Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer

Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer

If you are looking for a 3D printer that is affordable, XYZ’s da Vinci 1.0 3D printer is a good choice. It is reliable and easy to use right out of the box. Although there are some issues such as XYZ-exclusive printing consumables and non-removable print platform, da Vinci 1.0 3D printer makes 3D printing easily available to the enthusiasts.

 

XYZ da Vinci 1.0 3D printer is heaven-sent to 3D project managers or hobbyists who are looking for cheap 3D printers, which you can use at home. It is an outstanding technology amidst the issues related to 3D printing. da Vinci 1.0 focuses in providing two features—easy to use and low-cost.

 

Setting Up

 

In getting started, you may need to go through the process of removing the clips used to secure your printer. Everything is already pre-calibrated. Then you have to load its filament, plug the cord onto the socket and switch on the power button. In loading the filament, you need to feed it into its print head, which can be done by pulling on the lever to guide the filament onto a tube into a nozzle. This part may not be easy as the filament will not feed that easy for some minor issues.

 

Before you can finally get started with printing, you have to apply some glue (stick) over its print bed. For some, it can be quite an inconvenience but this helps keep your filament pliable all throughout the printing process.

 

The 3D printer comes with a CD-ROM, which unfortunately, despite assurance from XYZ as stated on the specifications, is not compatible with MAC OS. Its Windows version can be read in three languages: English, Japanese and Chinese. Although its software, XYZware, is very basic, its clean interface and simplicity can be appreciated, although XYZ could have done better. The XYZware has limited functionality when it comes to resizing your models, moving or sending them altogether to the printer tasks.

 

Filament

 

Da Vinci 1.0’s filament only has a single color. This means all your models printed with single color. And there is no feature that would allow you to change or pause on the color halfway through the printing task.

 

The filament is a bit of a turn-off as da Vinci 1.0 3D printers use proprietary cartridge system, which in effect, makes the filament more costly compared with off-the-shelf open-filament spools. And this scenario is characteristic of a good marketing strategy—low cost on the printer, make up on the consumables.

 

Machine Built

 

XYZ’s da Vinci 1.0 3D printer is huge with its 18.4 x 20 x 22 inches for measurement and 57 pounds for weight. Its build volume is relatively big at 7.8 x 7.8 x 7.8, but most of the machine is space. In fact, inside its print chamber is a huge space around 7.8 Inches Square. On the down side, its print bed is fixed on its place and cannot be removed. Its heated print looks nice and well-made for an inexpensive 3D printer. Da Vinci 1.0 3D printer also comes with other niceties such as a box where its nozzle does a self-cleaning task twice—before and after a printing task is completed. This feature makes the 3D printer almost zero-maintenance as clogs are almost impossible.

 

Its on-board menu is simple and can be used in directing the machine to re-calibrate, clean its nozzle or pause any printing task. You can also find on the menu the appropriate function if you need to load another filament cartridge.

 

Also on its good side is the easy access to your prints, which you can retrieve from the front door of the printer. It has a light system on the inside that lights up similarly as do a microwave. So when the 3D printer is on idle mode or it is currently printing, its lights are off. And when you are replacing its cartridge, printing or calibrating, its lights are on.

 

Printing Quality

 

For a low-cost 3D Printer, XYZ’s da Vinci 1.0 is fantastic, although there are times when the printer gives you perfect photos and times where models with dainty details become a mess. Despite that however, da Vinci 1.0 is capable of printing layers as small as 0.1 mm and this is great already considering its price. Moreover, da Vinci 1.0 is consistent in printing continuous layers without much of minute details. And if you are looking for a printer that can give you great outputs from 0.2 to 0.3 mm in length, then you can rely on da Vinci 1.0.

 

Easy Printing

 

For those who are new to 3D printing, XYZ da Vinci 1.0 is a good start. Its software, as mentioned earlier, is basic and simple. You can do this by importing and or scaling your models based on your preference and hit the print button. You have the liberty of changing its preferences such as layer size, density and printing speed before it is printed. When all is set, the XYZware will then take your model, slice it based on the layers and starts printing.

 

Tethering the 3D Printer

 

Although da Vinci 1.0 is a fine bargain, it does have another drawback. You have to tether the printer to your computer through a USB cable for the entire process of printing. This means that both the printer and your computer or laptop must be close to each other or you will not be able to use the printer. This makes printing with da Vinci 1.0 a tad of inconvenient compared with other 3D printers that can be used using Wi-Fi connectivity.

 

Conclusion

 

XYZ da Vinci 1.0 3D printer is not perfect, as do most 3D printers in the market. But for this product, considering its low price, nice appearance and functionality, it makes a good choice especially for beginners. But for enthusiasts, they can still make use of da Vinci 1.0 and try to make some experiments or try new ideas and see whether something will work out for them too.