Q1

This printer boasts a very impressive array of features for it's price range, I decided to purchase this after doing quite a bit of research, this is my third printer and I've been using them since 2016 so I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted and the Q1 pro pretty much delivered everything I was looking for. I wanted a fully enclosed CoreXY printer with a larger build volume than my previous printer ( a Fokoos Odin 5 ), I also wanted one of the new generation of faster Klipper based machines, the Q1 pro had all that and more at a price which was unbeatable, I got it some time around Black Friday for £330, but even at it's normal price of £449 it's still well worth the money . Other features such as the heated chamber, auto leveling ( although not without issue, more on that in a bit) and the internal camera are just the icing on the cake. My first impression of this printer was just how incredibly fast it was, it printed a Benchy in 18 minutes and the quality was almost perfect apart from a small flaw on the roof of the model, there was no stringing or anything like that, it was quite impressive. Print quality and accuracy in general are very good, I have no problems with things like print in place mechanisms which I have had issues with on my previous machines. The build volume is probably about the best I can hope for from a CoreXY printer as my available space is rather limited, the Q1 pro was just the right size for my needs. One thing to bear in mind is that when going full pelt the print head flings itself around quite violently. I currently have the printer standing on an old computer desk it's sturdy but still wobbles quite a bit when the printer is working at high speed. On a couple of occasions it's even shaken the power cable loose which is less than ideal, so I'd make sure you have something solid to stand this printer on, on the bright side this did at least give me the chance to test the print recovery which worked, thankfully. The included Qidi slicer software is easy enough to use and quite powerful, I had previously only ever used Cura but making the transition was pretty simple, the interface is clearly set out and easy to navigate and it has all the features I've come to expect and rely upon, it also makes sending prints to your printer over the network simple and painless. One other things worth mentioning is the app, I'm normally a bit skeptical of phone apps but this one is very good and easy to set up. It's easy to use and allows you to do things like remotely monitor your prints (which is a very neat little feature, even though the camera isn't the best and the framerate is low it still serves it purpose well enough), you can also manage the files stored on your printer, start and stop prints, check temperatures and more. Despite everything that is good about this printer I have had a couple of issues with it, the first was under extrusion caused by a blocked nozzle and was most likely my own fault for trying to print with some old low quality ABS which was probably full of impurities. Changing the nozzle was a fairly simple affair and I contacted support just to ensure I didn't make any silly mistakes, they were quite obliging and provided me with links to videos showing how to change the nozzle, how to clean the old nozzle and also how to disassemble and clean the extruder mechanism. The second issue was a little more serious as my printer developed a fault with the auto leveling system, again I contacted support and again they were very helpful. It did take a fair amount of back and forth this time around to establish the cause of the issue, but with that done Qidi kindly supplied me with the replacement parts free of charge and linked me to videos detailing how to fit them. Overall my experience with this machine has been mostly positive, it's a very capable machine with a decent build volume at a very competitive price point. I have had some technical issues but I feel like this is a problem with many 3D printers these days. The technology is changing so rapidly that products end up getting rushed to market before being adequately tested, at least with Qidi the customer support was responsive and helpful. They will supply you with the parts you need in the event of there being a failure, which is very reassuring to know.

This printer outperforms many others in its price category. Setup is simple, usage is simple, and results are great. It's fast, versatile, and so far, reliable. Not had to deal with customer support yet but I've heard only good things about them. Compared to other enclosed printers, it's much more affordable. Prints PLA beautifully, I'm yet to use other filaments. Using OrcaSlicer, it's a breeze to get going, and there's plenty of mods / upgrades that the community has made to improve this printer. If you buy the Q1 Pro, print a lid riser. The lid is made out of a clear acrylic, and when printing, the cable snake that attaches to the print head can scratch the lid. There's a few lid risers on Printables that you can print to eliminate this issue entirely, although the issue is purely cosmetic.

As a complete novice where 3D printing is concerned, I probably bought a machine too advanced but I wanted something to grow into rather than have to change later. Anyway, this was not much more money than an entry level machine so it wasn't a big deal. It's actually quite impressive and there is a lot to take in unless you're an old hand at it. It comes with some accessories all neatly packed and setting up takes very little time. Get it connected to a stable WiFi network and you talk to it from either a phone or the slicer software that comes with it. It levels up and calibrates itself and seems to work quite well, some of the app instructions are in Chinese which isn't helpful to any body other than the Chinese. It's worth noting that this printer does not have auto filament changes for different colours of filament, you have to do it manually, but that isn't a primary concern for me, I'm making components for motorcycles etc. Anyway, the print output is good, the layers stick well, one component was inadvertently left lying around and it went through the husky test, got chewed up and still held its shape and didn't fall apart, so the layers stick well. Files can be sent to the printer for production when sitting at a PC, and since mine is down the garden in a log cabin, that suits me, I can also watch progress on the PC. I can really see this developing into a useful tool for making and repairing things, and as time passes, I'll get more filament colours and get to use it properly. The machine is a fair size, about 500mm cube, and rocks a bit when working so it needs a stable base to sit on. So far, I'm impressed and I've coupled it with FreeCad for modelling the parts I want. So for anyone getting into 3D printing, don't be afraid of this as a starter and something to progress with, watch the YouTube content and just practice.