This 4-Tool Head 3D Printer Is So Fun I Gave It An Editors’ Choice Award

Editor’s note: The Snapmaker U1 is the latest CNET Editors’ Choice Award-winning 3D printer. I really enjoyed the four tool change and how well it prints. The added bonus of reducing waste to almost zero makes it an excellent choice for almost anyone. The original article is below.

Snapmaker has a history of making 3D printers that don’t always follow mainstream trends. The original Snapmaker was a small 3-in-one machine that could be a 3D printer, laser cutter or CNC, depending on the type of tool head you use, and over the years, the company iterated on that idea, culminating in the much larger Artisan model. After that, Snapmaker tried a dual-nozzle 3D printer called J1. In my review of the J1, I liked that the nozzles can print two models at once, reducing the time it takes to print batches, but I felt that the cost was prohibitive.

With the arrival of multi-color systems, Snapmaker could have gone the way of Bambu Lab, Anycubic and other companies and made the AMS system to filter four colors in one microphone but it is true to do it in another direction. The U1 is a four-tool 3D printer that uses independent tool heads to print four different colors or four different materials. It’s a system that can work incredibly well or fail completely.

Thankfully, Snapmaker has created a tool converter that not only works well but also works as an out-of-the-box solution with minimal setup time. I’ve been using and enjoying it for a few weeks now, and the U1 is a smart way to do multi-material printing that cuts down on almost all of the waste that color systems produce. It’s a device that’s fun to use and one that I see as essential for many workshops this year.

What is the difference between tool change and AMS?

Tool changers and AMS are both ways to allow a 3D printer to use different materials — usually different colors of the same material, or a material used to support a different material — without the need to manually change the filament.
AMS does this by automatically loading and unloading the strip from the hot spot each time a color change is required. The advantage of AMS is that it only requires a standard hot end with a separator on the 3D printer itself. The AMS unit, which can be purchased separately, does more of the heavy lifting in this case than the printer itself. The downside is the large amount of waste that AMS produces. It has to remove a lot of filament from the nozzle each time it changes colors/materials to make sure it doesn’t mix in the print.

A tool changer like the Snapmaker U1 avoids the waste problem by having four separate hot ends and, therefore, four separate nozzles. This allows the nozzle to remain uncontaminated by any other material, thus reducing the discharge of waste into the cleaning tower. This also speeds up the entire process, as the machining of tool heads is much faster than the cleaning required by AMS. I printed the same model in Anycubic S1 and the Snapmaker U1, and although the colors are slightly different, you can see that the waste of the S1 (pictured left) is much larger than the U1’s.

The main disadvantage of changing the tool is the additional methods that may be inefficient and expensive. Four tool heads mean four more places for things to go wrong, such as blockages, worn nozzles and, because the tool heads need to be replaced, the possibility of them being dropped as they load and unload. Price is also a limiting factor as tool changers tend to be more expensive than their AMS cousins.

It’s also worth noting that having four tool heads also doesn’t change the physical properties of the things you’re using. PLA still won’t stick to PETG, and TPU won’t magically start sticking to it. What allows, however, is to use these products together without the risk of mixing them in the nozzle.

The Snapmaker U1 I have makes good quality prints; some are even good, but there is still some work to be done. I don’t think the issue is mechanical, though. Snapmaker uses a forked version of OrcaSlicer, and while I like Orca as a slicer, this version isn’t finished yet. I’m using the previously released version, and hope to see many more software updates before the Kickstarter ends. Currently, it doesn’t have good profiles for common threads, and this causes a lot of threads if you don’t tune the settings yourself.

Tool changers are very efficient in delivering materials without interrupting the printing process. Every 3D printer is fast, accurate and, with some adjustments, will be able to produce excellent prints in a short time. I used it to make flexi dragons for my kids in touch color — just white eyes, teeth and claws — and it printed them at the same speed as if they were just one color. That kind of speed will be what really sets the U1 apart from the competition, especially with such a competitive amount. Although almost all the prints had threads on them, there was very little in the way of defects. The single color prints were all flawless as you would expect from a modern 3D printer and can easily be sold on the Etsy shop — while you still canthat is — without the actual processing required

Initial setup was also very quick and easy compared to other tool changers I’ve used. The entire 3D printer was already assembled, and the setup took about 15 minutes to ensure the tool changers were straight and ready to go. This type of out-of-the-box printing is becoming a necessity for consumers, so it’s good to see that Snapmaker is trying to simplify the startup process. Simplicity is a big part of the U1. Each filament roll has an auto loader that makes filament loading a breeze, and the unloading process allows you to unload everything at once if you want. Fast and easy.

I would like to see a few changes to the onboard operating system, but they will happen as the platform evolves. The color selection of each filament is poor and needs to be corrected, as it is difficult to find a color that matches your filament. That said, if you use a USB dongle to transfer files, you can map the colors in the file to the colors on your printer, which works great. I also wish U1 had a cover like normal. A fully enclosed system is necessary if you want to print some structural fibers, and while you can buy the lid separately, it would be nice if it came with it from the get-go.

My time with the Snapmaker U1 gave me a chance to see what an affordable tool converter can do, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it is. The print quality is excellent, and the four tools give you plenty of scope to experiment with new and interesting combinations. Tool changers are still a niche type of 3D printer, and they need a few good products in the space to gain more popularity. The Snapmaker U1 is a great example of what can be done in this space.