The Anet A8 3D Printer Review

Let’s face it! When it comes down to getting into 3D printing many hobbyists are concerned about price. Not only that but they are also that concerned that even if they find a 3D printer at the right price point it may not suit their needs. Well, the Anet A8 is a great printer to start with. Both skills-wise and financially. It’s probably one of the most popular low cost printers.

One of the things to take note of the Anet A8 is that this is a self-assembly 3D printer. This means that it needs to be assembled from beginning to end. While there are other printers on the market that come semi-assembled such as the Monoprice Maker Select, this one will certainly need a bit more attention to detail. For those that are new to 3D printing and love to tinker, build and understand how things work this will be an added bit of excitement.

Here we will be taking a look at the Anet A8. We will be taking a close look at this printer and we will highlight areas where it shines. Not only that,we will also be sure to touch on any flaws or shortcomings we have discovered. This way you can be confident that the information you find here is as unbiased as possible. Ultimately, with this information, you’ll be able to make a solid decision on a printer that best suits your needs.

Anet A8

Anet A8 Technical Specifications

Design and Features

Jumping right into the Anet A8 one of the first things you’ll notice about the machine itself is its simplistic design. No wonder this printer is a great option for hobbyists. In a lot of ways, it favors several other Prusa i3 clones that are on the market. Its open-frame design is what gives it away. One of the biggest differences, however, is found in its acrylic frame which is very stable. Also, it is built with an aviation quality aluminum plate which is totally flat and does not warp when heated.

There is often one thing that is a concern when purchasing a new printer. That is usually what type of filament it’s compatible with. Not to fear, the Anet A8 is highly compatible with many types of filaments. These filaments include ABS, PLA, HIP, PRT, TPU, wood, nylon and PP.  It’s also worth noting that the printer comes equipped with heating profiles for both PLA and ABS. This makes things easier when making those adjustments.

Let’s talk about the spool holder, you’ll find that instead of being mounted to the top of the frame (as with many 3D printers) it actually separate from the unit itself. This decision was purely a design choice and an effort to keep the light-weight plastic frame from taking on too heavy of a load. This difference in design ensures that the frame remains stable which ensures stellar prints.

When it comes to extruders, the Anet A8 comes with a customized MK8 extruder. The nozzle is made of brass which has accurate, high precision molding to 0.04mm. There are also other sized extruders that can be purchased separately which include 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.6mm.

While we are touching on the spool holder and nozzle let’s talk about filament options here for a moment. The A8 has what is called an open filament system. This means that you are able to use filaments from third-party sellers. Many 3D printers on the market only offer proprietary or branded filaments. The Anet A8 is different. Users are able to use any filament brand they choose as long as the filament diameter is 1.75 millimeters.

One of the most noticeable things to highlight about the Anet A8 has to be its large build volume. Compared to many other 3D printers within it’s price range the Anet A8 offers quite a bit more. Especially when you hone in on other Prusa i3 clone-like printers. Having a larger build volume means that you will be able to print, larger and more complex models. Not only that, but the Anet A8 is also compatiable with most of the popular slicers you’d recognized by name on the market.

Some other notable features with the Anet A8 is the brightly lit LCD display which has a large screen. Located at the very top of the frame, viewing the screen is very easy. It is backlit by a blue light and has clear white characters.

The Anet A8 also comes with double cooling fans which is a nice feature. With these fans, printed objects can be cooled quickly. This, of course, will improve the quality of the end product.

As for connectivity, there are two options. The first is a micro SD card slot for offline printing and a USB port for printing directly from your computer.

Overall, the design and features found in the Anet A8 is good but certainly not the best. However, for this price point, it’s darn good. However, one of the most important things to keep in mind here is that due to the nature of the machine’s design it is the prime candidate for upgrades and advancements. For those looking to get a bit more functionality out of this low-cost printer, upgrading some components is a good option.

Printing

Now that we have gone over some of the specifications, designs, and features for the printer we can get to the fun stuff. The actual printing performance.

Using the Anet A8 is certainly a treat. With its simplistic design, you can tinker as little or as much as you want once you assemble it. Overall, the print quality for a model in this price range is surprisingly good.

There are several nozzle diameters that you can choose from depending on the project you’re working on. They all work equally well. With this model, it will more than likely require a fair bit of tinkering in order to calibrate the printer. We found that tinkering with the print settings as well as ensuring that all physical parts are calibrated and configured correctly leads to the highest quality prints. Once you have taken care to check in on these things you will notice an immediate increase in print quality.

For the best printing results, it certainly will take some trial and error. A common issue is that the belt underneath the print bed requires a little more tightening but it’s a quick fix. After a couple of test prints or so you should be able to produce some very high-quality prints.

Before moving on to the next section we must let you know that if you really want to get the absolute most out of the Anet A8 you shouldn’t be afraid to make some upgrades. It is entirely up to you when you may want to make these upgrades. You may want to make right away or down line (whatever you fancy).

If you’re looking for the best results possible there a few upgrades you will want to make for sure. One of the first things you will want to do is upgrade the cooling fans, especially for longer prints. The Anet A8 has been known to have some overheating issues with longer more complex prints. In addition to this, you will want to get a MOSFET mod as well as a replacement power supply unit. Furthermore, replacing the extruder with a higher quality one and swapping out the print bed for a glass one will tremendously upgrade your print experience and quality.

Packaging & Assembly

The Anet A8 comes tightly packed in a box for self-assembly. We believe this is one of the best parts about this printer. Especially for a beginner. Learning to put it together yourself definitely helps you learn more about 3D printers and how they work. When making adjustments and upgrades later this self-assembly process will pay in spades.

As expected, the printer comes neatly packaged with a ton of different parts. All the parts come grouped together in several layers. These layers are set in sturdy styrofoam compartments and are nicely labeled.

Upon inspection, you may be surprised to discover there are absolutely no assembly instructions anywhere in the package. Not to fear. Inside the box there is a USB flash drive that includes PDF instructions that are very detailed and also include links to videos.

It is important to note here that assembling the Anet A8 will certainly not be the easiest thing that you have ever accomplished, but it also won’t be the most diffcult. For the most part, the instructions are pretty straight forward and easy to follow.

Assembling a 3D printer, especially for the first time does require a certain amount of patience and attention to detail.

Overall, building this printer will require a bit of patience. It isn’t something that can be put together can together in an hour. Typically, it will take anywhere from 5 to 8 hours to completely build the printer itself.

Anet A8 Pros and Cons

In this section, we are going to quickly cover some of the things we like and don’t like about the Anet A8.

Anet A8 3D Printer

• Easy installation, 5 keys 2004 LCD screen display, easy control, smart board, pause at anytime, best budget for DIY lovers
• High compatibility: supporting XYZ printing bio-degradabl and multiple filaments like ABS/PLA/HIP/PRTG/TPU/Wood/Nylon/PP etc
• Customized MK8 extruder: 0.4mm metal nozzle sophisticated technology, stable print, visual experience.
• Acrylic + Lead Screw frame is very stable.
• Ensured Quality:Aviation level aluminum plate its surface is completely flat and will NOT warp during heating process.

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Verdict 

Overall, the Anet A8 gives the user a unique experience. The user is able to learn a great deal about how the printer works while building it themselves. Many beginners, hobbyists, and tinkers will definitely appreciate this DIY aspect of the 3Dprinter.

When it comes down to cost, users will certainly like that this printer has an attractively low price tag. Being honest, we can say that this printer is not on the same level as the Prusa i3 MK2 for instance. But we can say that the lower price will certainly be a good fit for those looking to spend less to jump into 3D printing.

The Anet A8 is a fantastic printer for beginners and would be an excellent start for hobbyists as well. One of the great things about this model as well is that users will be able to either purchase or even 3D print upgrades of their own. All of which will have a substantial impact on optimizing the performance of the machine. Once fully upraded this machine is a total beast of a machine and definitely offers real long term value for customers.

If you’re looking for a solid, affordable 3D printer to build and upgrade the Anet A8 could very well be the model for you.

Last update on 2024-05-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API