3Doodler Pro+ Review - An upgrade, not for all
- Most comfortable 3Doodler yet
- Works with a variety of 3D printing materials
- Does what it professes to do
- Magnetically attached side access
- Worth the price if Pro features are fully utilized
- Surprisingly steep learning curve
- Consumables used up quick
The 3Doodler Pro+ is a 3D printing pen. It's very similar to the first several 3Doodler devices, all of which are still very capable tools. The 3Doodler Pro+ tweaks the abilities of the otherwise most advanced 3Doodler 3D printing pen, refining the experience with new materials, new pen tips, and a more sleek industrial design.
Your first 3Doodler, PRO or +
If you've not purchased a 3Doodler device before, I would not recommend you start with the 3Doodler Pro+. The price for the Pro+ reflects the device's ability to tweak settings and use a wider variety of materials than any 3Doodler device that's been released in the past. If you're just starting, are getting a device for a gift, or aren't sure whether a 3D printing pen is going to be a tool you'll use extensively, you'll be better off getting the 3Doodler Create+ pen set.
HOWEVER, if you've got the choice between the 3Doodler Pro and 3Doodler Pro+, I'd certainly take the (+) model over the non-plus. The most important distinction between the two isn't the materials or the pen tips, but the design of the pen.
The newest 3Doodler Pro+ device has a magnetically attached side access panel. This panel allows you to see and fiddle with the 3D material as it's processed through the pen. MOST of the time, you won't need or want to do any sort of fiddling.
But assuming you make a mistake or need to access any of the most important parts of the pen – and you very well might – you can do so without any sort of fancy foot-work when it comes to opening up the device. It's also very neat seeing the inner workings of the machine, in any case.
In the box
In the box you get a variety of items, including the pen and information guides. If it's not clear already, this is the 2020 version of the Pro model from 3Doodler, the 3Doodler Pro+. There's a plus after the Pro – it's important that you make SURE you've got the + in the name if you're to get the right model, as the two can EASILY be mistaken for one another, especially in the box. The boxes look strikingly similar.
3Doodler Pro+ 3D printing pen box contents:
- PRO+ 3D Printing Pen
- Nozzle Set
- Mini DoodlePad
- Unblocking Tool
- 6 Refill Packs, including Wood, Metal, and Nylon
- Detailed Product Manual and Quick Start Guide
- A Set of International Adapters (power plugs)
Once you get going with 3D printing with this pen, the contents of the box will leave you wanting more. If you've used a 3D printing pen from 3Doodler before, you know you'll probably use the 3D printing material fairly quick.
Different materials
Using a wider variety of materials with this device is worth buying the new device ONLY if you're already handy at using a 3D printing pen. As you might imagine, every material has a different set of properties, and each material requires that you re-acquaint yourself with the materials' stickiness, pliability, rigidity, and so forth.
Once you've got the hang of handling each individual material, the possibilities are (sort of) endless. Once you've accepted the fact that this is a doodling tool, (per the name and its physical constraints), you'll have an entertaining, interesting, and educational good time.
The Sound
Every 3Doodler device I've tested so far has a sound when it runs. It requires precise and regular movement, as it's pushing 3D printing material through a super hot nozzle that melts said material at a predetermined perfect rate. Because of this, this 3D printing pen's gears are obnoxiously loud.
As the artist or designer, you might get used to the sound fairly quickly. As a bystander, you'll want to run out of the room with your hands over your ears lest you be driven completely mad in short order. This is not a very socially conscious machine.
Is it worth the money?
If you're looking for a device that'll allow you to precision-print 3D objects, this isn't it. The 3Doodler Pro+ is made to prototype objects, to sketch in 3D, to augment objects, to do all sorts of stuff that isn't really possible any other way. But it's less a 3D printer than it is a pen that just so happens to extrude 3D printing material.
If you've used a 3Doodler device before and you've truly enjoyed it, or you've made good use of a 3D printing pen in the past, then this device is certainly worth the money. This device is an upgrade over the rest of the 3Doodler collection of devices. If you're looking to upgrade, this device is worth the $250 it'll cost you at the point at which this article is set to publish.
Wrap-up
If you're looking for a good time to upgrade beyond your 3Doodler device (besides the first Pro), now's a good time. This 3Doodler Pro+ is just a bit better, more user-friendly, and certainly more precise than what's been offered in the past.
If you already have a 3Doodler Pro (non-plus) and are looking for major changes beyond what you've got, this isn't it. This device is different, and does offer slightly upgraded abilities, though – so if you use your 3Doodler Pro every day and cannot live without it, but DO want an upgrade because you're a 3Doodler fanatic, by all means, go for it.
You'll find the 3Doodler Pro+ available for sale from 3Doodler online for approximately $250 USD. Again, if you've not read above: Make SURE you're getting the Pro+, not the Pro (without a plus). The name on this latest model is "3Doodler PRO+ 3D Printing Pen Set".