The new-and-improved Mod-T 3D printer isn’t just better — it’s cheaper, too

By Luke Dormehl Published October 18, 2017

Introducing the MOD-t (2nd Gen) Desktop 3D Printer - Available for Pre-Order on Kickstarter

When we reviewed the original New Matter Mod-T 3D printer last year, we found a feature-packed machine at a reasonable sub-$500 price — which fell short of greatness because of the sometimes unreliability of its printing. “At the end of the day, we couldn’t hit ‘print’ on the Mod-T and walk away with complete confidence that the part would come out OK and until that changes, it’s hard to recommend this machine,”

Recommended Videos

we begrudgingly wrote.

Well, jump forward 18 months and New Matter is back for another go-around with a new version of the Mod-T. While it looks very similar in design to its predecessors, it’s packing a few additions and an even lower price, which could finally set it on the path to greatness.

“While 3D printing use-cases vary wildly, making it tricky to satisfy everyone, there were some common themes in the feedback we received on the first generation model which we applied directly in designing the Mod-T, second gen,” New Matter CEO Steve Schell told Digital Trends. “Some of these are more obvious, like the speed improvement, while others are less noticeable, like doubling the Wi-Fi signal strength to improve connectivity, or adding an Ethernet port in case a hardwired network connection is preferred.”

1 of 5

3D printer — Image used with permission by copyright holder

mod t second gen 3d printer 171005 nm 16372 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

mod t second gen 3d printer 171005 nm 16426 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

mod t second gen 3d printer 171005 nm 16430 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

mod t second gen 3d printer 171005 nm 16439 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The second-gen Mod-T builds on the positive elements of the original (such as its affordability, design, simplicity, and ease of use) with average print times that are reduced by 30 to45 percent, improvements to print quality, refinement of the user interface, and greater levels of reliability.

If New Matter has nailed all of these improvements, it could be onto a winner in the desktop 3D-printer ranks. That’s certainly something customers seem to be confident of — based on the fact that it has already racked up more than $40,000 of its $100,000 funding goal in its very first day on Kickstarter.

If you want to get your hands on a machine, you can get hold of one for $199, plus shipping. A higher priced bundle, including three spools of PLA filament and three print surface plates, will set you back $299. The second-gen Mod-T is set to make its way to users in May 2018.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…

Cars

Range Rover’s first electric SUV has 48,000 pre-orders

Land Rover Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition

Range Rover, the brand made famous for its British-styled, luxury, all-terrain SUVs, is keen to show it means business about going electric.

And, according to the most recent investor presentation by parent company JLR, that’s all because Range Rover fans are showing the way. Not only was demand for Range Rover’s hybrid vehicles up 29% in the last six months, but customers are buying hybrids “as a stepping stone towards battery electric vehicles,” the company says.

Cars

BYD’s cheap EVs might remain out of Canada too

BYD Han

With Chinese-made electric vehicles facing stiff tariffs in both Europe and America, a stirring question for EV drivers has started to arise: Can the race to make EVs more affordable continue if the world leader is kept out of the race?

China’s BYD, recognized as a global leader in terms of affordability, had to backtrack on plans to reach the U.S. market after the Biden administration in May imposed 100% tariffs on EVs made in China.

Cars

Tesla posts exaggerate self-driving capacity, safety regulators say

Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned that Tesla’s use of social media and its website makes false promises about the automaker’s full-self driving (FSD) software.
The warning dates back from May, but was made public in an email to Tesla released on November 8.
The NHTSA opened an investigation in October into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the FSD software, following three reported collisions and a fatal crash. The investigation centers on FSD’s ability to perform in “relatively common” reduced visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, and airborne dust.
In these instances, it appears that “the driver may not be aware that he or she is responsible” to make appropriate operational selections, or “fully understand” the nuances of the system, NHTSA said.
Meanwhile, “Tesla’s X (Twitter) account has reposted or endorsed postings that exhibit disengaged driver behavior,” Gregory Magno, the NHTSA’s vehicle defects chief investigator, wrote to Tesla in an email.
The postings, which included reposted YouTube videos, may encourage viewers to see FSD-supervised as a “Robotaxi” instead of a partially automated, driver-assist system that requires “persistent attention and intermittent intervention by the driver,” Magno said.
In one of a number of Tesla posts on X, the social media platform owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a driver was seen using FSD to reach a hospital while undergoing a heart attack. In another post, a driver said he had used FSD for a 50-minute ride home. Meanwhile, third-party comments on the posts promoted the advantages of using FSD while under the influence of alcohol or when tired, NHTSA said.
Tesla’s official website also promotes conflicting messaging on the capabilities of the FSD software, the regulator said.
NHTSA has requested that Tesla revisit its communications to ensure its messaging remains consistent with FSD’s approved instructions, namely that the software provides only a driver assist/support system requiring drivers to remain vigilant and maintain constant readiness to intervene in driving.
Tesla last month unveiled the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The vehicle has been promoted as a robotaxi, a self-driving vehicle operated as part of a ride-paying service, such as the one already offered by Alphabet-owned Waymo.
But Tesla’s self-driving technology has remained under the scrutiny of regulators. FSD relies on multiple onboard cameras to feed machine-learning models that, in turn, help the car make decisions based on what it sees.
Meanwhile, Waymo’s technology relies on premapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar (a laser-light radar), which might be very costly, but has met the approval of safety regulators.