Voxelab Aquila C2 FDM 3D Printer with Removable Build Surface Plate, Fully Open Source and Resume printing function Build Volume 220x220x250mm(Aquila C2)
| Weight: | 9.12 kg |
| Dimensions: | 58.1 x 38.2 x 21.2 cm; 9.12 Kilograms |
| Part: | TYZ-C2 |
| Colour: | Aquila C2 |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Manufacture: | Voxelab |
| Colour: | Aquila C2 |
| Dimensions: | 58.1 x 38.2 x 21.2 cm; 9.12 Kilograms |
| Quantity: | 1 |
| Reference: | TYZ-C2 |
A bit confusing to assemble, trying to figure out the orientation of some parts. I would say, however, it’s one of the best purchases I’ve made in a long time.
I don’t usually write reviews but this 3D printer is very easy to assemble, came with many extra bolts and all necessary tools to assemble.
The good thing it came pre-levelled so dont need to level it manually, also it comes with micro sd with test models and designing tool for pc.
So far I’ve printed three models and all came in good quality with no defects. The printer is very easy to use and straight forward.
This is my first 3d printer so my review is one from a complete newbie. Package arrived on time and after checking all the parts, reading the instructions and watching the video i started the assembly, all the necessary tools were supplied and it was a very straight forward, spent a little time on getting the bed absolutely level and then time for the first print. I was amazed at how detailed and accurate the first print was ( the hook supplied on sd card) so printed 4 extension legs for one of my drones, again spot on. I then decided to print extended control sticks again for a drone, this was my first failure, upon nearing completion the control stick broke loose from the bed and i aborted the print, looking into the failure i now see that i needed to be methodical in cleaning the base plate and once cleaned the result has been perfect.It is worth mentioning that the smaller the area of adhesion on the base plate the more important good first layer adhesion is. 4 stars for adhesion but from research it would appear its a common problem.Would i recommend this machine? 100% yes. For someone buying a first 3d printer it has been amazing. I now have a list of things i wish to print. Happy days.
My first 3D printer, it was easy to assemble. produces some great prints but you will quickly was to improve it.
Purchase this printer to get into the world of 3D printing, initially seemed like the biggest adult Lego set you can buy but once together print quality is great. Stepper drivers and hot end fan are very noisy. But the great thing is you can buy an Ender motherboard and upgrade it, buying a 3D printer that has all the bells and whistles means you won’t learn to tinker, take apart and upgrade. This machine has allowed me to learn allot about 3D printing it’s very reliable and print quality for me seems better than most budget printers I have seen reviewed.
This is my first 3D printer. Simple assembly with instruction booklet and tools included. Video available if you need it but I managed it without them. A little setting up and away you go. I had to adjust the z-axis microswitch to make the print head get low enough. It comes with slicing software on a transflash card in a USB adapter which you also use to transfer designs from your computer to the printer. A little bit of filament is also included so you can try things out without wasting any new filament you may have bought during setup. It’s an amazing price for what you get. The filament sticks well to the plate. I have been using brake cleaner on a clean cloth to keep the plate free from grease from my fingers. One tip – leave your printed model on the plate until the plate has cooled right down and you’ll find it just lifts off. Otherwise you’ll have to force it and some more delicate things will break.
Great entry level printer. Great value for money. Printed hundreds of prints with no issues.
Complete novice to the 3d printing world. Took about an hour to build, printed the hook that’s preloaded onto the micro SD card. Had no issues to date and it’s been printing 5-7hrs for the last 10+ days. I’ve been using the overture filament with 60 bed, 205 nozzle. Amazing piece of kit to get you started off. I highly recommend spending a few hours on YouTube watching videos on building the printer and using cura as a slicer, leveling your bed and so on. Absorb as much knowledge as you can before just jumping in and you’ll reap the rewards.
I bought the Voxelab Aquila X2 and I’m very happy with the results so far – the video and image is printing a ‘Stormtrooper buddha’ model found on thingiverse.
The assembly was relatively for a straightforward, seeing as this is my first printer ever.
Takes a bit of time to get used to the print settings right but it’s well worth it when it’s set up.
If you’re thinking about buying this (again, I bought the X2) then I would recommend.
Like the printer but as always there is a learning curve. Not a huge fan of the bundled slicer software either as it’s very basic but useable. Overall though a good place to start with fdm
Printer came well packaged. All fixings came in little labelled bags to aid assembly. Instructions were surprisingly good plus there is an assembly video available via their YouTube channel, which is very hrlpful at times for clarification Assembly Tools are also included.
After the first 5 or 6 printed items I ran into adhesion issues….but a thin layer of Elmers purple glue applied and left to dry has solved this.
Have been amazed by the quality and robustness of my prints. really impressed…..
Send help….’cos I can’t stop printing!!!!
Recommend watching YouTube video to build. Screws individually packed but not labelled. Not touch screen. Came with filament, scraper, micro sd card and reader.
i brought this one night and after getting the bed level it prints with no issues at all is great value for the money only thing I would say is fans ae very loud. printer its self is easy to use if you get stuck there is so much help out there for people just google the issues you have and there will be more than enough answers. printer is great easy to put together and you can get printing in very quickly
You really need to watch one or more of the available videos on line to assemble it correctly. The Instruction Manual is OK for basic diagrams but there are a few misleading features – the filament needs pushing all the way to the nozzle for instance – and too much user knowledge is assumed. That said, when assembled it worked first time and the test model was very good despite it being hard to prise off the platen – see image. Good value.
NB The screen is hand knob controlled – turn and press – and not a touch screen.
Be prepared for assembly, this is adult Meccano!
Its definitely a hobby piece of equipment, you wouldn’t just setup and hope it works every time but that’s true of all 3D printers.
The best thing that happened (from a learning perspective) is after a few prints of the included PLA filament I purchased some different brand and couldn’t get it to stick. After blaming the filament and then the bed temperature, nozel temperature, print speed, nozel rate etc etc it all came down to the bed to nozel height not quite being correct.. It needs to be the height of a sheet of paper. If you so much as move the printer you will need to check this. I also use glue for some smaller pieces just to be certain it sticks.
I did swap out the 24v fan for the extruder as it’s pretty noisy when not printing.
This is a fantastic printer for those entering the “hobby” and those well integrated. It’s very simple to set up and only needs a few tiny adjustments, like some tightening of the bed bearings ect. The filament that comes with this is fine for practicing and testing/calibrating but would certainly Recommend a good branded PLA. This took me just over an hour to assemble and within 2 hours I had already started printing. The quality for the price is outstanding and you really couldn’t expect any better. The prints are extremely well formed and you will be happy with the results so long as you calibrate and level it properly. You will not be disappointed, and if you are you’re either doing something wrong or perhaps have a fault, but most likely user error. The printer comes with an 8gb card loaded with manuals, software and some test prints, or which can be printed directly from the card without the need for a computer. If you don’t have a pc you can download files on your phone and store to the card with a simple phone card reader. If you’re reading the reviews and your are hesitant, don’t be. You will not regret investing in this, and for this price it’s really hard to find something as well built and of vaule. Post purchase service is pretty good and there are so many forums and videos online with tips, hints and walkthroughs for the Aquila C2. Il be buying a few more of these to run multiple prints at a time. It’s also worth noting that this unit is suitable for after market upgrades and customisation, but out the box it gets a 10 out of 10 from me. Happy printing and if you’re new, welcome to the funest hobby that exists today. All the best!
Taken some time to build but the levelling of the platform was easy, I bought this after my brand new elegoo neptune almost caught on fire and I’m still waiting for replacement, this machine is brilliant easy to use once you get the hang of it, had no problems with filament the only thing was the power pack screw holes were out of line alot so I’m going to have to extend the wires as the hit the base as it moves and I’ve rebuild 3 times same issues so extend wires so I can screw it onto the unit, at the moment the power pack is just sitting there wish I had got the better display but that’s meapart from that a+
I ordered this knowing nothing about 3D printing. I based the purchase on YouTube reviews. I’m glad I did. The printer arrived (earlier than expected) well packed in it’s box.
At first when I opened up the box and looked at the instruction booklet, I thought I’d taken on something a bit above my level of expertise. However, the instructions are in fact very good (although printed a little small for my old eyes). I was impressed by the build quality of this printer and the by the fact that the manufacturers included all the tools necessary to complete it and even some spare parts for it.
Within an hour, I’d finished putting the printer together, checked it over, and loaded the sample filament. It took about another 20 mins and another YouTube video to sort out the bed levelling. After that, I switched it on and there it was all raring to go. One ting to note is that this printer is designed to run on 115 & 230 volts. The instructions clearly state you must check the power supply’s voltage is set correctly. Mine was already set to 230V for UK use so all was good.
The only slight hitch was the USB adapter that the memory card came in wasn’t recognised by my computer, but as I have plenty of card adapters kicking around, this wasn’t a problem. The card will go directly into the printer anyway and you can navigate it’s contents from the printer screen.
Talking of the screen, I really like it’s simplicity. No touch screen for fat fingers to struggle with, it’s all done from the navigation button. The menus are kept nice and simple and very easy to navigate around.
The instructions contained the info necessary to find the download for the slicing software which after downloading was easily installed. Knowing nothing, I set it going just on the first test print and sat amazed just watching this little object of cylinder, cube, pyramid, arch and helical rectangular block appear on the print bed.
Being a bit of a cheapskate, I opted to download FreeCad to be able eventually to draw my own items. There are some really good tutorials on YouTube and I’ve already produced a drawing of a PacMan by following the excellent Flowwie’s first lesson! In addition, there are many sites where you can download objects designed by others, some useful, some fun and some just plain whacky.
I’m hoping eventually to be able to produce my own items and look forward to a fruitful partnership with this amazing little machine.
Perfect print streight out of the box easy to use high quality prints
If you set-up the printer properly ( It takes time ) the Aquilla is brilliant, in my opinion. I have an Ender 3 as well which is nearly three years old.
I first printed a couple of the sample files off of the included uSD card using the sample filament, they turned out well. I then put on a roll of grey PLA that was two years old and to my surprise it worked flawlessly, it hadn’t printed at all well on the Ender.
All in all it is a good basic printer. It is a Clone of the Ender 3v2 but at a far lower price, and works as well if not better.
This product arrived the day after it was ordered, it was simple to setup following both the video (on the items page) and written instructions, and I was up and printing within three hours.
The print quality is fantastic for the price and I thoroughly enjoy using this printer.
This is an amazing printer. Been using it now for a couple of weeks and am impressed with the build quality. It’s a little bit awkward to get the plate level first time but once done, it’s easy to adjust every so often. Very impressed. I am even considering purchasing another one so I can have two prints on the go!
Comes as a ‘meccano’ type set of parts, but tools provided.
All screws and wires are labelled, but larger parts are not. The extruded metal frame parts are more challenging to identify from the small instructions book.
Includes some filament plus sd card with printer accessories to print straight away a nice touch.
Took 4 hours to build, level and print the rotation wheel from the included sd card. Should be easy for anyone capable of building flat pack furniture.
Very pleased with print quality.
Fans noisy. Surprisingly Got ‘g32’ chipset version suited to third party firmwares, when ordered from UK 1st Nov 21
i have anycubic printers hot and cold beds but I must admit this is a brand i have never heard of but assembling is so easy and use is the best i have used yet and this is printer no 9 there has been no nozzle blockages and if constan running or some time off it has not faulted
It’s a big learning curve, before you start anything, DO YOUR RESEARCH! The printer works lovely, still working out a lot. YouTube is a great source for how to work it, maintenance it and how to use the software you need.
Clear, easy to follow set up and assembly instructions, everything you need is included to get up and printing in no time. UI is clear and intuitive.
Has handled everything I’ve thrown at it without issue.
The only “Cons” are that it does not come with clippers (not a big issue as I already have a few pairs) and that the fans are loud.
Fans are pretty easy to swap out should it be an issue, but with the TV etc on you soon stop noticing them.
Having owned this printer 3 weeks now, I can give a n honest review.
This is my first 3D printer and it’s been fantastic. The quality of the product, sturdiness, screen quality and overall package is baffling for such a low price. Not to mention very good print quality.
Have encountered the standard issues which are involved with printing but have been super easy to rectify after a quick google (bed levelling, bed adhesion, extruder block).
So far the 3D Printer learning curve has been smooth and I regret not buying one sooner. A lot of the early-day 3D printer issues are no longer present in 3D printing and this printer highlights this with ease.
Overall a great printer at an affordable price, which won’t make you wish you’d spent more on one.
great printer and clone, however the cloning stopps with different screw positions for the motherboard mount so your skr won’t fit, in addition to the above alot of the screws one can use to teardown the printer are stripped out of the box this includes the hex bolt on the hotend and the screw cover for the mainboard….
whats worse is the bed became warped, with saviour from the glass bed provided…
otherwise its a great printer…with enough understanding of this hobby, it all can be fixed with no issues…
one major issue to highlight is the fact that the original nozzle came with a worn out .4mm hole…i replaced it with the new nozzle spare provided and hot tightened to find that its works like a dream
one of the screws for the extruder is also stripped, but i managed to fix it, when upgrading it to a direct drive.
WARNING: when using the hex allen keys don’t use the ball end until the bolt in question is loosened using the other end of the alan key….
Loving it otherwise
I have only had the printer for a few days so cant really comment on longevity of the machine,
I found it was easy to assemble, but the instructions could be a lot clearer.
Owing to my engineering background I found it easy to assemble, but anyone with a little patience could build it no problem.
print quality is reasonable for a printer in this price range.
the slicing programme as recommended was Voxel maker.
I had a problem with the software and emailed the manufacturer of the printer, I got a broken English reply which was no help as I couldn’t understand what they were trying to tell me so gave up and downloaded Cura.
plate adhesion was good to start with but like all 3D printers after a time you end up adding a third party adhesive.
When it works printer is great but belt broke after 3 weeks. Had to contact seller. Said would send one out and still waiting after 10 days for any notification that’s it is posted out. Out of five weeks I’ve had it it’s been unusable for 2. Printer itself is very good value for money for a beginner. Had some great results but getting prints to stick to bed can be an issue which affects print quality
This is an excellent alternative to an Ender 3 or an A10. I’ll split my review into a few sections, Setup, first print, quality, aesthetic.
Setup: Straight forward enough. I’d give it a 4/5 here. It’s not the easiest set up, some other prints come part assembled in 2 main pieces. THis needs a little more assembly similar to the Ender 3. An excellent compromise to make if youre handy and want to tinker. If you want something easy to setup, for a younger person, or if youve never used one before, this could be a little challenging.
FIrst print went flawlessly. The bed is a nice print surface, flat and easy to level. The touch screen works very well, especially in it’s landscape orientation over the portrait found on others. I’ts receptive to touch and doesnt feel cheap or clunky! I wish the UI looked a bit nicer, but Im sure you could change that with new firmware if you wanted to. Within 20mins of finishing setting up the hardware, the printer was heated up, file sliced on Cura and printer was brrrrrring away.
Quality was a shock – in a good way. The v roller system is rudimentary compared to something like linear rails, but they just work, and work very well. The movable Y axis is often quoted as limiting speed, but at 60mm/s, the quality that comes out of this is awesome. As good or better than my other printers at higher price points. (Up to 500).
Lastly, the aesthetic is awesome. The hotend design is very well done. It looks great and professional. The integration of the fans is very nice. It has some nice design points that I really liked. The X and Y tensioners are an excellent addition and make it super easy to use. No more pulling with one hand and trying to nip it up, the knob makes it easy to use.
I would buy this over another Ender 3 any day. From what I seen during the build many of the replacement parts will be the same!
Like many I did get a 3D Printer before this one.. I got a Tronxy X5SA 2020 upgraded Model.
Although I been having leveling issues wit ta printer as the bed is so big!
So while sorted out that, I still needed to carry on doing this great new Hobby.
So I saved up and was going to buy the much praised Creality Ender 3 V2 printer.
Then I was looking through 3D printer unboxing and review videos and saw a printer that was totally loved by 4 you tube channels of 3D printing!
All of these guys had brought and unboxed and built and tested this Voxelab Aquila 3D Printer.
They all said what a great printer for the money it is a clone of the Creality Ender 3 V2.
Just a different control screen ( nice one ) It was the same size and build, But here’s the amazing thing!
It was 87.00p cheaper than the Ender 3 V2. Did the same printing.
All I can say is, this must be the best priced best quality 3D printer for the money.
I was shocked how amazing this printer prints the models and items!
It truly fantastic, the on you tube build guide by Voxelab is clear, detailed and very helpful indeed.
I had the printer built in about 1 hour. It really helps that the printer comes about 70% built already.
You just follow the guide on their video and I would say even a full newbie at building these will have it made easy.
All the printer parts are very high quality and even the separate plastic bags with the bolts and parts are the best possible all nice and strong and just great, All those bags have clear written English labels that you can find each needed screw or bolt or small part with ease.
And after the printer is built you will find the leveling of the bed to be so easy.
There is a video how to do that and how to print the 1st test print.
Once the level is done the test print
( I did the hook on their micro sd card ) Was a joy to watch being printed.
The test print was done in a few minutes in the included red see through PLA sample filament.
I can hardly put into words how amazing and super value this printer is!
As long as you make sure that once every 3 prints you check the level of the bed is still fine and if need e just adjust it as shown on the companies videos you be fine!
I used the warning card found on the top of the 1st foam layer in the box. It just warns people to make sure the power is set to UK setting > 230 volts and not the euro or American one o 115 volts. It was set to the UK one though.
This piece of semi tick warning card is the perfect thickness to do your ed leveling with!
I even printed PET-G filament for the 1st ever time, I never managed to do so on my other printer!
But after making sure the bed was leveled right and setting up the nozzle hot end to be 250 C and the Bed set to 80 C which is the high end of the filament box stated for printing it, I watched it print smoothly and very well. PLA is strong everyday type of filament but PET-G is rated for use outside as it is a super tough and UV resistant. Normally you need a printer heat holding in encloser around the printer to do AB or PET-G due to them being affected by drafts and heat not being kept up on the printer bed?
This printer did PET-G printing without a encloser, that is amazing.
I included the box unpacking I did showing the layers of good foam that protects the printer parts.
And a short video of the red PLA test hook I printed just so you see it?
As many other reviewers have said, this is a bargain price for a printer which is 87.00p cheaper than the Creality Ender 3 V2 printer,
I can only say that if you wish to start doing this amazing hobby and worry about how hard building a 3D print will and using it?
Then this great value easy build and use 3D printer is for you.
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It works greate I already have the voelab resin printer but wanted another for printing buildings and larger prints as with the resin printer the voxelab aquila is of good quality and prints well
This is my first ever printer and for someone who has no knowledge of printing or assembling it was so straight forward , so easy to print and the quality is absolutely brilliant , over the moon with the voxelab aquilla highly recommended!
Eventhough this was my 2nd printer, it’s now my main printer. Prints beautifully out the box and is super quiet. The only mod I have made is silicone bed spring things, to make the level abit more permanent.
I feel the fan may need to be replaced soon, but that is a simple and cheap fix so can’t complain, especially for the price.
I would definitely recommend this printer for beginners and experienced printer people alike.
Buy a 3D printer because you’ll eventually need it. I promise you.
At the start, you’ll print things you don’t need (Time to plug my new 3D printed tweezers company – hah!). Then, once the honeymoon period has passed, you’ll begin to realise just how great a 3D printer is.
3D printing in it’s definition allows you to create pretty much anything you can think of. You can make 3D models of rockets, random turtles, cars… etc
But where the printer really is amazing is when you NEED something at a ridiculous time…
Try Sunday, 8pm, and I need a watering can. Sure, I could use a cup, but why would I do that when I have a 3D printer? Let’s print a watering can.
Or another Sunday, around 8pm again, where I realise that my desk is messy and I need cables tidies. Order them online? Nah. Let’s 3D print them.
As stupid as it sounds, this will change your life.
There are a few caveats:
– You need to learn to 3D model if you want to build custom things. There is a large array of things online that you’ll probably find everything you need, but for anything custom you’ll need to learn to 3D model (Which is quite easy if you’re using something like sketchup)
– The bed is setup can be a little tricky (But COMPLETELY normal) (Ignore all the reviews that say that bed setup is frustrating – It is, yes, but it’s the same with every 3D printer. If you don’t ignore the instructions you’ll be FINE).
– Assembly takes quite a while (About an evening) and can be a bit frustrating BUT hey good things come to those who wait right?
So yeah. Get it. Start printing silly things, start solving every problem of your life with a 3D printed item.
A few minutes leveling the bed and it’s golden. Brilliant printer.
Brilliant printer so far! All prints are near perfect and it took me about an hour to assemble and get working.
One problem thought is the fan is a bit loud on mine.
Great printer would definitely recommend.
I was immensely impressed by the quality of the components. All the small parts are individually bagged and labelled which is great for ID, not for saving the planet. The supplied manual was good enough to get me to the stage of having the printer built and ready to set up. I then hit problems.
Bed levelling – the manual really is not clear. Far better to look at the 3DprintSOS video if you are to avoid risking damage to the glass/heated plate. The bed needs to be lowered to below the Auto Home position before you start. Then initiate ‘Auto Home’, disable the stepper and use the paper method a few times to set the clearance. Someone else mentioned the Y axis (sliding bedplate) carriage was loose and I had the same issue, meaning that the nozzle clearance seemed to change. Easily tightened so it runs true on the rail but doesn’t drag.
Preheat – the pictures in the manual show nozzle and bed temperatures and as a result I thought something was wrong when, on powering up, I got zeros for both as though a fuse had blown. Amazon helpline was useless. I then played around with the menu and found it was necessary to find and click on the ‘Preheat PLA’ option – it seems obvious now and watching the relevant 3DprintSOS would have avoided the unnecessary diversion.
As I write this the printer is printing the toolbox on the microSD card. I’ve not altered a single setting and the machine seems to be doing a great job. Time will tell.
This is my first 3d printer and after a week if frustration getting prints perfectly printed I got it set to 99.9% perfection.the only reason for this is I’m a complete noob to 3d printing.im not saying it’s bad far from it when first assembly it was perfect but after 4 days everything settled witch is when I had problems I do sometimes have issues with bed adhesion on large prints but other than that fantastic first 3d printer planning on getting a second one
I have never owned a 3d printer before and after some research i went with this one. Putting it together was a bit of work and one of the essesntial screws was missing but nothing a trip to screwfix couldnt fix, there was also some major issues with adhesion that i think was caused by the scraper tool after removing prints but after using a gluestick on the plate i havent had any problems. Theres been a bit of a learning curve that has caused some issues and ive needed to replace some parts but from what i understand this is par for the course. its an awesome machine and i absolutly love it and i think its perfect for a begginer.
Packaging: Prime arrived the next day, and the level of packaging and organisation within the packaging would have been of a good standard for a product that cost twice as much.
Ease of assembly: I have some general experience with assembly, but I managed to do it in just under 2 hrs (not rushing). There are some good assembly videos by Voxelab on Youtube.
First print: Flawless. I would recommend to level to be preheated (watch your fingers) rather than cold which they recommend. I would also recommend doing the paper test on each corner in a clockwise manner twice instead of once as this is the most important step. 3dprint SOS has some fantastic videos on tips for setting up for a first print and some good settings for slicing your own models in Cura.
Impressions: Stepper motors are silent! FANS are not (obviously – not sure there is much to be done about this). Frame is solid and stable with little to no wobble. The screen seems good to use. Careful using the scraper on the heat bed as it can scratch it.
My only two grips are:
1. Make sure the Y axis bearings are snugged down tight. Out of the box they were a little loose and the bed wobbled a bit. Not sure if this would be a problem as I caught it before I printed, but worth noting.
2. Spelling mistakes in both paper and video instructions – but still easy to follow and I don’t care that much about spelling!
I don’t know about other 3d printers of this price range, but I am very happy with this one.
Came well packaged. Works very well. Adhesion is good, temperature of bed is great and nozzle temperature is good too. Great little machine no problems
I’m a complete newbie to the world of 3D printing. It took me about 1.5 hours to build, but everything is included and all labelled clearly. There are extra parts which was a little confusing. It’s a really elegant machine. Buy an extra roll of PLA wire as there is no holding device for the wire that comes with it.
I have had a problem with adhesion – I’ve had to increase the bed temperature and I bought some glue to resolve this.
And the SD card is a bit fiddly. It took me a while to locate where to put it.
All in all, a really super item, which produces some excellent results.
I have several Creality printers and I needed to replace one since it was showing its age.
Looking for printers on Amazon I stumbled upon this machine that looks a lot like the Ender 3 V2.
I decided to take a punt and for 190 with a discount voucher it is MORE than worth the price.
It is more or less an Ender 3 V2 clone side by side with mine it looks almost identical.
Same 32bit board with large colour screen, same quiet steppers, same extruder assembly and hotend, same silicone coated tempered glass print bed.
Printed perfectly with my tuned Ender 3 V2 profile and amazingly printed slightly better for 60 cheaper than I paid for the Creality machine.
I’ve been using this printer for a couple of weeks now, and I have a really good feel for it.
I have tested this printer straight from the box – I understand there is a firmware update but I’ve not applied that yet.
The printer came well packaged with much the same high density foam you can expect with other suppliers such as Creality.
Assembly was a lot more involved than many printers at this price point.
In addition to bolting the frame to the base, you have to install the Z motor and screw, and you need to assemble and fit the whole x-axis carriage.
The instructions were quite confusing. All of the assembly pictures actually show pictures of the fully assembled unit, so it can be confusing to work out the exact orientation of parts.
I had two tries at getting the vertical frame bars in place, and I had at least 5 attempts at assembling the X axis.
On that note, the X axis is a total pain to assemble. The instructions are far too vague and need more detailed steps.
The pulley belt goes between the runners and the v-slot – obvious when I look at my other printers but not obvious from the instructions.
When it was all assembled, I noticed there was significant wobble in the carriage mount for the x axis.
There was also significant wobble on the Y-axis (the print bed).
These issues were easily remedied by adjusting the eccentric nuts to the correct tension.
After assembly, the printer powered on first time with no issues.
This printer does not have some of the features you would come to expect on modern printers:
* It does not have a filament runout sensor
* It does not have auto power resume
* It does not have auto bed levelling
I notice in the instructions there’s a picture of the controller board which has connections for a filament sensor and for a BLTouch – hopefully they will be additions we will see in future 🙂
In fact, the bed levelling was very basic. You have to disable the stepper motors and manually move the print head to each corner to level.
How expensive would it be to add a simple runout sensor? How difficult would it have been to add a bed levelling script to the interface?
The interface itself looks like an upgraded Marlin on a colour screen. The screen looks like it should be touch sensitive, but it’s not.
Operationally, this printer is excellent. It has reliably and accurately printed everything I have thrown at it.
When in operation, the motors are ultra-quiet – I often find myself checking to make sure it is actually working!
However, when the case fan kicks in (which is quite often), the noise factor seriously ramps up.
With the case fan on, this printer is easily as noisy as my Creality printers. I would not recommend keeping this indoors unless you replace with a silent fan.
I’ve been working with this printer for a couple of weeks now. It has reliably produced good quality prints with no issues.
Overall, I would say this is a great little printer, but it is NOT FOR BEGINNERS.
I am getting fantastic results on it right now.
However, as a first time printer you would find it disappointing and frustrating. If you are looking for a first printer, have a look at something else – there are plenty on the market at this price point.
For a first time buyer/user of this technology, i found it extremely easy to put together (all the parts come organised in sections in the box) and with clear instructions i had it ready to go in no time at all.
What i will mention is to check the extruder carriage and plates are the right way round as on the instructions before assembly, As my plate was up side down …
As i assembled the printer and switched it on to home the stepper starting jamming as it couldn’t reach the homing switch ….
This took me back another half an hour and was slightly disappointed that they had let it out the factory like that ,as this section comes pre assembled…. So voxelabs please pay abit more attention before shipping as i wouldnt want this spoiling the reviews your getting for this printer ….
Apart from that the printer delivers really nice prints and i would by this now again instead of my ender without doubt ..
At this price you wont get better in my opinion..
Just to add i see voxelabs have now put the price up as they are getting good reviews .
Thats ashame i would of bought more but now i would splash out alittle more and get the ender v2 ..
Disappointed you did that voxelabs …
Still a good printer though
I honestly didn’t realise you could get so much machine for such little money!
This is my first 3d printer so setup took a bit of time but the instructions are fairly clear and it was out together without hassle.
This thing prints quality things straight from the box, with it being an ender 3 clone, there are plenty of mods available on the Web and so I have already had a bit of fun picking up some bits.
All in all if you’re considering it then buy it!
There are one or two negative points. The pneumatic push fitting for the PTFE tube was not machined clean. When auto loading or unloading the filament, the filament would jam inside the fitting. When I took the fitting out and replaced it with the included spare, I found that the spare one was exactly the same. You could get around it by manually feeding the filament past the fitting but it took some effort. I replaced the fitting for a brass one from an old printer and its been perfect since. I would replace that fitting right away. Also the fans are pretty loud. I have the printer in the next room to where I sleep and you cannot hear it, but it is pretty loud if your in the same room as the printer. It makes a real loud whirl when first setting off. It is literally just the fan noise and I will be swapping these fans out asap. The gantry height or layer height display on the control screen doesn’t work at all, but maybe that could be user error. The included filament is a nightmare as mine was all snapped into smaller pieces and not one continuous roll, its also not on a spool. I ordered Flashforge Pearl white 1.75mm filament and this has been a lovely filament. If you don’t already have some I would get a roll of filament to go along with this printer.
I was going to give the printer 4 star because of said issues, but to be honest the quality of this printer is so good I still think its worth 5 stars. I would say it matches any 300-500 printer out there. There is also support from the manufacture should you need it.
I would 100% get one of these.
Thanks
Building the printer took just over an hour. There aren’t many pieces – most of it is already put together, with only the pieces which allow it to be fitted into the smallest possible package removed for shipping. It’s very solid – almost all metal, with very little plastic. The frame is extruded aluminium, and dimensionally very stable. Bearings are wheels which run over the extrusions rather than linear ball bearings – and with a little adjustment of the securing bolts to get the clearances on the frame correct, they run beautifully. The belts are easy to tension – easier than with the Prusa. Just a turn of a wheel on the end of X and Y axes.
At first I had an issue with an error message appearing when I tried to move the E axis manually, but after a quick email to the prominently displayed support email address, and a well crafted English response next-day from China, I had a firmware update which I duly applied, and I was in business. The error which had been telling me that there was a power supply problem, turned out to be telling me that ‘the E axis can’t be moved while the hot end is not up to temperature’ – so not really an error at all – just a safety feature which was not adequately translated into English.
Bed levelling takes a little while initially – maybe 10 minutes, by adjusting 4 wheels with a piece of paper under the hot end, but it’s not especially difficult. The glass bed is flat, with no noticeable warping.
After levelling the bed and loading some generic PLA filament, I ran my first print of the obligatory 3DBenchy. Although they recommend Cura – I sliced it using my preferred Prusa Slicer 2.3 – it has a built in profile for the Ender 3 v2 – and presumably because the Voxelab Aquila is a very close copy of that printer (as is obvious to anyone comparing the two) – that profile seems to perfectly suit the Aquila.
To my surprise, the print ran flawlessly, and the quality of the print was just unbelievably good – especially coming from such an inexpensive printer. No first layer issues, no cooling issues, no layer adhesion issues, no layer shift issues, no blobbing. Just a perfect print. How perfect? To my eye – it was as good if not better than an identical print from my i3 Mk3s using the same slicer and same filament. I certainly wasn’t expecting that! See my photos, and see what you think.
Wondering whether it was just highly optimised for printing PLA, I tried it on PETG. Quality is not quite up to Prusa standards on PETG – slightly more stringing between uprights, but nothing that couldn’t be easily cleaned up, and still amazingly good quality overall. Again – no bed adhesion issues, layer shifting or cooling problems. I printed my test Benchy straight onto the glass bed, but it’s important to note that you should really use some kind of interface between a glass bed and PETG – because PETG can stick to glass, and take chunks out of it when removed. Glue stick is what a lot of people recommend.
The hot end has a silicone sock on it from the factory. You can buy aftermarket silicone socks like this for other printers, and by all accounts they offer significant benefits. They shield the hot end from the cooling fan, ensuring that filament is extruded at full temperature, whilst shielding the freshly printed filament from exposure to radiated head from the hot end. They also help to prevent extruded plastic from adhering to the nozzle. Win – win – win. Time I bought one of them for my Prusa, I think.
Time will tell how the quality and reliability will hold up over time, but out of the gate, and for my first few prints – which can be some of the most challenging for a new, unfamiliar printer – I’m absolutely sold. This thing is amazing.
An extremely capable and solid printer, incredibly affordable, and my experience of their tech support has been nothing but positive.
I was sent a free printer to review, and I thought it was so good, that I bought another one with my own money. That’s how impressed I was.
What are you waiting for? Buy one! You won’t regret it. Just make sure you get the latest firmware. Incidentally, it can be flashed to standard Marlin 2.0 firmware if you prefer something more industry standard, and the mainboard has a connector for a BLTouch bed levelling sensor and a filament sensor too – though I don’t believe they are currently supported by the factory standard Voxelab firmware – at least not yet. However, you could always switch to Marlin 2.0 which does have support for them.
This machine arrives partially assembled – the base unit is already put together, leaving you to assemble the top gantry and hot end assembly. It’s all relatively straight forward if you’ve some experience with 3d printers, but the instructions were pretty clear and easy to follow.
It features a nice and bright display panel (not touch screen) to control the printer. It’s running an older version of Marlin but the UI is nice and clean, offering quite basic functionality that will be easy to understand for most users.
The MicroSD card includes a Cura profile for the printer which you’ll want to load up as sadly, even though this looks like an Ender 3, the same sliced files probably won’t work as well.
Levelling the bed works just like an Ender, four corner screws and a piece of paper – note that you may need to adjust the Z axis end stop to get a better result, my end stop was a little too high making it more difficult to adjust than it needed to be!
So far I’ve only printed a few of the sample files on the SD card and they’ve worked fine using the sample red filament. The printer runs very quietly, most, if not all the noise is from the fans, so if you want it even quieter you could install Noctua fans.
As for improvements, perhaps I’ve been spoiled by other printers, but I’d like to see a CR6-SE style setup where you practically fit the Z axis screws and that’s it – fully assembled for you. Some kind of bed levelling sensor would also be nice too – but realistically, for this price it’s a decent offering and a good alternative to the Ender.