In our Monoprice Mini Delta V2 review, we go through the specs of this cheap 3D printer and put it to the test to see whether it’s worth the affordable price.
The MP Mini Delta v2.0 is one of the best 3D printers under $200 you might want to get if you are on a budget. This is a compact, whisper-quiet 3D printer with auto leveling and WiFi connection.
We are regularly looking out for 3D printers that also make it easy for beginners to successful print their first objects. Such a 3D printer should be cheap and also easy to operate. Moreover, it should be ready for use out of the box without requiring much previous knowledge or even tuning measures.
One of the printers that meets these guidelines is the Monoprice MP Mini Delta V2.0. This is a fully assembled plug-and-play printer with a small installation space of 110 x 110 x 120 mm.
With the low 30dB operating volume specified by the manufacturer, the small delta design 3D printer could be placed on your desk while you work. The unit weighs 3.5 kg, has a height of 45 cm and features a practical carrying handle. You can quickly put away or set up again.
The Monoprice MP Mini Delta v2.0 has the basic features for a perfect desktop 3D printer. But does it deliver good results in practice? We’ll find out below in our review.
Monoprice MP Mini Delta V2 Review
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Monoprice Mini Delta v2 Technical Specs
3D Printing Specifications
| Heated Build Plate | Yes |
| Build Area | ø110 x 120mm |
| Resolution | 40‑200 microns |
| Filament Diameter | 1.75mm |
| Print Speed | Up to 170mm/sec |
| Maximum Extruder Temperature | 180 ~ 260°C |
| Software | Cura and many other open source slicers |
| Wireless Printing | PoloPrint Pro Wi‑Fi® App |
| Compatible Materials | PLA, PLA+, ABS |
| Full Auto Leveling | Yes |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Auto Resume | Yes |
Furnishing
The Monoprice MP Mini Delta v2.0 is a Delta printer. However, Cartesian 3D printers are the most popular, followed by Core XY printers. Delta printers are the least popular types of 3D printers.
With Cartesian printers, each axis has at least one motor that moves the print head and the print bed back and forth in one direction. In a Delta printer, on the other hand, the print head is attached to three arms that move up and down to apply pressure and counter-pressure to the print head, thus pushing it back and forth. The height is built by moving all three arms up at the same time with each layer increase.
The installation space of Cartesian printers is similar in all three spatial axes. On the other hand, the installation space of delta printers is always circular in the horizontal X and Y plane, and smaller in relation to the Z height. Therefore, Delta printers are ideally suited for objects that are large in height and narrow in width or depth.
Due to their construction, delta printers can print much faster and with consistent quality than their Cartesian counterparts.
The Monoprice MP Mini Delta v2.0 is a real mini printer with a building space height of 120 mm and a circular building space area of just 110 mm. However, it still has the features of a full-fledged model. In addition to an automatic leveling function, a user-friendly color display and WLAN are also on board.
With automatic leveling, the print head traces three points on the outer edge of the circle at the beginning of each print. Snaps under the bed register the contact pressure of the print head. As a result, the printer recognizes the zero point of the respective print area and knows where the first layer has to be placed.
The Monoprice Mini Select 2 also has an upgraded display that is more user friendly. While it is still small, you can use it with the supplied white touch pen. Another upgrade is the printer’s WLAN function, which now allows the wireless transfer of print data.
Construction
The Monoprice MP Mini Delta v2.0 arrives neatly and securely packaged. The sensitive print head is additionally secured using a cardboard box. With the carrying handle, the small printer with its massive frame made of aluminum and sheet steel can be quickly pulled out of the box.
After that, you have to remove the print head transport lock, plug in the power cable and hook the filament holder onto a strut on the side of the printer.
The next step is the optional setup of the WLAN connection. Unlike some printers we’ve tested so far, the MP Mini Delta v2.0 connected to the WLAN network immediately and without any problems.
Installation
Setting up the printer is exactly what you would expect from a plug and play product. Switch it on, load the filament, insert the supplied SD card, select a test file and start printing.
The nozzle and the heating bed reach the desired printing temperature in just under two minutes. After that, the print head aligned itself and started auto-leveling. After the print head has driven off the three points, the printing process starts immediately. We didn’t expect it to be that easy.
Entry level ready-made printers have improved significantly in recent months. The experiences with the Qidi Tech X-Max and Flashforge Adventurer 3 surprised us positively.
You can edit and print 3D objects with the included free slicer software, Cura. The slicer, as the name suggests, cuts the 3D model into layers, calculates the paths of the print nozzle and adapts the model to the mechanical structure of the printer. A profile for the Monoprice MP Delta Mini v2.0 is already preinstalled in Cura.
When the software is ready, select the Printers section under Preferences and look for “Add non-networked printers”. Under Monoprice, select the MP Delta Mini v2.0. After that, you can already see the round construction platform in Cura and you can load the print files into it by dragging & dropping. In the test, we mostly use the default print settings from Cura
The operation is simple and convenient. Thanks to the WLAN connection, there is no need to switch SD cards or USB sticks, which is very practical if you use them frequently.
The small printer processes commands well. The massive frame and the individual components leave a decent impression. The noise during the printing process is actually low. In fact, the printer is quieter than most budget printers.
However, we would not describe the printer as whisper-quiet. In addition to the audible fans, an unpleasant whine occurs, especially at high printing speeds.
Print Quality
We printed four test files, three of which turned out very well. A good cut. Big overhangs in test file 4, the jumping jack, made things difficult for the Monoprice MP Mini Delta v2.0. With better software adjustments, such as reducing the speed or adding support structures, you should be able to get the problem under control.
We also printed the model of Big Ben twice as a test. We sliced it in Cura; once with 60mm/s print speed and once with 20mm/s print speed. Both variants printed to the end. Unfortunately, the fine tips at the corners and on the tip were stuck with excess filament in both attempts or simply not printed cleanly.
During troubleshooting, we realized a couple of things. First, the model was simply scaled too small to get very clean results. On the same note, better retract settings, slower speeds and maybe installing a stronger fan should help. Since the hot end cooler is also a component cooler at the same time, we suspect insufficient cooling of the freshly squeezed hot filament. Slower speeds might help as they also mean longer cooling times for the hot filament.
A little bit of explanation: Retract means that the printer retracts filament when changing location to prevent hot filament from seeping out of the nozzle and pulling threads. Incorrect retract settings produce wafer-thin filament threads or overall unclean prints.
In addition, we printed a large model using black ABS. ABS is a moderately difficult filament to process since it is more heat resistant and stable than PLA. However, it also has a strong tendency to shrink. This means that the model can detach from the construction platform during printing, or stress cracks can appear in the model.
Although the heatbed only reaches 60 degrees instead of the required 100-110 degrees, the print adhered surprisingly well to the print bed. But without a housing, as expected, there were severe stress cracks in the relatively large component.
Very small parts in ABS could work well with the Monoprice MP Delta Mini v2.0 though. However, we only recommend PLA, PLA+ and PETG for this printer. PLA+ and PETG are a bit more expensive but more stable than PLA.
Price
The Monoprice MP Mini Delta v2.0 is currently available for just under $200. At the price, not even its direct competition, the Flsun Q5 Delta 3D Printer, can keep up. Although the Flsun Q5 has a wider installation space, it also costs a third more.
The Monoprice MP Mini Delta v2.0 is currently the cheapest Delta printer. The price seems fair and reasonable to us.
The Monoprice MP Mini Delta v2.0 is a very easy-to-use 3D printer without complicated assembly. Thanks to automatic leveling, it takes care of most of the settings itself. Also, the well-structured layout of the touchscreen control surface helps where you have to make adjustments yourself.
If you don’t have much space and a small installation space is sufficient, the small Delta printer from Monoprice is a good choice. In addition to proper processing and intuitive operation, the print quality is also great.
Only other ready-to-use printers offer a similarly uncomplicated start-up. For example, the Flashforge Adventurer 3 is a bit more expansive than the Monoprice, but still relatively compact. The printers from Qidi have also been convincing in practice, but they are significantly more expensive.
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