My first 3D printer was a pre-owned Ultimaker S3 and after watching numerous reviews on different 3D printer manufacturers, I concluded that the S3 was not only an excellent easy to use dual nozzle desktop-sized printer, boasting a two in one print head, but had the ability to change filaments whilst actively printing, thus utilising more than two different filaments simultaneously, such as support material into a complex print, making the S3 and S5 in my opinion fantastic printers for noobs and pro's alike. Thanks for sharing. 👍
i've thought about multi-filament printers but everything i've seen is just a ton of issues. i've got a friend that has a huge Modix printer with dual heads. he uses the 2nd head for dissolvable supports, but oh man did it take some serious calibrating and tweaking to get it to print nicely.
While I have not watched this yet, thank you for making it, I have been wanting to see someone who is well versed in 3d printers talk about idex for a while.
I recently got the creator pro 2, small print area but the ability to use disolvable supports is great. I wish flashforge had better raft profiles that peeled off more easily though.
i decided to listen to you tier list, and ordered a kywoo tycoon. printer itself is awesome. i just have problems with software. overall, im happy i listened to you!
Thanks for another great video - I will have to check out the Flashforge printers I have a jdmaker pro in the box and a Kywoo 3d idex on the way as far as toochangers go although it is more of a business level machine and priced out of range for hobbyist the H5-Series from diabase machines is a 3d printer/cnc machine combo that is close to being a true toolchanger but does not have pick and place that I know of.
I have the Artist D and I have been wondering these same things about whether or not IDEX is worth it. So far, I have used the copy and mirror modes much more than the dual filament modes. I think there is still a good bit of value in the IDEX printers, but I haven't unlocked it all yet.
I just got an Artist-D a couple weeks ago and so far I like it - mostly. Tricky getting both nozzles to the same height, and the bed leveling can be a pain at times. I like the quick-change nozzle capability, for certain, though I'm trying to make sure I have a good supply of those proprietary nozzles...
The restrictions in printing size depend on the capabilities of the printer itself. There are printers on the market who provide a parking position for at least one of the heads in order not to loose working space - as the RAISE 3D E2 does - in this printer we only have restrictions in size when actually using both heads. The problem with slicing correct gcode indeed is an issue - sometimes at least and only if You don´t have the appropriate slicer to do a good work. As e.g. the simplify 3D or for instance the idea maker in case of Raise 3D. I own 3D printers for a longer time - my first and still running system is a MANKATI Fullscale xt plus (not available anymore) with dual extruder, meanwhile flanked with a creality Ender 5 plus for even bigger prints and a witbox 2 from BQ (not available anymore). But those are all printers for "home office" and private use - compared to my Raise 3D E2 oder a Stratasys for productivity purposes.
mann i wish i had a two head printer, I might upgrade my prusa soon so it has the multi filament addon, really looking forward to that. I need to print more.
I just purchased the Creator Pro 2. Great printer but I have one issue with it and it doesn't Z hop during multiple color / material prints during the final move when an extruder is returning to home prior to handing off to the other extruder. I believe it's an issue in Flashprint. A very annoying bug if you ask me.
Tenlog Hands 2 pro has been a good IDEX machine. Duplication mode PLA/PLA (easy) works perfectly. That, and the backup redundancy, justifies the IDEX already. Tested dual material printing with polypropylene in PLA. These materials were reported to allow high performance fluid fittings, but I found it difficult. It could produce a basic part, but the tuning needed and with PP stringing, warping, made it impractical. A lot more parameters to optimize with IDEX than with single nozzle.
So I've spent the day looking at the newest innovations in all kinds of 3D printers. Maybe you can answer this for me because I haven't figured out how to search for this on UA-cam. Are there 3D printers that are a hybrid design of self-adapting nozzles that are spread out over the entire build plate and solid ink sticks that are melted for deposit as well as on the fly color and multiple material blending? By self-adapting nozzles I'm thinking of a design that can change the amount of material that is melted for deposit. So instead of changing from a smaller diameter nozzle to a larger one the tool head does it without needing to replace the actual nozzle each time. So what I see as the benefit is the move away from filament to be replaced with a type of solid ink style of material delivery. Having an array of print heads spread out over the entire build surface should make all builds much faster. Blending colors and materials on the fly gets rid of daisy chaining Palette 2, 3, etc. It also gets rid of the wasteful purge or transition towers. Or perhaps an adaptation of the HP Jet Fusion 580 Color 3D printer where this grid of nozzles are placed on a bar that moves bi-directionally to deposit each layer of the print in whatever color or material is loaded. But rather than a moving bar making these passes back and forth there is a single nozzle array that can deposit all the materials and colors without moving side-to-side or front-to-back. Just moving upwards as the print grows in height. Or possibly lowering the print bed as well as increasing the height of the printer array.
A timely video! I've been wanting to print in multiple materials and have been trying to decide between something like the Mosaic Palette or an IDEX printer. I'm leaning towards IDEX due to the amount of filament that a filament changer has to use for transition blocks (plus I'd have two printers, current and future, instead of one). I'd like a big build volume, so hopefully the Kywoo gets decent reviews.
Two thoughts. Have you tried printing PETG with PLA supports? You can use a zero-gap for beautiful bottom layers since they don't stick to each other very well. Second, I've solved the head-crashing issue by having 3 printer profiles for my IDEX printer. The extra profiles selects the proper tool for duplicate or mirror mode and are setup with a smaller build plate that matches the safe printable area. So while I don't get a preview of both parts, I'm 100% sure the parts will fit and print without collisions.
I like Flashprint. It's not what people are used to, so they complain, but it's capable, easy to use, and it does a good job with their printers. But, when I use the Ultimaker at the makerspace I use Cura. When I use the Raise 3D, I use Ideamaker (also, great slicer). I tend to use the slicer the manufacturer recommends. Unless it's a reskin on an old version of Cura, then I'll gank the settings and take them elsewhere.
@@3dpprofessor I gotcha. Regarding Flashprint: if a gentleman like yourself that has sampled a variety of slicers and [IDEX] machines is able to get the results you'd like then I'd take that as evidence they put the most necessary settings in there for success. I like their implementation of chopping the model and assigning extruders @ 7:05 seems pretty intuitive!
I have recently purchased and setup an Artist-D Pro printer. I have some previous experience with such devices however I ran into a problem trying to start my first print. The message came up on the screen “Filament detection switch is not pressed. I am using only one printhead but I have filament in both detectors. I also saw in a forum that updating the firmware could rectify this, but to no avail. I did a continuity test on both detectors and on the connectors that plug into the base and that shows that the sensors themselves and the cables are fine. I am not prepared to open up the body and fiddle inside a new machine, so I was wondering if there is any other possible software or hardware fix I might attempt before I have to toss this thing out a high window? (Just kidding, I would more likely return it).
I should tell you that tool changing usually increases print times a little. But I love my custom tool change (Doot changer) Tool changers don't just allow dual material. But they can do things like milling post processing and also have tools that have for example resin etc in them so you gain more z strengh. You could also make a carbon fiber laying tool to add continious fibers for incredible strength while having dual extrusion too I also love my 0.6mm tool. Imagine switching to a 0.6-1mm nozzle by just pressing a button , it's such a blessing. Also pva is misleading. It's super awesome but it costs 4x much as PLA and bvoh is even more expensive. They're like insanely expensive, like 80-130$ a kg. It makes it nearly worthless
I feel that we put too much stock on how slow 3D printing is. I know I want everything right now, but when the 3D printer is done, it's not like the thing you're going to is going to wash out with the tide. I'd happily trade waiting a little longer for being sure that the print would work. And, yeah, dissolvable supports are expensive, and they're hard to store for long terms. And in the end I still design for support free printing. But it's about the option.
@@3dpprofessor tbh reading what you said helped, Tho there's another reason behind my wait, my parents don't let me put my printer outside and that means the sound of it doesn't let me sleep, my tool change gearbox is also very loud ;s Yeah true about the pva, for when you don't need to dissolve it people use TPU interface layers for pla at least! I actually bite the bullet and ordered pva for the first time I'm hyped :)
I bought the Sovol SV04 IDEX, pretty cool. I just wonder if 4 or 3 nozzles IDEX on the same bar (X-axis) and yes need a longer bar though, what do you think?
I like my Tenlog TLD3. Mostly duplication mode because I print alot of repetitive parts and it's like having 2 printers running at once. Also the print heads move completely off the bed so you can use the whole thing. I don't do water solvable filament, but I print t mostly in PETG, and if I want a nice model, I will use PLA for support, it seems to work well.
@@crazywormy5869 for what I do, yes. It is essentially having 2 printers running at once. I can run duplicate, or mirror image models. But I can also run 2 different filaments on one model if I wish. Example I can do 2 colors, or sometimes I run pla as a support for petg.
Omg you have the kywoo! Watching video ..i have my eye on that one . Let's see.. popcorn is out! Update after watching : noooo!😭😭 What issues did you see with the kywoo? Since you ranked their tycoon so high I had great expectations for this one. Was just waiting for it to be available and some reviews to pull the trigger.. 🥺
It's like the JGMaker in a lot of ways. The bed leveling is fiddly. The GCode runs unchecked so it's easy to crash the heads. The 300mm width is actually only 250mm per extruder, and 200mm for dual material prints. It wasn't bad by any means. Nothing about it was particularly deal breaking. And if you know it's coming, it would probably be fine. But my expectations were at a 10 and it delivered a solid 7. Disappointing. Plus it doesn't have Wifi delivery. Now, again, maybe the production version won't have some of these problems. I really don't know, because I really didn't get it.
The big downside of IDEX in mirror or duplicate mode is it is impossible to do ABL. ABL corrects z-height to follow the bed's mesh depending the position of the nozzle. But as both heads share same z (and y - only c is independend) ABL can only work if only one head is active at a time. So the bed has to be casted finemilled aluminium with some thickness - making bedslingers a bad design choise if you want to use theese modes. z-moving bed is definitly a must2have. There is a possible solution to the ABL-problem, but this is not supported by the slicer nor the firmware at the moment: Fading ABL. For single extruder this is supported in Marlin. Compensation is (depending of the settings in firmware) done f.e. only in the 2mm at the bottom. First layer follows the bed contour fully, but next a bit less until after 2mm no correction is needed anymore. So for perfect Mirror or Duplex on an bedslinger IDEX we need exactly this - first 2mm printed with ABL-fading one side after the other, only than starting printing with both heads in parallel. Another problem is resonance compensation (aka input shaping): Resonance frequency in duplex, mirror and single head at a time modes differs. Hard to compensate... So print slow to avoid ringing. Anyway, there a barely any szenarios where (bedslinger) IDEX realy be a good solution. You are limited to two filaments anyway. With an MMU you can change between much more colours. In most cases even manual change is enough. You do not have to sit and watch - simply put an M600 inside. With Prusa Slicer you even get a good prognose about the time you need to do the change. Even filament changes inside a layer are no problem, if you want to embed text or symbols into the top or bottom layers (virtual extruders and custom gcode for toolchange =m600). Also different temperatures work with filament changes - just some aditional gcode needed. So if you do a lot of two material prints or lot of duplicates and mirrors, a cube IDEX printer might be quite usefull. But a bedshaker is definitly not a good idea. In most cases a MMU is the better alternative to a bedshaker IDEX. Like the ERCF... Much more budget friendly. But one option IDEX allows (the most interesting in my opinion) you did not even mention: Different nozzles. You might use a high flow bigger nozzle on second extruder (f.e. Bondtech CHT) and speed up prints a lot, if you do not multiple colours but diferent resolution. For example an object with a detailed top but botom part less detailed. Print the bottom with 0.8 but the top with 0.4 or even less...
You are correct. The Weedo X40 got around the ABL problem by using the ABL to help you level it right. Kinda crazy. Not a lot of printers are doing resonance compensation yet, but if it becomes more universal, that would be a problem. Most IDEX printers I've seen compensate for this by going real slow. I do like the idea of having different nozzles on an IDEX machine.
@@3dpprofessor I think resonance compensation will become common as soon as the Pi zero 2 W will get better available. Nearly every printer can be upgraded to Klipper - and as there are more and more YT-videos about that topic coming up and the (regular) price of the Pi Z2 W is quite affordable, I am pretty sure in about a year or so many people will upgrade their printers...
Hi there, I intend to buy an IDEX printer to print TPU insoles in mirror mode. The maximum size would be 290mm x 140mm each side of the insole. Judging the specs, the idex tycoon printer would suit me. However, I have read comments about issues with extruder cooling, auto-levelling, and firmware. Do you know if these issues have been resolved? Would you recommend buying this or another similar idex printer? Thanks
I had similar problems and offloaded this printer in favor of the Artist-D, which I am having numerious problems with the bed not remaining level, but I am using it almost every day now. ua-cam.com/video/GJQV_XYdqck/v-deo.html
Should I go with Kywoo or Creator pro 2? It’ll be my first 3d printer and would like it without too much fuss on it. I can spend an afternoon or two to get it working, but hopefully it’ll be a straightforward process. Thanks in advance.
@@3dpprofessor is there other options? I did some more research and found sovol SV04 seems good as well? And Bambu lab X1 seems awesome, I’ll be able to print more types of materials with the expanse of purging and initial cost.
@@solaregg123 Oh, there are lots of other options, as you know. It's defiantly a challenge to weigh them all against each other. I can only tell you from my experience. Though i will be checking out the Bambu Lab X1 soon, so maybe I'll have a different opinion.
@@3dpprofessor The Max 2 Pro is the same as the Creator 2 Pro. I would love to try both the Creator 3 Pro and the Creator 4! I have two Creator Pros and one Creator 2 Pro. I upgraded my both Creator Pros with the Bondtech extruders and MicroSwiss all metal hotends. My Creator 2 Pro is stock.
Pretty much covered it in the video. The only one I have hands-on experience that will come close to what you can expect is the FlashPrint. Besides that, I'll just be comparing stats, same as you. But, I'll crack the seal on the X40 here and tell you what I think.
I assume you mean the pokemon tie at the end, not the more standard pattern tie at the beginning. The Pokemon tie was a gift from my sister, custom made, with some fabric she found.
Recently started 3d printing and realized I most of what I need is dual color. I have been researching idex printers and see nothing but negatives, is there one out there that can be used out of the box?
@@jf6720 IF you want bigger and reliable like the Creator Max, There's the upcoming Creator Pro 3. But that does challenge many people's budget. I'm testing the Weedo X40 right now, and I'm finding it's capable, but it's got it's downsides. I'm actually using my Kywoo3D IDEX the most right now, and I'm very impressed with it, even though, like I said, I can't say for sure that my unit and yours will match since I got a pre-release unit. But Kywoo3d has been pretty good so far. They build on open source technologies and engineer things well.
How soon is now? www.3dpprofessor.com/2021/09/22/is-idex-worth-it-do-you-want-multi-material-3d-printing-video/
My first 3D printer was a pre-owned Ultimaker S3 and after watching numerous reviews on different 3D printer manufacturers, I concluded that the S3 was not only an excellent easy to use dual nozzle desktop-sized printer, boasting a two in one print head, but had the ability to change filaments whilst actively printing, thus utilising more than two different filaments simultaneously, such as support material into a complex print, making the S3 and S5 in my opinion fantastic printers for noobs and pro's alike. Thanks for sharing. 👍
i've thought about multi-filament printers but everything i've seen is just a ton of issues. i've got a friend that has a huge Modix printer with dual heads. he uses the 2nd head for dissolvable supports, but oh man did it take some serious calibrating and tweaking to get it to print nicely.
100% YOUR recommended video over YT's recommendation!
Great point that IDEX has a built in backup extruder. I concur that the extruder is a big source of required maintenance.
While I have not watched this yet, thank you for making it, I have been wanting to see someone who is well versed in 3d printers talk about idex for a while.
I recently got the creator pro 2, small print area but the ability to use disolvable supports is great. I wish flashforge had better raft profiles that peeled off more easily though.
Agreed 👍 2 color is good enough for me at the present moment. The redundancy factor is very important too👍. Thanks for making this video ❤
i decided to listen to you tier list, and ordered a kywoo tycoon. printer itself is awesome. i just have problems with software. overall, im happy i listened to you!
Awesome video !!!
Well, I know what i have to do now!
This is awesome.
Thanks for another great video - I will have to check out the Flashforge printers I have a jdmaker pro in the box and a Kywoo 3d idex on the way as far as toochangers go although it is more of a business level machine and priced out of range for hobbyist the H5-Series from diabase machines is a 3d printer/cnc machine combo that is close to being a true toolchanger but does not have pick and place that I know of.
What a perfect explanation.
I have the Artist D and I have been wondering these same things about whether or not IDEX is worth it. So far, I have used the copy and mirror modes much more than the dual filament modes. I think there is still a good bit of value in the IDEX printers, but I haven't unlocked it all yet.
I just got an Artist-D a couple weeks ago and so far I like it - mostly. Tricky getting both nozzles to the same height, and the bed leveling can be a pain at times. I like the quick-change nozzle capability, for certain, though I'm trying to make sure I have a good supply of those proprietary nozzles...
Now to upgrade my og Creator Pro and Duplicator 4 printers to IDEX!
The restrictions in printing size depend on the capabilities of the printer itself. There are printers on the market who provide a parking position for at least one of the heads in order not to loose working space - as the RAISE 3D E2 does - in this printer we only have restrictions in size when actually using both heads. The problem with slicing correct gcode indeed is an issue - sometimes at least and only if You don´t have the appropriate slicer to do a good work. As e.g. the simplify 3D or for instance the idea maker in case of Raise 3D.
I own 3D printers for a longer time - my first and still running system is a MANKATI Fullscale xt plus (not available anymore) with dual extruder, meanwhile flanked with a creality Ender 5 plus for even bigger prints and a witbox 2 from BQ (not available anymore). But those are all printers for "home office" and private use - compared to my Raise 3D E2 oder a Stratasys for productivity purposes.
mann i wish i had a two head printer, I might upgrade my prusa soon so it has the multi filament addon, really looking forward to that. I need to print more.
I just purchased the Creator Pro 2. Great printer but I have one issue with it and it doesn't Z hop during multiple color / material prints during the final move when an extruder is returning to home prior to handing off to the other extruder. I believe it's an issue in Flashprint. A very annoying bug if you ask me.
Tenlog Hands 2 pro has been a good IDEX machine. Duplication mode PLA/PLA (easy) works perfectly. That, and the backup redundancy, justifies the IDEX already.
Tested dual material printing with polypropylene in PLA. These materials were reported to allow high performance fluid fittings, but I found it difficult. It could produce a basic part, but the tuning needed and with PP stringing, warping, made it impractical. A lot more parameters to optimize with IDEX than with single nozzle.
good video
So I've spent the day looking at the newest innovations in all kinds of 3D printers. Maybe you can answer this for me because I haven't figured out how to search for this on UA-cam. Are there 3D printers that are a hybrid design of self-adapting nozzles that are spread out over the entire build plate and solid ink sticks that are melted for deposit as well as on the fly color and multiple material blending? By self-adapting nozzles I'm thinking of a design that can change the amount of material that is melted for deposit. So instead of changing from a smaller diameter nozzle to a larger one the tool head does it without needing to replace the actual nozzle each time.
So what I see as the benefit is the move away from filament to be replaced with a type of solid ink style of material delivery. Having an array of print heads spread out over the entire build surface should make all builds much faster. Blending colors and materials on the fly gets rid of daisy chaining Palette 2, 3, etc. It also gets rid of the wasteful purge or transition towers. Or perhaps an adaptation of the HP Jet Fusion 580 Color 3D printer where this grid of nozzles are placed on a bar that moves bi-directionally to deposit each layer of the print in whatever color or material is loaded.
But rather than a moving bar making these passes back and forth there is a single nozzle array that can deposit all the materials and colors without moving side-to-side or front-to-back. Just moving upwards as the print grows in height. Or possibly lowering the print bed as well as increasing the height of the printer array.
A timely video! I've been wanting to print in multiple materials and have been trying to decide between something like the Mosaic Palette or an IDEX printer. I'm leaning towards IDEX due to the amount of filament that a filament changer has to use for transition blocks (plus I'd have two printers, current and future, instead of one). I'd like a big build volume, so hopefully the Kywoo gets decent reviews.
I will say that IDEX is much more reliable than my experience with the palate. Joining filament just introduces more fail points.
@@3dpprofessor Good to know! Thanks!
Are you going to get a final edition Kywoo IDEX to review? Does anyone have one in their hands yet?
@@PhillipAnderson They're not shipping yet. So I definitely don't have one yet. Will I get one? Don't know. We'll see.
Two thoughts. Have you tried printing PETG with PLA supports? You can use a zero-gap for beautiful bottom layers since they don't stick to each other very well. Second, I've solved the head-crashing issue by having 3 printer profiles for my IDEX printer. The extra profiles selects the proper tool for duplicate or mirror mode and are setup with a smaller build plate that matches the safe printable area. So while I don't get a preview of both parts, I'm 100% sure the parts will fit and print without collisions.
I will give that a try. Thanks.
I started doing g this not long ago and I LOVE the results. I find it works best to use a PLA raft to compensate for the different bed adhesions.
Thanks for the video, great summary! So size is the only thing wanting on the FlashForge? Do you have any nitpicks with its slicer?
I like Flashprint. It's not what people are used to, so they complain, but it's capable, easy to use, and it does a good job with their printers.
But, when I use the Ultimaker at the makerspace I use Cura. When I use the Raise 3D, I use Ideamaker (also, great slicer). I tend to use the slicer the manufacturer recommends. Unless it's a reskin on an old version of Cura, then I'll gank the settings and take them elsewhere.
@@3dpprofessor I gotcha. Regarding Flashprint: if a gentleman like yourself that has sampled a variety of slicers and [IDEX] machines is able to get the results you'd like then I'd take that as evidence they put the most necessary settings in there for success. I like their implementation of chopping the model and assigning extruders @ 7:05 seems pretty intuitive!
I have recently purchased and setup an Artist-D Pro printer. I have some previous experience with such devices however I ran into a problem trying to start my first print.
The message came up on the screen “Filament detection switch is not pressed.
I am using only one printhead but I have filament in both detectors. I also saw in a forum that updating the firmware could rectify this, but to no avail.
I did a continuity test on both detectors and on the connectors that plug into the base and that shows that the sensors themselves and the cables are fine.
I am not prepared to open up the body and fiddle inside a new machine, so I was wondering if there is any other possible software or hardware fix I might attempt before I have to toss this thing out a high window? (Just kidding, I would more likely return it).
I should tell you that tool changing usually increases print times a little.
But I love my custom tool change (Doot changer)
Tool changers don't just allow dual material. But they can do things like milling post processing and also have tools that have for example resin etc in them so you gain more z strengh.
You could also make a carbon fiber laying tool to add continious fibers for incredible strength while having dual extrusion too
I also love my 0.6mm tool. Imagine switching to a 0.6-1mm nozzle by just pressing a button , it's such a blessing.
Also pva is misleading. It's super awesome but it costs 4x much as PLA and bvoh is even more expensive. They're like insanely expensive, like 80-130$ a kg. It makes it nearly worthless
I feel that we put too much stock on how slow 3D printing is. I know I want everything right now, but when the 3D printer is done, it's not like the thing you're going to is going to wash out with the tide. I'd happily trade waiting a little longer for being sure that the print would work.
And, yeah, dissolvable supports are expensive, and they're hard to store for long terms. And in the end I still design for support free printing. But it's about the option.
@@3dpprofessor tbh reading what you said helped, Tho there's another reason behind my wait, my parents don't let me put my printer outside and that means the sound of it doesn't let me sleep, my tool change gearbox is also very loud ;s
Yeah true about the pva, for when you don't need to dissolve it people use TPU interface layers for pla at least!
I actually bite the bullet and ordered pva for the first time I'm hyped :)
I bought the Sovol SV04 IDEX, pretty cool. I just wonder if 4 or 3 nozzles IDEX on the same bar (X-axis) and yes need a longer bar though, what do you think?
Yes, it's a laser. It doesn't have variable height. Just set the height and go.
I like my Tenlog TLD3. Mostly duplication mode because I print alot of repetitive parts and it's like having 2 printers running at once. Also the print heads move completely off the bed so you can use the whole thing.
I don't do water solvable filament, but I print t mostly in PETG, and if I want a nice model, I will use PLA for support, it seems to work well.
Do you think it’s better than 2 individual printers
@@crazywormy5869 for what I do, yes. It is essentially having 2 printers running at once. I can run duplicate, or mirror image models. But I can also run 2 different filaments on one model if I wish. Example I can do 2 colors, or sometimes I run pla as a support for petg.
@@crazywormy5869 also I have since gotten the TLD6, the build volume is huge
Omg you have the kywoo! Watching video ..i have my eye on that one . Let's see.. popcorn is out!
Update after watching : noooo!😭😭 What issues did you see with the kywoo? Since you ranked their tycoon so high I had great expectations for this one. Was just waiting for it to be available and some reviews to pull the trigger.. 🥺
It's like the JGMaker in a lot of ways. The bed leveling is fiddly. The GCode runs unchecked so it's easy to crash the heads. The 300mm width is actually only 250mm per extruder, and 200mm for dual material prints.
It wasn't bad by any means. Nothing about it was particularly deal breaking. And if you know it's coming, it would probably be fine. But my expectations were at a 10 and it delivered a solid 7. Disappointing. Plus it doesn't have Wifi delivery.
Now, again, maybe the production version won't have some of these problems. I really don't know, because I really didn't get it.
The big downside of IDEX in mirror or duplicate mode is it is impossible to do ABL. ABL corrects z-height to follow the bed's mesh depending the position of the nozzle. But as both heads share same z (and y - only c is independend) ABL can only work if only one head is active at a time. So the bed has to be casted finemilled aluminium with some thickness - making bedslingers a bad design choise if you want to use theese modes. z-moving bed is definitly a must2have.
There is a possible solution to the ABL-problem, but this is not supported by the slicer nor the firmware at the moment: Fading ABL. For single extruder this is supported in Marlin. Compensation is (depending of the settings in firmware) done f.e. only in the 2mm at the bottom. First layer follows the bed contour fully, but next a bit less until after 2mm no correction is needed anymore. So for perfect Mirror or Duplex on an bedslinger IDEX we need exactly this - first 2mm printed with ABL-fading one side after the other, only than starting printing with both heads in parallel.
Another problem is resonance compensation (aka input shaping): Resonance frequency in duplex, mirror and single head at a time modes differs. Hard to compensate... So print slow to avoid ringing.
Anyway, there a barely any szenarios where (bedslinger) IDEX realy be a good solution. You are limited to two filaments anyway. With an MMU you can change between much more colours. In most cases even manual change is enough. You do not have to sit and watch - simply put an M600 inside. With Prusa Slicer you even get a good prognose about the time you need to do the change. Even filament changes inside a layer are no problem, if you want to embed text or symbols into the top or bottom layers (virtual extruders and custom gcode for toolchange =m600).
Also different temperatures work with filament changes - just some aditional gcode needed.
So if you do a lot of two material prints or lot of duplicates and mirrors, a cube IDEX printer might be quite usefull. But a bedshaker is definitly not a good idea.
In most cases a MMU is the better alternative to a bedshaker IDEX. Like the ERCF... Much more budget friendly.
But one option IDEX allows (the most interesting in my opinion) you did not even mention: Different nozzles. You might use a high flow bigger nozzle on second extruder (f.e. Bondtech CHT) and speed up prints a lot, if you do not multiple colours but diferent resolution. For example an object with a detailed top but botom part less detailed. Print the bottom with 0.8 but the top with 0.4 or even less...
You are correct. The Weedo X40 got around the ABL problem by using the ABL to help you level it right. Kinda crazy.
Not a lot of printers are doing resonance compensation yet, but if it becomes more universal, that would be a problem. Most IDEX printers I've seen compensate for this by going real slow.
I do like the idea of having different nozzles on an IDEX machine.
@@3dpprofessor I think resonance compensation will become common as soon as the Pi zero 2 W will get better available. Nearly every printer can be upgraded to Klipper - and as there are more and more YT-videos about that topic coming up and the (regular) price of the Pi Z2 W is quite affordable, I am pretty sure in about a year or so many people will upgrade their printers...
Hi there, I intend to buy an IDEX printer to print TPU insoles in mirror mode. The maximum size would be 290mm x 140mm each side of the insole. Judging the specs, the idex tycoon printer would suit me. However, I have read comments about issues with extruder cooling, auto-levelling, and firmware. Do you know if these issues have been resolved? Would you recommend buying this or another similar idex printer? Thanks
I had similar problems and offloaded this printer in favor of the Artist-D, which I am having numerious problems with the bed not remaining level, but I am using it almost every day now. ua-cam.com/video/GJQV_XYdqck/v-deo.html
Should I go with Kywoo or Creator pro 2? It’ll be my first 3d printer and would like it without too much fuss on it. I can spend an afternoon or two to get it working, but hopefully it’ll be a straightforward process. Thanks in advance.
If the choice is between those two, and you don't want to fuss with it, I'd go with the Creator Pro 2.
@@3dpprofessor is there other options? I did some more research and found sovol SV04 seems good as well? And Bambu lab X1 seems awesome, I’ll be able to print more types of materials with the expanse of purging and initial cost.
@@solaregg123 Oh, there are lots of other options, as you know. It's defiantly a challenge to weigh them all against each other.
I can only tell you from my experience. Though i will be checking out the Bambu Lab X1 soon, so maybe I'll have a different opinion.
Actually, when you say 'drownding' out loud it should ring alarm bells...
You should look into the FlashForge Creator 3 Pro or the Creator 4.
I have a creator Max, same thing as the 3 pro and I love it. But try as I might I can't get them to send me a Creator 4.
Oop, the max isn't the same thing as the creator 3, I was mistaken. Yes, I'd love to check that out.
@@3dpprofessor The Max 2 Pro is the same as the Creator 2 Pro. I would love to try both the Creator 3 Pro and the Creator 4! I have two Creator Pros and one Creator 2 Pro. I upgraded my both Creator Pros with the Bondtech extruders and MicroSwiss all metal hotends. My Creator 2 Pro is stock.
I know I would enjoy having an IDEX to develop on. What would you recommend with a good balance quality and features in the US$500 range?
Pretty much covered it in the video. The only one I have hands-on experience that will come close to what you can expect is the FlashPrint. Besides that, I'll just be comparing stats, same as you.
But, I'll crack the seal on the X40 here and tell you what I think.
I want your tie! Where did you get it?
I assume you mean the pokemon tie at the end, not the more standard pattern tie at the beginning. The Pokemon tie was a gift from my sister, custom made, with some fabric she found.
@@3dpprofessor Nice! I was just curious where you got it assuming it wasn't custom made. Thanks! Great video!
Do you think tool changer printers will be the next big thing in hobbyist 3D printers?
Yes. Undeniably. Be sure to check the pinned post in the comments.
Recently started 3d printing and realized I most of what I need is dual color. I have been researching idex printers and see nothing but negatives, is there one out there that can be used out of the box?
Flashforge Creator Max 2 is out of the box usable, and super easy. Highly recomended.
@@3dpprofessor Thanks, I did see that. Anything with a larger bed? Mostly everything I see is negative or a beta or kickstarter project.
Thanks.
@@jf6720 IF you want bigger and reliable like the Creator Max, There's the upcoming Creator Pro 3. But that does challenge many people's budget.
I'm testing the Weedo X40 right now, and I'm finding it's capable, but it's got it's downsides.
I'm actually using my Kywoo3D IDEX the most right now, and I'm very impressed with it, even though, like I said, I can't say for sure that my unit and yours will match since I got a pre-release unit. But Kywoo3d has been pretty good so far. They build on open source technologies and engineer things well.
@@3dpprofessor Thanks again.
Is there any good, easy tutorials for beginners in IDEX?
Printing or designing?
Noooo I was late viewer 72 here
drownDing?