We just bought this printer (or perhaps a slightly more recent version of it) and searched in hopes of finding a video half as good as this to get us started. If there are content creators that truly deserves demo versions of hardware to review for the benefit of helping potential buyers and/or new users, you sir, are one of them. Salute to you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Please do a review on how to remove, disassemble and clear the extruders on the QIDI I-FAST 3D Printer. Mine came from the factory with a clogged #2 extruder. The Red PLA filament QIDI supplied is sub-standard and has problems feeding and plugged twice last night. This video should include how to reassemble them to assured proper heights and reduce issues with leveling and calibration. It would be greatly appreciated.
I purchased a QIDI iFast last month (Dec 2022), partly based on James' review. The printer has worked really well (as James showed) - although I've only done high temperature printing with ABS so far (haven't tested the dual printing capability). One good thing is that since James' review, Qidi changed the USB port location to the top of the printer instead of near the door, which is much better. When I first used the unit, I had to slightly adjust the horizontal bar that switches nozzles so that it would properly fit into the slot on the sides of the printer. If it's not aligned, the bar will hit the plastic side wall (not go into the designated slot), and make a bunch of noise as the printer continues to try to push the hot end along the X-axis. It only took a second to fix, and it's been perfect since then. Also, the build plate takes a bit to heat up (mine takes ~15 - 20 minutes to reach 110C), which is slower than the heating rate of a smaller Ender 3 - but given the higher temp, much larger plate, and the evenness of the temperature profile across the plate, it's understandable that it will take longer. Like James, I purchased a second build plate to quickly swap parts off the printer while keeping the bed heated for a subsequent print. Unlike James, I certainly had odor build up when printing with ABS. My printer is located in my basement in a fairly small room - so that certainly contributes to a build-up. Although it has an enclosed chamber, there are spaces at the bottom of the printer where air can easily escape (between the outer plastic shell and internal structure). Also, the only filtration appears to be a small filter screen on the outlet of the circulation fan, which pumps air outside the chamber and is meant for low temp printing only (i.e. it really isn't meant for continuous air filtration while printing with a heated chamber). I don't believe the Qidi iFast has any other filtration system beyond this. So, I duct taped the open slots on the bottom (minding not to cover the air vents for the electronics cooling fans, which are also located on the bottom of the printer), and I purchased a self contained HEPA & carbon filtration unit from Makergadgets to continuously recycle the air within the chamber. The printer has plenty of room in the back to accommodate the filtration unit and not interfere with the build plate. I routed the small power cord for the filtration unit up and through the filament slot of the top acrylic lid. I also taped over the slots of the acrylic lid (with the filament tubes and filtration unit power cord running through) to make it more air tight. It worked perfectly, with hardly any odors escaping when I printed with ABS. My aftermarket fix with the Makergadget filter only costed ~$55. So, for me, the Qidi iFast still makes a lot of sense, since most other heated chamber printers with integrated filtration systems are several thousand dollars more. I sent a suggestion to Qidi to incorporate a HEPA & carbon filter to the heated air system (which recycles the air in the chamber anyway). Given the space within the printer, I think they could easily accommodate this. Their customer service has been excellent so far.
James. you did it again only this time you hit it right out of the ball park. I have ZERO experience with 3D printers, and even with my rudimentary knowledge, your tutorial and review of this, made perfect sense. You possess a rare gift in being able to explain yourself in logical and easily understood ways, even to those of us that have little or no real practical knowledge of these complex things. Thank you for taking you time to share with us, and impart a bit more knowledge, inquiring minds DO want to know. Please keep them coming. Don
Einstein once said that if you can't explain something without using technical jargon in an easily understandable way then you don't understand whatever You're explaining well enough. You can tell James knows what they doing and he's an excellent teacher!
It's really nice to see some companies sending you items out. You put a lot of effort into top notch reviews and info. Everyone needs/deserves some ROI. Keep up the great work.
I like him because he's an industry expert and looks and behaves like an adult. As someone who's in the maker and tech industry it is frustrating to mostly find information on machines from college grads that quit their jobs to do RUclips. This guy is an industry veteran. His reviews are actual expert reviews. I'm very impressed.
Been running a Qidi XCF for 50 days. Thing is a beast. Churning out CF parts reliably. Like you bring up, software. But support is always on point. Just bought the i-fast today to ramp up production, I wouldn't expect anything less than the XCF. Sounds like more of the same. Work horse, with occasional bugs. Thank you for the review.
Great review James!! I had never heard of Qidi before your review. Your honesty in all of your reviews is greatly appreciated. I hate RUclips creators that receive a free or discounted product for review, and they have nothing but absolute praise for the item. It's extremely rare that a product and its software are completely perfect. I also appreciate that you used the printer extensively for 6 weeks before reviewing it. I know it takes a lot to create a thorough and high quality review like this. If a creator is willing to put all that time and effort into a quality review, I think they deserve to get the product for free. In return, I think the creator owes their audience a truthful review. A lot of creators are worried if they say something negative about a product, they won't receive future products to review. In my opinion, if a company is scared to have someone review their product honestly, it speaks volumes to the real quality of the product and the company. I feel like you have always given us honest and detailed reviews of the products in your videos. You also provide follow ups if you find new features or issues with a product you already reviewed. In the rare case you err, you are man enough to admit your mistake and the correction you made. That speaks volumes to the man you are, and it shows that you actually care about your viewers. I think you hit the nail on the head with this review. No 3D printer is going to have every imaginable feature, especially at this price point. It's about finding the printer that checks the most wants and needs off your personal checklist. Like you, I have been looking at the Prusa XL. Unfortunately, I don't have the programming background you have. That's why I appreciate the simplicity of the Prusa Slicer and the extensive Prusa tutorials and community. I would love to see you review a multi head Prusa XL once they become available. After reading comments on your Fusion 360 and 3D printing videos, I think a large percentage of your viewers are in awe of your proficiency with them both. I would love for you to some day create a tutorial series for Fusion 360 that covers everything from getting started to complex/animated drawings. Thank you again for providing us with high quality, thorough and honest videos. I look forward to your new video every Saturday.
I've thought about doing a whole beginner series on CAD and 3D printing. The people who appreciate those videos really appreciate them, but I find that most people searching for 3D printing videos want the magic settings to make everything work, and have little desire to really dig in and understand.
@@Clough42 You are absolutely correct. It seems like more and more people are looking for an "EASY" button for everything in life. It would be great if there was an "EASY" setting that worked with every filament, printer, environment, etc, but once you spend a little time printing you realize that there is no "one size fits all" setting for FDM printing. Part of the fun of 3D printing is the tinkering and tweaking to get the best possible results with the equipment you have. If you don't enjoy a challenge, 3D printing probably isn't for you. I know there are a lot of people that would really appreciate it if you did a CAD tutorial series. Unfortunately only a very small percentage of the 99% of people that appreciate and benefit from your videos will leave you positive comments. Meanwhile almost all of the remaining 1% will let you know how everything you said was wrong, that you have no idea what you are doing, and how they could do it 10x better than you. I'm glad you don't let the naysayers get to you. Your sense of humor, attention to details, and the way you explain how and why you do things makes you one of the top hobby machinists on RUclips, in my opinion. Keep up the great work, and remember that there is a silent majority out there that would love to see a Clough42 CAD Tutorial series.
I would love to see a CAD and 3D printing series, I for one would like to know the settings that can be tweaked for the best outcome. 3D CAD fusion is definitely on my agenda to get to know and learn! Look forward to them if it happens.
@@Clough42 From an engineer who is looking to get into 3d printing in the usual "going to have to go way down the rabbit hole to be satisfied" way, this is something I'd actively/directly support
We have a qidi printer at our makerspace and for constant use it has a couple of issues. The the ribbon cables wear out, the steppers were disconnected when shipped. There is some skipping on the extruder after a year of use. otherwise it's fairly reliable.
Great video as always, thank you. The heated build volume is clearly a key factor in getting taller long prints to stay flat, so I'll be looking for this in my next printer. The software issues made me smile as I remember starting to struggle with configuration management about 25 years ago. I reckon my company had it cracked after a few years later. These days with git and automated deployment tools, it's surprising to hear of companies still just 'hacking' fixes without any evident version control. I expect they'll catch up soon.
Hi James, One of the better product reviews I've seen in quite a while. The I-Fast does appear to be an excellent 3D printer. I especially liked the way you put it through the ABS testing. The printed parts don't lie. They all looked great and I have seen what your other printers could do when you were experimenting printing those parts. It does have a hefty price tag, but from what I've seen and you recommendation, I think it's worth the price. Hopefully, when the supply chain gets better, it may decrease slightly in price. You and the family stay safe.
Judging from the texture supplied by the heated build plate, I would plan for the finished side to be the bottom. That switch cover would look great and the lettering would be cleaner.
If you order a Prusa… all of the printed parts have the textured surface up. Does look decent. All the prints I sell I don’t even bother post processing this surface off as it looks good imho
you're a multifaceted man that impresses me more and more. not that I'm important. you're like an electronic/electrical/industrial/mechanical master engineer.
I bought an iFast off your review and have been using it for over a year now. I've had to replace the motherboard myself (Qidi customer service sent no charge) but otherwise I've been very impressed. I use it for work, prototyping parts I've built in Fusion before I have them made by SendCutSend to verify fit, and custom motorcycle parts. I've also used it to print full size shoe concepts built in Gravity Sketch VR (I'm a footwear designer). I personally don't need the dual extruder feature but the heated bed and closed design is key as I keep it in a detached shop in PNW. This is a huge unlock for hobby builders, literally whatever you need, if you can model it, you can print it.
I consistently find your videos interesting, even when it is a topic I wouldn't think would be. (I'm not in the market for a new 3D printer atm.) Good job!
I think they got way more than $2-3k worth of publicity here. This is going to sell a lot of printers. Maybe it will get them to up their software game too, like some config control.
Worked for me. Mine will be here on Friday. James is a trustworthy source and he is quite picky and thorough. Email me James if you want my order number so you get credit for the sale.
Just wanted to say thanks for this and your other videos. Ive been shopping for a more industrial/home 3d setup and your channel is a wealth of good information
I just bought this Qidi iFast printer. This video was key contributor to my decision. Very very well produced video. I also joined your channel. The unit arrives on Monday, 1/23/2023. The next video I'd love to see is one that covers details of setup for the most common types of filament.
At 28:29 and later you attribute a lot of the heavy lifting to the heated chamber. I wonder if other factors (all well executed by QIDI) are more important: 1) PEI pebbled surface 2) evenly heated bed 3) (a) chamber. Can you try printing the same part, same settings, same top cover, only with the chamber heat (and its associated fan) off? The chamber will still get warm due to the heated bed, but should save on waiting for chamber heat at startup and power.
This thing has been excellent for me so far, and Qidi provides excellent customer service. I've only been using CFPA6 and polycarbonate on it so far, but I'm confident you can do any material under that no problem with the right settings and opening the door/lid as needed.
Thanks for the excellent review! I’ve been sitting on the fence for the last 20yrs regarding 3D printing. I just bought my first printer. The Qidi I Fast. Mostly based on your review. Thanks very much. Subscribed. Cheers Kit✊
I have watched your review a few times now as I am in the market for a larger 3D printer and think this is a great printer for the money. Your review is really in-depth and honest I especially like that you share things that went wrong and what you did to fix them. Regards Karl
Thanks for the excellent review, James. I've been considering something like this - something that works with a wide variety of materials without an extraordinary amount of fettling. I think they only unanswered (unanswerable?) question is whether the software support would be as good for non-reviewers as it has been for you. ...of course if you get all the kinks worked out for us, it's a non-issue :)
@@Clough42 James, I recently bought one of these because of your review and I can confirm that they have been an excellent company to deal with. They've answered everyone of my questions and concerns and always respond within a day. Coming from China I couldn't ask for more. Btw, my first ever print with ABS (I've done thousands of PLA prints on my CR-10) turned out fantastic, not perfect of course but better than my CR10 does in PLA and I haven't tuned or tweaked my settings yet so hopefully it will get better. Also, as a side note, my printer came with two dual head extruders, one low temp (PLA etc) and one high temp (ABS etc). Unfortunately I had to order a single head extruder for those times I want to print using the full volume it offers: 360x250y320z single head vs 330x250y320z dual head volume. PS: My dry box didn't come with the rubber bands you showed, did you buy them separately?
Wow, you weren't kidding about a deep dive! Great descriptions and I especially liked the comparisons with the results from your other printers. Since you mentioned the video on replacing the drill press motor with a VFD and new motor, did you finish or abandon that project? I am curious because it looks like the head on my 30 year old Delta drill press was cast in the same factory as your Jet and the switch box looks identical.
James I been on the fence for a while on 3d printers looking at the results of the prints I would half to say with your opinion on this Printer and testing it for 6 weeks and the results I would have to get one to. I know that it passed your seal of approval to me that Golden. Thank you for the great videos and review of new product.
Very informative and well done presentation. It had to take a considerable amount of time required to do such a video. You are obviously experienced and knowledgeable about 3d printing. This one was and continues to be at the top of my list for purchase. May you have continued success in your endeavors. Thank you.
27:25 If you design your part to have wall thicknesses that are divisible by your extrusion width, you can eliminate gaps while also turning off gap fill. This is assuming either your outside or inside dimension can change slightly.
Another timely topic. I am refurbing several (GMC PM Griz) 1236 GBL Going thru them mechanically after bubba moved them with a forklift- Hope all he bent up was drip pans and cabinets. With VFD, DRO and digital lead screws these will be real nice little machnies, Great work -keep it up
Awesome video, and I didn't even know you could print the walls in a different order but I'm absolutely going to give this a go and see what I get great work dude and thanks for sharing this 👍
This sort of review gives us real information and an expert assessment. It also gives the manufacturer fair comment about the software and the need for changes. Agile software development and/or poor quality control? Overall I reckon they have had very good value from that loan machine.
James, Thanks for the honest detailed review. Very, very interesting. The actively heated enclosure with air filters sure appears to be the key feature that makes all the other details work so well. Could you please provide another update around the time the Prusa XL starts shipping later this year? The Prusa XL would be about the same price point, and doesn’t have the enclosure. Thank you 🙏
Thank you for doing this review. I have used the Qidi X-max for a year or so and it has been fantastic but as you say the software lets it down but I know that every time I come back in the morning that the print will be there without exception. I have been wrestling with buying I-FAST but for the same money I could build a better machine with a bigger build plate that would print much faster and if I use IDEX heads and only need half the bed size it effectively allows me reduce a five hour print to 22.5 minutes as I would be producing 2 components at a time. However after watching your review I have been reminded how good QIDI printers are.
All of the IDEX printers I looked at claimed to be able to print mirrored or duplicate parts simultaneously, but when I looked deeper, they could only do it practically with a raft, since they're compensating for the two nozzle heights in software, and there was no mechanical way to align them to print well at the same time without the raft to take up the slack.
@@Clough42 I was unaware of the limitations that you mention, now I will have to investigate further. I have decided to buy the I-Fast so I can use it immediately and take my time and build the mother of all printers. Thanks for your input.
Hello James, I purchased an i-fast a few months ago and I recently decided to purchase some new nozzles for the low temp extruders but they don't fit into the heat block threads. They're too big. My 7mm wrench that fits the original nozzles is too small to fit the new ones that I bought (MK10 Nozzle for 3D Printer, 18 Pcs M7 Brass Extruder Head Hotend Nozzles 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1.0mm fit 1.75mm Filament). Can you please tell me what size/type I should have purchased? I can't find any definitive answer online. Thank you.
Wow, that is quite a review! I like you attention to detail! While I would not buy any of those expensive printers it was a pleasure to watch. As for manual bed leveling, I agree, the auto probe must have is kinda exaggerated, I use Ender 3 and after I flatten the bed I do not touch knobs or calibrate it with piece of paper for months. There is a good recipe for good bed leveling, and if manufacturer follows it user will have not much trouble. On Ender 3 however you have to flatten the bed by hand by bending it and the reset with aluminum tape. Also need to fix bolts with nuts to the bed itself. May want to replace springs. And after that it will not need to adjust every single print. Also I agree that firmware is very important. That's why I love my Ender 3. I can install official Marlin with all new features which they add, and can set up functionality which I need. For example to tune flow ration on the fly, or use firmware retract, so I can add z-hop during print if it is needed or adjust retract length during print. And so on. PEI sheet is also a must have. After I installed one I had little to no trouble with adhesion. And it cools very fast. I just place it on a table, and on printer I launch preheat (again opensource firmware let me add preheat presets which I need). And in a couple of minutes I place PEI back and launch next print.
Hi James, Really great review of this printer compared to others. I got interested in a sightly used Ultimaker S5 but it uses 2.85mm filament and had some other drawbacks compared to this one such as price that discouraged me. I started printing with ABS on a self-converted Dremel 3D20 on glass believe it or not and its amazing how good the parts turn out. But I need a larger build volume now. This printer looks promising. I think i'm ready to pull the trigger thanks to your review. I wondered if you had any other comments after having this I-fast for a year now. Thanks again!
On my printers I have to apply a 0.36mm filet around the whole first layer to avoid elephants foot, this printer would be very useful to me. I have seen various Quidi machines and they have all impressed me, KUDOS for being the only YTber I have heard that can pronounce the title of the printer correctly.
I do exactly the same thing on most parts I design. In theory, a printer ought to be able to avoid it, but I haven't used one that manages it without a raft. I specifically asked how to pronounce the name, so I wouldn't be just another American mispronouncing everything and not caring.
9:50 the PTFE tubing also provides a constant length of filament between chassis and printhead for the entirety of the XY range. Rapid movements don't fight the filament roll weight [or am I wrong on this]?
You are correct. Though the manual suggests running without them if you're not using moisture-sensitive filament, and it seems to work just fine in my testing.
Hi, it seems a very intersting printer. I have a Ender 5 plus and I had a LOT of problems. I was close to throw it away (I wouldnt sell it as it would be unfair for the new buyer). Then I have solved it with the transformation to a direct drive with MICRO SWISS. NOW I am SUPER happy, but of course it's open housing. Your new printer seems to have that additional point that mine is missing. Great video.
The Ender 3 and Ender 5 are favorites of beginners. It's kind of a catch-22, though. They're good base printers if you tinker and get them running well, but the beginner isn't necessarily prepared to figure out and solve the issues.
Considering this printer. Just confused about how it will help me improve cf nylon printing? Currently using a Prusa in a enclosure tent type deal. Will this help cf nylon adhere to the bed? Will I not need to use garolite? I’m assuming the parts are coming off my bed due to adherence and not warping…maybe both? Thanks!
The enclosed chamber helps retain heat and reduces warping, and the adhesion to the stock flex bed seems quite good with the QIDI PA12-CF I tested. How much is because of the printer and how much is because of the filament? I don't know.
@@Clough42 Makes sense. I guess since it's always only a corner it has to be a combination. This could be the printer for me. Until then....More glue stick! Thanks for your response.
Great review. I've been looking at a bunch of videos on this exact printer and the ultimaker s3 trying to decide on which printer would be my best upgrade path, but most seem to come of as paid advertisements without a whole lot of useful information that I couldn't just find on their websites. Thank you for an outstanding overview and really putting it through it's paces. It goes a long way to helping to make a decision.
Awesome in depth review that I stumbled on today after having a bit of time to see if there were any reviews outside of Modbot's. I actually ordered this iFast printer two nights ago and will be receiving it today. I didn't realize it would be that much bigger with the additional filament boxes, but I won't be mounting them in the back either to keep the depth to a minimum. I started with an Ender 3 S1 two months ago and the frustrations with it printing more functional parts just wasn't working out with more exotic filaments. So based on the many great features you pointed out, I jumped right to this to fill the needs the little Ender could not, without having to go through many printers or modified customized printer sizes with floppy enclosures (with an attempt at keeping them toasty) to do what this iFast could and have dual extruder setup. We have the Stratasys units at work and those are not available for us to use, so I believe the iFast could work for me. Great indication of the machine's abilities and print quality in your review. I hope the software will get more streamlined as more input is received from future owners. Thanks for the review!
Hey James, I just pulled the trigger on the i-fast. I also had a deposit for the Prusa but this really looks like the printer for me. I'm sorry I couldn't use Amazon but I found it for $2100 at another site and couldn't resist, plus, I kinda prefer helping the smaller shops. I have you electronic leadscrew based on your videos and suggestions and couldn't be happier. I really think the printer is gonna be a great addition AND I can sell my 2 flash forge creator printers and my highly modified creality 3D printer. I could never get any great prints with ABS or high temp filaments with any of them. thanks again
Here in Australia they are hard to get & the price is around $3500 au ( incl shipping , dutys,tax ,etc) ,im a novice at 3D printing , i only ordered it for Product Prototyping as im becoming a product developer/Inventor , ive researched so many 3D printers & alot of people told me to get a ender 3 to learn on but you need lots of upgraded parts to do things that i want , i wanted an all in one machine where i didnt have to buy multiple machines to run some of the filaments i want to run . I wanted the X-CF Pro but Qidi had none available & to import one from china ended up costing similar to an i-Fast ,l so ordered an i-fast through amazon 2 weeks ago . i plan to be running ASA to start & get into Carbon/nylon. Good review thanks
always cool to see an in depth review of a professional level device, I'm still super happy with my voron 2.4 but still its good to see what more professional offerings are doing. (FYI im not sure that actively heated chambers are that necessary for ABS, I'm getting around 55-60C with justa chamber fan and mostly acrylic enclosure and don't really warping, guessing the new prusa will do ok too)
@@Clough42 yeah, and honestly this is a massive deal. Today Prussia doesn’t have particularly impressive hardware and their prices are kinda meh, but with their tuning, reliability and ecosystem they’ve got a pretty compelling thing going. If this new tool changer platform they’ve got turns out well I think the < 10000$ professional fdm industry is in for a shock.
@@KevinBrowder All the specs in the world don’t mean much if it doesn’t print well. The prusa just works. I have a few printers… and it was a long time before I could justify $750 on a Prusa tbh… but I’m very happy with it… it’s just $750… not $1000+. So for a quality machine with great ease of use… I don’t think you can go wrong
Really excellent video. Adding an actively heated chamber is a _very_ simple and cheap option to DIY, so that would bring Prusa XL etc into the frame 😁
When I built my old delta I built it with heated chamber in mind. As long as the temp got over 45c or so the parts were very flat. The bed material for abs is very interesting.
Even with an unheated chamber, ABS becomes attainable in most printers. It's night and day. I get great results in my Voron V0.1 with a cold chamber of 30-40c or with a fully warmed up printer around 60-65c. You're headed down a slippery slope towards another addiction :) Slicer settings will be where the bulk of the quality will come from for you.
@@klaernie it's an ender 5 plus. Open frame printer. It was a purchase I've regretted since I bought it. Will try to sell or donate. If I can't do that then I'll keep useful parts only.
Ooooh I was in the market for 4 new printers 2 years ago. Like you I only make mechanical objects. No interest whatsoever in PLA. I almost bought QIDI. Went Ender 6 and CR 200-B instead and I'm so glad. The high temp hot end can't be serviced (non-serviceable heat break). At least it couldn't be serviced then. I narrowly escaped. Not much cooling fin area for the heat break. Turned out to be a problem for lots of people. Maybe this new version is corrected? Lots of attractive looking spec's including Nylon to start, IDEX and the active heater. I almost pulled the trigger and purchased QIDI. My next evolution will be Voron Triton's. Order a backup hot end set now. Nylon is cool but you can't put fasteners or constant stress on it as it will creep/flow away from the load over time. People who print Voron parts in it need to re-print the entire project to avoid re-tightening screws nearly every day! Be careful what you ship in CF Nylon. Love the active heater. However, my printers get up to 50c plus anyway. I can print edge to edge also. Love to try 70c+ chamber however and see how much more quality it gets me. Watching video now and thumbing up. Bit rambling. If found the QIDI a close call for my uses, didn't choose it but it was at the top of my list.
Super helpful video, especially the summary. Thanks! A few weeks back I withdrew my deposit for the Prusa XL. I also just recently finally pulled the trigger on building a Voron 2.4 from a kit, primarily because while I had been pondering on it for some time, the Black Friday sale price of the kit was too tempting and I bit the bullet.
27:24 The thin wall gap fill for the PC board mount, you should be able to use the gap fill on select layers? I know I can do that in simplify3d, are you not able to do that in your software or would it still take too much print time to do so? Also in simplify3d you can set a tolerance for the gap size it will fill.
I haven't tested Simplify3D for this printer yet because the stock slicer was doing so well. It has the thresholds for gap fill size and I fiddled with them a bunch. Turning it off completely gave me perfectly usable parts in half the time.
Great video. I'm interested in the box you printed. I print a small black abs part similar in size. It's a chain/belt guard for a small dc motor. I made my outside corners square. I would like them rounded but I could never get good bed adhesion, or if there were supports, I couldn't' remove them. I'd be interested in your print settings, speed, temp and supports.
I have had a Qidi Xplus for about two and a half years and have found it generally to be a very good printer. Aa a noobie 3d printer user, it worked straight out of the box for me. I've printed some fairly large prints without issue. Only complaint is the wireless is flakey and has stopped working randomly. Qidi support have been very responsive
@@Clough42 yeah seems to be fairly consistent. I have had two mainboards shipped to me for free after reporting the wireless issues, which although I don't think was the right move at least they're trying to help. Also reached out after watching your video last night to see if there was new firmware and it came through via email overnight. Seems to have corrected the wireless issues for now
I’ve owned a qidi x-max for about three years now and I only just learned how to pronounce qidi… I definitely think this machine is very cool but I’ve heard a lot of gripes in the reviews that it’s not great for 24/7 printing as things break fairly often. I’m not sure how legitimate of a concern that actually is, but it’s got me leaning towards going another level up and getting an ultimaker s5.
Great review. I've been looking for printer that's capable of printing both ABS and polycarbonate parts, and this review really helped me understand the various factors to consider. Much appreciated!
Expellant job on the review answered pretty much all the questions I have on the twin heads functionality. I think for my main product line I would go with 2 of the single head printers rather than the dual head, which to me would be more cost efective.
I created a 3d printed prosthetic call the Dexterity hand. Also, I've been looking for a printer that I could recommend to those wanting to create the hand. We need parts that are durable and create a safe and reliable prosthetic. This printer looks very promising. Thank you for this great review!
Hello James, Thank you again for such a detailed and authentic review. I have a CNC Mill, however, 3D printing is not an area that I have had any experience to date. This printer seems to tick my previously un-ticked boxes? I see this level of performance as: "Yup, I can certainly see that this would be a very useful addition to my workshop. Mmmm Time to start the "Learning Curve" Many thanks again Jim. Barry M. Australia.
It would be helpful for those of us considering various 3D printers to know definitively which of the items you mention yours coming with come with the units "as sold", e.g. the filament reel holders, different build/print plates, high and low temp print heads. As it sounds like Qidi gave you the unit in the hopes you'd share it favorably w your viewers, it's not unrealistic to believe they may have "sweetened the pot" to you by shipping you accessories the rest of us would not get at the "MSRP" of $2,500 you mention in the video.
I did not preorder the Prusa XL *specifically because* it is not enclosed with a heated chamber. Fun side note: take a closer look into the extruders -- I believe some other folks have found the head units have attachment points for, and plugs for, BL Touch additions to come later. I contacted them about that and, if I got through the (mild) language barrier, had as much confirmed.
The biggest factor with bed level drift is thermal cycling / gradients. This is an enclosed chamber with a massive heat spreader of a plate, which probably couplesto the frame an order of magnitude better than most. This thing would probably be with in a 1/100th or 2 of a mm of equilibrium by the time the hot end is up to temp.
I watched ur video what is the name and version of the slicer software u are using that came on the flash drive? I didn't get the flash drive with mine
I use a mirror tile on my 3d printer. Mirrors are optically flat to prevent distortion in the reflection. They are also a better quality than normal glass.
All glass, including mirrors, tends to take a set, corner to corner. How much depends on how it's supported, and how thick it is. Not sure how that's relevant here, though, since this printer has a flexible magnetic bed.
An actively heated chamber is going into the next printer that I build. My first printer was a cheap printer, on purpose. I figured out what I didn't like, looked at what standard options were available, and then designed my own printer with all the improvements/features that I wanted. The printer that I designed and built is a workhorse and it puts out prints in very high quality. It's not fast, I only print at 40mm/s. This is a hobby for me so speed is not important and the biggest part of the hobby is design iterations on the printer itself, not making a bunch of silly trinkets, though I do make many functional parts for my other hobbies. I've only had limited success in ABS and other "high end" filaments though so my next project is to either redesign this printer or make a whole new one with active chamber heating. I haven't actually decided yet, though I do have most of the design elements drawn out in my head, I just need to transfer this to CAD.
This is an excellent way to start, as a hobby. I started with an inexpensive kit, just to have something as a starting point, then replaced just about everything except the RAMPS board as I got frustrated. The resulting frankenprinters have been cranking out parts for seven years without trouble.
What about part cooling? On print head closeups I've noticed it's only from one side and sometimes not even 100% zeroed on the nozzle, did you notice quality issues on overhangs on the back side of the print?
I very much appreciated this review (and frankly all other reviews / videos on this channel). I am a newb to printing and will be printing exclusively functional parts for my other hobbies. The input from James on this channel is of great value. Given this review is now 2 years old - I wonder how this machine would be rated by James. I am considering this model from QIDI machine as new in Q4 '24 and curious how it would stack up say the Plus4. my focus is exclusively the "engineering filaments" and this model still checks all the boxes. I also like the all profile linear guide mechanical robustness... Any input ?
Just FYI, got a new Ifast, early in 2023 and the usb jack has been relocated to the top of the machine. Im sure as a result of the feedback here and from others. Great machine.
Thank you for this really usefull very in depth review. Your usage of 3D printer is similar to what we use it for and your criterias seem to be much the same as our criterias. I have been running a Stratasys Fortus 250mc for almost 7 years at the office. I printed a lot of different parts but always in ABS. First, we use the Starasys ABS+ and a year later, we tried successfully the Argyle ABS+ spools. In time, we were able to reprogram (refill) the EEPROM needed to operate and I made see-trough windows in the spools's cartdrige so that we came to be able to use all the filament on the spool regardless of the EEPROM quantity indication. We were able to use filaments from other brands (much less expensive than Stratasys and more affordable than Argyle and Triton 3D) but only a few were good. Stratasys machine are almost full automatic so when it works, it works but when there are problems there isn't much you can do... that was pretty much frustrating. The last year we were checking what to do, what 3D printer to buy to replace our aging Fortus 250mc. Lately, I have been looking the different 3D printer for ABS on the market for the office but also for me at home. I plan to operate a small part time business. I need quite much the same 3D printer... a reliable small/medium production of mostly small to medium parts in ABS and maybe a few parts in TPU or similar "flexible" material. This QiDi i-fast seems to be the best option for us. But I am a bit concerned about using either breakaway support or soluble support (Aquasys 120 or PVA or other similar). My main products need support... some of them with soluble and others, would be fine with just a breakaway support. It seems these support materials (water soluble) must be printed with the "cold" extruder set. Would ABS print well with the "cold" extruder set ?
I did all of my ABS printing with the low temperature extruders. And you're right: Ionic will not print at all in the high-temp extruder. It jams and escapes the feed path.
Excellent review. I don't have a 3d printer and after this review, this looks pretty good to me. Would like the auto-leveling though, but if it holds Z then not a big deal. Your review and effort is appreciated.
Great review. Seeing the printed parts for the ELS reminded me that I’ve been looking out for the microprocessor board (Texas Instruments) for about a year but due to the chip shortage I can’t seem to find one. If people are still buying the other parts in the kit is there a source anyone can point me to ?? Been on my to-do list for a while! Thanks
Hi James, OK thanks for the reply and I’ll just have to keep looking as I’m about to finish off my big drill press upgrade (on my channel if you are interested) and would like to upgrade the lathe next. All the best from the UK 🇬🇧
James, I really enjoy your videos and this one is no different. That printer is a humm dinger but I could never afford one like that. From your evaluation of that printer it sounds like it would do you a good job.
Hi James, great review - excellent job as usual :) I was the lead Mechanical engineer for a major industrial FDM printer company for 10+ years before leaving a few years ago, and have since been looking for an affordable option with a heated chamber (as I'm addicted to large, uniform, flat prints now). My previous employer held the patent for actively heating FDM printer chambers, but that patent expired several years ago and I've been expecting this would come along eventually... I've had the X-MAX from QIDI for a little over a year now, and aside from the absence of the chamber heater have been very pleased with it. The i-fast looks like a great non-industrial option based on my experience with their X-MAX, and with the massive benefits of the heated chamber. I contacted QIDI before seeing your review and they said that the chamber can't always reach 80C and that 60C is recommended. I just wanted to double check with you after you mentioned that it indeed hit 80C without issue. I couldn't find an operating ambient temp spec. from QIDI and assume your room is 70F +/- 10? Thanks again for the review. I've been a subscriber for some time now and always look forward to your videos and common-sense, clear explanations. -Pete
I have some experience in embedded software. Also working with S/W developers in China. It looks like the mechanical engineering team that designed this printer also developed the software and what you get with this printer a.t.t. is the stuff they used to test and debug the h/w.
my next printer is the imax or I large model. I already posted one of my printers and one of my oscilloscopes for sale. I made a printer cable for a person with a qidi from 2015 or 16 and he's been able to print abs with it for years. it's been reliable too he said. the prusa xl makes me wonder if replacing a 2k plus printer over a 750 dollar one is gonna be a hard sell after the initial excitement. unless they're doing a big upgrade to their 10 year old home user technology.
That rubber band to seal up the 'gap' in the plastic drybox for the filament is really quite brilliant. Cheap, effective, simple. I love the stuff that we get from the "global" marketplace, but I also have that same issue with how it seems that the end users are the beta-testers in a lot of ways. Software and hardware.
Would have been interesting to see if you could print the metal filaments, on their site it says it can print bsaf 316 but i have not seen anyone do it
We just bought this printer (or perhaps a slightly more recent version of it) and searched in hopes of finding a video half as good as this to get us started. If there are content creators that truly deserves demo versions of hardware to review for the benefit of helping potential buyers and/or new users, you sir, are one of them. Salute to you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Please do a review on how to remove, disassemble and clear the extruders on the QIDI I-FAST 3D Printer.
Mine came from the factory with a clogged #2 extruder. The Red PLA filament QIDI supplied is sub-standard and has problems feeding and plugged twice last night.
This video should include how to reassemble them to assured proper heights and reduce issues with leveling and calibration.
It would be greatly appreciated.
I purchased a QIDI iFast last month (Dec 2022), partly based on James' review. The printer has worked really well (as James showed) - although I've only done high temperature printing with ABS so far (haven't tested the dual printing capability). One good thing is that since James' review, Qidi changed the USB port location to the top of the printer instead of near the door, which is much better. When I first used the unit, I had to slightly adjust the horizontal bar that switches nozzles so that it would properly fit into the slot on the sides of the printer. If it's not aligned, the bar will hit the plastic side wall (not go into the designated slot), and make a bunch of noise as the printer continues to try to push the hot end along the X-axis. It only took a second to fix, and it's been perfect since then. Also, the build plate takes a bit to heat up (mine takes ~15 - 20 minutes to reach 110C), which is slower than the heating rate of a smaller Ender 3 - but given the higher temp, much larger plate, and the evenness of the temperature profile across the plate, it's understandable that it will take longer. Like James, I purchased a second build plate to quickly swap parts off the printer while keeping the bed heated for a subsequent print.
Unlike James, I certainly had odor build up when printing with ABS. My printer is located in my basement in a fairly small room - so that certainly contributes to a build-up. Although it has an enclosed chamber, there are spaces at the bottom of the printer where air can easily escape (between the outer plastic shell and internal structure). Also, the only filtration appears to be a small filter screen on the outlet of the circulation fan, which pumps air outside the chamber and is meant for low temp printing only (i.e. it really isn't meant for continuous air filtration while printing with a heated chamber). I don't believe the Qidi iFast has any other filtration system beyond this. So, I duct taped the open slots on the bottom (minding not to cover the air vents for the electronics cooling fans, which are also located on the bottom of the printer), and I purchased a self contained HEPA & carbon filtration unit from Makergadgets to continuously recycle the air within the chamber. The printer has plenty of room in the back to accommodate the filtration unit and not interfere with the build plate. I routed the small power cord for the filtration unit up and through the filament slot of the top acrylic lid. I also taped over the slots of the acrylic lid (with the filament tubes and filtration unit power cord running through) to make it more air tight. It worked perfectly, with hardly any odors escaping when I printed with ABS. My aftermarket fix with the Makergadget filter only costed ~$55. So, for me, the Qidi iFast still makes a lot of sense, since most other heated chamber printers with integrated filtration systems are several thousand dollars more. I sent a suggestion to Qidi to incorporate a HEPA & carbon filter to the heated air system (which recycles the air in the chamber anyway). Given the space within the printer, I think they could easily accommodate this. Their customer service has been excellent so far.
James. you did it again only this time you hit it right out of the ball park. I have ZERO experience with 3D printers, and even with my rudimentary knowledge, your tutorial and review of this, made perfect sense. You possess a rare gift in being able to explain yourself in logical and easily understood ways, even to those of us that have little or no real practical knowledge of these complex things. Thank you for taking you time to share with us, and impart a bit more knowledge, inquiring minds DO want to know. Please keep them coming.
Don
Einstein once said that if you can't explain something without using technical jargon in an easily understandable way then you don't understand whatever You're explaining well enough.
You can tell James knows what they doing and he's an excellent teacher!
It's really nice to see some companies sending you items out. You put a lot of effort into top notch reviews and info. Everyone needs/deserves some ROI. Keep up the great work.
I like him because he's an industry expert and looks and behaves like an adult. As someone who's in the maker and tech industry it is frustrating to mostly find information on machines from college grads that quit their jobs to do RUclips. This guy is an industry veteran. His reviews are actual expert reviews. I'm very impressed.
Been running a Qidi XCF for 50 days. Thing is a beast. Churning out CF parts reliably. Like you bring up, software. But support is always on point. Just bought the i-fast today to ramp up production, I wouldn't expect anything less than the XCF. Sounds like more of the same. Work horse, with occasional bugs. Thank you for the review.
Great review James!! I had never heard of Qidi before your review. Your honesty in all of your reviews is greatly appreciated. I hate RUclips creators that receive a free or discounted product for review, and they have nothing but absolute praise for the item. It's extremely rare that a product and its software are completely perfect. I also appreciate that you used the printer extensively for 6 weeks before reviewing it.
I know it takes a lot to create a thorough and high quality review like this. If a creator is willing to put all that time and effort into a quality review, I think they deserve to get the product for free. In return, I think the creator owes their audience a truthful review. A lot of creators are worried if they say something negative about a product, they won't receive future products to review. In my opinion, if a company is scared to have someone review their product honestly, it speaks volumes to the real quality of the product and the company. I feel like you have always given us honest and detailed reviews of the products in your videos. You also provide follow ups if you find new features or issues with a product you already reviewed. In the rare case you err, you are man enough to admit your mistake and the correction you made. That speaks volumes to the man you are, and it shows that you actually care about your viewers.
I think you hit the nail on the head with this review. No 3D printer is going to have every imaginable feature, especially at this price point. It's about finding the printer that checks the most wants and needs off your personal checklist. Like you, I have been looking at the Prusa XL. Unfortunately, I don't have the programming background you have. That's why I appreciate the simplicity of the Prusa Slicer and the extensive Prusa tutorials and community. I would love to see you review a multi head Prusa XL once they become available.
After reading comments on your Fusion 360 and 3D printing videos, I think a large percentage of your viewers are in awe of your proficiency with them both. I would love for you to some day create a tutorial series for Fusion 360 that covers everything from getting started to complex/animated drawings.
Thank you again for providing us with high quality, thorough and honest videos. I look forward to your new video every Saturday.
I've thought about doing a whole beginner series on CAD and 3D printing. The people who appreciate those videos really appreciate them, but I find that most people searching for 3D printing videos want the magic settings to make everything work, and have little desire to really dig in and understand.
@@Clough42 You are absolutely correct. It seems like more and more people are looking for an "EASY" button for everything in life. It would be great if there was an "EASY" setting that worked with every filament, printer, environment, etc, but once you spend a little time printing you realize that there is no "one size fits all" setting for FDM printing. Part of the fun of 3D printing is the tinkering and tweaking to get the best possible results with the equipment you have. If you don't enjoy a challenge, 3D printing probably isn't for you.
I know there are a lot of people that would really appreciate it if you did a CAD tutorial series. Unfortunately only a very small percentage of the 99% of people that appreciate and benefit from your videos will leave you positive comments. Meanwhile almost all of the remaining 1% will let you know how everything you said was wrong, that you have no idea what you are doing, and how they could do it 10x better than you.
I'm glad you don't let the naysayers get to you. Your sense of humor, attention to details, and the way you explain how and why you do things makes you one of the top hobby machinists on RUclips, in my opinion. Keep up the great work, and remember that there is a silent majority out there that would love to see a Clough42 CAD Tutorial series.
@@Clough42 I sure hope that series comes to fruition! Can't wait…
I would love to see a CAD and 3D printing series, I for one would like to know the settings that can be tweaked for the best outcome. 3D CAD fusion is definitely on my agenda to get to know and learn! Look forward to them if it happens.
@@Clough42 From an engineer who is looking to get into 3d printing in the usual "going to have to go way down the rabbit hole to be satisfied" way, this is something I'd actively/directly support
One of the best printer reviews I’ve ever seen! Thank you so much. 👍🏼
We have a qidi printer at our makerspace and for constant use it has a couple of issues. The the ribbon cables wear out, the steppers were disconnected when shipped. There is some skipping on the extruder after a year of use. otherwise it's fairly reliable.
which model?
@@rixxxer5460 xplus
Great video as always, thank you. The heated build volume is clearly a key factor in getting taller long prints to stay flat, so I'll be looking for this in my next printer. The software issues made me smile as I remember starting to struggle with configuration management about 25 years ago. I reckon my company had it cracked after a few years later. These days with git and automated deployment tools, it's surprising to hear of companies still just 'hacking' fixes without any evident version control. I expect they'll catch up soon.
Hi James,
One of the better product reviews I've seen in quite a while. The I-Fast does appear to be an excellent 3D printer. I especially liked the way you put it through the ABS testing. The printed parts don't lie. They all looked great and I have seen what your other printers could do when you were experimenting printing those parts. It does have a hefty price tag, but from what I've seen and you recommendation, I think it's worth the price. Hopefully, when the supply chain gets better, it may decrease slightly in price. You and the family stay safe.
ive seen it advertised for $1800us on one of there sites . but to get it shipped to Australia ends up costing a bit . so i just went thru amazon .
Judging from the texture supplied by the heated build plate, I would plan for the finished side to be the bottom. That switch cover would look great and the lettering would be cleaner.
I've done it both ways. I agree that the pebbled surface is attractive.
If you order a Prusa… all of the printed parts have the textured surface up. Does look decent. All the prints I sell I don’t even bother post processing this surface off as it looks good imho
Thanks!
I appreciate how thorough you are James. One of the best on RUclips
you're a multifaceted man that impresses me more and more. not that I'm important. you're like an electronic/electrical/industrial/mechanical master engineer.
I bought an iFast off your review and have been using it for over a year now. I've had to replace the motherboard myself (Qidi customer service sent no charge) but otherwise I've been very impressed. I use it for work, prototyping parts I've built in Fusion before I have them made by SendCutSend to verify fit, and custom motorcycle parts. I've also used it to print full size shoe concepts built in Gravity Sketch VR (I'm a footwear designer). I personally don't need the dual extruder feature but the heated bed and closed design is key as I keep it in a detached shop in PNW. This is a huge unlock for hobby builders, literally whatever you need, if you can model it, you can print it.
I consistently find your videos interesting, even when it is a topic I wouldn't think would be. (I'm not in the market for a new 3D printer atm.) Good job!
I think they got way more than $2-3k worth of publicity here. This is going to sell a lot of printers. Maybe it will get them to up their software game too, like some config control.
I hope so. The software could be better. There are some small mechanical things that would make it easier to use as well.
@@Clough42 i hope they use your feedback.
Worked for me. Mine will be here on Friday. James is a trustworthy source and he is quite picky and thorough. Email me James if you want my order number so you get credit for the sale.
Just wanted to say thanks for this and your other videos. Ive been shopping for a more industrial/home 3d setup and your channel is a wealth of good information
I just bought this Qidi iFast printer. This video was key contributor to my decision. Very very well produced video. I also joined your channel. The unit arrives on Monday, 1/23/2023. The next video I'd love to see is one that covers details of setup for the most common types of filament.
At 28:29 and later you attribute a lot of the heavy lifting to the heated chamber. I wonder if other factors (all well executed by QIDI) are more important: 1) PEI pebbled surface 2) evenly heated bed 3) (a) chamber. Can you try printing the same part, same settings, same top cover, only with the chamber heat (and its associated fan) off? The chamber will still get warm due to the heated bed, but should save on waiting for chamber heat at startup and power.
Still have my Qidi printer from about 6 years ago and it still prints very well with no modifications.
This thing has been excellent for me so far, and Qidi provides excellent customer service. I've only been using CFPA6 and polycarbonate on it so far, but I'm confident you can do any material under that no problem with the right settings and opening the door/lid as needed.
Thanks for the excellent review! I’ve been sitting on the fence for the last 20yrs regarding 3D printing. I just bought my first printer. The Qidi I Fast. Mostly based on your review. Thanks very much. Subscribed. Cheers Kit✊
I have watched your review a few times now as I am in the market for a larger 3D printer and think this is a great printer for the money. Your review is really in-depth and honest I especially like that you share things that went wrong and what you did to fix them. Regards Karl
I've avoided getting a 3D printer because most of the output is crap. This thing puts out parts I would happily use. Hope James gets a commish ...
Based on your review and the New Year sale, I ordered one of these today. Thank you for the great information.
Thanks for the excellent review, James. I've been considering something like this - something that works with a wide variety of materials without an extraordinary amount of fettling. I think they only unanswered (unanswerable?) question is whether the software support would be as good for non-reviewers as it has been for you. ...of course if you get all the kinks worked out for us, it's a non-issue :)
That's a fair question. I don't know. I also don't know if everything I received with the test unit is included with the retail units.
@@Clough42 James, I recently bought one of these because of your review and I can confirm that they have been an excellent company to deal with. They've answered everyone of my questions and concerns and always respond within a day. Coming from China I couldn't ask for more.
Btw, my first ever print with ABS (I've done thousands of PLA prints on my CR-10) turned out fantastic, not perfect of course but better than my CR10 does in PLA and I haven't tuned or tweaked my settings yet so hopefully it will get better.
Also, as a side note, my printer came with two dual head extruders, one low temp (PLA etc) and one high temp (ABS etc). Unfortunately I had to order a single head extruder for those times I want to print using the full volume it offers: 360x250y320z single head vs 330x250y320z dual head volume.
PS: My dry box didn't come with the rubber bands you showed, did you buy them separately?
@@larry527az3 mine were on the boxes when I unpacked them. It was a review unit, so I can't speak for the retail offering.
@@larry527az3 where did you order the single extruder?
Wow, you weren't kidding about a deep dive! Great descriptions and I especially liked the comparisons with the results from your other printers. Since you mentioned the video on replacing the drill press motor with a VFD and new motor, did you finish or abandon that project? I am curious because it looks like the head on my 30 year old Delta drill press was cast in the same factory as your Jet and the switch box looks identical.
Abandoned is such a strong word. More like distracted. All the parts are still waiting for me to finish it.
@@Clough42 I very much understand "distracted"!
James I been on the fence for a while on 3d printers looking at the results of the prints I would half to say with your opinion on this Printer and testing it for 6 weeks and the results I would have to get one to.
I know that it passed your seal of approval to me that Golden.
Thank you for the great videos and review of new product.
Very informative and well done presentation. It had to take a considerable amount of time required to do such a video. You are obviously experienced and knowledgeable about 3d printing. This one was and continues to be at the top of my list for purchase. May you have continued success in your endeavors. Thank you.
27:25 If you design your part to have wall thicknesses that are divisible by your extrusion width, you can eliminate gaps while also turning off gap fill. This is assuming either your outside or inside dimension can change slightly.
Cura 5 now features adaptable width line, so it fills those gaps in a great way
Another timely topic. I am refurbing several (GMC PM Griz) 1236 GBL Going thru them mechanically after bubba moved them with a forklift- Hope all he bent up was drip pans and cabinets. With VFD, DRO and digital lead screws these will be real nice little machnies, Great work -keep it up
The best and most detailed product review I have seen to date .... Awesome Job ... Thanks for sharing ... stay safe and well...
Awesome video, and I didn't even know you could print the walls in a different order but I'm absolutely going to give this a go and see what I get great work dude and thanks for sharing this 👍
This sort of review gives us real information and an expert assessment. It also gives the manufacturer fair comment about the software and the need for changes. Agile software development and/or poor quality control? Overall I reckon they have had very good value from that loan machine.
James, Thanks for the honest detailed review. Very, very interesting. The actively heated enclosure with air filters sure appears to be the key feature that makes all the other details work so well. Could you please provide another update around the time the Prusa XL starts shipping later this year? The Prusa XL would be about the same price point, and doesn’t have the enclosure. Thank you 🙏
Thank you for doing this review. I have used the Qidi X-max for a year or so and it has been fantastic but as you say the software lets it down but I know that every time I come back in the morning that the print will be there without exception. I have been wrestling with buying I-FAST but for the same money I could build a better machine with a bigger build plate that would print much faster and if I use IDEX heads and only need half the bed size it effectively allows me reduce a five hour print to 22.5 minutes as I would be producing 2 components at a time. However after watching your review I have been reminded how good QIDI printers are.
All of the IDEX printers I looked at claimed to be able to print mirrored or duplicate parts simultaneously, but when I looked deeper, they could only do it practically with a raft, since they're compensating for the two nozzle heights in software, and there was no mechanical way to align them to print well at the same time without the raft to take up the slack.
@@Clough42 I was unaware of the limitations that you mention, now I will have to investigate further. I have decided to buy the I-Fast so I can use it immediately and take my time and build the mother of all printers. Thanks for your input.
Hello James,
I purchased an i-fast a few months ago and I recently decided to purchase some new nozzles for the low temp extruders but they don't fit into the heat block threads. They're too big. My 7mm wrench that fits the original nozzles is too small to fit the new ones that I bought (MK10 Nozzle for 3D Printer, 18 Pcs M7 Brass Extruder Head Hotend Nozzles 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1.0mm fit 1.75mm Filament). Can you please tell me what size/type I should have purchased? I can't find any definitive answer online.
Thank you.
Wow, that is quite a review! I like you attention to detail! While I would not buy any of those expensive printers it was a pleasure to watch.
As for manual bed leveling, I agree, the auto probe must have is kinda exaggerated, I use Ender 3 and after I flatten the bed I do not touch knobs or calibrate it with piece of paper for months.
There is a good recipe for good bed leveling, and if manufacturer follows it user will have not much trouble. On Ender 3 however you have to flatten the bed by hand by bending it and the reset with aluminum tape. Also need to fix bolts with nuts to the bed itself. May want to replace springs. And after that it will not need to adjust every single print.
Also I agree that firmware is very important. That's why I love my Ender 3. I can install official Marlin with all new features which they add, and can set up functionality which I need. For example to tune flow ration on the fly, or use firmware retract, so I can add z-hop during print if it is needed or adjust retract length during print. And so on.
PEI sheet is also a must have. After I installed one I had little to no trouble with adhesion. And it cools very fast. I just place it on a table, and on printer I launch preheat (again opensource firmware let me add preheat presets which I need). And in a couple of minutes I place PEI back and launch next print.
Hi James, Really great review of this printer compared to others. I got interested in a sightly used Ultimaker S5 but it uses 2.85mm filament and had some other drawbacks compared to this one such as price that discouraged me. I started printing with ABS on a self-converted Dremel 3D20 on glass believe it or not and its amazing how good the parts turn out. But I need a larger build volume now. This printer looks promising. I think i'm ready to pull the trigger thanks to your review. I wondered if you had any other comments after having this I-fast for a year now. Thanks again!
Here because I bought one and want to get familiar. It arrives tomorrow, but I wont be able to get into it until next weekend. I'm excited.
On my printers I have to apply a 0.36mm filet around the whole first layer to avoid elephants foot, this printer would be very useful to me. I have seen various Quidi machines and they have all impressed me, KUDOS for being the only YTber I have heard that can pronounce the title of the printer correctly.
I do exactly the same thing on most parts I design. In theory, a printer ought to be able to avoid it, but I haven't used one that manages it without a raft.
I specifically asked how to pronounce the name, so I wouldn't be just another American mispronouncing everything and not caring.
9:50 the PTFE tubing also provides a constant length of filament between chassis and printhead for the entirety of the XY range. Rapid movements don't fight the filament roll weight [or am I wrong on this]?
You are correct. Though the manual suggests running without them if you're not using moisture-sensitive filament, and it seems to work just fine in my testing.
How timely, and this is exactly what I've been looking for. Well done sir. Excellent video as always.
I bought the qidi xmax ive Received IT yesterday and pretty please with the qualité so far!
Hi, it seems a very intersting printer. I have a Ender 5 plus and I had a LOT of problems. I was close to throw it away (I wouldnt sell it as it would be unfair for the new buyer). Then I have solved it with the transformation to a direct drive with MICRO SWISS. NOW I am SUPER happy, but of course it's open housing. Your new printer seems to have that additional point that mine is missing. Great video.
The Ender 3 and Ender 5 are favorites of beginners. It's kind of a catch-22, though. They're good base printers if you tinker and get them running well, but the beginner isn't necessarily prepared to figure out and solve the issues.
Considering this printer. Just confused about how it will help me improve cf nylon printing? Currently using a Prusa in a enclosure tent type deal. Will this help cf nylon adhere to the bed? Will I not need to use garolite? I’m assuming the parts are coming off my bed due to adherence and not warping…maybe both? Thanks!
The enclosed chamber helps retain heat and reduces warping, and the adhesion to the stock flex bed seems quite good with the QIDI PA12-CF I tested. How much is because of the printer and how much is because of the filament? I don't know.
@@Clough42 Makes sense. I guess since it's always only a corner it has to be a combination. This could be the printer for me. Until then....More glue stick! Thanks for your response.
Great post as always! Thank you James, i'am a big fan of your posts. Greetings from Belgium
Great review. I've been looking at a bunch of videos on this exact printer and the ultimaker s3 trying to decide on which printer would be my best upgrade path, but most seem to come of as paid advertisements without a whole lot of useful information that I couldn't just find on their websites. Thank you for an outstanding overview and really putting it through it's paces. It goes a long way to helping to make a decision.
Awesome in depth review that I stumbled on today after having a bit of time to see if there were any reviews outside of Modbot's. I actually ordered this iFast printer two nights ago and will be receiving it today. I didn't realize it would be that much bigger with the additional filament boxes, but I won't be mounting them in the back either to keep the depth to a minimum.
I started with an Ender 3 S1 two months ago and the frustrations with it printing more functional parts just wasn't working out with more exotic filaments. So based on the many great features you pointed out, I jumped right to this to fill the needs the little Ender could not, without having to go through many printers or modified customized printer sizes with floppy enclosures (with an attempt at keeping them toasty) to do what this iFast could and have dual extruder setup. We have the Stratasys units at work and those are not available for us to use, so I believe the iFast could work for me. Great indication of the machine's abilities and print quality in your review. I hope the software will get more streamlined as more input is received from future owners.
Thanks for the review!
Hey James,
I just pulled the trigger on the i-fast. I also had a deposit for the Prusa but this really looks like the printer for me. I'm sorry I couldn't use Amazon but I found it for $2100 at another site and couldn't resist, plus, I kinda prefer helping the smaller shops.
I have you electronic leadscrew based on your videos and suggestions and couldn't be happier. I really think the printer is gonna be a great addition AND I can sell my 2 flash forge creator printers and my highly modified creality 3D printer. I could never get any great prints with ABS or high temp filaments with any of them.
thanks again
Here in Australia they are hard to get & the price is around $3500 au ( incl shipping , dutys,tax ,etc) ,im a novice at 3D printing , i only ordered it for Product Prototyping as im becoming a product developer/Inventor , ive researched so many 3D printers & alot of people told me to get a ender 3 to learn on but you need lots of upgraded parts to do things that i want , i wanted an all in one machine where i didnt have to buy multiple machines to run some of the filaments i want to run . I wanted the X-CF Pro but Qidi had none available & to import one from china ended up costing similar to an i-Fast ,l so ordered an i-fast through amazon 2 weeks ago . i plan to be running ASA to start & get into Carbon/nylon. Good review thanks
always cool to see an in depth review of a professional level device, I'm still super happy with my voron 2.4 but still its good to see what more professional offerings are doing.
(FYI im not sure that actively heated chambers are that necessary for ABS, I'm getting around 55-60C with justa chamber fan and mostly acrylic enclosure and don't really warping, guessing the new prusa will do ok too)
Prusa has a reputation for being very well tuned.
@@Clough42 yeah, and honestly this is a massive deal. Today Prussia doesn’t have particularly impressive hardware and their prices are kinda meh, but with their tuning, reliability and ecosystem they’ve got a pretty compelling thing going. If this new tool changer platform they’ve got turns out well I think the < 10000$ professional fdm industry is in for a shock.
@@KevinBrowder All the specs in the world don’t mean much if it doesn’t print well. The prusa just works. I have a few printers… and it was a long time before I could justify $750 on a Prusa tbh… but I’m very happy with it… it’s just $750… not $1000+. So for a quality machine with great ease of use… I don’t think you can go wrong
For printing large and high parts it is still much more reliable.
Really excellent video. Adding an actively heated chamber is a _very_ simple and cheap option to DIY, so that would bring Prusa XL etc into the frame 😁
I would think if you're going to put the electronics inside an 80C heated chamber, you would have to design for that.
@@Clough42 Yes, of course, the main electronics would prefer to be mounted externally 'in the shade' 😁
hi James , so I may use your forename, you do it right with your product review. I have learn a lot . Greetings from germany.
When I built my old delta I built it with heated chamber in mind. As long as the temp got over 45c or so the parts were very flat. The bed material for abs is very interesting.
Even with an unheated chamber, ABS becomes attainable in most printers. It's night and day. I get great results in my Voron V0.1 with a cold chamber of 30-40c or with a fully warmed up printer around 60-65c. You're headed down a slippery slope towards another addiction :) Slicer settings will be where the bulk of the quality will come from for you.
Slippery slope? What do you mean? This is only my 6th 3D printer.
@@Clough42 You've got me beat. I'm building my fourth to get rid of my second.
@@jackshett lemme guess - you'll keep the second anyway, just in case..
@@klaernie it's an ender 5 plus. Open frame printer. It was a purchase I've regretted since I bought it. Will try to sell or donate. If I can't do that then I'll keep useful parts only.
@@jackshett what issues were you having or was the open frame the issue? Thanks.
Ooooh I was in the market for 4 new printers 2 years ago. Like you I only make mechanical objects. No interest whatsoever in PLA. I almost bought QIDI. Went Ender 6 and CR 200-B instead and I'm so glad. The high temp hot end can't be serviced (non-serviceable heat break). At least it couldn't be serviced then. I narrowly escaped. Not much cooling fin area for the heat break. Turned out to be a problem for lots of people. Maybe this new version is corrected? Lots of attractive looking spec's including Nylon to start, IDEX and the active heater. I almost pulled the trigger and purchased QIDI. My next evolution will be Voron Triton's. Order a backup hot end set now. Nylon is cool but you can't put fasteners or constant stress on it as it will creep/flow away from the load over time. People who print Voron parts in it need to re-print the entire project to avoid re-tightening screws nearly every day! Be careful what you ship in CF Nylon. Love the active heater. However, my printers get up to 50c plus anyway. I can print edge to edge also. Love to try 70c+ chamber however and see how much more quality it gets me. Watching video now and thumbing up. Bit rambling. If found the QIDI a close call for my uses, didn't choose it but it was at the top of my list.
Super helpful video, especially the summary. Thanks! A few weeks back I withdrew my deposit for the Prusa XL. I also just recently finally pulled the trigger on building a Voron 2.4 from a kit, primarily because while I had been pondering on it for some time, the Black Friday sale price of the kit was too tempting and I bit the bullet.
Great breakdown.
I printed you tungsten grinder attachment in PETG and It is awesome.
Fits my Dremel perfectly.
Thanks James.
27:24 The thin wall gap fill for the PC board mount, you should be able to use the gap fill on select layers?
I know I can do that in simplify3d, are you not able to do that in your software or would it still take too much print time to do so?
Also in simplify3d you can set a tolerance for the gap size it will fill.
I haven't tested Simplify3D for this printer yet because the stock slicer was doing so well. It has the thresholds for gap fill size and I fiddled with them a bunch. Turning it off completely gave me perfectly usable parts in half the time.
Great video. I'm interested in the box you printed. I print a small black abs part similar in size. It's a chain/belt guard for a small dc motor. I made my outside corners square. I would like them rounded but I could never get good bed adhesion, or if there were supports, I couldn't' remove them. I'd be interested in your print settings, speed, temp and supports.
I just bought one of these printers!!
Thank you for your amazing review!!
+1
DEv
Great review, which temperatures did you use in the chamber and bed? Thanks
55C for the chamber, and if I remember correctly, around 100C for the bed.
I have had a Qidi Xplus for about two and a half years and have found it generally to be a very good printer. Aa a noobie 3d printer user, it worked straight out of the box for me. I've printed some fairly large prints without issue. Only complaint is the wireless is flakey and has stopped working randomly. Qidi support have been very responsive
That's good to hear. I have no way to tell if I'm getting special treatment.
@@Clough42 yeah seems to be fairly consistent. I have had two mainboards shipped to me for free after reporting the wireless issues, which although I don't think was the right move at least they're trying to help. Also reached out after watching your video last night to see if there was new firmware and it came through via email overnight. Seems to have corrected the wireless issues for now
A follow up video on this would be really good. Although, with their new range being released, I wonder if this model is near the end of its life.
Could you mill the surfaces of the larger parts to improve surface texture and text definition?
I’ve owned a qidi x-max for about three years now and I only just learned how to pronounce qidi… I definitely think this machine is very cool but I’ve heard a lot of gripes in the reviews that it’s not great for 24/7 printing as things break fairly often. I’m not sure how legitimate of a concern that actually is, but it’s got me leaning towards going another level up and getting an ultimaker s5.
Can I use SolidWorks and or Mastercam for designing parts for this printer, really like this unit.
Great review. I've been looking for printer that's capable of printing both ABS and polycarbonate parts, and this review really helped me understand the various factors to consider. Much appreciated!
Expellant job on the review answered pretty much all the questions I have on the twin heads functionality. I think for my main product line I would go with 2 of the single head printers rather than the dual head, which to me would be more cost efective.
I created a 3d printed prosthetic call the Dexterity hand. Also, I've been looking for a printer that I could recommend to those wanting to create the hand. We need parts that are durable and create a safe and reliable prosthetic. This printer looks very promising. Thank you for this great review!
Have you tried the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon?
Good morning ! can you tell me if wetting nylon x to dissolve the pva supports deforms the nylon? THANKS !
Hello James, Thank you again for such a detailed and authentic review. I have a CNC Mill, however, 3D printing is not an area that I have had any experience to date. This printer seems to tick my previously un-ticked boxes? I see this level of performance as: "Yup, I can certainly see that this would be a very useful addition to my workshop. Mmmm Time to start the "Learning Curve" Many thanks again Jim. Barry M. Australia.
It would be helpful for those of us considering various 3D printers to know definitively which of the items you mention yours coming with come with the units "as sold", e.g. the filament reel holders, different build/print plates, high and low temp print heads. As it sounds like Qidi gave you the unit in the hopes you'd share it favorably w your viewers, it's not unrealistic to believe they may have "sweetened the pot" to you by shipping you accessories the rest of us would not get at the "MSRP" of $2,500 you mention in the video.
As always, a terrific and informative video. Definitely considering this printer more after your review.
Thanks for the indepth review, I admire your careful and honest opinions
I did not preorder the Prusa XL *specifically because* it is not enclosed with a heated chamber.
Fun side note: take a closer look into the extruders -- I believe some other folks have found the head units have attachment points for, and plugs for, BL Touch additions to come later. I contacted them about that and, if I got through the (mild) language barrier, had as much confirmed.
That would be useful. What I'd really like is to be able to run Octoprint.
The biggest factor with bed level drift is thermal cycling / gradients. This is an enclosed chamber with a massive heat spreader of a plate, which probably couplesto the frame an order of magnitude better than most.
This thing would probably be with in a 1/100th or 2 of a mm of equilibrium by the time the hot end is up to temp.
I watched ur video what is the name and version of the slicer software u are using that came on the flash drive? I didn't get the flash drive with mine
I use a mirror tile on my 3d printer. Mirrors are optically flat to prevent distortion in the reflection. They are also a better quality than normal glass.
All glass, including mirrors, tends to take a set, corner to corner. How much depends on how it's supported, and how thick it is. Not sure how that's relevant here, though, since this printer has a flexible magnetic bed.
An actively heated chamber is going into the next printer that I build. My first printer was a cheap printer, on purpose. I figured out what I didn't like, looked at what standard options were available, and then designed my own printer with all the improvements/features that I wanted. The printer that I designed and built is a workhorse and it puts out prints in very high quality. It's not fast, I only print at 40mm/s. This is a hobby for me so speed is not important and the biggest part of the hobby is design iterations on the printer itself, not making a bunch of silly trinkets, though I do make many functional parts for my other hobbies. I've only had limited success in ABS and other "high end" filaments though so my next project is to either redesign this printer or make a whole new one with active chamber heating. I haven't actually decided yet, though I do have most of the design elements drawn out in my head, I just need to transfer this to CAD.
This is an excellent way to start, as a hobby. I started with an inexpensive kit, just to have something as a starting point, then replaced just about everything except the RAMPS board as I got frustrated. The resulting frankenprinters have been cranking out parts for seven years without trouble.
What about part cooling? On print head closeups I've noticed it's only from one side and sometimes not even 100% zeroed on the nozzle, did you notice quality issues on overhangs on the back side of the print?
I very much appreciated this review (and frankly all other reviews / videos on this channel). I am a newb to printing and will be printing exclusively functional parts for my other hobbies. The input from James on this channel is of great value. Given this review is now 2 years old - I wonder how this machine would be rated by James. I am considering this model from QIDI machine as new in Q4 '24 and curious how it would stack up say the Plus4. my focus is exclusively the "engineering filaments" and this model still checks all the boxes. I also like the all profile linear guide mechanical robustness... Any input ?
Just FYI, got a new Ifast, early in 2023 and the usb jack has been relocated to the top of the machine. Im sure as a result of the feedback here and from others.
Great machine.
Thank you for this really usefull very in depth review. Your usage of 3D printer is similar to what we use it for and your criterias seem to be much the same as our criterias. I have been running a Stratasys Fortus 250mc for almost 7 years at the office. I printed a lot of different parts but always in ABS. First, we use the Starasys ABS+ and a year later, we tried successfully the Argyle ABS+ spools. In time, we were able to reprogram (refill) the EEPROM needed to operate and I made see-trough windows in the spools's cartdrige so that we came to be able to use all the filament on the spool regardless of the EEPROM quantity indication. We were able to use filaments from other brands (much less expensive than Stratasys and more affordable than Argyle and Triton 3D) but only a few were good. Stratasys machine are almost full automatic so when it works, it works but when there are problems there isn't much you can do... that was pretty much frustrating. The last year we were checking what to do, what 3D printer to buy to replace our aging Fortus 250mc. Lately, I have been looking the different 3D printer for ABS on the market for the office but also for me at home. I plan to operate a small part time business. I need quite much the same 3D printer... a reliable small/medium production of mostly small to medium parts in ABS and maybe a few parts in TPU or similar "flexible" material.
This QiDi i-fast seems to be the best option for us. But I am a bit concerned about using either breakaway support or soluble support (Aquasys 120 or PVA or other similar). My main products need support... some of them with soluble and others, would be fine with just a breakaway support. It seems these support materials (water soluble) must be printed with the "cold" extruder set. Would ABS print well with the "cold" extruder set ?
I did all of my ABS printing with the low temperature extruders. And you're right: Ionic will not print at all in the high-temp extruder. It jams and escapes the feed path.
@@Clough42 thanks for the information. I am pretty convinced that it is the printer that I was looking for.
Printing a vernier scale for nozzle alignment is clever
Excellent review. I don't have a 3d printer and after this review, this looks pretty good to me. Would like the auto-leveling though, but if it holds Z then not a big deal. Your review and effort is appreciated.
Excelent videos Sir, I really like your way to do videos! Keep up the good work and I keep watching them as a new sub!
Great review. Seeing the printed parts for the ELS reminded me that I’ve been looking out for the microprocessor board (Texas Instruments) for about a year but due to the chip shortage I can’t seem to find one. If people are still buying the other parts in the kit is there a source anyone can point me to ?? Been on my to-do list for a while! Thanks
I've heard from people who are finding them. There are a few that show up from time to time.
Hi James, OK thanks for the reply and I’ll just have to keep looking as I’m about to finish off my big drill press upgrade (on my channel if you are interested) and would like to upgrade the lathe next. All the best from the UK 🇬🇧
Hi, does the chamber contain the toxic fumes from Nylon or CF? Relatively new to printing stronger materials like these.
What filament is best for printing items that will stay outside like pottery?
James, I really enjoy your videos and this one is no different. That printer is a humm dinger but I could never afford one like that. From your evaluation of that printer it sounds like it would do you a good job.
Are you still using the printer or did you switch to the Bamboo X1C for everything now?
Hi James, great review - excellent job as usual :)
I was the lead Mechanical engineer for a major industrial FDM printer company for 10+ years before leaving a few years ago, and have since been looking for an affordable option with a heated chamber (as I'm addicted to large, uniform, flat prints now). My previous employer held the patent for actively heating FDM printer chambers, but that patent expired several years ago and I've been expecting this would come along eventually... I've had the X-MAX from QIDI for a little over a year now, and aside from the absence of the chamber heater have been very pleased with it. The i-fast looks like a great non-industrial option based on my experience with their X-MAX, and with the massive benefits of the heated chamber. I contacted QIDI before seeing your review and they said that the chamber can't always reach 80C and that 60C is recommended. I just wanted to double check with you after you mentioned that it indeed hit 80C without issue. I couldn't find an operating ambient temp spec. from QIDI and assume your room is 70F +/- 10?
Thanks again for the review. I've been a subscriber for some time now and always look forward to your videos and common-sense, clear explanations.
-Pete
Also curious about this. And I didn’t know the patent was expired, i thought they got it extended.
I have some experience in embedded software. Also working with S/W developers in China. It looks like the mechanical engineering team that designed this printer also developed the software and what you get with this printer a.t.t. is the stuff they used to test and debug the h/w.
You're probably not wrong.
my next printer is the imax or I large model. I already posted one of my printers and one of my oscilloscopes for sale. I made a printer cable for a person with a qidi from 2015 or 16 and he's been able to print abs with it for years. it's been reliable too he said.
the prusa xl makes me wonder if replacing a 2k plus printer over a 750 dollar one is gonna be a hard sell after the initial excitement. unless they're doing a big upgrade to their 10 year old home user technology.
Hello, can you print Flexable filament and/or mix Flexable filament with a medium hard filament. As well soft type filament for fabric.
I haven't tried flexibles on this printer yet. At the moment, I have many kilograms of 3mm NinjaTek Cheetah that I'll probably burn through first.
That rubber band to seal up the 'gap' in the plastic drybox for the filament is really quite brilliant. Cheap, effective, simple.
I love the stuff that we get from the "global" marketplace, but I also have that same issue with how it seems that the end users are the beta-testers in a lot of ways. Software and hardware.
Would have been interesting to see if you could print the metal filaments, on their site it says it can print bsaf 316 but i have not seen anyone do it