I have owned, designed, and built many 3D Printers. There are some key factors that can really affect your prints. Things like frame rigidity, belt tension, and extruders. The QIDI X-One is a great example of a “great out of the box” 3D Printer.
But we all know that no 3D printer yet is truly “out of the box” ready (except maybe the Prusa i3 MK3S+), and here’s why.
Construction
The QIDI X-One is built with an all-metal frame and is rock solid. There are some well-thought-out features like anti-vibration rubber feet and mold-injected bracketry that are well-designed.
The really nice thing about the QIDI X-One is that it comes pre-assembled and ready to print. Just load your filament and perform the bed leveling procedure to start printing.
Features
Touch Screen
The X-One comes with a 3.5” Touch screen that has a really clean interface and is simple to use. The free slicer software (Cura) that comes on the SD card even shows you a preview of the model when you select that stl file.
MainBoard
The mainboard is a new 32-bit 3D Printer Controller which is a Chitu F Model v3.9. This runs a custom version of repetier-firmware. 32-bit boards are supposed to offer better processing power and improved printing. However, I think this is overkill for a printer that only has a build volume of 5.5”3 and the board is closed-sourced so you have no option to edit any settings.
Build Plate
The 140x140x140mm build plate has a heated bed and prints rest on a thick MIC-6 Cast sheet. This is a quality build plate and very durable. The X-One also comes with a pre-installed sheet of tak paper for your prints to stick to.
Extruder
The X-One features an MK10 direct extruder that is very similar to the Wanhoa extruders. There is a short length of PTFE tubing that runs from the entry of the throat down to the nozzle. This is housed by a metal cover that has a Bowden-style connection at the top.
Customer Support
QIDI Tech has some of the best customer support I have ever experienced. I have owned and operated $20K 3D Printers and have not received better service than QIDI Tech. You can rest assured they will support you if you have any questions or run into any problems.
Suggestions for improvement
First of all why oh why did QIDI Tech choose a closed-source 32-bit control board? My guess is they wanted that cool touchscreen LCD.
The problem is the user has no ability to PID Tune (much needed), Upgrade Parts, or Dial any settings in the firmware. There’s no reason to run a 32-bit controller on such a small cartesian printer. I see some really good swap opportunities with the MKS Boards or any other open-source one as well. I could care less about the screen and most 3D Printer users are moving to Octoprint or other remote printing solutions.
My next suggestion is the extruder. Why the heck didn’t they make this a Bowden style! There’s already a tube guiding the filament and the build volume could have been increased by having a Bowden-style hotend. The direct drive hotend frequently jams at the PTFE Lining and it’s a real pain to get to.
Even loading the filament can be a hassle if you don’t straighten it out nicely. I recently upgraded to a Micro-Swiss all-metal MK10 hotend and so far, there has not been a single jam. I highly recommend this change and you’ll wish you had the upgrade after you fix a couple of jams and drop your screws down into the printer through the exposed openings. *Tip (Use Blue Tape and cover the openings)
I would consider a Bowden Conversion or possibly a Titan Aero upgrade to get around some of these extruder issues.
Lastly, the injection molded brackets are sized for a smaller linear bearing. These are loud and annoying. It would have been nice to upgrade to the IGUS bearings but they just won’t fit. Maybe someone can design some new brackets as there is plenty of room for standard LM8UU size bearings. An enclosure would have been nice but for printing PLA you’d have to print with the door open as it would be too hot. But it prints ABS well.
Summary
Overall this is one bad-ass little printer with a ton of upgrade potential. You can also find them used on eBay as beginners and lazy people get frustrated with the issues and list them for cheap. They should have read our blog… But if you can’t find them used then buy them new and know that you’re in good hands with the QIDI Tech support and the many upgrading options ahead.
If you need spare parts for your QIDI X-One you check out the Official QIDI eBay Store
Comments
Have you upgraded your X-One or have something to say about it? Please comment on this article and show off your upgrades!
