We received our MakerBot Replicator Desktop in early August; unfortunately, before we begin our first print, the front leveling knob broke during the initial plate leveling process (details here: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/makerbot/flZlZCHt2Pw/m5doDWmIgrIJ). Makerbot support staff was very responsive and sent us a replacement Z-Stage plate.
After installing the new Z-Stage plate, we successfully printed out the chain links, nut and bolt, and bracelet from the MakerBot's internal storage without any problem. We also printed out two of our favorite 3D test items: a wrench and a gear from Thingiverse.
Unfortunately, the sixth print--which was the shark from internal storage--failed (the extruder just stopped extruding). I unloaded the filament and attempted to reload it using the MakerBot's helpful on-screen instructions; however, as you can tell from this video, I was unable to successfully load the filament. The filament was successfully grabbed by the extruder's motors but would eventually stop moving and a loud, clicking sound would occur. From the Google Group MakerBot Operators forum, this seems like a common problem and may mean that the extruder needs to be replaced. :(
Given that this is the second major issue we've experienced since the MakerBot's arrival, we may return it and purchase a different model together.
As a side note, Makerbot just closed their forums on Google Groups (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/makerbot) on August 8th, so I cannot share and receive feedback from the community there. I did noticed that there are some threads discussing this problem both for the Replicator 2 and the Fifth Generation. For example, this thread from June, 2014 states that this is a common problem and that there is no known fix: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/makerbot/clicking/makerbot/e10R8WgWCUE/pGTmZTR7eYQJ
Jon
