Snapmaker 2 A350 3D printer review: A fantastic upgrade but an expensive one

Snapmaker 2 Hero Source: Windows Central

3D printing at dwelling is merely i of many avenues for making cool stuff on your ain. Laser cutters and CNC mills are too available for the hobbyist and help you make your projects come to life. Buying a 3D printer, laser cutter, and CNC factory isn't inexpensive, though, so you normally just become to cull i.

Snapmaker sought to alter that with i of the most backed applied science Kickstarters of all time, the Snapmaker three-in-1 with slap-up success. It was pocket-size, and many parts weren't optimized, but information technology was a adept start. Since and so, Snapmaker has created three new machines of various sizes that have improved on the original motorcar in every way.

Snapmaker 2 Reco

Snapmaker 2 A350

Lesser line: If you are looking for a dedicated 3D printer, then the Snapmaker 2 A350 might not be for you. If you desire something to make lots of dissimilar projects with different materials, it's pretty neat.

The Good

Dandy 3D press module
A lot of manufacturing choice
Solid construction
Expandable and adaptable

The Bad

It's pretty expensive
The light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation is not very powerful

Snapmaker two A350: Price and availability

Snapmaker 2 Pricing Source: Windows Central

The Snapmaker 2 was originally only available to Kickstarter backers but has since gone live for anybody. It comes in three sizes — the A150, A250, and A350 — and costs around $1,250, $i,550, and $one,850 respectively. We were given the largest of the three and take spent months using it ahead of a review. The Snapmaker 2 is regularly on Amazon and the Snapmaker store.

Snapmaker 2 A350: What's good

Snapmaker 2 What Like Source: Windows Cardinal

From a purely 3D printing perspective, the Snapmaker 2 is much ameliorate than I expected. When you make a multipurpose manufacturing machine, you run the risk of all the different parts being mediocre, but the Snapmaker surprised me with its quality. Because the Snapmaker comes in three sizes, it's easy to choice the right size for your 3D press needs. I have the A350, which has a build volume of 320mm ten 350mm 10 330m, just the mid-range A250 has a bed size more than in keeping with the best 3D printers while offering the aforementioned iii modules for making.

Category	Snapmaker 2 A150/A250/A350
3D printer materials	PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU
3D printer nozzle temperature	275 degrees Celsius
3D printer bed temperature	110 degrees Celsius / 100 degrees Celsius / 80 degrees Celsius
3D printer layer resolution	0.05mm - 0.3mm
Laser power	1600mW
Laser blazon	Diode
Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation wavelength	450nm
Laser materials	Woods, leather, plastic, fabric, paper, non-transparent acrylic, and more than
CNC spindle speed	6,000 - 12,000 RPM
CNC shank Diameter	0.5mm - 6.35mm
CNC materials	Woods, acrylic, PCB, carbon fiber sheet, jade, and more
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, USB-A, USB flash bulldoze
Software	Snapmaker Luban (other 3D printing slicers piece of work too)
Frame	Aluminum alloy extrusion

The 3D printed models the Snapmaker two was able to produce have been amazing. Each model I printed came out excellent after a little fine-tuning, from a minor Wonder Woman statue to a full-sized Mandolorian helmet. Luban, the software the Snapmaker comes with, isn't the nearly powerful 3D printing slicer, just it is piece of cake enough to employ your preferred slicer for better results. The Mandolorian helmet took a massive 125 hours to print and worked flawlessly. As a standalone 3D printer, the Snapmaker two does a fine job.

The 3D printed models the Snapmaker 2 was able to produce have been amazing.

Happily, however, the Snapmaker isn't just a 3D printer. Information technology'due south also a laser engraver and a CNC manufacturing plant. The laser module allows you to burn designs onto various materials like wood, leather, or plastic and tin create incredibly detailed designs on the right material. I fabricated this "imagination station" for my wife, where I laser cutting ane of her sketches in the top, adding a title underneath it. It was straightforward with the Luban software, past importing the image, tweaking brightness, and striking go. The Snapmaker deals with everything else you demand. Just brand sure to open up the window to allow the burning smell to dissipate.

The CNC mill is the most complicated part of the unabridged car, and I didn't spend as much time on it as I would like. A CNC requires a lot of space and a lot of ventilation and cleaning to go on it running in tip-top shape. I have neither of those in my small workshop, but I managed to cut several modest engravings. I've been impressed with what I have seen from the Facebook groups I am in, though. People are making amazing things that I simply tin't reproduce right now.

Altogether, the iii modules are an impressive upgrade to the original Snapmaker. Each of them gets huge improvements; the 3D printing module, for instance, has a new fan, new removable parts to brand replacement easier, and a better hot terminate for materials other than PLA. The laser module is now the 1600mW instead of the tiny 200mW module the original Snapmaker came with, but to be honest, even that isn't enough.

Snapmaker 2 A350: What needs work

Snapmaker 2 What Not Like Source: Windows Key

One of the things I dear nigh the Snapmaker is the chance to apply different types of maker tools all in one package, but that doesn't mean at that place aren't issues. While a fun little distraction, the laser module isn't actually capable of much in the fashion of cutting ability. Sure, it can burn wood, plastic, and leather, but when you lot want information technology to cut something, you lot are going to struggle. The laser is only 1600mW, which sounds similar a lot until yous realize a full-powered laser cutter similar the Flux Beamo is a whopping 30,000mW (thirty Watts) and can piece through 5mm wood with ease. I struggled to become the Snapmaker 2 to cut through whatsoever thickness of forest, regardless of how many passes I made.

I struggled to become the Snapmaker two to cut through any thickness of woods, regardless of how many passes I made.

Having a more powerful Laser module would drag the Snapmaker 2 from a skilful automobile to an amazing i, and while we are told that Snapmaker is working on a laser system, nosotros don't know when that is probable to happen. They accept recently released an excellent rotary tool; however — it turns your Snapmaker two into a kind of lathe/four-centrality CNC — so perchance a new light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation tool isn't far off.

Snapmaker 2 A350: Competition

Zmorph Fab Source: Zmorph3d

It isn't easy to actually give a good comparing with a product so versatile. The closest lucifer in one machine is the Zmorph Fab, a fabrication device that as well uses laser cutting, CNC milling, and 3D printing. While it is more powerful in nigh every way than the Snapmaker 2, it has a smaller build expanse and is over twice the cost. The Zmorph is designed more for minor business fabrication rather than hobbyists.

If y'all were to buy three dissever machines, the cost would be considerably more than though. Just the 3D printer would be cheaper than the unabridged Snapmaker 2.

Snapmaker 2 A350: Should y'all buy it?

Snapmaker 2 Print Source: Windows Central

You should buy this if ...

You want a large 3D printer
Y'all want to try different manufacturing ideas
You lot want a lot of different accessories

Yous shouldn't purchase this if...

Y'all only want a 3D printer
You want to be able to tinker with your 3D printer

You should purchase the Snapmaker 2 if y'all are a person who loves to brand different things and wants to experiment with different materials. In that location is so much you can exercise if you have the imagination to practise it.

While I lament the power, or lack thereof, of the laser module, I can't deny the overall usefulness of the Snapmaker 2 A350. The 3D printing module is excellent and, with a little fine-tuning, helped me produce some excellent results, including my Mandolorian helmet, one of my favorite e'er prints. Both the Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation and CNC over a hobbyist a chance to grow and change into different mediums, and I can honestly say I look forward to learning more nearly the CNC side of the Snapmaker two as time goes on.

As information technology is right now, I can certainly recommend getting one of these splendid machines. That's especially the case if y'all're happy waiting for more than modules and accessories, as time goes on.

Snapmaker 2 Reco

Snapmaker two A350

Bottom line: The Snapmaker 2 A350 is a dandy 3D printer and a skilful everything else. The Cost is high, but the projects you can create are nigh endless.

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