QiDi Tech 3D Printer vs Kossel Kit

[cjalas]

So I'm on the fence about buying a second printer; I already have a CTC 3D Printer fully modded and printing great (albeit slowly); after some research I've narrowed down my selection to either a QiDi printer -- of which I've heard so many great things about -- and a Kossel Delta printer KIT from Aliexpress

QiDi URL / Info (http://www.amazon.com/TECHNOLOGY-Ext...dp/B00SB6ZO8S/)

vs

Kossel URL / Info (http://www.aliexpress.com/item/3D-Pr...524257967.html)


QiDi Pros & Cons:

PROS:

1. Great customer support
2. Already have experience with printer type (FF/Replicator clone)
3. Already have spare parts for printer type (from CTC)
4. I'm used to it

CONS:

1. $650 - 800 price range is a bit out of my available budget right now
2. Cartesian style printer, slow prints
3. I like new and different

Kossel Kit Pros & Cons:

PROS:

1. New and exciting
2. A kit to build! Fun! (I love making things)
3. Delta style printer, faster prints (better quality?)
4. Lower cost (within my price range)

CONS:

1. Sourced from Aliexpress, customer support questionable
2. Parts and build questionable
3. Bowden style extruder; can't print flexible TPU filament (or exotics) very well (or at all)?
4. Smaller print bed in the XY axis? (And I don't normally print TALL objects)
5. Have to make custom enclosure (additional expense)

Any suggestions or comments are appreciated, to help me make my decision, thanks!

P.S. Oh also forgot to ask, does anyone know or have experience with the Kossel / Delta printers? On the aliexpress site, I see some models with a "linear guide rail" type, and some with the "pulley system" type, and I don't really know which style of Z axis is better. Thanks.

[Decipher]

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Anycu...6-8bea5622b3ed

why not get the kit as such?
or i really want this printer or build it

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/China...7-b287fc083795

[rcleav]

So I'm on the fence about buying a second printer; I already have a CTC 3D Printer fully modded and printing great (albeit slowly); after some research I've narrowed down my selection to either a QiDi printer -- of which I've heard so many great things about -- and a Kossel Delta printer KIT from Aliexpress

QiDi URL / Info (http://www.amazon.com/TECHNOLOGY-Ext...dp/B00SB6ZO8S/)

vs

Kossel URL / Info (http://www.aliexpress.com/item/3D-Pr...524257967.html)


QiDi Pros & Cons:

PROS:

1. Great customer support
2. Already have experience with printer type (FF/Replicator clone)
3. Already have spare parts for printer type (from CTC)
4. I'm used to it

CONS:

1. $650 - 800 price range is a bit out of my available budget right now
2. Cartesian style printer, slow prints
3. I like new and different

Kossel Kit Pros & Cons:

PROS:

1. New and exciting
2. A kit to build! Fun! (I love making things)
3. Delta style printer, faster prints (better quality?)
4. Lower cost (within my price range)

CONS:

1. Sourced from Aliexpress, customer support questionable
2. Parts and build questionable
3. Bowden style extruder; can't print flexible TPU filament (or exotics) very well (or at all)?
4. Smaller print bed in the XY axis? (And I don't normally print TALL objects)
5. Have to make custom enclosure (additional expense)

Any suggestions or comments are appreciated, to help me make my decision, thanks!

P.S. Oh also forgot to ask, does anyone know or have experience with the Kossel / Delta printers? On the aliexpress site, I see some models with a "linear guide rail" type, and some with the "pulley system" type, and I don't really know which style of Z axis is better. Thanks.

I understand your quandary I already have a Qidi Tech that works great.. Then I found a used but working CTC printer for $150 on Craigslist. I put a little money into it to bring it up to the Qidi Tech standard and it also works great. So wanting something completely different I bought a Folger Tech Kossel kit which I'm still building. The kit is very complete and has a lot of community support. I expect there to be some difficulties with this kit especially since it's a Kossel but i'm taking my time building it and having fun along the way
http://folgertech.com/products/folge...3d-printer-kit.
If you join the Folger Tech community facebook page there is a code there 11% off there.

[cjalas]

Between having a CTC and QiDi and working on the Kossel, which do you use more / prints better? Are you more excited to use the Kossel than the other two?

[rcleav]

I would have to say after heavily modifying my CTC it prints just as well as the Qidi. The Qidi Tech is an all steel chassis and I bought it for$629. I have maybe $400 into the CTC but it has the plywood chassis. I'm still working on building the Kossel and pretty fascinated by how they move. One thing about the Kossel kits is that it's very upgradable in size and function.