Hello 3d printer fans and makers. I currently have an a1 mini and have been putting it through its paces over the last several months. Ive probably used 5kg of filament and have maybe a few hundred hours of prints on it. I love the little machine, its a work horse. But it cannot print most engineering materials and Im looking to branch into more exotic prints and get myself a bigger build volume.
My first thought was getting the a1 with ams for multifilament printing and then I would have an ams I could use with either printer, but upon ruminating on the subject multifilament printing this way really seems to be such a gimmick and if I really want to do it there’s always stop code and manual filament switching. Plus its another bed slinger with the only real change being the larger build volume.
So that brings me to the Qidi Q1 Pro. All the reviews really talk it up, I like that its built on klipper and an open ecosystem (-1 for Bambu), the hotend max temp, the heated champer, the larger build plate, and the price? All seems like a big win to me.
My current plan is buying the printer along with a filament dryer, I dont really want to get their drybox attachment, a smooth build plate, some CF something filament, and 0.6mm nozzle as accessories.
Do you all have any thoughts on polydryer, if the 3 x-plus might be something to consider if I really want a bigger build plate than what the Q1 pro offers, or if there might be another printer for me to consider in the $500-700 range. Also, any recommendations on filaments I might want to try with a heated chamber, 100C build plate, and 350C capable hot end? Im leaning towards something nylon and/or carbon fiber… maybe PA-CF? lol.
Anyways, any input is appreciated. Thanks!
I don’t own a Q1 pro, and my only experience prior to my current printer was an ender 3 pro.
But I bought a Qidi Plus 4 a couple of months ago and have been extremely happy with it. It’s fast, reliable, and has the heated chamber and high temp hotend. Multi-material is supposed to get added via the Qidi box in the first quarter if you wanted to add it on later.
I haven’t printed any engineering grade material on it yet, but all the reviews I’ve seen say it’s a piece of cake with advanced materials.
That plus 4 looks very nice, but it is just a little out of my price range unfortunately and it also seems like the Qidi box will not be compatible with the Q1 Pro, but I still feel like multi filament printing with a single print head is a wasteful gimmick.
I don’t know about the Q1 Pro but I have an X-Max 3 and it has been bombproof for me so far. It absolutely can print PA-CF if you want to.
Mine can also print ABS about as easily as most machines print PLA, which I find fairly astounding.
Interested to see people’s thoughts here!
I often refer to this list maintained by some people I trust over at the 3D Printing discord. Unfortunately it seems like they don’t update it as often nowadays, but Qidi Q1 Pro has been around for long enough, and it is indeed one of their top picks.
Thank you for the link! Looks like my pick is 2nd on the list haha. Pulling the trigger today and gonna get the Q1 Pro
I’ve never had a Qidi printer, so can’t speak for their quality. What do you plan to print that needs a heated chamber?
I’m very partial to prusa printers myself, but they’re a different price category.
At the moment ABS and PETG, but Im also just interested in expanding my capabilities and refining print quality. Im an engineering student and will very likely find uses for this printer in school projects and definitely in my own projects. If I ever need XL prints or want to get into multimaterial, Prusa is gonna be my go to.
