GoKawiilEditor's note: The Snapmaker U1 is the latest 3D printer to win a CNET Editors’ Choice Award. I've really enjoyed the four-tool changer and how well it prints. The added bonus of reducing the waste to almost zero makes it an excellent option for almost anyone. The original article is below.
Snapmaker has a history of making 3D printers that don't always follow the standard trends. The original Snapmaker was a small three-in-one machine that could be a 3D printer, laser cutter or CNC, depending on the type of tool head you use, and for years, the company has iterated on that idea, culminating in the much larger Artisan model. After that, Snapmaker tried a dual-nozzle 3D printer called the J1. In my review of the J1, I liked that the nozzles could print two models at the same time, reducing the time it takes to print batches, but I felt the cost was prohibitive.
8.5 Snapmaker U1 $800 at Snapmaker Like The complete lack of waste is fantastic
The complete lack of waste is fantastic Each model makes maybe two or three little strands, and that's it
Each model makes maybe two or three little strands, and that's it The four print heads work seamlessly to deliver multi-material and multi-color
The four print heads work seamlessly to deliver multi-material and multi-color The setup was very easy, even with the four tool heads. Don't like I wish it came with the cover instead of it being an optional extra
With the advent of multi-color systems, Snapmaker could have gone the way of Bambu Lab, Anycubic and other companies and made an AMS system to filter four colors into one nozzle but true to form it went another direction. The U1 is a four-tool head 3D printer that uses independent tool heads to print four different colors or even four different materials. It's a system that can work incredibly well or fail utterly.
Thankfully, Snapmaker has made a tool changer that not only works well but also serves as an out-of-the-box solution with little to no setup time. I've been using it and having fun with it for a few weeks now, and the U1 is a smart way to do multi-material printing that reduces almost all the waste most color systems produce. It's a machine that is a joy to use and one that I can see as a staple in many workshops this year.
James Bricknell/CNET
What's the difference between a tool changer and an AMS?
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