The Da Vinci 1.0- A review

After getting lucky with ordering one from Amazon, I've been busy playing with the factory features and software. This will be my first 3D printer review so bear with me. The review criteria will include Performance, Pricing, and Aesthetics/Build Quality.

PERFORMANCE
First of all the one thing that everyone cares about most. Performance! I mean a 3D printer that can't produce workable prints is about as good as a wet match will be in a dark cave. Luckily the Da Vinci 1.0 delivers a decent print. I've spent about 2 weeks printing objects from both their demo reel and from my own library of designs. I have to say that the print quality is impressive. Considering that it is an abs extruder type printer. The heated bed keeps prints from warping; a problem that earlier abs printers like the Makerbot Replicator had. There have been one occasion in my experience where the Da Vinci has produced variably warped models, but from the roughly 20 successful and failed prints, the fact that I've produced only 1 very minutely warped model impresses me. I do have to fault XYZ printing however for the bottom few layers. Every print I've produced so far has some inherent problems with the quality of the bottom few layers of each object. ( It's uneven, and shaky, it almost looks smushed). Perhaps this is the fault of the factory standard software I am still using.

Regarding the speed of the printer it feels average. Large prints with high density take quite a long time to produce, My longest print time was 17 hrs with a 0.2 layer thickness and 50% object density. Despite tinkering with the settings there also problems with the quality in prints. As to be expected from extruder type printers the layering of heated filament produces a rough exterior. But, my complaint about quality isn't with the exterior finish but the problem in fine details and its inability to produce wholly triangular shaped objects. The extruder nozzle minimum thickness and inaccuracy of the print head are most likely the culprits for this.

The software provided leaves a lot to be desired. however, for first time printers, the options and simplicity make it accessible to printers of every skill level. More advanced users will want to opt for 3rd party software though as the adjustable options are extremely limited.

XYZprinting 

At the end of the day performance receives an 8/10. For good overall quality.

PRICING
Regarding the price of the printer it is simply top notch. A pre-assembled machine for 500$ that has the capacity/ ability to produce prints of its 2000$ cousin the Replicator 2. There are some quality control issues that need to be looked at into with regards to the machine. Upon un-boxing of our Da Vinci 1.0 I noticed that one of the hinges to the door that covers the power plugs was snapped same as the front door. There was a piece of the plastic that was noticeably snapped off. Neither of these faults affected performance though so we decided to keep the machine. It is worth something worth noting though as some users may find the lack of quality control as a troublesome sign. The manuals and software are also designed with its original consumer base in mind. So a lot of the staffed help and manuals regarding the Da Vinci are written in Chinese.

Cartridge pricing leaves much to be desired. They're difficult to open up and just replace the spool meaning you have to purchase both the abs spool and cartridge directly from them. I wish they had a replaceable cartridge model which allowed users to spool their own abs rolls in. This effectively limits you to purchasing their 28$ 600g cartridges. I've heard rumors of people cracking open their cartridges to insert their own rolls of filament but I have yet to try it. (Will update when that information becomes available).

Pricing receives an astounding 9/10 as it is literally the most cost effective hobbyist printer that is available on the market.  However, due to the price of the cartridges and the difficulty of replacing them I had to take a few points off.

AESTHETICS/BUILD QUALITY
The entire machine itself is actually very aesthetically pleasing. I enjoy the overall form factor of the machine, the lines are sleek and well rounded and it fits well into the design of where I keep the Da Vinci. My qualm lies in its build quality. The quality of the plastic used for its outer shell is really flimsy and leaves much to be desired. It would have been better if they used a more resilient plastic. or sheet metal like the inside.  As noted before, there were small damages to the plastic shell discovered after the unboxing.

 Regarding the inside of the machine. Most of the wiring is neatly bundled and everything is quite cleanly assembled. However, the manufacturer decided to use zip ties to hold some of the wires up making this commercialized machine look like a college engineering majors' final project. I had expected they use something more becoming of professionalism but the zip-ties do their job venerably. It should be noted that the manufacturer says that their build platform is pre-adjusted and should not be fiddled with but upon further instructional videos I revealed that our platform was not adjusted to appropriate levels and spent 3-5 hours tinkering with the settings and recalibrating by hand until it was workable. [There is no automated electronic calibration for the build platform which leaves the user open to a lot of guess and check; There are also no automatic sensors so adjustments have to be made by hand after using their auto-calibrate process which takes 5-10 minutes per each run. 

Due to these problems I can only give the Da Vinci 1.0 a 6.5/10 in this category. I was rather disappointed and frustrated even though most of my expectations were met. 

The Printer's overall score rounds out to a s score a 7.8/10. This is actually a pretty fantastic printer but the faults do really detract from making it 100% successful in its ventures. If you're looking for a cheap alternative to the Replicator 2 this is probably the best available option next to DIY 3D printers.


Post