Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer

Era da tempo che volevo acquistare una stampante 3d ma essendo alla mia prima esperienza in questo settore non mi andava di spendere molto in quanto non sapevo se poi gli avrei dedicato del tempo, è stato così che mi sono avvicinato all'acquisto di questa stampante entry level, dal basso costo.
Chiariamo subito non è una stampante per tutti, se pensate che basti attaccare la spina e lanciare la stampa per avere il vostro fantastico modello 3d in materiale plastico vi sbagliate di grosso e di ciò ve ne renderete conto già dall’apertura del pacco.
Si perché la stampante vi verrà recapitata ben imballata ma completamente smontata in ogni sua parte (meccanica ed elettronica), e quindi il primo passo sarà mettersi pazientemente a montarla.
Ciò però non è un male perché dopo aver lavorato per 4-5 ore con la sua componentistica saprete perfettamente come è composta e ciò vi aiuterà in futuro.
Comunque montarla non è affatto difficile l’occorrente e tutto al’interno del pacco (cacciaviti e chiavi di ogni genere compreso) sulla pennina troverete una guida e online su youtube ci sono una miriade di video che vi mostrano passo passo come fare, ciò che vi serve è solo tempo e pazienza.
Inoltre la Anet8 ha una vastissima comunità di discepoli ed utilizzatori online racchiusi in vari gruppi (facebook e non) a cui potersi iscrivere e chiedere qualsivoglia consiglio.
Finita la fase di montaggio inizia la delicata fase di settaggio e calibrazione (assi, piatto, velocità, acc.)(anche qui puoi trovare innumerevoli video tutorial su youtube), ed infine dopo aver trovato un soggetto 3d da stampare ed essere passati dallo slicer di fiducia (programma che “affetta” in liveli il modello 3d) per la generazione del gcode (file che la stampante riconosce) potrai finalmente lanciare la tua prima stampa 3d che come risultato finale (oltre al soggetto 3d stampato) ti restituirà una soddisfazione ed un estasi difficilmente descrivibile a parole.
Consiglierei l’acquisto??? Se non sei uno che si arrende alle prime difficoltà ed hai voglia di entrare in un fantastico mondo in cui potrai crearti praticamente tutto ciò che vuoi, la risposta è assolutamente si, ce l’ho da un po’ di tempo e sono pienamente soddisfatto del mio acquisto.
Vi lascio con un piccolo esempio di ciò che può fare :)

Suggestion

ci si deve applicare molto prima per assemblarla, poi per calibrarla, ed infine per migliorarne le stampe

Jun 12,2018

Quick reliable Prints that are as detailed as a Makerbot second gen device. Overall I have built over a dozen parts and they all turned out fantastically. When I first got the machine I didn't have it leveled as well as I should have and the first print or 2 was a little off. But after I got that taken care of and the extruder temperature level set correctly then it was all perfect after that.

I would recommend that anyone who purchases this Anet 3d printer goto thingiverse and find the mods for the extruder blower and the belt tensioner. They make the device much much better and the prints are easily on par with a makerbot 2 which is 5 times more expensive the last time I checked the prices. The only differences that I can tell with the machines is that one has an enclosure that helps keep the prints the same temperature and it also has a much easier leveling process. But if you buy the auto level add on and print your own piece for it go onto the a8 then it can be auto leveled as well. I intend on purchasing one of those next (if I do get one I will add an updated review here).

The third thing I will talk about is filament. My machine never came with any free filament so you will need to make sure you purchase some of that before you can print anything. I already had some PLA so it was nothing for me to install. I also would recommend going to youtube and looking over first prints so you can get an idea of what software you will need to master. I have been using Cura 15.04.6 and its not let me down yet. I love my 3d printer and think it was one of if not the best items I have bought in a long time. Before long I honestly believe everyone will have one and they will be able to print about anything. I look forward to that day! I intend on building a much lager 3d printer from scratch now that I have a printer to make the pieces I need.

Once you get one you will have people asking you tons of questions about them. Every friend I have wants one now and I am the go to guy for advise or free prints. So far I have had 3 free roles of filament sent too me to print stuff off.

Everything you need to build the 3d printer is in the box. You may need a ruler or something to help you level it out but most people have one of those already.

Suggestion

No real cons on my part but if you aren't that good at building things then you may need some help putting this together. It did take me around 8 hours building it a little every night after work. Overall it wasn't that hard if you follow directions from the YouTube videos. All of the required tools are in the box, so you don't need to buy anything.

Oct 26,2016

Got the 3D Printer After a very long 45 days, the shipping speed was appalling...

But i was met with a very nicely packaged box, very well packaged and so i set it aside for a few days as i am severely mobility impaired and it took a few days to recover from just going to a doctors appointment.. ugh..

So it took me about 3 and a half hours to assemble and about 45 minutes to figure out how to setup the bed and level it, then maybe another hour to clean up all the cabling and make it look tidy and all important wires out of the way of the moving parts.

i also had some 8mm cable braid, about 2 meters, so i had took the pins out of the stepper motor connectors after taking a few photo's of which colour pins went in the connector, as this was the best way to sleeve the LONG stepper motor wires to get them all threaded into the cable braid, it looked so much better this way, i highly recommend buying some cable-braid as theres 4 wires per stepper motor, and 4 stepper motors, so thats 4 x 4 =16 wires all bundling together - made it look like a mess !!

i hope these printer manufacturers send out cable braid included with these type of machines

okay so i got my first print out and it was terrible lol

Straight to thingiverse and printed the first of the most important upgrade parts, the X and Y belt tensioner things !!

NOW i could print circular things !!

Amazing how just these two upgrades corrected this MAJOR problem, the belts were extremely loose with no way of tensioning them.

So i fell in love with this lil 3D Printer - its absolutely awesome as a first-time entry level printer !

been printing for 3 weeks now but....

Suggestion

disaster struck :(

1. Y Carriage Stepper Motor Stopped Working,

2. Blower Fan Stopped Working (the part cooling fan),

3. Hotbed Stopped Heating,

4. Error Code on LCD:
THERMAL RUNAWAY

PRINTER HALTED
PRESS RESET

5. SD Card NOT RECOGNISED BY LAPTOP or DESKTOP computers and i tried 3 of my own SD Cards, now all 3 are corrupt as well, computer doesnt recognise my 3 or the SD Card that came with the 3D Printer :(

This is such a shame, im at a real loss at the moment, have contacted the support team and waiting for replacement parts if they will send them to me, but their customer support has been excellent so far so i will wait for them to reply and give them a fair chance to solve these problems.

After painstakingly going through diagnosis procedures (i am an Electrical Engineer) on the parts, one stepper motor has definitely failed, the blower fan and the heatbed thermocouple which should be an NTC 100K ohms reads as a 48K Ohms instead and the heatbed no Longer heats up...

Theres a small burn spot on the Heatbed power connector that connects to the heatbed too, so be very aware of this - before turning on, ive researched that this is a major design flaw of the Anet A8 heatbed connector - because too much current was going through that 1 pin of the connector, so approximately 12 AMPS when those pins are rated for max 2-3 amps..

Solution was to use more wire, same gauge as the power wires going to the heatbed and solder them to the other pins marked positive and negative then connect those to a mosfet module, then the mosfet module to the power supply and theres two wires that go from the mosfet module to the main Anet A8 board.

The mosfet module is not included, i bought these two modules separately, one for the heatbed and one for the extruder 40 watt heating element, this is for extra safety and so it doesnt put too much strain on the Power Supply

Mar 11,2018

RU: В этом наборе есть все, что нужно для сборки, даже отвертки и ключи, плюс 10 метров pla-пластика для настройки. Все тщательно и качественно упаковано. Сразу виден уровень производства - все подписано, куча инструкций и видео сборки. Для тех, кто сомневается - можно смело заказывать. Для новичка в 3д - самое оно. Кровать - алюминиевая, Mk3. В Одессу (Украина) доставлено Новой Почтой бесплатно за 20 дней. Заказывал по скидке за 158.99, еще можно дополнительно получить скидку за очки, но нужно установить мобильное приложение. Оплата через ПейПал, работает с картами ПриватБанка. Служба поддержки быстро отвечает на вопросы.
EN: This kit has everything you need for assembly, even screwdrivers and keys, plus 10 meters of pla-plastic for testing. Everything is carefully and well packaged. Immediately visible level of production - everything is signed, a bunch of instructions and video assemblies. For those who doubt - you can safely order. For the beginner in 3d, it's the most. Bed - aluminum, Mk3. To Odessa (Ukraine) was delivered for free for 20 days. Ordered at a discount for 158.99, you can also get an additional discount for points, but you need to install a mobile application. Customer Support answers questions quickly.

Suggestion

RU: Для меня основная сложность была в оформлении счета PayPal для оплаты. Сопло для вентилятора напечатано на 3д принтере слегка не качественно
EN: For me, the main difficulty was in the registration of the PayPal account for payment. The nozzle for the fan is printed on a 3d printer slightly poorly

Jun 23,2017

Отличный 3D принтер за очень небольшие деньги. Упакован хорошо, все внутри коробки в отсеках из пенопласта, повредить детали нереально даже с нашей почтой. Очень прост в сборке - пошаговая инструкция есть на youtube. Крепежа отсыпано с запасом - что хорошо, т.к. в процессе сборки запросто можно уронить какую-нибудь гайку и потерять.
Лично я был поражен, когда включив принтер в первый раз и заправив 10м. отрезок пластика (был в комплекте) - все заработало с первого раза, и отпечатанная деталь (какая-то коробочка, была на флешке в комплекте с принтером) получилась даже качественней, чем я ожидал.
Принтер имеет изначальный конструктивный недостаток - низкая жесткость конструкции и еще немного по мелочи. Все недостатки легко исправляются распечаткой усовершенствованных деталей (уйдет примерно 150-200 грамм пластика, т.е. несколько сотен рублей) - и после пересборки принтера, получаем устройство, выдающее отпечатки такого же качества, как принтеры ценового сегмента 30-50 тыс. российских денег. Модели деталей можно бесплатно скачать с Thingiverse.
Есть отличие некоторых деталей в комплекте принтера от изображений на сайте. Некоторые детали видимо более новых версий, так, основание для нагревающегося стола сделано полностью из алюминия, а не из акрила - что намного лучше.
Однозначно рекомендую!

Suggestion

Низкая жесткость конструкции, но как писал выше - на раз исправляется допечаткой усовершенствованных деталей на нем же.

Nov 19,2017

- Good quality prints
- Easy to follow build instructions
- Amazing community (search for the official support group on facebook)
- They included 10m of white PLA in my package, served me good for printing the first tests and upgrade piece: the circular fan.
- Custom firmware support (can cause brick/damage to the printer if you're not careful, but at the moment it's the only solution for auto bed leveling upgrade).

The printer is for hobbyist wanting to learn about how a 3d printer works and wishing to spend time and money on upgrading the printer, especially the safety measures (look at my cons).
I used Simplify3D for printing over USB and it's doing wonders, the results are amazing from the very first print and only get better after each substantial upgrade you add.
The learning process is somewhat though for a newbie but very satisfying IF you put some love in it.
Can't really have insurmountable issues with this printer as the community around it is wonderful and supportive, it seems that Anet cares for community feedback and is working on the next firmware iteration for the printer, let's hope it goes well.

Suggestion

- Acrylic frame is not durable and warps/breaks easily, be careful when you mount the printer and print frame braces (search on thingiverse) as upgrades, especially if you want to install better belt tighteners.
- The white 3d printed parts in the package can be somewhat low quality and can cause issues when mounting the printer, especially the leading rods for X axis, be careful when using that hammer like shown in the instructional videos...

The rest is for safety measures, this printer is not a standalone safe printer as it is, and you should be VERY careful not leaving it unattended at any time until it's safely upgraded. I'll list the upgrades that you should care for when you get your A8:

- The stock Power Supply is of the lowest possible quality and UNSAFE, it nearly exploded on my first hours of usage and I had to replace it with a better one. Don't use it, get yourself a good 12V 30A regulated power supply with a fan on it or an ATX with at least 26A on a single +12V rail (needs modding, google it), you won't regret it.
- The green plug connectors on the motherboard are under specced, they can possibly melt down (especially heated bed ones) because they are not designed to support the actual current flowing through the circuit. Ferrules/crimp connectors recommended. Alternatively you can remove the green plugs altogether and solder the terminals directly to the motherboard.
- Get a Mosfet (search on Google) because the heated bed takes a lot of current and the motherboard is not designed to support it safely. Especially if you want to print ABS, don't overlook this upgrade cause the printer can possibly catch fire otherwise.

Jan 05,2017

Assembly is pretty straight forward. It is actually designed well for easy assembly. It will take you a solid 8 hours to complete. They provide additional screws and hardware which is definitely a nice convenience in case you lose something. I think going the build route is a benefit over buying a more expensive pre-assembled machine since it really forces you to understand how the machine works, so if you ever want to make upgrades, you will already know enough how to install them.

The print quality is awesome for the price. Comparable to ~$1,000 printers I have used. Upgrades and parts are also plentiful for the model.

I think that most of the 3D printable upgrades are overrated. It prints really good out of the box. Just make sure you put enough tension on the belts when you install (you'll have to put some muscle into it), and you won't need belt tensioners. It comes with a fan duct in the package that works fine. You don't need to print those goofy ring shaped fan ducts that are so popular. I think they do more harm than good.

Adding an ON/OFF switch is definitely a benefit and so is the MOSFET if you print ABS or other materials besides PLA (PLA doesn't need a heated bed).

Suggestion

Nothing I can think of based on the price. Great deal.

Jun 28,2018

Good quality prints - Easy to follow build instructions - Amazing community (search for the official support group on facebook) - They included 10m of white PLA in my package, served me good for printing the first tests and upgrade piece: the circular fan. - Custom firmware support (can cause brick/damage to the printer if you're not careful, but at the moment it's the only solution for auto bed leveling upgrade). The printer is for hobbyist wanting to learn about how a 3d printer works and wishing to spend time and money on upgrading the printer, especially the safety measures (look at my cons). I used Simplify3D for printing over USB and it's doing wonders, the results are amazing from the very first print and only get better after each substantial upgrade you add. The learning process is somewhat though for a newbie but very satisfying IF you put some love in it. Can't really have insurmountable issues with this printer as the community around it is wonderful and supportive, it seems that Anet cares for community feedback and is working on the next firmware iteration for the printer, let's hope it goes well.

Suggestion

Sep 20,2018

- Cheap
- Assembling the device teaches you a lot about how the machine actually work
- After some work and upgrades the A8 is a very good printer

At first it was hard to print a cube and not fail. After learning the ropes for many months and building another completely self-made printer with the help of the A8 I can say it's a great device for beginners.
I made the following upgrades:
- Autolevel sensor - this is a must-have, saves endless hours and days of calibration
- half-circle fan blower
- spool holder on top (saves a lot of space on the desk)
- braces to support the stucture. It greatly improves the small details on your prints.
- x and y axis thighteners. This is also a must-have, be sure to print this first!

I also replaced the nozzle, soldered the hotbed connectors directly to the cable (the connector is a fire-hazard! Solder it there from the getgo!), applied a hotbed sticker (also a must-have) and flashed Marlin. Oh, and the MOSFET mod. Do it!

Suggestion

- out-of-the-box it's a pretty crappy printer. You need to do a lot of tuning and adjusting to make it a great printer. But you also learn a lot in the process.

Sep 29,2017

I'll try not to say anything that hasn't already been said. SO here's a list of facts about my experience.
• My first 3D printer
• 6 hours assembly time
• Use YouTube videos for guidance if unsure about ANYTHING during assembly
• Level your bed carefully and tightly!
• Get a BuildTak bed surface
• Get some cool looking filament
• Go to Thingiverse and upgrade, upgrade, upgrade!

Overall the Anet A8 is something you can really get stuck into if you have the time and motivation to do so. Expect to read and learn a lot along the way but the great thing about this printer over most of the other budget brands is the support. The support for this in its category is unparalleled. You can find support on Facebook, Reddit, Blogs, websites, YouTube and more! Any issues you have are likely to have already been encountered and documented by someone somewhere. This niche community of 3D printing enthusiasts are a friendly nerdy bunch who are always ready to step in and help should the need arise.

Suggestion

This is not for the feint hearted or anyone that wants something that will work right away. It's not for the person looking to get an unusual or surprising gift. It's not for those who aren't prepared to tinker. It IS for those people who enjoy a challenge, who like to achieve something unique and learn a lot along the way. For me this has spurred my interest in this field and I'm already using it to solve minor problems around the home, such as brackets, door locks and covers.Sure it has flaws, the acrylic construction being the biggest, but it isn't a deal-breaker. So long as you're careful, print and install some upgrades and treat it with some respect you should have a fantastic and very rewarding experience. There's a upgrade path from this to a Voron based system so they sky's the limit when it comes to future proofing.

I have no problems recommending this printer to someone who is willing to get stuck in to this amazing hobby.

Mar 07,2018