The 101Hero is the smallest and cheapest 3D printer I had seen during the summer (there are some that have since passed it). It’s a delta printer with a tiny build volume and slow print speed. But it was so cheap! Even though I came in late and had to spend $104 USD on the indiegogo pre-order, plus $30 S/H, that's a third of the price of the M3DPro and a sixth of the cost of the Trinus. Obviously, I started high and have been stepping down.
101Hero Delta Printer
The price and simplicity of the 101Hero attracted me. It also attracted Angus Deveson at Maker's Muse -- I was surprised to see his name in the backers list, so I checked out his video. He jumped in early and got it for $49 USD, smart kid.
Yes, it's made of plastic. Yes, it's slow. Yes, it has a small build volume. Yes, it uses cheap geared stepper motors. Yes, it might be a shaky POS. Yes to all the above. But... but...Really? A 3D printer for $100 USD? Will it work? Will it be another Peachy scandal?
Amazingly enough, the 101Hero might even be the first printer to reach my workbench. A batch of 2000 was shipped in October, according to the company, and today I got an email asking to confirm my order and delivery address. The M3DPro is not scheduled to ship until next spring, which means probably next fall; and the Trinus might ship this month.
Now, how have I managed to back three FDM (fused deposition modeling) printer campaigns? I started with the Trinus, added the M3D Pro, and now the 101Hero.