Are you looking for a high end desktop 3D printer to push your 3D Printer hobby or business to new heights?
Bottom Line Up Front
For those of you with someplace to be:
Our Pros: It is self-cleaning, comes with an automatic print bed and truly prints at a high quality. It is also easy to make use of and supports a huge amount of filament types.
Our Cons: The Taz 6 produces quite a racket when in use. Expect to hear a buzz and clunky sounds throughout its use.
Our Bottom Line: The LulzBot Taz 6 is a serious additive manufacturing device that can be used in commercial settings unlike other desktop computers in its class. It also makes up for its solid build by costing you upwards of $2,000 for its quality and stability. Although its price puts it out of a lot of people’s price range, its features, print quality and the large LulzBot community surrounding it, makes it a 3D printer worth having.
Stop reading here and Buy LulzBot Taz 6 Now!
LulzBot Taz 6 Review. Build it better!
There is no question, if you are looking at the Lulzbot Taz 6 you are more than a beginner. The price tag alone indicates you are ready to take a big step up in your 3D printing. Stability plays a major role in determining how accurately a 3D printer carries out its duty. Therefore, stability is a big deal for mid-level users all the way up to professional users and manufacturers who produce commercial goods with a 3D printer. So are you looking for stability? Is it time for you to step up to produce some truly outstanding prints? Are you considering making real money with your 3D Printing hobby, or even going full pro? Then this comprehensive review of the LulzBot Taz 6 is definitely something you should read and bookmark as a reference point for whenever you intend to purchase one.
The LulzBot brand—created by Aleph Objects—has garnered a name in the 3D printing community, since the first of its kind was sold to the public in 2011. Therefore, purchasing a LulzBot 3D printer means you are buying into an established brand which can be quite costly. The Taz 6 is a desktop 3D printer going by its size. The printer packs a punch that is worth the high price you will be paying for it. Let’s explore the different features of the Taz 6 and see if the price and power are worth it for you.
The Criteria for Reviewing the LulzBot Taz 6
Conducting a review without set parameters will be an effort in futility this is why I have outlined the 8 criteria that will form the backbone of the Taz 6’s review. You can also learn more about why these major criteria were chosen in our comprehensive 3D printer buyer’s guide.
- Printing Technique/Type
- Assembled or kit
- Filament Type
- Build Volume
- Print Bed
- Connection
- Print Speed
- Extruder
Unboxing the LulzBot Taz 6
The LulzBot is definitely a high-end desktop 3d printer that brings to your table the engine needed to create top-grade 3D prints with ease. And like all LulzBot products, the Taz 6 is a device that must be assembled from scratch before any printing can take place. On opening the package, you will see the diverse parts that make up the Taz 6. The box contains:
- The Taz 6’s components—consists of a base, the Y-axis components, the tool head
- Wires and Cables
- An impressive tool kit for assembling and maintaining the 3D printer.
- Start/user guide
- Filament spool holder
- PLA filament
- AC and USB cables
The task of assembling the LulzBot is one that will take the average person 20 – 30 minutes to complete. Thankfully, the set-up guide is quite comprehensive and eases this task for you.
Pro Tip: Every hex key—with different screw heads—is provided in the kit for your personal use. Do not attempt to use non-approved tools or it can leave your 3D printer unstable due to loose ends.
The LulzBot Taz 6 Features
Once all its components have been set-up, the Taz 6 is ready to 3D print using the popular Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) / Fused Deposit Modelling (Technique) to 3D print whatever you choose. Getting started is quite easy due to the prominent LCD controls that have been provided for your use. Using the Taz 6 is also a lesson in versatility as you can make use of both its controls and a software app to control its features.
Although the Taz 6 is billed as an all-purpose 3D printer that can be used to print a plethora of materials—approximately 33—, I recommend starting with the provided PLA filament in order to test its printing abilities. The control screen provides only major feedback —print speed, level of completion etc.—which means you are better served using software—such as Cura—to control it. In terms of its build volume, the Taz 6 is relatively big for a desktop 3D printer and its build volume of 280 * 280 * 250mm which makes it large enough for 3D printing domestic items and small/medium sized components for diverse industries.
One of the stand-out features of the LulzBot Taz 6 is its automated print bed. It plays a huge role in the stability of the entire structure while 3D printing. This alongside its changeable nozzle makes printing with the Taz 6 an easy task to execute. Meaning you don’t have to worry so much about calibrating nozzle distance and heat-bed temperature.
In terms of print speed, the LulzBot Taz 6 can print at a maximum speed of 200mm/s and at a layer resolution of 50 – 500 microns. The quality of its print is determined by the speed you choose and to simplify this choice for beginners, the Taz 6 comes with pre-set 3D printing standards to choose from namely:
- Standard—this provides medium speed and medium print quality
- High Speed—this focuses on quickly completing a project but at a reduced quality.
- High Details—increases the quality of your prints.
This gives you enough versatility to determine the quality of your 3D prints. The LulzBot is fed digital models using an SD card.
The LulzBot Taz 6 Software
The Taz 6 prides itself as an open-source 3D printer that supports the use of the major 3D printing software applications out there. Although the default slicer that comes with it is Cura, you can also make use of other options such as; Octoprint, BotQueue, PrintRun etc.
Other Cool Features of the Taz 6
This LulzBot is billed as a self-cleaning 3D printer and it does this by making use of a small felt pad which automatically cleans its nozzle after extrusions occur. This is an effective feature which reduces the possibility of nozzle blocks and other extrusion problems.
Is it decision time already?
The LulzBot Taz 6 is a powerhouse. I won’t try and trick you, not everybody needs a 3D printer with this printer’s pedigree. If you’ve tried other 3D printers, and they just aren’t enough for you, if you are thinking about trying to go commercial, or if you really need extremely high quality this is the printer for you. Yes, it will cost you, but the price accurately reflects the quality of the product you will get, and the quality of the product you’ll produce.
Now you have a choice to make. Do you want to do nothing at all, and keep putting off the decision to start on this awesome 3D Printer hobby? You know how that will turn out. Do you really want to continue to procrastinate? Take action and turn your daydreams into reality. Finally get that 3D Printer, and make your thoughts real objects you can hold in your hand.
It’s time to say goodbye now, but first here’s what you do now. Click the button below to go to Amazon, add this bad boy to your cart, and proceed to checkout. Don’t forget to stock up on filament to start too.