Anycubic Kobra S1 3D printer review

The Anycubic S1 Combo is part of a new wave of 3D printers, offering easy-to-use multi-filament printing in one simple package. From the outset, I have to say that I really like the design and use of the Kobra S1.

Although the Kobra 3D printers are at the cheaper end of the market, they’ve always been incredibly reliable. I still have two old Kobras in operation, showing that they certainly have longevity.

The Kobra S1 once again balances build, price, and print quality, along with a set of features that you just wouldn’t have seen in machines of this price range a couple of years ago.

After checking over what this machine is capable of, I’m pleased to say that if you buy the Combo version—which is currently relatively cheap—you can print up to four materials as standard and then add another Ace Pro, which is the multi-filament module, so that you can then add another four, so eight in total.

When it came to the setup, it took me about 10 minutes to get the machine out of the box, set up, and have everything plugged in and working. Essentially, it comes pretty much pre-built, with the only thing you need to do is attach the filament tubes from the Ace Pro into the Kobra S1, plug-in power, and run through the calibration process. So, for complete beginners, this machine is absolutely ideal.

The only glitch in the setup is that unlike many other machines that only require a single power cable to the machine—which then powers the multi-filament adapter as well—here, the multi-filament Ace Pro also requires its own power source, so you will need two sockets available. However, for most people, this won’t be an issue.

At the time of the review, I used the recently released update to the Anycubic Slicer software, essentially based on PrusaSlicer with a few modifications to suit the printer. Whilst this is easy to use once you’re familiar with it, it can be a little tricky for beginners to navigate. However, if you’re willing to spend a little bit of time, then PrusaSlicer or this derivative is a phenomenally powerful piece of software.

One of the other things that I really like about the Anycubic S1 is that Anycubic has supplied free multicolour model downloads from its site. Once you register the machine, you can access these. No other company does this, and it’s great to have a few test models to really see what the capabilities of multi-filament printing are.

Whilst multi-filament is an up-and-coming technology, the Ace Pro really seems to refine it. Although it’s limited to eight colours, whereas many other machines can print up to sixteen, for the majority of people, just being able to print with different materials or different colours will give a huge boost to their model-making.

So, at the end of the test, I was really impressed with the Anycubic Kobra S1. There’s a reason it made my round-up of the best 3D printers, after all. It actually excelled in many areas and was nice and easy to use. There’s one thing that really stands out about the Anycubic Kobra S1, and that’s the single-filament print quality, which, throughout my print quality test, scored one of the highest of any machine that I have ever tested.

Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo: Design

Like many of the new CoreXY machines, the Kobra S1 takes on a fully enclosed design, and what I really liked about this is that the physical size and weight of the machine are actually smaller than many of the other new machines that are coming out. This means it will fit neatly on most work surfaces without taking up too much room. As I’ve see from Bambu and Creality, the multi-filament module sits on top of the machine nicely and neatly, and if you do want to add that extra Ace Pro, then you can stack those by the side of the machine. Whilst this increases the footprint, it’s still relatively neat and compact.

As with all of these machines, the setup is relatively straightforward. The unpacking process, as stated in the intro, is about 10 minutes. Essentially, you’ve got to pull out all of the packing from inside the printer and undo a few securing bolts, that are there to ensure nothing gets broken during transit, then everything else is pretty much set and ready to go.

Once the Ace Pro is plugged in, you can select the calibration process, and the machine essentially handles the rest for you. Once that’s carried out, you can stack up all of the filament into the Ace Pro. What I really like about the Ace Pro is that it doesn’t just act as a multi-filament box but also dries out the filament, which helps ensure high-quality printing and that your filament is in top condition before it gets passed through the nozzle of the printer.

What is surprising about the S1 is that the machine size is relatively small, and Anycubic has really maximised the build area. This is something we are seeing with these new CoreXY machines, and as such, we have a very nice 250 × 250 × 250 mm print area. As the multi-filament printing is all supplied by the Ace Pro, which sorts out the cutting and changing of all the filaments, the print head is just a single-core print head and is able to reach a maximum speed of up to 600 mm/s with a 320°C hot end. This enables you to print with a wide variety of materials. It’s worth pointing out that Anycubic does say that whilst 600 mm/s is the maximum print speed, the optimum print speed is 300 mm/s, which is essentially the speed I used during the majority of this test.

One of the other features that is really worth pointing out is the hot end. Whilst this is a single-core print head supplied by the multi-filament module, it has actually been really nicely refined and features the ability to be dismantled. So, if you do get a clogged nozzle, you can simply unclip it, pull it free from the machine, and replace it with a new one.

Likewise, there are plenty of nozzle options, with 0.4 mm obviously being the standard. However, depending on the project you’re doing, you can also choose a finer 0.2 mm or larger, 0.6 mm or 0.8 mm.

Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo: Features

When it comes to features of the S1, they really do run mirror many of the other new fully enclosed CoreXY-constructed machines. They are far more refined than the old-style open designs that reflected the open-source community that helped boost the development and popularity of 3D printers. As such, the Anycubic Kobra S1 is really quite tight and neat in design and features with a Plexiglass transparent front and top rather than the more usual glass that we’ve seen on many other machines.

Actually, this makes the machine a lot lighter and easier to handle if you do need to move it around the workshop. It also makes it a great option for schools and educational facilities, where there is always the potential that something might get broken or smashed.

The large touchscreen LCD is integrated into the machine and navigates the settings, calibration, and model loading. Models can be wirelessly transferred to the machine or selected from a USB stick inserted into the side. It’s really nicely thought out, and compared with Anycubic user interfaces that I’ve used in the past, this is a huge improvement.

One of the things that I really like about the Combo version that I’m looking at is that the filamnet box that I have positioned on top of the machine that also acts as a dryer. This ensures that the filament is in absolutely optimum condition before it’s fed to the printer. I have to say, this makes a huge difference to the print quality.

The printer is available in two different versions—either the printer itself, which is a single-filament machine, or a Combo version, which includes the Ace Pro. At present, for that small upgrade amount, it is well worth going for the Combo version. The Combo version enables you to print with up to four materials; however, you can buy an optional extra Ace Pro, which will increase that printability to eight materials.

The enclosed design offers a huge advantage in material compatibility. While a door or lid does need to be opened for PLA and some other materials, the enclosed chamber offers a far superior environment for ABS and nylon.

As I mentioned in the design section, the tool head has seen something of an overhaul compared with what I’ve seen from Anycubic in the past, with a design that enables the nozzles to be swapped out without the use of tools. Again, this is a feature that until recently wasn’t that common but makes sense and is therefore being adopted by most of the new machines. That hot end enables options including 0.2 mm, 0.4 mm (which is the standard), 0.6 mm, and 0.8 mm. It’s also able to reach temperatures of 320ºC, which will cover most materials.

Finally, the features list should mention the ultra-quiet printing, which Anycubic states is just 44 dB. In use, it is noticeably quieter than some of the other CoreXY machines.

Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo: Performance

As the first few models appeared on the build platform, I could see that the quality of the extrusion and flow was superb, and you can always tell with that first layer how the rest of the print is going to look. The S1 produces clean, exact lines as the first layer of the 3DBenchy model was laid down, and each consecutive layer appeared to match the first for accuracy. As the model completed, sure enough, it looked good and showed decent overall print quality. However, the days when most machines would struggle with at least one part of this model seem to be well in the past, and now printing 3DBenchy is more a test that everything is working rather than a quality test.

Next up to print was the Autodesk Kickstarter test model, and again, the printer, on standard print settings, set off at a pace, laying down the layers nicely and accurately. At the end of the print, the quality of this printer really stood out, and as I lifted the print from the platform, the Fine Negative Feature pins dropped out, which is a good sign. Checking over the print, almost all test areas hit maximum marks, with only the dimensional accuracy letting down an almost perfect score.

Testing the printer at faster speeds does see a reduction in print quality, but for fast itterations of models during the design process for education where the ability to print at this speed is a definite asset.

Next up was trying the same model with multiple colours using Anycubic Slicer to divide the print into different materials . This is relatively easy once you know how to do it, but for those new to 3D printing, a little research may be needed. Essentially, within the slicer software, you sync the slicer with the machine, which should pick up the filaments that have been installed. You can then assign the material types. Once multiple filaments are assigned to the slicer, you will have the Colour Painting option in the Prepare workspace. From here, you can use the tools to colour the model. The easiest to use is the fill tool, as this block fills areas.

As the multi-filament printing starts, you can see a change in the machine. The speed witnessed when printing single filament drops away, and the overall print times rapidly increase. What was a 43-minute print becomes a 14-hour print. This might seem excessive, but it is actually quite standard for this type of model when flipped from a single material to multi material print.

You also notice that the quality of the multi-filament prints stays exceptionally good, with clean walls and structure. The swap in filaments during the print process doesn’t adversely affect the overall print quality.

Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo: Final verdict

The Anycubic S1 is a printer that you can’t fail to be impressed with. From the outset, it was easy to set up, only taking a few minutes before it could be up and running. Whilst the multi-filament module isn’t quite as neat and straightforward as some of the others on the market, it’s still simple enough to connect and use.

I also like the fact that, as standard, it comes with pretty much everything you could want from a printer of this level. You have multi-filament printing, a built-in camera with remote access, and the ability to send files through Wi-Fi from Anycubic Slicer directly to the machine.

What really appeals here is the absolute print quality. The precision and quality of the print finish are exceptional, no doubt partially down to the fact that the Ace Pro features a built-in dryer. This means the filament is in top condition when it enters the machine, and it really does make a difference to the quality.

Whilst the Anycubic S1 is one of the first of this new wave of machines, it is an exceptionally good option. With a smaller footprint, robust build quality, and ease of use, it is an ideal solution for any educational establishment, small product production studio, or workshop.

Whilst there is some big competition for Anycubic’s first serious fully enclosed machine, there’s a lot to be impressed with here.

Should You Buy the Anycubic S1?

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