Zortrax M200 vs M300; what is the difference? Read on to find out.
Recently, we got our hands on the Zortrax M200 and M300 3D printers. We have studied in detail the design of the printers, the proprietary Z-Suite software, the supplied package, and in this review we will share our impressions with you.
In particular, we will be looking at how the two 3D printers from Poland compare to each other.
Let”s get started.
About Zortrax
In 2011, the development of the M200 3D printer started, and in 2013, Zortrax became known throughout the 3D world thanks to the Kickstarter campaign by the Polish company.
The campaign was aimed at launching the M200, which promised ease of use and professional quality. The campaign raised $ 180,000.
In 2014, the first Zortrax store was opened, and today, the brand is presented in over 50 countries and has more than 160 partners.
The M200 has consistently held the top spot in the 3D Hubs community, ranking # 1 for ease of use and professional prints. Users appreciate the high print quality prints, reliability and ease of use of the printer.
The Zortrax M300 is the big brother of the M200. In M300, the printing area has become much larger (300x300x300 mm). Therefore, you will want to get the M300 if you will be printing large items.
Initially, Zortrax were optimized only for printing with proprietary filaments. However, the latest Zortrax 200 Plus and M300 3D printers also work with 3rd party filaments.
Zortrax M200 Vs. M300 Review
Appearance
The Zortrax 3D printers are made of durable aluminum and look very solid. The reliable printers have no distortions or backlash anywhere. The build quality is excellent.
Here is how the M200 looks on the outside:
The Zortrax M300 looks exactly the same as M200. In fact, the only difference in appearance is the size. The printer has the same black color and smoothed corners like the M200. The design is minimalistic and concise.
Below is the Zortrax M300:
The printer is controlled through a small display with the already familiar joystick.
Equipment
The M200 and M300 have almost the same equipment. However, the M300 comes with 2 coils of 2kg branded filament while the M200 has only one 800 gram filament. On the same note, the M300 has two spatulas while the M200 comes with one.
One major difference between the Zortrax M200 and the M300 is that the latter has plastic side and front panels.
What’s in the Box
When you order the printers, this is what you will get:
- Spool holder
- Guide tube for material and fasteners
- Coil of branded material Zortax (M300 has 2 coils)
- Power cable
- SD card and card reader
- Protective gloves
- Knife
- Scalpel
- Hexagon set
- Key to unscrew the nozzle
- Strings for cleaning the nozzle 0.4 and 0.35
- Nippers
- Spatula (M300 has 2 spatulas).
- Tweezers
- Lubricant for moving parts of the printer
- Protective glasses
The Zortrax printer package has everything you need to get started with your prints. The packahe comes with two filaments (we got HIPS and PETG in the box). Most likely, the filaments included for the printers are chosen at random.
Even the nozzle cleaning needle is available in 2 versions – for a nozzle with a diameter of 0.4 and 0.35 (the printer has a 0.4 mm nozzle by default).
Kinematics
The printer kinematics is similar to that of the Ultimaker.
On the Z axis, instead of the already familiar trapezoidal screw, a powerful ball screw is installed.
The M300 shafts are thick and strong.
The extruder is all-metal and heats up to 280°C. The heater “cube” where the nozzle is screwed is fixed. This makes it easy to unscrew the nozzle, perhaps when you want to clean it.
The feed motor is located on the print head. This is the so-called “direct filament feed”. While the motor makes the the printhead heavier, but it allows you to print all types of filaments, including soft flex and rubber.
The print bed is perforated to reduce the chances of your prints getting stuck.
The perforations also make it easy for the models to stick to the printbed during printing. You won’t have to use glue or stickers to keep the models from peeling off during printing.
The only inconvenience is that you always have to print on a substrate (raft).
The board is made and designed specifically for the printer.
The cable management is great, and all wires are shielded.
Zotrax M200/M300 Assembly
After unpacking, the printer needs to be assembled. This involves connecting the extruder ribbon cable, installing and connect the printing platform, and calibrating the printer.
The ribbon cable connects easily; simply open the top of the extruder and plug the ribbon cable into the connector. After that, secure the cable with the available latches.
Next, connect the connectors on the platform and install it on the magnetic fasteners.
With that, you will be halfway on your way to printing your first models.
When you turn on the Zortrax M200 or M300 printer, you will get a prompt to download a file from the manufacturer’s website and save it to a USB flash drive. Without this, the printer will not start.
The Zotrax M200 and M300 does not support Wi-Fi connections. Therefore, you have to transfer the files through a USB flash drive.
Download the files and restart the printer. From there, you will be ready to start printing.
The printer menu is simple and convenient. There are points for loading, unloading plastic and calibration, and choosing a calibration.
The printer is “hot” calibrated. After the nozzle has heated up, follow the instructions on the screen to calibrate the Zortax M200 or M300. The printer will alternately poke a nozzle into the metal squares on the platform and ask you to unscrew or tighten a certain screw at the bottom of the platform.
When the calibration is complete, you can start printing.
Slicer
The Zortrax M200 and M300 use the proprietary slicer Zortrax Z-Suite. The printers do not work with 3rd party slicers.
To download and run the program, you will have to enter the serial number of the printer.
Z-Suite has a very nice and intuitive interface. After running the slider, select your Zortrax model.
Next, load the model and place it on the table.
Preparing for Printing
The preparation for the printing stage takes several stages:
-
- Analysis of the model. The slicer will show the weaknesses and problem areas of the model.
- Posting support. Here you can select the angle of overhang of the model at which the support will be set, and slightly edit the support. Support is edited by “blocks”. You cannot add or remove support pointwise.
- Print settings. Here you can choose either a ready-made profile for the native Zortrax plastic or set your own settings for any material. The setting range is very decent.
- Preview. In the preview mode, you can add pauses at different heights. This is useful if you want to print a multi-colored model.
- Analysis of the model. The slicer will show the weaknesses and problem areas of the model.
The file is saved not in the usual GCode format, but in its own ZCode format.
Print Quality
Zortrax prints high quality models that come out with precise details. Therefore, it is not surprising that the M200 printer has repeatedly been voted one of the best 3D printers on the market.
The Zortrax M200 and M300 are reliable and have a great design. The Z-Suite software has a friendly interface and the necessary functions we’d expect in a slicer.
However, the lack of Wi-Fi connection is a little upsetting. Still, this is compensated by a very rich bundle. The M300 package includes everything you need for comfortable work, including the filament for initial prints.
Zortrax 3D printers are great units for any production. Therefore, you can be sure these workhorse 3D printers will be a great addition in your workshop units.
If you are wondering whether to go for the M200 or the M300, ultimately it comes down to the size of the models you will be printing. The M200 has a build areas of 200 × 200 × 180 mm while the M300 has a larger build areas of 300 × 300 × 300 mm. This is the main difference between the Zortrax M200 and the Zortrax M300.
