I just started in 3D printing with this amazing machine, and I have to say it gets the job done well. I've never printed anything before, but I found it extremely quick and easy to get up and running with the Longer Orange 30 in no time. Rather than go with something easy, like the included files, for my first prints, I went with the objects you see in the photos. Talk about trial by fire--but I really learned a lot about how to do supports that way. The very first print I made on this machine was the cat. I was very pleased with the overall quality of the print produced. The only issue I had with it was the thumb on the one side--I failed to properly support it and it appears slightly melted-looking. My second print was the green knight. It was extremely difficult to get all the supports in there, and I lost some of the fabric at the bottom of the garment because I got the supports too close to the fabric and it snapped off during cleanup. (note: as you can tell, I did not do any sanding to get off any support leftovers on the base and figure) After the knight, I did experience a slight problem with a leak in the vat, which led to a big problem. I'll get to that in a moment. After I resolved that issue, I printed out the ring. The details are quite fine and apart from some support nubs that need removal, it looks superb. As for the problem I experienced, after printing the knight, I had an issue where resin somehow got into the area between the vat and screen. I have no idea how it got in there, but the very next print I did, between the knight and the ring, turned out a very expensive brick of resin. I removed the vat and inspected the machine, and was saddened to find the seal had failed around the screen and allowed resin to get onto the wires. I removed the screen in the hopes of attempting to clean the wires, and the corner snapped off with light, gentle handling. I reached out to company support and received a prompt response. Within days they sent me a replacement vat, lcd screen, and new bottle of resin for my trouble. I was very impressed with their commitment to customer service/support to say the least, and I have no problem recommending this purchase as a result. I'm back up and running, very happy with my wonderful 3D printer. My only advice to you on this matter is to carefully inspect the seal after/before every print, check the vat for any leaks, and be extremely cautious with the resin because, as some have pointed out elsewhere, the stuff tends to get places you'd never expect it to get. As for the seal, I'm currently using electrical tape and will update this review if I have any news to report. I hear that kapton tape is the stuff to get, and I will probably switch over to that as soon as I can. I gave the touch screen only 3 stars because it isn't as responsive as I'd like. It works okay, but I generally have to make sure a fingernail and the fleshy part of my finger are touching it at the same time for it to register contact. Having said that, it's clear and easy to use otherwise. Just can sometimes be a pain in the rear. The included software seems okay, but really I found Chitubox much easier to use with a necessary plugin file to make it work with this printer. Both are free, but the plugin was hard for me to locate. I went with the link provided by this guy at youtube: gj-ii3XzTEw. That plugin worked great for me, and after installing it, I never touched the included software again. A couple of things about Chitubox--DO NOT use autosupport function as it will likely mess up your print, AND there seems to be a bug on really high resolution layers where holes that are placed in objects do not go all the way through. You can find mention of it on their forum. I had to use a drill to let the resin out through the hole which did not go all the way through on both models. That's an issue with Chitubox, however, and not Longer's printer. As for my settings--I was using the translucent green Anycubic plant-based "safety" resin with the following settings and they worked well for this resin: Layer Height .04, Bottom Layer 6, Exposure Time 10 and Bottom Exposure Time 60. I did switch up to .05 mm layer height after having the hole not complete issue at .04 mm, but it did not seem to help. It may have been because I didn't make the hole a large enough diameter. Not sure. Again, not Longer's fault. You can see the print quality in the knight especially--right down to the leather buckle straps sticking out on the sides of the chest plate armor. My advice for noobs like me on support structures is to check out 3DPrintingPro's updated settings on YouTube. Very, very helpful stuff. You see what I was able to make within a few days of receiving my printer. If I can do it, anyone can. Apart from one hiccup, I'm very impressed with Longer and their printer. They provide superb customer service, and even though the replacement screen was shipped from China, it arrived in only a few days. Be sure to check out their Facebook support page for news and tips. Oh, and one of the creators/company founders got his Phd at Georgia Tech. Very cool. I was nervous about taking the plunge on an item like this with no 3d printing experience, but I'm extremely happy and satisfied with the return on my money that this has given me. For the print size possible at the price point offered, I think it's a worthy investment and point of entry to the hobby+. Still working out whether or not it will be possible to make money with this.
