IMPORTANT! (CORRECTIONS and MORE INFO) - Spiral Z-hops work on QIDI Q1, but you will have to deal with constant "// Unknown command: "G17"" error messages in the terminal. - The 3DBenchy print on the RIGHT SIDE is from P1S and not from A5M PRO (text error). - With Orca Slicer 2.0 you can directly upload and view the webcam of your 5M PRO. Press on a little Wi-Fi icon next to the name of your printer and configure it. For example: Host Type: Flashforge Hostname, IP or URL: 192.168.0.185 (your local IP address of the printer) Device UI: 192.168.0.185:8080/?action=stream (replace with your IP of the printer) For the webcam to show video feed in the Device section of Orca Slicer make sure you have enabled the Webcam in the touchscreen menu settings.
Very nice review! Thanks for this! I made a short recap of the results as I read them: Heatbed - heat to 60 ºC Q1 Pro: - 4 minutes heatup - 6 ºC variance - 120 ºC max / 300W A5M Pro - 4 minutes heatup - 2 ºC variance - 110 ºC max / 250W P1S - 3 minutes heatup - 6 ºC variance - 100 ºC max / 1000W ------------------------------ Chamber heater Q1 Pro: - Separate 300W heater A5M Pro - No heater P1S - Aux fan for extra heating with help from powerful bed heating ------------------------------ True flowrate Q1 PRo: - 30mm melt zone - 350 ºC max - 19mm copper nozzle, hardened steel tip - 20 mm3/s with 3.4% under extrusion A5M Pro: - Quick switch gør udskiftning af hotend nemt - 36mm melt zone - 280 ºC max - Stainless steel nozzle - 25 mm3/s with 3.6% under extrusion P1S: - 26mm melt zone - 300 ºC max - 20 mm3/s with 6.1% under extrusion ------------------------------ Fan + noise Q1 Pro: - Poor to mediocre overhang quality - 66 dB with all fans, 40 dB idle A5M Pro: - Sub-par to good overhang quality - 68 dB with all fans, 39 dB idle P1S: - Great to perfect overhang quality - 67 dB with all fans, 0 dB idle ------------------------------ Extrusion consistency All 3 perform similar ------------------------------ Z-hop consistency All 3 perform similar ------------------------------ Bed leveling Q1 Pro - PLA: 0.032mm variance - ABS: 0.057mm variance A5M Pro - PLA: 0.035mm variance - ABS: 0.043mm variance P1S - PLA: 0.020mm variance - ABS: 0.032mm variance ------------------------------ Artifacts at high accelerations P1S best, Q1 Pro worst - Can be improved for the Q1 Pro and A5M Pro, but can be cumbersome ------------------------------ Dimensional accuracy All 3 perform fairly similar; the worst performing still acceptable ------------------------------ Artifacts - ringing All 3 perform similar ------------------------------ 3D Benchy: Q1 Pro: - 600 mm/s, 20k mm/s acceleration - High quality with a few surface issues on the body A5M Pro: - 600 mm/s, 20k mm/s acceleration - High quality without any issues P1S: - 500 mm/s, 20k mm/s acceleration - High quality without any issues ------------------------------ ASA Practical Print: P1S wins with the most consistent layer lines. The others have more inconsistent layer lines. ------------------------------ Build quality: Q1 Pro - Sub-par build quality - Potential Current hazard A5M Pro - Great build quality - A few minor details not great - Automatic shuts off the heated bed after 10 minutes of inactivity P1S - Great build quality - Very user friendly
Appreciate the more in depth look at print quality! This is one of the first reviews I have seen actually quantify several small issues with the Q1 Pro. So far, adding up all the results I have seen from reviews and people I know who have the printer, the overall printing capability and quality is still great. I think it's probably the best overall bang for buck printer, and hopefully they'll even improve it as Qidi is known to do.
Thanks. To be honest their X -... 3 printers were a disaster when they launched. They improved them a lot since, but Q1 PRO is a quite decent step forward. Of course, it comes with signature QIDI jankyness, especially the low-quality outer plastic of the printer and other weird decisions that could have been easily avoided. It is definitely a printer for more advanced users who know what they're doing and can take the most advantage of the value it provides for enclosed printing.
Would you say this is a good first 3d printer? If you were new all things considered what would be the data points you'd be focused on. I have learned if, nothing else, there's a software war waging making it hard for newbs to get closer to the truth regarding reviews etc
@@hobonickel840 I think this is a great first 3D printer overall. Certainly easier to setup and get good quality prints with than many options. Also quite affordable and there are already printable mods available for it. If you think you'll be interested in printing more advanced filaments in the future like nylon, this is great. As for the software, this still runs Klipper and will get updates even if it isn't vanilla firmware. As a beginner, you wouldn't really worry about that until a bit down the road anyways, but this doesn't fundamentally break or limit the printer.
I'm truly impressed by the depth and know-how with which you made this review. As far as I'm concerned, your channel is now the golden standard for what 3d printer reviews can be. Thank you very much for your hard work and all the insights that you share.
Got my q1 for less than 360 US recently and they have fixed almost all if not all of the issues you mentioned in current printers, comes with better tension and alignment etc
Could you please make a video about modifying the tensioners for the Q1 Pro, so that we too can enjoy the improvements? :) (the ones willing to try it, at least)
A5M pro user here(I love my printer). One downside is when your hotend/nozzle get clogged. I was using some Stronghero pla and it kept clogging my nozzles. I decided to disconnect the copper hotend from the nozzle by unthreading it. When/if you do that the wires that run into your quick connect break loose and you will no longer be able to use them as the plastic shroud covering the nozzle tip is the connect point. I found this out on my .4/.6 nozzle. Lost them both. Not a Flashforge issue so much as a user issue, but nice to know all the same as the nozzles are $40 each for me to replace(which is fine because I wanted to grab a .8mm nozzle also so instead I just grabbed all 4). Also ASA with the .6 gets some ugly artifacts unless I'm at 260 on the hotend. Thanks for the video I was looking at getting both the Qidi and Bambu printers but was having difficulty deciding if I wanted to. Now I want them both. I appreciate the information.
I just received Q1 Pro and it's my second printer after Ender 3 V2 Neo. So when you started looking closer at all the deficiencies, I panicked a little wondering whether I did the right thing ;) All in all thank you for putting in the work to show the differences between those printers and providing actual numbers. By the way, I wonder whether using copper/brass nozzle on Q1 Pro instead of the bi-metallic (stock) one would improve the flow.
Nah, it's the correct choice, especially since it'll truly help with printing out parts for the inevitable Voron or other DIY printer you'll be making down the road!
@greengohm As janky as Q1 Pro feels in some areas it still prints better than K1 series printers. As for the max flow, I doubt you will see any noticable improvement as copper nozzle with hardened steel tip is the best of both worlds. You could try brass CHT clone nozzles for QIDI that you can find on AliExpress. Or the genuine Bondtech V6 CHT + adapter for V6 nozzles on QIDI printers from Ali.
In my experience, the biggest problem with the stock "bi-metal" nozzle is clogs. Couple that with no clog/jam detection and if a long print clogs/jams, you cook the filament in the nozzle and might as well throw it in the trash. Very disappointing, on top of all the other janky things noted in the video.
Hey @DIYPERSPECTIVE, this was an awesome video. I currently have an x plus 3 and never wanted to mess with the belts. I see you did the print artifacts at high acceleration testing and decided to tension the belts at 6:57 on the Q1 pro. I've been wondering all day, did you end up rerunning input shaping calibration or did you only auto calibrate input shaping out of the box and never touch it. Hope your reply, I'm not sure which option would be the best.
My X-Plus 3 belts were tensioned noticeably more than Q1 PRO, I think it is mainly the issue with Q1 PRO automatic belt tensioning system. Just try using a more aggressive input shaper like EI and its recommended Hz.
Do you ever used a Creality K1C? Could you compare Qidi Q1 Pro to K1C? I'm a total beginners and I'm confused about selection of my first 3d printer. Thank you
The most complete no-nonsense comparison of the printer's capabilities so far. Excellent evaluate of the prospective market of each unit. To be fair the reverse polarity is not a QIDI issue, yes they could implement a switching circuit to check polarity. It's not their place to correct terrible practices. Looking at you Shore power.
Thanks. I think it is the QIDI issue because you can touch the fins with the fingers or other objects in your hands like a wet cleaning napkin. If there would be a longer cover with more thins it would solve the issue. If your printer can harm people no matter where they live, it is the issue of a responsible company. That is my thinking on this. :)
The heater is completely safe, the same as any other space heater, plus in the US all garages have GFCI plugs or you can convert any plug to a GFCI if someone intentionally touches the fins with a thin metal object. (fingers don't fit) In Europe, almost all homes have GFCI Circuit Breakers if you don't just add one if you have micro fingers and want to play with sparks
Yes, for all the printers I use the same setting and the same filament - docs.google.com/document/d/1WB8E50J8cNI-7sOTPo29jMURcsnwgRFX Just keep in mind that heatbed temperature affects the cooling efficiency. So if you print at 50C, the results will be better. Q1 PRO has ~8K RPM 5015 fan, while P1S has ~9K RPM 5015 fan. P1S fan has a way better directed air flow to the nozzle, Q1 PRO is nowhere as good.
I mean it performs quite well overall for the price. You should print PLA with lower bed temps like 50-55C for better cooling as the PEI plate has great layer adhesion and you shouldn't use too high accelerations or use a more aggressive input shaper like EI, that is pretty much it.
Hey, sure drive.google.com/drive/folders/1peB2JGXXPHaYni6esnecBnO7-dD4bT5m?usp=sharing Just be aware that this is not a suggested method. Ideally, QIDI should send beefier springs.
Any recent updates for any of these printers that have altered your opinions in any way? I know that QIDI fixed the build plate issue and some other issues like a better filament spool mount. Is the A5M still closed source? Any firmware updates from them that fix the issues you mentioned? Thanks
Hey. Thanks for the video! How did you install your Q1 spring tensioner mod? Did you have to take off the side panels or were you able to access with them on? Thanks.
I added the spacers from the inside of the printer. You don't need to remove any parts but it is very tricky. It probably would be way easier from the back with the back panel removed.
Hey @diyperspective, I've been going through the comments and I notice in the video and in some comments, you highlight that the stock Qidi Q1 Pro doesn't have as good a cooling system for airflow to the nozzle. Is this something you see that could be upgraded with a fan replacement and/or modified duct solution? I've just ordered the Q1 Pro as my first 3D printer so very new to it all. Won't be arriving for another 6 to 8 weeks anyway so have time to learn but in the meantime wondering what simple upgrades can be done very cheaply like your spacers for the belts to improve print performance.
Love my Flashforge 5M (non pro) and I only paid £300. Very impressive machine and it beats the Creality K1 in print quality, less noise and more reliability. Would definitely buy another one especially at half the price of the P1S
At least from the pictures it seems that 5M is just striped down version of 5M Pro, with the same motion system. It is like P1P vs P1S probably. If that's the case regular 5M value is just insane. :)
Great review comparing accurately how the machines performs in similar terms and show real world results. Speaking quality wise with basic pla and petg (I don’t care about speed) can the 5mpro be slowed down and fine tuned to match the layer consistency and overhang performance of the p1s? Following that trend would it better to get the prusa mk4s?
You can watch my Bambu A1 review, most of the tests and filaments I use are always the same, so you can easily compare. Pure print quality and speed wise A5M Pro is superior because it is CoreXY. The best choice always depends on what you want from a 3D printer.
@@PrintingPerspective i watched both of your a1 and 5m pro videos and i decided to pick 5m pro. because of bency test and close enclosure. Only con you mentioned was automatic heater shutdown after 10 minutes. Your tests are the most detailed and practical. Other channels just talk about printer and shows weird prints they have
2:13 Please consider getting the proper mics to measure plastics. They are more expensive but are tuned to not squish it and will give a more accurate measurement. :)
Don't worry, it is not hard to measure consistently if you have enough practice. :) The hardest part is not how hard you squeeze but rather aligning the part perpendicularly in the micrometer. In the future, I probably will make some sort of jig so that the process will be faster.
I double-checked and yes, you are correct. Unfortunately, you will be flooded with // Unknown command:"G17" messages in your terminal which is really annoying.
I appreciate these videos. However, I do question the validity of the cooling tests. We have no idea what temperature the filament is when it leaves the nozzle. It was shown earlier that the P1S underextrudes at lower flow rates and to a greater degree than the other two. So, I would guess the P1S’s actual extrusion temp is lower than the other two. Then there is differences in thermistors, hotend material, and distance between thermistor and nozzle.
If you would truly appreciate it, you would test yourself these points before you raise validity concerns, might be surprised what the outcome are. General assumptions a lot of the time are wrong in 3D printing. Every thing you listed makes so little difference that I don't know why I even bother responding, lol.
I got a Q1 Pro the other day and I really like it so far! I really appreciate this comparison and wanted to mention the reason I got the q1 pro instead of the other options is because the p1s is just way more expensive, and the flash forge has a smaller build area and locked down software. I have definitely noticed some of the jankiness, but overall I think it's a pretty good printer especially for the price i paid ($450 USD). QIDI support is also fantastic, they answer questions quickly and from what I've seen they provide a lot of help with hardware issues as well, like replacement parts. Thankfully I haven't had to contact them for anything yet, but I like knowing that if something breaks I can get it sorted out with them. I am genuinely curious though, whether anyone has any major reasons not covered in this video that I should return this printer and get something else. I have 30 days to return it and want whats best for my money! Thanks
My first impressions of Q1 PRO were poor as my experience with their X-...3 printers were horrible and it seemed it would be the same with the new one. But the more I used and tested the more I liked it as the improvement was significant, especially for the bed leveling performance. I am quite critical of the printers and try to provide all the problems rather than talk about the positives that you should expect from any of the printers like these. The only thing I forgot to mention is that a significant amount of heat in the chamber leaks into the electronics compartment. So if you will be using a printer to constantly print high-temp stuff you should try sealing the gaps for better efficiency. About QIDI support, you are 100% correct. They provide a very competent and generous support. Plus there are also things you can print and improve the printer wiki.qidi3d.com/en/Q1-Pro/Other/Components At the end of the day, it always depends on what purpose you are buying a 3D printer. Do you want to tinker with it? Do you want just to print? What materials do you want to print the most? and etc. Also, it is unreasonable to expect that a $450 printer would be as good as $700 one, you know. I personally, am sealing my Q1 PRO and will be printing engineering materials. While my K1 printers collect dust because they do not offer anything better than P1S... :D So...
You are not exactly right about chamber heating in case of 5M Pro. You didn't mention that it has two air circulation options: external and internal. And if you turn the internal on, it will help to heat the chamber faster and keeps good conditions for printing ABS or alike. It turns on automatically when you print with ABS profile and works great, I have never had any issues with adhesion and layers when using it, and printing ABS.
@@PrintingPerspective Yeah, no worries. I was just giving a heads up. Maybe you could add an annotation or something to clarify that point. Anyway, not a big deal at all. I really enjoyed the video! Keep up the great work.
Makers mise did a lot of test prints and got good results witch complex geometry. There was a really nice print of a thin walled abs spiral propeller too...@@PrintingPerspective
YAY! I had no idea FlashForge finally put out wireless printing on the new Orca release. Or, I assume, it was just the fine people working on Orca.... I've printed so much on that printer over the weekend. Now I know I didn't have to keep going back and forth with the Flash Drives. Pun intended! P.S. How much trouble would it be to throw a Big Tree Tech board into the Adventurer to get stock Klipper? Worth it to me. I just only know PC's. Nothing about 3D printer boards...
I am pretty sure Flashforge themselves had nothing to do with it. As the functionality was created by iherbak github.com/iherbak/OrcaSlicer and SoftFever implemented the support in his official Orca Slicer. :) Even I personally wouldn't try it, too many things to be worried about. :D
As a new owner of a new q1 pro I’m happy to announce that almost all of the criticisms have been addressed on my unit. The belts are tight, the lid is tight, the jankiness is gone (apart from the spool holder), the build plate is easy to place, the filament is now inserted from a hole in the side - which looks a lot cleaner - and probably a lot more.
@@wrobelda they've (slightly) updated the hardware but unfortunately out of 2 machines ordered I receive one "new" and one "old" version. Nothing terrible - I can print the parts for the old one - but annoying
@@gillesreyna1272 can you point me to some source describing those differences? I am about to receive mine tomorrow and curious which revision will I get. Thanks!
@@wrobelda Hi, I don't think there is anything official online but as Jacob (above) mentionned, now "The belts are tight, the lid is tight, the jankiness is gone (apart from the spool holder), the build plate is easy to place, the filament is now inserted from a hole in the side ". I have one with all that but the second one all but the build plate stuff. The build plate stuff are just higher corners making plate insertion a lot easier (and frankly easier than on my BBL A1s). You'll see immediately if the plate is easy to place. Otherwise Qidi made a few STL files available on their wiki but I haven't printed them yet (requires some HT filament I suppose). The most important thing imho to do from day 1 is probably to upgrade the firmware to the latest version. Otherwise, great printer !
QIDI jankyness mostly come from the things that aren't related to the print quality. But to be fair it is way cheaper. If you known your way around with 3d printers Q1 Pro offers a lot of value for enclosed printing.
If you don't want to do any tinkering - yes it is bad. P1S with E3D Obxidian high flow nozzle is probably the best print quality you can get without going too insane on the price. It is so hard to advise what to get because it always depends a lot on individual things.
@@PrintingPerspective Definitely don't mind tinkering, but how smoothly can you actually get the Q1 to print walls? Those artifacts are pretty bad 💀 Even with EI shaper, most of those accels are pretty rough. The part cooling too 🫠
I mean, you saw the comparison, but remember that it is with the worst lighting angle and with filament that shows the difference the best. As I said it depends on what you looking for from the printer, Q1 PRO offers the value option to print engineering materials and you won't be printing those crazy fast anyway. If I were looking to buy with my money and it was my single printer I would save up and go for the P1S because it does almost everything great. And when you have a reliable and good 3D printer then you can look for cheaper printers to tinker, mod, and make them more specialty ones. Hopefully, it helps to decide.
Woaaah, so nice. Well BBL machines has so much into them that nobody talks about. The devil is in the details as they say. Wonder how would X1C go against those as it is quite better than P1 series imo
P1S has the same motion system as X1C, print quality-wise I don't see any real difference. I am not sure about what details you are talking about. The only one that I can think of might be repair, as replacing some parts requires disassembling half of the printer.
as a Q1 Pro owner, i highly don’t recommend, very good specs on paper but its not reliable at all, mine broke at 100hrs, after printing with heated chamber, it bend in the middle of the bed due to the heat
It’s not that ideal for the A5MP to get the kipper web interface, because they totally cheaped out on the main board and only has 128MB of memory… yikes
Heres where you lost ALL CREDIBILITY in your review: You kept saying negatives about the 5M Pro not having klipper access which is 100% false as it DOES have fluid interface via PC. You also NEVER MENTION that P1S has ZERO interface of Klipper at all. Not a single complaint from you about that. Your whole review is just another skewed review to support Bambu.
Stock 5M Pro doesn't have a web Klipper interface, despite it running Klipper. If you modded yours that is a different thing. Meanwhile, Bambu doesn't even run Klipper, how the f... it would be reasonable to complain about it not having a Klipper interface? ;D The main reason to have the Klipper interface on consumer 3D printers that run Klipper is for the ability to fix problems with the printers in the firmware because a lot of the time companies do not fully know what they are doing. If a printer just works and I don't need fixing stuff I just press "Upload and Print" and never look at any web interface. If you truly think that my reviews are skewed I hope this is the last one you are watching. Good luck finding other reviews that actually test the 3D print quality performance. :)
You are probably new to the channel if you say that. You seem like one of those conspiracy guys who believes that Bambu pays for reviews and that's why their printers are so popular and not because they actually made a great 3D printer ;D
IMPORTANT! (CORRECTIONS and MORE INFO)
- Spiral Z-hops work on QIDI Q1, but you will have to deal with constant "// Unknown command: "G17"" error messages in the terminal.
- The 3DBenchy print on the RIGHT SIDE is from P1S and not from A5M PRO (text error).
- With Orca Slicer 2.0 you can directly upload and view the webcam of your 5M PRO.
Press on a little Wi-Fi icon next to the name of your printer and configure it. For example:
Host Type: Flashforge
Hostname, IP or URL: 192.168.0.185 (your local IP address of the printer)
Device UI: 192.168.0.185:8080/?action=stream (replace with your IP of the printer)
For the webcam to show video feed in the Device section of Orca Slicer make sure you have enabled the Webcam in the touchscreen menu settings.
Great to see the direction Flash Forge is going, given how their previous printers have preformed this is very refreshing to see.
Very nice review! Thanks for this! I made a short recap of the results as I read them:
Heatbed - heat to 60 ºC
Q1 Pro:
- 4 minutes heatup
- 6 ºC variance
- 120 ºC max / 300W
A5M Pro
- 4 minutes heatup
- 2 ºC variance
- 110 ºC max / 250W
P1S
- 3 minutes heatup
- 6 ºC variance
- 100 ºC max / 1000W
------------------------------
Chamber heater
Q1 Pro:
- Separate 300W heater
A5M Pro
- No heater
P1S
- Aux fan for extra heating with help from powerful bed heating
------------------------------
True flowrate
Q1 PRo:
- 30mm melt zone
- 350 ºC max
- 19mm copper nozzle, hardened steel tip
- 20 mm3/s with 3.4% under extrusion
A5M Pro:
- Quick switch gør udskiftning af hotend nemt
- 36mm melt zone
- 280 ºC max
- Stainless steel nozzle
- 25 mm3/s with 3.6% under extrusion
P1S:
- 26mm melt zone
- 300 ºC max
- 20 mm3/s with 6.1% under extrusion
------------------------------
Fan + noise
Q1 Pro:
- Poor to mediocre overhang quality
- 66 dB with all fans, 40 dB idle
A5M Pro:
- Sub-par to good overhang quality
- 68 dB with all fans, 39 dB idle
P1S:
- Great to perfect overhang quality
- 67 dB with all fans, 0 dB idle
------------------------------
Extrusion consistency
All 3 perform similar
------------------------------
Z-hop consistency
All 3 perform similar
------------------------------
Bed leveling
Q1 Pro
- PLA: 0.032mm variance
- ABS: 0.057mm variance
A5M Pro
- PLA: 0.035mm variance
- ABS: 0.043mm variance
P1S
- PLA: 0.020mm variance
- ABS: 0.032mm variance
------------------------------
Artifacts at high accelerations
P1S best, Q1 Pro worst
- Can be improved for the Q1 Pro and A5M Pro, but can be cumbersome
------------------------------
Dimensional accuracy
All 3 perform fairly similar; the worst performing still acceptable
------------------------------
Artifacts - ringing
All 3 perform similar
------------------------------
3D Benchy:
Q1 Pro:
- 600 mm/s, 20k mm/s acceleration
- High quality with a few surface issues on the body
A5M Pro:
- 600 mm/s, 20k mm/s acceleration
- High quality without any issues
P1S:
- 500 mm/s, 20k mm/s acceleration
- High quality without any issues
------------------------------
ASA Practical Print:
P1S wins with the most consistent layer lines. The others have more inconsistent layer lines.
------------------------------
Build quality:
Q1 Pro
- Sub-par build quality
- Potential Current hazard
A5M Pro
- Great build quality
- A few minor details not great
- Automatic shuts off the heated bed after 10 minutes of inactivity
P1S
- Great build quality
- Very user friendly
Thanks for the summary. One thing - ringing artifacts on the stock Q1 Pro is quite bad. It needs a modification to get acceptable results. :)
Appreciate the more in depth look at print quality! This is one of the first reviews I have seen actually quantify several small issues with the Q1 Pro. So far, adding up all the results I have seen from reviews and people I know who have the printer, the overall printing capability and quality is still great. I think it's probably the best overall bang for buck printer, and hopefully they'll even improve it as Qidi is known to do.
Thanks. To be honest their X -... 3 printers were a disaster when they launched. They improved them a lot since, but Q1 PRO is a quite decent step forward. Of course, it comes with signature QIDI jankyness, especially the low-quality outer plastic of the printer and other weird decisions that could have been easily avoided. It is definitely a printer for more advanced users who know what they're doing and can take the most advantage of the value it provides for enclosed printing.
Would you say this is a good first 3d printer? If you were new all things considered what would be the data points you'd be focused on. I have learned if, nothing else, there's a software war waging making it hard for newbs to get closer to the truth regarding reviews etc
@@hobonickel840 I think this is a great first 3D printer overall. Certainly easier to setup and get good quality prints with than many options. Also quite affordable and there are already printable mods available for it. If you think you'll be interested in printing more advanced filaments in the future like nylon, this is great. As for the software, this still runs Klipper and will get updates even if it isn't vanilla firmware. As a beginner, you wouldn't really worry about that until a bit down the road anyways, but this doesn't fundamentally break or limit the printer.
I'm truly impressed by the depth and know-how with which you made this review. As far as I'm concerned, your channel is now the golden standard for what 3d printer reviews can be.
Thank you very much for your hard work and all the insights that you share.
Glad you liked it! I appreciate you taking the time to write a positive comment! :)
Got my q1 for less than 360 US recently and they have fixed almost all if not all of the issues you mentioned in current printers, comes with better tension and alignment etc
I have a plus 4 and am coming back trying to decide if I ALSO want to get a Q1 pro lol. If it performs half as well it'd be a steal
Could you please make a video about modifying the tensioners for the Q1 Pro, so that we too can enjoy the improvements? :) (the ones willing to try it, at least)
He showed that - by adding spacers to the springs
A5M pro user here(I love my printer). One downside is when your hotend/nozzle get clogged. I was using some Stronghero pla and it kept clogging my nozzles. I decided to disconnect the copper hotend from the nozzle by unthreading it. When/if you do that the wires that run into your quick connect break loose and you will no longer be able to use them as the plastic shroud covering the nozzle tip is the connect point. I found this out on my .4/.6 nozzle. Lost them both. Not a Flashforge issue so much as a user issue, but nice to know all the same as the nozzles are $40 each for me to replace(which is fine because I wanted to grab a .8mm nozzle also so instead I just grabbed all 4). Also ASA with the .6 gets some ugly artifacts unless I'm at 260 on the hotend.
Thanks for the video I was looking at getting both the Qidi and Bambu printers but was having difficulty deciding if I wanted to. Now I want them both. I appreciate the information.
These are the best 3d print videos on youtube hands down. Comparing things that actually matter
Thanks! :)
I just received Q1 Pro and it's my second printer after Ender 3 V2 Neo. So when you started looking closer at all the deficiencies, I panicked a little wondering whether I did the right thing ;) All in all thank you for putting in the work to show the differences between those printers and providing actual numbers. By the way, I wonder whether using copper/brass nozzle on Q1 Pro instead of the bi-metallic (stock) one would improve the flow.
Nah, it's the correct choice, especially since it'll truly help with printing out parts for the inevitable Voron or other DIY printer you'll be making down the road!
@greengohm As janky as Q1 Pro feels in some areas it still prints better than K1 series printers. As for the max flow, I doubt you will see any noticable improvement as copper nozzle with hardened steel tip is the best of both worlds. You could try brass CHT clone nozzles for QIDI that you can find on AliExpress. Or the genuine Bondtech V6 CHT + adapter for V6 nozzles on QIDI printers from Ali.
In my experience, the biggest problem with the stock "bi-metal" nozzle is clogs. Couple that with no clog/jam detection and if a long print clogs/jams, you cook the filament in the nozzle and might as well throw it in the trash. Very disappointing, on top of all the other janky things noted in the video.
This was the most detailed rewiew and comparasion so far i saw
Excellent videos as always!
Thanks :)
Hello, I have a question for you; if you were to make a comparison, would you prefer the Bambu Lab A1 Combo or the Qidi Q1 Pro?
Glad I went with a P1S a couple weeks ago. Been crazy happy with its perfect layer line consistency.
I thought about getting the P1S as well but damn.. It's not worth the 300€ i'd have to pay more for me. Glad you are happy with it!
Hey @DIYPERSPECTIVE, this was an awesome video. I currently have an x plus 3 and never wanted to mess with the belts. I see you did the print artifacts at high acceleration testing and decided to tension the belts at 6:57 on the Q1 pro. I've been wondering all day, did you end up rerunning input shaping calibration or did you only auto calibrate input shaping out of the box and never touch it. Hope your reply, I'm not sure which option would be the best.
My X-Plus 3 belts were tensioned noticeably more than Q1 PRO, I think it is mainly the issue with Q1 PRO automatic belt tensioning system. Just try using a more aggressive input shaper like EI and its recommended Hz.
@@PrintingPerspective Awesome! I'll definitely do so!
Good reviews, testing and analysis. 👋
Thanks! 👍
Nice! What is the name of this model of the box with latches?
This one www.printables.com/model/761101-snaplock-storage-boxes
@@PrintingPerspective thanks!
Nice review and testing methods. Keep up the great work!
The best review video I have seen, congratulations and thank you.
Is there a step by step guide on belt tensioning the Q1?
Do you ever used a Creality K1C? Could you compare Qidi Q1 Pro to K1C? I'm a total beginners and I'm confused about selection of my first 3d printer. Thank you
What do u choose?
The most complete no-nonsense comparison of the printer's capabilities so far. Excellent evaluate of the prospective market of each unit. To be fair the reverse polarity is not a QIDI issue, yes they could implement a switching circuit to check polarity. It's not their place to correct terrible practices. Looking at you Shore power.
Thanks. I think it is the QIDI issue because you can touch the fins with the fingers or other objects in your hands like a wet cleaning napkin. If there would be a longer cover with more thins it would solve the issue. If your printer can harm people no matter where they live, it is the issue of a responsible company. That is my thinking on this. :)
@@PrintingPerspective QIDI have released an official cover for users to print if they wish.
The heater is completely safe, the same as any other space heater, plus in the US all garages have GFCI plugs or you can convert any plug to a GFCI if someone intentionally touches the fins with a thin metal object. (fingers don't fit) In Europe, almost all homes have GFCI Circuit Breakers if you don't just add one if you have micro fingers and want to play with sparks
Nope its there issue, bcuz they leave it in the chamber. Go dc if you cant design a safe product
Awesome video. This is pretty much exactly what I wanted to know!
Thank you for this comparison! A small question: The model for the "cooling performance test", where can I find it, please?
Video description, there is the link for the files to STLs and all settings.
@@PrintingPerspectiveThank you!
I did the cooling test, the q1 pro perform better than P1S， did you set the same slicer setting？
Yes, for all the printers I use the same setting and the same filament - docs.google.com/document/d/1WB8E50J8cNI-7sOTPo29jMURcsnwgRFX Just keep in mind that heatbed temperature affects the cooling efficiency. So if you print at 50C, the results will be better.
Q1 PRO has ~8K RPM 5015 fan, while P1S has ~9K RPM 5015 fan.
P1S fan has a way better directed air flow to the nozzle, Q1 PRO is nowhere as good.
Merci pour cette vidéo trés instructive avec des tests cohérents
my q1 pro is coming. Is there any way you so how to calibrate the printer to its performance?
I mean it performs quite well overall for the price. You should print PLA with lower bed temps like 50-55C for better cooling as the PEI plate has great layer adhesion and you shouldn't use too high accelerations or use a more aggressive input shaper like EI, that is pretty much it.
@@PrintingPerspectivewhat is input shaper EI?
Hi, what are the dimensions of the extra spring tensioners? possible to get STL?
Hey, sure drive.google.com/drive/folders/1peB2JGXXPHaYni6esnecBnO7-dD4bT5m?usp=sharing
Just be aware that this is not a suggested method. Ideally, QIDI should send beefier springs.
Added them to my qidi x max 3. Ran input shaping again and got a 1k increase in acceleration!
Does the X-Max 3 uses the identical tensioning system?
@@PrintingPerspectiveAs far as I can tell they are the same. Both have the automatic tensioners.
Great video! I’ve got the basic 5m and love it. Do you think we might see a larger version from flashforge?
Excellent content, very helpful qand detailed, thanks very much
Glad it was helpful!
Any recent updates for any of these printers that have altered your opinions in any way? I know that QIDI fixed the build plate issue and some other issues like a better filament spool mount. Is the A5M still closed source? Any firmware updates from them that fix the issues you mentioned? Thanks
Hey. Thanks for the video! How did you install your Q1 spring tensioner mod? Did you have to take off the side panels or were you able to access with them on? Thanks.
I added the spacers from the inside of the printer. You don't need to remove any parts but it is very tricky. It probably would be way easier from the back with the back panel removed.
@@PrintingPerspective Thank you!
Please make more Qidi Tech Q1 pro videos sir
Hey @diyperspective,
I've been going through the comments and I notice in the video and in some comments, you highlight that the stock Qidi Q1 Pro doesn't have as good a cooling system for airflow to the nozzle.
Is this something you see that could be upgraded with a fan replacement and/or modified duct solution?
I've just ordered the Q1 Pro as my first 3D printer so very new to it all. Won't be arriving for another 6 to 8 weeks anyway so have time to learn but in the meantime wondering what simple upgrades can be done very cheaply like your spacers for the belts to improve print performance.
Hi, I added a quick fix for the 5M Pro so it fully turns on without having to press the front button. Works perfectly via smart plug now
Hey, can you post a link? I will unblock it if YT blocks it.
Love my Flashforge 5M (non pro) and I only paid £300. Very impressive machine and it beats the Creality K1 in print quality, less noise and more reliability. Would definitely buy another one especially at half the price of the P1S
At least from the pictures it seems that 5M is just striped down version of 5M Pro, with the same motion system. It is like P1P vs P1S probably. If that's the case regular 5M value is just insane. :)
Great review comparing accurately how the machines performs in similar terms and show real world results.
Speaking quality wise with basic pla and petg (I don’t care about speed) can the 5mpro be slowed down and fine tuned to match the layer consistency and overhang performance of the p1s?
Following that trend would it better to get the prusa mk4s?
Would definetly want to see more videos about the 5M. How would you compare the print quality of 5M vs Bambu A1 ?
You can watch my Bambu A1 review, most of the tests and filaments I use are always the same, so you can easily compare. Pure print quality and speed wise A5M Pro is superior because it is CoreXY. The best choice always depends on what you want from a 3D printer.
@@PrintingPerspective i watched both of your a1 and 5m pro videos and i decided to pick 5m pro. because of bency test and close enclosure. Only con you mentioned was automatic heater shutdown after 10 minutes. Your tests are the most detailed and practical. Other channels just talk about printer and shows weird prints they have
2:13 Please consider getting the proper mics to measure plastics. They are more expensive but are tuned to not squish it and will give a more accurate measurement. :)
Don't worry, it is not hard to measure consistently if you have enough practice. :) The hardest part is not how hard you squeeze but rather aligning the part perpendicularly in the micrometer. In the future, I probably will make some sort of jig so that the process will be faster.
'Z-hop type: Spiral' is an Orca Slicer setting. New version of Klipper is not necessary.
I double-checked and yes, you are correct. Unfortunately, you will be flooded with // Unknown command:"G17" messages in your terminal which is really annoying.
I'm tempted to jump on the early qidi deal, I need to upgrade from my OG ender 3
In my opinion, Q1 PRO > K1 Series when it comes to the pure value you get.
I appreciate these videos. However, I do question the validity of the cooling tests. We have no idea what temperature the filament is when it leaves the nozzle. It was shown earlier that the P1S underextrudes at lower flow rates and to a greater degree than the other two. So, I would guess the P1S’s actual extrusion temp is lower than the other two. Then there is differences in thermistors, hotend material, and distance between thermistor and nozzle.
If you would truly appreciate it, you would test yourself these points before you raise validity concerns, might be surprised what the outcome are. General assumptions a lot of the time are wrong in 3D printing. Every thing you listed makes so little difference that I don't know why I even bother responding, lol.
FLASHFORGE A5M PRO any hacks to install full klipper?
Sort of, but lack of memory doesn't allow *full* klipper :/
+ FlashForge is not really helping at all...
I have the exactely same multimeter buyed 30 years ago, at least :)
I got a Q1 Pro the other day and I really like it so far! I really appreciate this comparison and wanted to mention the reason I got the q1 pro instead of the other options is because the p1s is just way more expensive, and the flash forge has a smaller build area and locked down software. I have definitely noticed some of the jankiness, but overall I think it's a pretty good printer especially for the price i paid ($450 USD). QIDI support is also fantastic, they answer questions quickly and from what I've seen they provide a lot of help with hardware issues as well, like replacement parts. Thankfully I haven't had to contact them for anything yet, but I like knowing that if something breaks I can get it sorted out with them.
I am genuinely curious though, whether anyone has any major reasons not covered in this video that I should return this printer and get something else. I have 30 days to return it and want whats best for my money! Thanks
My first impressions of Q1 PRO were poor as my experience with their X-...3 printers were horrible and it seemed it would be the same with the new one. But the more I used and tested the more I liked it as the improvement was significant, especially for the bed leveling performance.
I am quite critical of the printers and try to provide all the problems rather than talk about the positives that you should expect from any of the printers like these.
The only thing I forgot to mention is that a significant amount of heat in the chamber leaks into the electronics compartment. So if you will be using a printer to constantly print high-temp stuff you should try sealing the gaps for better efficiency.
About QIDI support, you are 100% correct. They provide a very competent and generous support. Plus there are also things you can print and improve the printer wiki.qidi3d.com/en/Q1-Pro/Other/Components
At the end of the day, it always depends on what purpose you are buying a 3D printer. Do you want to tinker with it? Do you want just to print? What materials do you want to print the most? and etc. Also, it is unreasonable to expect that a $450 printer would be as good as $700 one, you know.
I personally, am sealing my Q1 PRO and will be printing engineering materials. While my K1 printers collect dust because they do not offer anything better than P1S... :D So...
You are not exactly right about chamber heating in case of 5M Pro. You didn't mention that it has two air circulation options: external and internal. And if you turn the internal on, it will help to heat the chamber faster and keeps good conditions for printing ABS or alike. It turns on automatically when you print with ABS profile and works great, I have never had any issues with adhesion and layers when using it, and printing ABS.
Min 8:37 There are 2 A5M PRO benchies and none P1S's
Sorry, it was an text error. The P1S Benchy is on the right side.
@@PrintingPerspective Yeah, no worries. I was just giving a heads up. Maybe you could add an annotation or something to clarify that point. Anyway, not a big deal at all. I really enjoyed the video! Keep up the great work.
I wish TH-cam allowed to do that... They for some reason disabled the that feature. I will try adding a pop-up card. Thanks :)
Honestly, after I've watched dozens of videos about Q1 Pro, the print quality in your video is the worst. I'm not sure what went wrong with it.😅😅😅
Maybe because I print things that don't hide the flaws of the printers? :P
They probably messed with the profiles.
Makers mise did a lot of test prints and got good results witch complex geometry. There was a really nice print of a thin walled abs spiral propeller too...@@PrintingPerspective
Still all good under 300mm, so prolly gonna need to order SV08 or Qidi 3 Max
So the conclusion is P1S is still the best?
YAY! I had no idea FlashForge finally put out wireless printing on the new Orca release. Or, I assume, it was just the fine people working on Orca....
I've printed so much on that printer over the weekend. Now I know I didn't have to keep going back and forth with the Flash Drives. Pun intended!
P.S. How much trouble would it be to throw a Big Tree Tech board into the Adventurer to get stock Klipper? Worth it to me. I just only know PC's. Nothing about 3D printer boards...
I am pretty sure Flashforge themselves had nothing to do with it. As the functionality was created by iherbak github.com/iherbak/OrcaSlicer and SoftFever implemented the support in his official Orca Slicer. :)
Even I personally wouldn't try it, too many things to be worried about. :D
A major point is you could add multi colour capability to the Bambu - you cannot with the other 2
As a new owner of a new q1 pro I’m happy to announce that almost all of the criticisms have been addressed on my unit.
The belts are tight, the lid is tight, the jankiness is gone (apart from the spool holder), the build plate is easy to place, the filament is now inserted from a hole in the side - which looks a lot cleaner - and probably a lot more.
agree 100%. I find the build plate install even easier than on my A1 now
Does that mean they had updated the hardware or just improved the QA?
@@wrobelda they've (slightly) updated the hardware but unfortunately out of 2 machines ordered I receive one "new" and one "old" version. Nothing terrible - I can print the parts for the old one - but annoying
@@gillesreyna1272 can you point me to some source describing those differences? I am about to receive mine tomorrow and curious which revision will I get. Thanks!
@@wrobelda Hi, I don't think there is anything official online but as Jacob (above) mentionned, now "The belts are tight, the lid is tight, the jankiness is gone (apart from the spool holder), the build plate is easy to place, the filament is now inserted from a hole in the side ". I have one with all that but the second one all but the build plate stuff. The build plate stuff are just higher corners making plate insertion a lot easier (and frankly easier than on my BBL A1s). You'll see immediately if the plate is easy to place. Otherwise Qidi made a few STL files available on their wiki but I haven't printed them yet (requires some HT filament I suppose). The most important thing imho to do from day 1 is probably to upgrade the firmware to the latest version. Otherwise, great printer !
We could fix all the problems with the AD5M Pro if they'd just let us.
Would you ever give away one of those printers that are collecting dust? Would save me a lot of money lol
Чувак! Это оч крутой обзор! Спасибо! Лучший!
Just emailed Qidi to cancel my Q1 order.. I didn't realize it was this janky. I'm gonna get a P1S instead.
QIDI jankyness mostly come from the things that aren't related to the print quality. But to be fair it is way cheaper. If you known your way around with 3d printers Q1 Pro offers a lot of value for enclosed printing.
@@PrintingPerspective That ringing is so bad though 😬
If you don't want to do any tinkering - yes it is bad. P1S with E3D Obxidian high flow nozzle is probably the best print quality you can get without going too insane on the price. It is so hard to advise what to get because it always depends a lot on individual things.
@@PrintingPerspective Definitely don't mind tinkering, but how smoothly can you actually get the Q1 to print walls? Those artifacts are pretty bad 💀
Even with EI shaper, most of those accels are pretty rough. The part cooling too 🫠
I mean, you saw the comparison, but remember that it is with the worst lighting angle and with filament that shows the difference the best. As I said it depends on what you looking for from the printer, Q1 PRO offers the value option to print engineering materials and you won't be printing those crazy fast anyway. If I were looking to buy with my money and it was my single printer I would save up and go for the P1S because it does almost everything great. And when you have a reliable and good 3D printer then you can look for cheaper printers to tinker, mod, and make them more specialty ones. Hopefully, it helps to decide.
Woaaah, so nice.
Well BBL machines has so much into them that nobody talks about. The devil is in the details as they say.
Wonder how would X1C go against those as it is quite better than P1 series imo
P1S has the same motion system as X1C, print quality-wise I don't see any real difference. I am not sure about what details you are talking about. The only one that I can think of might be repair, as replacing some parts requires disassembling half of the printer.
as a Q1 Pro owner, i highly don’t recommend, very good specs on paper but its not reliable at all, mine broke at 100hrs, after printing with heated chamber, it bend in the middle of the bed due to the heat
It’s not that ideal for the A5MP to get the kipper web interface, because they totally cheaped out on the main board and only has 128MB of memory… yikes
it is very much possible i have mainsail running on my AD5M
Okay but like of course your flow is gonna be more limited when you run PLA at only 205C on a top speed benchy
It is Sunlu META PLA, not regular PLA.
Martinez Lisa Anderson Karen Perez Michelle
Damn dude you talk to fast slow the hell down what did you say I have no clue and it is to late my time to care goodbye time stamp 3:45!
Молодцом!
Heres where you lost ALL CREDIBILITY in your review: You kept saying negatives about the 5M Pro not having klipper access which is 100% false as it DOES have fluid interface via PC. You also NEVER MENTION that P1S has ZERO interface of Klipper at all. Not a single complaint from you about that. Your whole review is just another skewed review to support Bambu.
Stock 5M Pro doesn't have a web Klipper interface, despite it running Klipper. If you modded yours that is a different thing.
Meanwhile, Bambu doesn't even run Klipper, how the f... it would be reasonable to complain about it not having a Klipper interface? ;D The main reason to have the Klipper interface on consumer 3D printers that run Klipper is for the ability to fix problems with the printers in the firmware because a lot of the time companies do not fully know what they are doing. If a printer just works and I don't need fixing stuff I just press "Upload and Print" and never look at any web interface.
If you truly think that my reviews are skewed I hope this is the last one you are watching. Good luck finding other reviews that actually test the 3D print quality performance. :)
Feels paid by bambu lol
You are probably new to the channel if you say that. You seem like one of those conspiracy guys who believes that Bambu pays for reviews and that's why their printers are so popular and not because they actually made a great 3D printer ;D
Finally qidi q1 pro true review, this ptinter seems like total failure
Obviouslys this is only for the first series. See below omments. The newer Q1 has many improvements which fixes most mentioned bugs.
without a 220V PTC you cant get a sufficient heat input
Totaly agree, but they could have made a better cover. Perhaps put the fan infront of the heater or just mske the holes smaler.