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We liked
There's no doubt that the Form 2 is one of the best desktop 3D printers presently available. Build quality is excellent with good solid construction and careful attention to detail.
Small features such as the adjustable legs for levelling make life easier, and the design of the resin tank that slots directly into the back of the machine keeps everything very neat and tidy.
The interface on the Form 2 is extremely easy to use and connecting to your Wi-Fi or wired network is a straightforward simple process.
The bundled software might look simple but the powerful built-in tools ensure that you always get a decent print.
What really makes the Form 2 stand out is the incredible quality of prints. Printed at the highest quality setting and using standard resin, the prints produced showed far greater detail than any other printer we've seen.
We disliked
The Form 2 is expensive both to buy and run costing more than double that of a good high-end FFM printer.
Depending on the type you use, resin also costs considerably more than filament and there is far less choice.
The more expensive resins also need a high level of skill to use properly. Unlike filament printers, SLA printers print solid, and this uses up more material again making it far more expensive.
The biggest downside of the Form 2 as with all SLA printers is the cleaning process once the print is finished. When carried out properly, this process can consume as much time as it takes for the print itself to be produced.
Final verdict
The Form 2 is designed for anyone needing a high-end 3D printing solution and is ideal for those needing to produce prototypes, small product runs or highly detailed quality models or jewellery designs.
The process of producing a print is far more time consuming, messy and expensive than an FFM printer, but the end results are exceptional.
The amount of resins presently available does limit you on colour but the specialist resins such as castable, tough and flexible open up a huge variety of possibilities.
Although the Form 2 is a desktop printer and is well priced enabling it to be purchased and used in the home, it's really designed for the work, education or for the high-end enthusiast.
If you're looking for the best possible finish and quality from a desktop 3D printer then at present there is nothing that comes close to the Form 2.
- Also check out: Weren't we supposed to have 3D printers everywhere by now?
