Nowadays, users have an overwhelming number of choices for 3D printers. While some users look for speed and resolution, others emphasize software and filaments. Also, some who wish to shop for a unit with a whole set of features. Even as the sentiments of buyers to buy these products is understandable, it can be a little tricky to find a product that ticks all the right boxes of one’s needs.
Qidi Tech X-Smart comes across with the promise to meet the majority of the buyers’ expectations. But is it as good as its manufacturer claims it to be? Read on to find it out in our Qidi Tech X-Smart review below. Make sure that you check out our list of viable alternatives to it.
Our Research
Qidi Tech X-smart is a one-of-its-kind product. As such, looking for its alternatives was not as easy as it looked to us in the initial stages. However, we tried our best to gather credible information from trusted sites on the internet.
Apart from going through full-length reviews online, we also attached equal importance to the feedback of verified users on trustworthy websites. Thereafter, we compiled a list of the alternatives to the product reviewed in the article after analyzing the information from all the sources.
Whether you think of the review of the main product or its alternatives, we have tried our best to be transparent and unbiased as far as possible.
Buying a 3D Printer: a Checklist of Important Points to Consider
It is every buyer’s dream to put their money on the right product. There is no shortcut to it, though. However, you can maximize the chances of investing in the right item by bearing some key factors in mind.
Here’s a checklist of the important points to consider while deciding on the purchase of a 3D printer
- Speed and Resolution
When you come to buy a 3D printer, speed and resolution are the two important factors that are likely to cross your mind.
If you invest in a 3D printer that operates at a good speed, you are sure to achieve a higher level of productivity. Likewise, the right resolution specifications of a 3D printing machine will help you get prints of high quality.
- Enclosure and Air Filters
Compared to non-enclosed units, the enclosed ones are safer to use. External elements are less likely to interfere with the working of such units when they are operational. Due to this feature, enclosed units are also likely to last a little longer than those that lack this feature.
Also, make certain you invest in a product with HEPA air filters. This feature can have a bearing on the output of a product indirectly.
- Software
Along with the hardware components, your idea should also be to keep an eye over the software that comes loaded with your printer. Make sure it does not present any functional challenges once you start using the product.
- Automatic vs. the Manual Calibration
At present, you will find 3D printers with both automatic and manual calibration features. However, the former is likely to cut down your workload while fixing issues. With this feature, you can allay the concerns of fixing technical issues with your 3D printing unit.
Though a little expensive, it makes more sense to buy units that support automatic calibration.
- Print bed and filaments
While it is an open secret that 3D printers involve the use of filaments, it is still a less known fact that the majority of them consist of Nylon and ABS. Because these filaments emit styrene, these are considered to be toxic by nature. PLA is a relatively safer option.
Do not forget to consider the size of the print bed as it impacts the productivity of a 3D printer.
It supports both PLA and ABS printing mechanisms. Its nozzle heads are capable of handling the filaments of both. The best part about it is that it even supports some tricky filaments such as PETG and TPU. Its build plate is flexible as well as removable. You can remove the plate when the work on your project is complete.
Apart from a considerable speed, it also comes across with friendly software. It comes pre-loaded with ready-to-use software. For connectivity, you can use USB, Wi-Fi and Ethernet options. Plus, you can also use a 3.5-inch touchscreen.
Best Features and Benefits
- Fully Enclosed Chambers
Unlike most open-frame 3D printers in the market, Qidi Tech X-smart comes with an encasement. This arrangement makes it useful for several purposes at once.
It not only operates quietly but also offers an additional layer of protection to the internal components from dirt and dust. Better yet, it keeps the temperature of the print area constant. This allows it to keep printing materials inside the printing device from warping.
Even as the printing material of the printing device cools down quickly, you can rely on its temperature cooling mechanism to address warping convincingly.
- Turbo Cooling Fan
Qidi Tech rates the turbo cooling fan of X-smart as one of its most noticeable features for a good reason. It blows air equally well from all the four sides, which helps in preventing shrinking from one specific end.
In other words, the powerful and consistent performance of the turbo cooling fan of the printing device keeps the possibility of unilateral shrinking at bay.
- Flexible Build Plate with Removable Features
The X-Smart from Qidi Tech also possesses a removable and flexible build plate that heats up in accordance with the needs of users. Thus, users can remove it whenever they feel the need for it. They can do it upon the completion of prints without any hassle.
You can count on this attribute of the printer to give you a break from the need to look around in the interiors of the printer for removing the print bed.
- Ready to Use when Taken out of the Box
One of the features that we liked the most about the X-Smart printing machine from Qidi Tech is the fact that it didn’t give us any assembly-related hassle. When we took it out of the box, we found it in a ready-to-use mode.
By spending a few minutes in leveling the printing bed alongside feeding the filament, the device was ready to start rolling out 3D prints. Contrary to our perception that the instructions in the manual would be hard to follow, they appeared fairly straightforward.
The X-Smart comes across with test prints to help beginners get used to 3D printing. We made use of this feature and took out our first test print in less than an hour. The quality of the print was up to our liking in the first attempt.
- Easy to Use for Beginners
Among all the features of the device, we liked the one pertaining to the 3D printing ecosystem the most. It has a touchscreen of 3.5 inches with the interface for keeping track of the printing progress on a real-time basis.
Whether you are using the machine for a heavy or light task, you can bank on it to get your desired level of productivity without a functional lag.
In addition, the touchscreen also comes in handy for viewing information relating to the print bed temperature and more.
Though the machine comes across with compatible Qidi Print, the printing machine is also opensource. As a result, you can use other slicer programs depending on your preferences. Do not forget to check for the compatibility of the program with the machine to achieve optimum performance.
- Resume Print Function
Power outages can be a major cause for concern and tend to put a break when you use a printing device. This apart, it can also make things difficult for you to recover your lost work.
The X-Smart model has the resume print function to address this problem. By virtue of this feature, you can bank on the machine to get back your recovered work even as the printing machine shuts down all of a sudden due to an accidental power failure.
- Speed and Print Quality
Whether you wish to print with PLA or ABS, you can rely on this printing device to print your tasks in 3D using both the technologies. As such, it results in prints of higher resolution. Another factor that contributes to the high-resolution print of the tasks is the size of the printed.
Equally impressive is the speed of this printing machine. Notwithstanding the feature of the machine to roll out large-sized prints of good quality, it does not put any impact on the ability of the machine to perform at a good speed.
Thus, for those who are more into the output of a printing machine than its other features, the speed and resolution of this printing machine cover all bases.
Pros: Things We Love!
- Cost-effective
- Support for third-party filaments
- The resume print feature allows the resumption of printing even as the machine shuts down due to a power outage
- Powerful turbofan cools at the right time whenever required
- Comes in a readily assembled mode when taken out of the box
- Versatile; suitable for use for a variety of purposes
- Easy to use; users can start using the machine as soon as they take out the machine from the box
- The enclosed print area offers protection to the internal components of the device and is also compatible with a wide range of filaments
Cons: Points of Improvement
- Smaller build area in comparison to that of other printing devices at this price
- Removing the build-up can be a long and annoying process
- Lack of the readily available Wi-Fi settings for the users of Mac computers
- Lack of the detection center to track the availability of filaments when the machine is operational
Alternatives to QIDI TECH X Smart 3D Printer
As far as the filaments are concerned, it supports more choices in comparison to the X-Smart model of the 3D printing device from Qidi Tech. In addition, it also involves an additional set of a high-performance extruder for printing with a computer and a wide range of filaments such as Carbon fiber, Nyon, and printing PC.
Though the extruder of X-Pro works in the same way as that of X-Smart, the fact remains that it has a dual extruder.
Apart from the differences in the features discussed above, the other features of these alternatives are the same as that of X-Smart.
Final verdict
In today’s era, it is not easy to find a product that ticks all the right boxes of one’s needs. This is especially true with regard to 3D printers. Fortunately, though, there are products that cover the majority of features. When you weigh the features of the Qidi Tech X-Smart machine with its downsides plus the features of its alternatives as given in the Qidi Tech X-Smart review above, you get a product that justifies its budget. Thus, if you give or take a few of its cons, it makes for a safe investment.