XYZprinting is a 3D printer manufacturer that specializes in affordable products for mostly education and applications. They also offer high volume industrial printers, keeping the two product lines on separate websites. An XYZ 3d printer will be a helpful intersection of flexible features and a reasonable cost. Today’s printer, the da Vinci Mini 3D printer is a great starter model that lets you start building right away and is portable enough to go anywhere.
Da Vinci Mini Technical Specifications
- Max print size: 5.9″ x 5.9″ x 5.9″ print bed (aluminum)
- File format: .stl , XYZ Format (.3w), .3mf , .obj, .igs, .stp
- Filament types: PLA; PETG; Tough PLA; Antibacterial PLA; Metallic PLA; XYZ Carbon Fiber.
- Filament diameter: 1.75 mm only
- Printer speed: 120 mm/second (not suited to high volume or extremely detailed applications)
- Extruders: standard single nozzle, or optional hardened steel upgrade
- Extruder diameter: 0.4 mm
- Printing plate: not heated, warping is a risk with lower cost printers. Use caution, follow directions.
Design and Features
The da Vinci Mini 3D printer is meant to be portable, and fit into your home along with your other electronic devices. With this in mind, its total weight is 18 pounds. The 5.9″ inch aluminum print bed is generous for something so small and compact. The size means better print quality than comparable starter models, too.
The printer has a smart feature that will determine and set all the settings it thinks you need for optimal quality, according to what you are printing with it. This is a great convenience for beginners who just want to get used to designing and printing. You can, of course, override this feature if you are a more advanced user.
With beginners in mind, the da Vinci Mini automates a great deal of setup. When you power it on for the first time, it will automatically calibrate itself for optimal print quality. It will also level itself on your table or other work surfaces. Any 3D printer will need maintenance, but XYZprinting streamlines and automates much of it for you with this product. The printer uses biodegradable components and meets UL and other standards for VOC emissions and home safety factors.
Another feature you may like is wireless connectivity. In some ways, the da Vinci Mini is the Chromebook of 3D printing. It costs little, sets up quickly, and can be used almost anywhere. The pricing, too, is comparable to some Chromebooks or tablets. You get a few advanced features, without the volume or advanced design of a more expensive printer.
You have a couple of choices for connecting and for design. XYZmaker is the onboard program. There is also an app called Maker Mobile, which you can use for making. Maker Mobile is available on both Google Play and the App Store. We followed the links, with mixed results. There is no app on Google Play called Maker Mobile. XYZmaker received middling reviews, an average of 3.1 stars at the time of this writing. It is free, but requires you to set up a user account before you can use it.
You can use the printer without any apps, but you do have to download software on a PC or laptop. The mini 3d has no touch screen or LCD monitor, and basically no GUI to speak of. You can push a single button to print, and there are LEDs to indicate the print status. Print color is limited to the filament color you use. As part of simplified maintenance, the 3d mini will tell you when it is time to replace the filament. This could be because it is running low, or because it is starting to degrade.
XYZprinting da Vinci Mini Print Quality
Print quality received high marks on the review sites we visited. Build volume won’t be spectacular but in line with what you’d expect from a basic 3D printer. Reviewers reported software glitches, which can interrupt printing, but they are easy to overcome and infrequent. One problem you may have at first is difficulty removing a built object from the bed. The frame is open, with a sliding carriage, but the hot extruders are positioned so as not to be easily touched.
The difficulty in removing, we found out, is because the printer automatically levels the bed before each job. We can’t imagine wild variations, and leveling is a part of consistent print quality, but the bed may not be where it was the last time you used it. There is a scraper that comes with your order.
The printer uses polyactic acid or PLA filament, which costs significantly less than ABS filament.
Resolutions for the da vinci 3d mini printer are Good and Excellent. These are controlled from your app or computer with the software installed. Misprints are extremely rare and not immediately noticeable. Print quality is consistent, too, with several builds of the same design having a consistent look and feel.
To print, you go to the Print dialog box on your display. At times, the printer will instead ask you to reconnect. If this happens, and you are not able to reconnect, cycling power to the printer will clear it.
Packing and Assembly
What’s in the box, when that box says da Vinci Mini 3D printer on it? Per our usual method, we went straight to the user’s manual to find out.
In the box, you will find:
- Quick Guide and warranty card to complete and return
- Power adapter, cord, and USB cable
- The extruder module (has to be installed)
- A scraper (fair warning-this appears to be a regular putty or drywall knife)
- Guide tube for the filament, and a spool with white filament already loaded on it
- Bed tape, which aids in removing built products without damaging them
- Cleaning brush and six extra cleaning wires (the wires are for the narrow feeder path)
- A leveling tool and removable cover, which protects from PET components in the print plate if you are concerned about these
- Feeding tube grip, which you would use to remove and replace the feeding tube.
The manual strongly cautions against using the printer in dusty areas, or places of high humidity. It is not meant for outdoor use. A temporary setup, like a picnic pavilion at a school field trip, will probably be OK.
The extruder, guide tube, spool ring, and filament spool (with filament on it) will all need to be installed. The spool ring is a plastic piece that goes inside the filament spool to guide the filament into the extruder.
You will also need to install a sensor guide chip onto the spool itself before it goes into its permanent spot inside the printer. Since the mini 3d uses an open design, the assembly will be fairly easy although it may be a tight fit.
XYZprinting Support
You can contact XYZprinting customer support over Skype or the phone. When you visit the website, the option will pop up automatically. There is also a help page with FAQ, documentation, tutorials, warranty information, and more. There are further options for contacting support on this page. There are even sample projects to try, at all skill levels including for kids. And there is a forum made up of XYZ users, for advice, ideas, and general chat. The forum looks pretty active and easy to navigate.
The user manual includes tips for the initial setup, as well as a table with troubleshooting guides. The program you use will report problems and maintenance issues using a number code. If you can’t resolve a problem using these tools, you’ll need to call customer support.
We looked at Amazon customer experience reviews, searching for the keywords “customer service” and “customer support.” The results were mixed. Agents will work hard to resolve your problem, but may be hard to reach. When we tested out the Technical Service link from the contact page, it took us to a login screen. This means you cannot contact tech support via the website without setting up an account first. It is annoying, but we are sure XYZprinting has its reasons.
Da Vinci Mini Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Great choice for beginners, with simple features and low price
- Portable and lightweight, designed to go anywhere
- Can print from any connected PC as long as the program is installed
- Settings, calibration, leveling can all be automated if you wish
- Some filament choices, including color (solid color only)
- Bright orange color may appeal to kids (also comes in black and red)
- Installing filament is easy, and spool sits on outside
- Electronic guide chip helps with proper feeding of filament into the extruder
- Can customize extruder with a steel nozzle at extra cost
Cons:
- Object removal, from the print bed, takes a learning curve
- Occasional misprints and software glitches
Verdict
We are happy to recommend the XYZprinting da Vinci Mini to residential and low volume educational users and explorers. It is beginner-friendly, portable, and produces consistent prints of high quality. The build platform is big enough for many kinds of creations. There are options for filament type and color, as well as extruder type. The open frame construction lets you see objects as they build, and the filament is on the outside so you can see if it runs low or if there is a misfeed.
On the negative side, the printer will not work for high volume or in some humid or dusty maker environments. Features are limited, and the printer will not work without either a questionable mobile app or a full-fledged program on a different computer. You will experience some misprints and software glitches, though they are simple to resolve. Customer service is hit or miss, though it is good to see how much the company focuses on education.
This is a reliable printer for what it sets out to do, and the price is hard to match. It could be a starter model, but could also be backup or auxiliary for someone who already has an established maker space.
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
