Idea posted by bmenrigh. What type do like better, and why? I think mass-produced are cheaper, but a of a lot worse quality.

I'm going with mass produced because, they are way cheaper even if they are not as good quality. I would much rather pay 32$ for a 3x4x5 that may need a bit of messing with then a 150$ one. Another reason is that they all aren't "bad", for example the curvy copter and gear cube are both smooth.

Helicopter cube was hand made, not 3d printed

Interesting, I always thought it started out as a shapeways puzzles, proves how long I've been around!

Okamoto's original Bevel cube (his site is now closed because all his designs were being KOd) was CNC milled from solid blocks of plastic, I believe.
Adam Cowan's Helicopter (simultaneously invented) was 3D printed in ABS and hand smoothed with acetone.
Garrett 3D printed one in ABS as well, I believe (acetone sealed).
TomZ 3D printed his non-curvy Helicopter in SLS.
I am not sure if anyone ever cast a helicopter, but it could certainly be done.
There is no puzzle one could easily mod into a Helicopter, it has a pretty unique geometry.
Jason Smith (io) produced an injection molded Helicopter cube based on Adam's design with his help.

So the Helicopter has been built by a few different methods, the first two being a combination of machine and hand production.

Dave

I voted for the injection-molded clones. Reason being due to price mainly, but also the fact that I simply like the feel of a solid puzzle. It can sometimes take quite a while to break in the powdery scratchy feel of an SLS printed puzzle. It's also true that some of the more exotic geometries simply don't work well, and 3D prints are no exception. And yes, there are a few lemons out there on Shapeways, despite the high price point.

Also, some of the more exotic geometries are more confusing than fun to solve, but that is a debatable and wholly a matter of opinion.

For those of you who complain that even some mass produced puzzles have issues and need adjustments, anyone who's ever received a package of dusty white nylon parts can tell you that there's a lot more hassle involved, dyeing the parts (I find Sharpie markers less hassle than mixing a dye bath), buying the screws from hardware stores or online, getting an order placed to have custom stickers made, assembly, lubrication, "breaking in", etc...

Mass-produced puzzles are slick plastic and feel solid in your hands. Occasionally they need minor tension adjustment, which usually means popping off a couple of caps and re-tuning the screws. If it's not already pre-stickered, then stickers are usually provided at no cost. Smooth ABS plastic generally needs no breaking in time, and many puzzles work fine out of the box without lube (but often lube makes them even better).