer in this price range. The metal-frame design measures 14.2 x 17.3 x 18.9-inches and weighs a hefty 30lbs when fully assembled. The Monoprice Ultimate’s total print area measures an average 7.9 x 7.9 x 6.9-inches, which is sufficient for most hobbyists. The brand claims that this printer can use a wide variety of filaments, but note that the print bed can only heat up to 100ºC, and ABS usually requires a 110ºC print surface.
Impressively, the Monoprice Ultimate is capable of high resolution printing with layers as small as 20 microns. It prints at average speeds around 30-80mm/s for best results, though this printer does go up to 350mm/s in move speed. Choose from either an SD card or USB stick to upload your Gcode and start printing.
Monoprice Maker Select Ultimate 3D Printer Review Pros
All-Metal Construction
All-metal construction is important in 3D printing for a couple reasons. First, a sturdy metal frame keeps the machine steady while printing, creating less error in your finished model. Next, metal construction is more durable and likely to last through thousands of hours of use. The Monoprice Ultimate’s heavy anodized metal frame is exactly what you want when it comes to solid, practical design. Better yet, the Monoprice Ultimate operates at a whisper-quiet 49dB despite its hulking size.
Capable of Using Multiple Filaments
Even though the print bed only reaching 100ºC, the Monoprice Ultimate is still well-suited to print in a wide variety of filaments. You can even get decent results with ABS in a controlled environment, especially with an enclosure. The Monoprice Ultimate’s hot end reaches max temperatures of 260ºC, meaning this 3D printer can use filaments like TPU, PETG, any nylon filaments among many others.
Monoprice Maker Select Ultimate 3D Printer Review Cons
Quality Control
A common problem in the 3D printing industry is quality control, and unfortunately Monoprice suffers from QC issues in all their 3D printers. Interestingly, the Monoprice Ultimate is just a rebranded Wanhao Duplicator 6, which of course is also known for subpar or failing components. What can you expect to replace on your Monoprice Ultimate? Users frequently complain about the flimsy fans, finicky print bed heating element, and under-performing power supply. You see similar complaints with other Monoprice printers like the Monoprice Maker Select.
Monoprice Maker Select Ultimate 3D Printer Review Verdict
Ultimately, we need Monoprice to step up their QC game before we put a full recommendation behind their printers. Sure, the Monoprice Ultimate is a perfectly serviceable machine – IF you manage to get one of the good ones. Even then, you’d need to upgrade a few components to get professional quality results. For the same price you can get the much more reliable QIDI TECH I with dual extrusion. For a little bit more you can get the enviable Flashforge Creator Pro, also with dual extrusion. Either of those printers would be a better investment than the lacking Monoprice Ultimate.
