Dear MakerBot support,

Webpage for this letter for picture support. The pictures are click-able to see the higher res image.
http://webpages.csus.edu/~sac35495/6thIssue/AfterFirmware/

Printer info: MakerBot 5th Gen Printer

Printer Serial# R50025085
Extruder Serial# S02228628
Hours: 06:02:12
Firmware: 1.5.0.206

MakerBot Order# 200010505
Order Info
Placed: November 8, 2014 3:40:56 PM EST
Payment: mbpayment visa
Shipping
Linda Boyles
2666 Marquette Dr
Sacramento, CA 95826
T: 9168352573

Problems:

Takes twice as long to print same object compared to Replicator 2.
Homing Error at the start of every print.
Spits PLA in the center of the bed during the slow calibration process before start of print.
Final layer of printer is not smooth so quality lacks tremendously.

Support Result:

Printing is still twice as long still in fact maybe a 1 or 2 minutes longer. We understand it is what it is. If the quality was the same as the Replicator 2 we could live with it but the print results are still less than desired.

Homing Error each print seems to be fixed with the firmware.

PLA still splits out into the center during preheat. And the preheat warmup which is painstaking long time.

The final layer result much better but the corners still have gaps.

The Chamfer edge is leaning over which is hard to see on the photo.

Print Time of course is slow.

Here is the STL file incase you would like to try it on your printer to see if it is the same print time.
ChristmasTree_4in

Hopefully this information will help future printers.

Thank you for you time to look into this situation,

-Carl Kelley (RC.Thrills@gmail.com Purchaser of Replicator 2 [ S# R0026297 ])
Writing for Linda Boyles (linda@gingerbreadcutterco.com Purchaser of second Replicator 2 and now the 5th Gen [ S# R50025085 ])