{"id":12011,"date":"2021-11-15T14:16:29","date_gmt":"2021-11-15T14:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/the3dsourced.wpengine.com\/?p=12011"},"modified":"2023-04-11T15:09:08","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T15:09:08","slug":"snapmaker-2-0-3d-printer-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/3d-printer-reviews\/snapmaker-2-0-3d-printer-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Snapmaker 2.0 3D Printer Review: The All-In-One Beast"},"content":{"rendered":"

3D printers can be intimidating to non-engineers, or less technical — yet curious — makers. Numerous studies<\/a> have proven 3D printers save the average household serious money by printing household items rather than buying them, yet so few have been adopted into people\u2019s houses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a long time I have mused on how 3D printers<\/a> could bridge this accessibility gap and become so simple to use that they make sense — not just on a financial level, but an approachable one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I landed on a vision of a hybrid-style, lego-like 3D printer, where you just snap each part, like the nozzle, extruder, hot end, filament spool, axes, and other parts into place; and when you clog a nozzle or wear it down, you click it out of place and click the replacement in. No technical knowledge required — and little patience either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Note:<\/strong> this article covers the Snapmaker 2.0 3D printer module. Read our Snapmaker 2.0 CNC and laser test<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Having now used the Snapmaker 2.0 for several days, not just as a 3D printer, but as a CNC carver and laser cutter and engraver (aided by the 4-axis rotary module add-on), the Snapmaker 2.0 feels like the closest available machine to my vision of an accessible 3D printer that could find a place in people\u2019s homes worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only does it deliver on a technical level — and read on to find out how it performed in each function — but the entire experience unboxing, assembling, and setting it up was Apple-esque, and you can feel the hundreds of hours that have gone into making it the most pleasant and easy-to-use machine around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a 3-in-1 3D printer<\/a> that doesn\u2019t just satisfy small businesses<\/a> and technical hobbyists, but curious beginners<\/a>, too. The learning curve has been flattened, the level of patience required shattered, and the intuitiveness unrivaled. This is our review of the Snapmaker 2.0.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Snapmaker offer 3DSourced readers an exclusive discount:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Checkout using the following code for $100 off your Snapmaker purchase: ASSAVE50-3dsourced<\/strong><\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Building the Snapmaker 2.0 3D Printer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Online estimations say it takes 60-80 mins to assemble the Snapmaker 2.0, and I was originally suspicious. Surely such a complex machine will take longer than that — that\u2019s around the same time that most low-cost FDM kits<\/a> can take, and they come mostly pre-assembled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snapmaker 2.0 Main Specs (full specs at end of article)<\/h2>

Price: $1,100-$1,700<\/strong> — Available on Snapmaker Store here<\/a><\/p>

Build volume:\u00a0A150:<\/strong> 160x160x145mm, A250:<\/strong> 230x250x235mm, A350:<\/strong> 320x350x330mm<\/p>

Filament compatibility:<\/strong> PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU<\/p>

Different toolheads:<\/strong> 3D printer, CNC carver, Laser cutter and engraver, 4-axis CNC and laser with rotary axis add-on<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I was very pleasantly surprised by how accurate that timeframe was. It took around an hour to build the entire Snapmaker 2.0, using both the paper booklet instructions that come with the machine and Snapmaker\u2019s helpful YouTube video tutorial<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the time taken, the experience was simply a pleasant one. The parts ship in beautiful boxes with clearly displayed designs showing which parts are in each cardboard container, and are elegantly wrapped with care. Each differently sized screw is clearly labeled so you\u2019ll never get confused or misled, and a lot of care has clearly been put into making the assembly as easy and enjoyable as possible — even the screwdriver tool you use to build the machine feels like a lot of time has gone into designing it. The assembly process is its own experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Snapmaker
The well-labeled parts and screws make building the Snapmaker 2.0 easy and quick.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It took around an hour to assemble the Snapmaker from scratch. However, this doesn\u2019t include setting up the enclosure (read on for more about the enclosure add-on), and you\u2019ll need to spend more time fitting the CNC or laser modules if you plan to switch out the 3D printer. If you have the 4-axis rotary attachment module for CNC turning and engraving, expect this to take some extra to set up also.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It took around an hour to fully assemble, and then we were ready to test it out.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Snapmaker 2.0 3D Printer Review<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once we built the default naked Snapmaker 2.0, fitting the 3D printer toolhead was simple. The setup changes slightly if you have the Snapmaker 2.0 enclosure (more on this as we go on) as you\u2019ll need to re-attach the filament spool and the touchscreen holder so they fit in the enclosure, but otherwise attaching the 3D printer is just 4 screws, before calibrating it once you\u2019ve turned the Snapmaker 2.0 on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike some low-cost 3D printers<\/a>, where there’s the continuous sense of worry using wires and cables that feel flimsy when plugging them in or taking them out, the power cables on the Snapmaker feel strong and high quality, and have designated ports in the power bank for each part to fit in. They don\u2019t get tied up or interfere with each other, though if you have the enclosure you will have to bend them a bit when you drop your partially assembled enclosure onto the Snapmaker 2.0 to attach it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once we turned it on, the setup was a pleasure. Again, it feels like Snapmaker have taken a leaf out of Apple\u2019s book with the design of the entire experience. The touchscreen is intuitive, there was zero lag upon touching the screen — which, while not vital to final results, is a nice quality of life boost — and the one-off setup process that triggers automatically once you turn the Snapmaker on is simple and takes a few minutes maximum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You simply:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Connect your Snapmaker 2.0 to your WiFi (or don\u2019t, if you want to use a USB to transfer files instead).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Wait for the Snapmaker to auto-level across the nine points on the print bed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Adjust the Z-axis retraction manually until you feel resistance on a piece of paper.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Load the filament. This is really easy and you press a button once you\u2019ve inserted the filament for the motor to pull the filament until it starts extruding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. You\u2019re done! You just need to either connect the Snapmaker 2.0 to your computer via WiFi to send your sliced G-code file, or export it to a USB (a test vase print comes with the Snapmaker) and insert it into the machine.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    We used the WiFi features, and did not test the USB option, but for those who intend to 3D print in their work areas without WiFi, this will work fine. We recommend using the WiFi option if you can — it\u2019ll save you time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We tested the Snapmaker 2.0 A350, the largest model with the largest build area (320 x 350 x 330 mm). This is the best version to buy, and the one that affords you the most options for not only 3D printing, but also the CNC carving (with the 4-axis rotary module) and laser engraving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, naturally, this affects how quickly the heated bed heats up, and it took around 5 minutes to heat up from room temperature to the 70\u00b0<\/strong>C Snapmaker set for their PLA that comes with the printer (reducing to 50\u00b0<\/strong>C after the first few layers). The A350 also reaches lower maximum heated bed temperatures than the smaller models, at 80\u00b0<\/strong>C.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    Heated bed temperatures on the Snapmaker 2.0:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n