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Monoprice Maker Choose Mini V2

"It's more evolutionary than revolutionary, but Monoprices Maker Select V2 still offers a lot for your money."

• Affordable

• Robust construction

• Reliable printing

• Good print quality

A few years ago, Monoprice took the 3D printing world by storm with the original Maker Select Mini: a 3D printer that was only $ 200 and had all the bells and whistles we could ever want. Now it's back with version two of this revolutionary printer – so of course we took a jaunt to see how it stacks up to the original.

Excellent functions and specifications

Monoprices V2 builds on the solid specifications and features of the first generation and adds some minor (but important!) Upgrades.

These improvements include a hot metal end that improves warming and prevents clogging, and a heated / insulated print bed that increases pressure adhesion and prevents warping.

Riley Young / Digital Trends

In addition to this improved heated bed, the V2 surface has a special pad material (similar to BuildTak) that promotes adhesion during the printing process and makes it easier to remove parts after completion. Finally, MP has also equipped the V2 with an internal fan that prevents overheating.

There are also some things that have not changed. Just like the first generation, the V2's maximum resolution is 100 microns (0.1 millimeters), which is fairly average, but acceptable for the price. Like the first generation, the building shell is a perfect 4.7-inch cube. This specification is also somewhat average, but still not bad.

The setup of this V2 is probably the easiest we have ever seen.

The all-metal hot end maintains the same maximum temperature of 230, which allows you to print with a fairly wide range of filament types, but keeps you away from some of the more exotic, higher temperature materials. At the inputs and outputs, you can load your models onto the Mini V2 using a micro SD card, a direct USB connection or even via WLAN using the new mobile app from Monoprice.

All in all, the V2 is certainly more of an evolution than a revolution, but Monoprice's enhancements are smart enhancements that make a huge contribution to the reliability and overall performance of the printer – and they only cost an additional $ 20.

Setup and configuration

The setup of the V2 is probably the easiest we have ever seen. It is completely assembled and delivered calibrated at the factory. All you have to do is unpack it and supply some electricity. There's not even an on switch – just plug it in and you're good to go.

Riley Young / Digital Trends

From there, the super simple user interface of Monoprice makes the remaining setup steps almost child's play. Things like loading filaments and fine-tuning the print bed are extremely easy to do.

To make a comparison, setting up the V2 is about as complicated as setting up a brand new toaster. It's hellishly simple, but it can take a little while to find the ideal settings that will result in this perfect golden brown toast slice.

Design and build quality

Lifting this printer out of the box surprised us – it is surprisingly heavy for its size. This is mainly due to the all-metal construction of the Mini V2, which makes it an incredibly robust machine that doesn't wobble too much when printing.

Monoprice has redesigned everything aesthetically.

It is also quite easy on the eyes. Most of the mechanisms of the V2 are hidden behind its metal exterior and not visible, so the machine does not look as rudimentary and functional as some of its competitors. Even better, despite the slim design of the printer and the hidden components, the interior is still easily accessible.

To be fair, we never had to tinker with the V2 during our test process, but accessible design and easily replaceable parts are something we like to see on a printer. Ten points on Gryffindor Mono price.

User interface and software

Monoprice achieved good grades in this category. Both the onboard software and the desktop-based slicer programs are wonderfully easy to use – although the latter is not necessarily thanks to Monoprice.

Riley Young / Digital Trends

As with all printers, the Select Mini V2 from Monoprice works with the desired slicer program (the software that translates your 3D design into instructions that a printer can follow). We used Cura: one of the most powerful and customizable slicers in the world, which now includes pre-configured profiles for many of the most popular MP printers. This makes the whole process extremely convenient since you no longer have to manually configure your computer.

The integrated user interface is similarly simple and has not changed too much since the first generation. The V2 has the same button-based navigation scheme and intuitive menu trees – but Monoprice has aesthetically redesigned everything.

Suffice it to say that you have no problems with this device.

Printing performance

Don't be fooled by the price tag – the Select Mini V2 prints like a dream.

Our first print with the Mini was the infamous “Lucky Cat Model” that Monoprice pre-installed on the printer's SD card. Not surprisingly, it's gotten great since most models like this one have been fine-tuned by the manufacturer. To get a better idea of ​​the performance of the V2, we went through our standard benchmark suite.

Riley Young / Digital Trends

As always, the first of these was the 3DBenchy: a torturous torture test designed to highlight the strengths, weaknesses and quirks of a printer. To our great joy, the Mini V2 did a fantastic job. No matter what parameters we set, the tractor was always clean, precise and very consistent from shift to shift. Some of the boat's superfine details didn't come through as clearly as we'd like, but it's worth noting that almost all FDM printers have problems in this area, and the Select Mini V2 works just as well (if not better than). like most printers, which cost ten times as much. Other tricky elements such as steep overhangs and unsupported spans were also reproduced without significant errors.

After printing random (usually Star Wars-related) objects that we found on Thingiverse for a few weeks, we found that the Mini V2 is also quite reliable. While you are concerned about some 3D printers and unsure whether they will complete the job, we were very confident with this device.

The only real disadvantage here is the relatively small shell of the V2.

Thanks to the heated bed and the solid construction of the printer, it doesn't fail often during the printing process – unless you make a cut error and do not prepare the model properly. This printer is still subject to the laws of physics. We definitely recommend printing with support unless you are sure you don't need it.

Overall, the new and improved Select Mini from Monoprice receives good grades for its performance. We've seen a few bugs, dropouts, and funky-looking prints, but this was the exception, not the norm. The V2 prints just as well (and in some ways even better) than printers with much higher prices. The only real downside to this is the V2's relatively small build envelope, which limits the range of objects you can create with it.

Our opinion

The Maker Select V2 is definitely more of an evolution than a revolution – but in this case that's a good thing. Monoprice did not have to reinvent the wheel with this machine and luckily did not try it. Instead, a new profile was used and an absolutely solid product made that was better than the original – and the original was already pretty good. The V2 may not be the best 3D printer in the world, but it will be difficult for you to find a better mix of price and performance.

Is there a better alternative?

If your main concern is to get the best for your money, look no further. You will only find so many features in Monoprice that are included in such an affordable package.

If $ 220 is too expensive for you, we also recommend the MP Mini Delta, which is about $ 60 to $ 70 cheaper but has a slightly smaller shell.

If construction is your main concern, we recommend you check out the Monoprice Maker Select Plus – probably one of the best printers we've ever tested. In terms of printing performance, it's almost identical to the Maker Select Mini V2, but has a much larger footprint that allows you to print much larger objects. It also has a touch screen, which is nice.

How long it will take?

In return, if you treat this little guy well, you are likely to get a long life. Due to its all-metal construction, durable components, extensive spare parts and the continued software support of Monoprice, the Select Mini V2 seems to be well suited for a long life on your desktop.

Should you buy it

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! This printer offers an almost perfect mix of price and performance. So if you've been patiently waiting for an affordable printer that isn't shit, your time has come.

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