XYZ Printing Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer Review (Updated 2022)

It took me a while to receive my new XYZ Printing Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer, but it was definitely worth it. Upon opening the package, I already received a good impression due to the wiring neatly aligned and secured.

However, I already noticed a problem with my first unit – it wouldn’t feed the filament, so I decided to contact support.

Within an hour, I already received a phone call, something I have to admit that has never happened to me before from the customer service side of a company.

The support rep went through a long process of trying different things out until we both came to the conclusion that there was a problem with the extrusion head and that it had been tilted off balance during the shipping process.

All that was needed is to snap it back into place and it worked. This kind of support alone made me immediately happy of my purchase.

The First Print

In order to start slow and slowly build up my experience with 3D printing, I decided to print out their demo part which was a mini bird bath.

I was immediately amazed out how well it turn out on the first print, and thankfully the Da Vinci comes with some free white ABS filament upon purchase.

After that, I printed one of my SolidWorks parts that was previously saved in STL format, and for lack of a better word it was completely terrible.

I decided to contact customer support again and received a quick reply from the same rep. He advised me to correct my STL files, and mentioned that I could use a free online service to do so.

After using it, my parts were uploaded and I received an email back within just 5 minutes. After this, I tried the same print again and this time it came out perfectly.

I’m using this printer to make products for my clients, and now I have confidence that it will do its job in helping me support my business.

After much experience, I’ve personally found that the standard STL laster-generated parts are incredibly accurate, yet a little bit heavier than ABS.

The importance of this is due to the face that the products that I design are sensitive by weight. Now that I had all my prototype parts, I built my first test unit.

Some Things To Be Aware Of

There are a few things that I would like to point out that were not very clear in the printer description.

 

1. Amazon displays the replacement filaments as coming in rolls, but they actually come in filaments. The cartridge that comes with it is only for one single use and cannot be refilled.
2. Unfortunately, their software doesn’t have any drawing capabilities. You’re going to need to use a separate program in order to draw your parts. What I prefer is using CAD System SolidWorks.
3. No good instructions are provided on how to use the software that comes with the Da Vinci. However, there are tons of options that you should learn in order to get your desired print.
4. Support is incredible. Prompt replies and extremely knowledgable.
5. You need a set of jewelers files. If you wish to put in fine details or do minor touch-ups, you will need a set of jewelers files.
6. STL files will most likely need to be changed by a service. I recommend NETFABB Cloud Service.
7. You may have difficulties downloading the software if you’re running XP or older. I use WebRoot and I had to spend a lot of time getting the software to work properly. If anything, if you have problems, try turing off any anti-virus software before loading the printer software.

After contacting support and receiving replacement parts and refilling my filaments, I was overall quite pleased with my purchase.

The only thing I would take a star off for is because the lack of clear and concise constructions in terms of setup and running the software.

My 7-Day Review

I’ve had my XYZ Printing Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer for just one week and it’s been running non-stop. I was able to produce dozens and dozens of prototype parts that I needed for all of my models, and there hasn’t been anything but excellent results.

So far I’ve ordered a cartridge of black filament and had to go through the steps of taking out one filament and installing a new black one. This process was incredibly easy and there weren’t any difficulties on my end.

For those of you who are wondering, the printer comes with a 300 gm sample roll of white filament that’s includes. The replacement cartridges only come in 600 gm units. With the 600 gm cartridge, you can get about 240 meters of print.

Software Settings

The software has many different settings, and I highly recommend that you try them in all sorts of various combinations. Although this would take a long time, there really needs to be a manual on what each different setting will do.

Yet the default settings that came with the printer tended to produce great results. Sometimes I find that when I need to make a copy of a specific part, I need to click on “import” as many times as I want the part.

Doing so will allow the part to be staged at the correct distance and placement on your printing surface. I made up 8 prototypes from the same parts from one single design, and 100% of them came out perfectly.

However, it’s a great printer if you’re up for trial-and-error to learn what works and what doesn’t.

My 1-Month Review

I’ve been using my printer for a month now, and it’s been running almost on a daily basis without any noticeable problems. I’ve gone through about 1 and 1/2 filament cartridges without and binding issues or control problems.

The more I use the software, the easier it gets configuring the printer before each print. Every once in a while I have to tighten the single screw on the X belt and adjust the table, but this process is very simple and is only a minor adjustment.

At most it will take several minutes because of the automatic measurements to be read for recalibration. I highly suggest that you check the calibration to make sure it’s aligned properly before each print.

My 6-Month Review

After 6 months of using the XYZ Printing Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer, I’d like to share my knowledge of solutions that I’ve worked few.

I’ve already ran through hundreds hours of printing, and I have yet to encounter any failure, clogs, or incomplete prints or malfunctions.

In short, it works perfectly. In fact, the more I use it, the more confident I am in its use. I’ve become familiar with how a part needs to be positioned in order to avoid warps or slipping away during certain situations.

Every once in a while I’m required to recalibrate the bed, usually about every 20 hours of printing. I will admit, this part can be a bit tedious and time-consuming, it it is necessary in order to get the exact prints that you want.

Sometimes I find that many “999” error codes are caused by contact from the printer head missing some contact plates on the bed.

During these situations is when you will need to use what’s the called the “jog” command in the direction of the x-axis. Just be sure to watch carefully as the printer head and contact pin start moving during your first print just to be sure alignment is accurate.

So far I’ve had to re-tighten the X belt just once. If there ever comes a time when you notice circular parts becoming slightly round, then most likely the belt on the x-axis needs to be tightened. There’s a procedure for this on the Da Vinci website.

Keep in mind that the position of your parts is incredibly important to a good print.

When I first began printing, I had a small issue with the accumulation of fibers sticking out and then becoming firm on the extruder head. I began by first using a Dremel tool with a soft wire wheel in order to remove the hardened filament, but eventually found a better solution.

Inow use a silicone mold release that enables me to coat the print head after being cleaned. I gently spray onto a Q-tip and is coated onto the head. If anything, try to prevent contact with the pin when spraying.

If you do happen to spray it, it’s easily cleaned by using a nail file and with a gentle brush stroke. Ever since my first coating in March, I haven’t had any problems. Cooking oil also works great if you don’t have any mold release.

Final Thoughts

It’s now been one year with the XYZ Printing Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer, and the first thing that comes to my mind is that after making hundreds of builds, nothing has gone wrong other than having to tighten a few screws here and there.

Initially, the setup did require some technical assistance for readjusting the head, but after some support from customer service we got it fixed and ever since it’s worked perfectly.

The parts I’ve made have gone from extremely complicated to more simple designs for my clients in order to use them around home. I still use the original software which is the 1.1.29.3 and firmware 1.1.G since I still want to use different filaments that XYZ doesn’t offer.

One of these is translucent b Zen ToolWorks. Overall, this product has been extremely useful in terms of getting what I need to support my business and has more than paid itself off.

I highly recommend it for both leisure and professional use, and you’re getting a great deal at just $399.

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