Review on 9-Inch Precision Printing Function Extruder - 1X5/9X5/9 by Aaron Collins

This is my third 3D printer, but the first one I didn't feel like the bugs were bad enough that I had to start modifying things. My other printers are heavily configured and use Marlin via a dedicated OctoPi on the RPi. The firmware on it isn't perfect, but that may be the result of my spoiled Marlin and OctoPi. This device really changed the way I look at printing things, my other devices usually work just fine but I had to check them remotely via OctoPi to make sure they didn't just goofed completely and created a giant rat's nest or hairball . This printer just greatly reduced my fear of the printer as it just works and produces high quality prints with little effort. Just remember that EVERY 3D printer needs maintenance, after 5 months I had to replace both heads (accessories included) and I replaced the PEI magnetic sheet at the same time, although it seemed like it really wasn't necessary. Installation: It was pretty easy, the only tricky part was installing the fan cover just because the instructions here weren't clear. If you take your time it was exactly an hour and that included a beer break. I also set up Wi-Fi on the printer initially and it was pretty painless. Software: A cloned/customized version of Cura is provided by Qidi. So if you're already familiar with it, the learning curve is short. In fact, I have no complaints about him except for one, although I can choose my settings normally and he remembers that there is no option to save the profile. I've found that the default settings print the included filaments well, but if you tweak a few things here and there for other brands, it would be nice to be able to save the profile. Now for the Wi-Fi pressure that so many people complain about doesn't work. Mine didn't work initially either, and saving a cut element over wifi never showed up as an option. That was until I noticed the little Wi-Fi icon in Cura's bottom-left corner. As long as I was connected to the same Wi-Fi as the printer (it's worth noting you have more than one network in your house, even if they're connected somewhere, like cascading internet or similar), I was able to click wifi icon and alt it looks like my gcode storage option. I said earlier that I originally set this up and while it's still around I rarely use it because transferring a large printout can be slow as the main printer board (like most for that matter) just doesn't have the bandwidth to receive Wi - Fi. -Fi signal and copy it to a USB stick. For example, Ramps boards based on the ATmega 2560 are purely 8-bit boards that typically run at 16MHz. I find that for medium to very large files it's just a time saver to take out the USB drive, save directly to it and plug it back into the printer. I was DEFINITELY spoiled here for running a dedicated OctoPi server as file transfers can be almost instantaneous. At some point I'll probably set up a dedicated OctoPi for this device as well (note if you're interested that the onboard USB slot is NOT repeatable, NOT able to do so out of the box, you'll need to make some connections to the motherboard itself and this has been done many times and google is your friend). Head Alignment: As mentioned, dual heads can sometimes tilt a bit and there are steps to fix this with a paper pad. It's actually quick, easy, and painless, so don't be afraid or panic if you're sending the device back like some of the others who have left reviews here have done. Testing takes 2 or 3 minutes (try different paper weights), but if you must do it, here are a few tips that can save you the hassle. When you level the bed using the touch screen; First, warm up the bed and *both* heads for 5 minutes before leveling, then select the leveling option. When he gets to the first set point (front left), don't dial him yet. There are 2 options on the screen; Bottom left goes to alignment point 2 and bottom right stops the alignment process and that's what you want to click on. Make sure the preheaters are still off (I believe they stay on), then use the manual movement option and lower the bed, say 10mm. Now use the touchscreen to move the printheads a few steps to the right until both heads are above the board (you can also move back, say 10mm if you like). Now move the bed back at the same interval you lowered it and level it by checking both heads. You should have very similar resistance on both, remember this is a light resistor, not scratching or drilling holes in the alignment sheet. That's why. At the first alignment point there is only the right print head above the bed so you can't even check both of them and if yours is the same as mine the front left corner is about 0.25mm higher than the RIGHT edge. Heads can still be easily deflected here, honestly you'll never get them to death less than, say, <0.1mm, so don't spend all day trying. Now lower the bed again by 10mm and leave the front rear adjustment as is, now move the heads all the way to the right side of the bed and mirror the position just used. Raise the bed back up and repeat the alignment as before. Now lower the bed back down 10mm and move towards dead center and then back as far as you can while staying over the bed. Raise the bed again and you have it. Note that the resistance of each head remains constant at each alignment point. If this is the case you can try to fix it, but if you have different head-to-head impedances in different places you can try flipping your magnetic surface and see if it still works. I still have a little difference in my heads and doesn't bother me at all because the bottom of the heads use this one for threads that like to shrink a little more like ABS and for a little higher you can use it for those who loves to wear it PETG doesn't. Unlike my other printers that require frequent alignment, I only align this printer about every two weeks and it responds great. After 5 months of printing, I noticed a decrease in print quality, especially on larger items. My first clue was random print head clicks coming from the jog feed. CTR increased until almost every print over 20mm failed. I was too lazy, but if you see or hear this, just save yourself the hassle and swap out the print nozzles for the add-on items included in the kit. If you haven't always used just 1, consider replacing both. This is because the task of replacing both is pretty much the same and you still have to realign everything. I'm really surprised they've lasted this long since my other printers (especially my heaviest mod) chew them up every few weeks. After swapping it out and going through an extensive 100 point leveling process I could have happily walked away for a few weeks which is why I bought this unit in the first place.