Anycubic Kossel Linear Plus – Fast, accurate, go-to

ANYCUBIC Delta 3D Printer Update Linear Plus Version with Auto Leveling

The Anycubic Kossel Linear Plus has quickly become my favorite 3D Printer.  Sure, I have run into some issues, but it prints fast, prints really well, has auto-level built in, and mostly… it just works.  I’d also like to thank Gearbest for sending this 3d Printer for me to review. (Head to my deals page if you want the latest deals and coupons for this 3D Printer and others).  Here is my preview of this printer as well.  I wouldn’t recommend a delta style printer for your first printer, but I would highly recommend this one as your second printer.  With a 230mm build plate and a 300 mm build height, you can get a lot of items on this build plate.  If the items are round, it actually has a lot of volume.  Long, Square type items are less than ideal.  

Setting up the Anycubic Kossel Linear Plus 3D Printer

This printer took me about 2 hours or so to build.  It comes about half built from Anycubic.  The instructions do a good job telling you how to run the cables, and install parts. You could get it done quicker, but I try to be methodical when I put these together.  I have the linear guide version, so you need to be careful when installing them not to let the carriage run off the track.  (I have done this before, it really sucks).  Once you get it all set up, it takes you through setting up Cura for it.  The instructions say to use Deltabot.  (I didn’t… created headaches… learn from my mistakes).  The instructions are well written for leveling the bed.  They are long, and easy to mess up though.  I did it 3 times, before finally getting it right.  Read the instructions.  Trust me, the information is all there.  After I got it leveled, it started printing about 4 inches in the air.  It was after that, I switched to the Deltabot profile in Cura and things worked better.

One note on putting it together.  Make sure you have a square so you can square up the sides and make sure everything is straight up and down, and doesn’t have any odd angles introduced.  

The Pros of the Anycubic Kossel

This printer is fast.  My first non-calibration print was the Desert Tower.  This printed in about 9.75 hours.  I was told that was Desert Tower by Imperial Terrainabout 2 hours faster than his printers.  This thing is fast, and they look good.  I’ve gotten the time down to 9.25 hours, but I want to play with settings.  I’ve recently picked up Simplify3D and want to try that with the Desert Tower and see how it prints.  The mechanism is also fun to watch.  while I think the i3 Prusa design is entertaining to watch, Deltas take it up a few notches.  Watching the 3 arms work  in unison is magical.  I’m very appreciative to the smart people that were able to figure out this movement to make an awesome 3D Printer.  

I also think the parts are strong.  It feels very solid wen built.  I have some parts to strengthen it further, but quite honestly, I don’t think about it, because it is like a rock already.  It’s also very easy to move around with everything bolted on.  The covering on the build plate does a good job of sticking prints to it, so they don’t fall off. 

This is my first 3D Printer with auto leveling and it is amazing.  It makes the whole process so much easier.  I start it, go and tinker on another printer.  A few minutes later, it is finished.  I put in the new offset, and go.  I watch the first layer go down, and pause the print job and tweak it a bit.  That is it.  I’ve had to level it 3 times total.  The initial time, some other time, and last night.  

Finally, Anycubic has put together a couple of great videos.  This first one shows them putting it together live.  It should help you understand how the procedure works.  They also have a step-by-step video series on putting the Kossel series of printers together.

A note about the included extras.  Most of my 3D Printers have included a putty knife of some sort.  The one that came with his 3D Printer I use quite a bit, on all my printers.  It works well.  The hex wrenches are also of particularly good quality.  Finally, the filament was terrific, and it was an ENTIRE roll, not a half or quarter roll, or a few feet.

Anycubic Kossel Simplify 3D profile  – This is the one I use.

The Cons of the Anycubic Kossel

Containment Crate - WarlayerThe Anycubic Kossel Linear Plus has had some problems.  I ran into some issues with getting it to print at first.  The interface works, but I noticed mine has a very touchy button that sometimes works, and sometimes doesn’t.  This kept me from actually saving the auto-level settings at times.  It has proven to be a relatively minor annoyance, once I figured it out.  Another minor issue, is the filament spool holder.  I found that it is too large for some filaments (Amz3D for example).  It’s a minor con, but I really wish Amz3D would use larger spool holes.  The last minor issue I ran into, was cooling.  The part cooling fan is on the small side, which made it harder to do bridging and other things that needed more cooling on them.  For the most part, this has not been a big deal, but as you can see on the example to the left, it can cause problems.

A major issue I had, was after 2 weeks of heavy use, one of the linear rails seized up.  Considering the cost of a replacement rail, this was a pretty big deal.  I found some articles and videos on repairing it, and set out to do that.  I have a magnetic bolt and screw holder that proved to be worth its weight in gold (thankfully, it was a freebie one day from Harbor Freight instead).  I pulled the bearing off, and took it apart, cleaned all the individual round bearings, put it back together and put some of the included grease on it.  I then carefully slid it back on the rail, only losing 1 or 2 bearings in the process.  That seemed to do the trick.  After running it up and down the rail a few times, it started moving freely again.  I was very happy for that.  

The other “major” failure I had (and I only call it major, because it cost me a print), one of the arms came loose dropping the effector onto the build plate.  I pushed it back together, gave it a twist, and it seems to be fine.  Just something to check from time to time.  

The covering on the build plate does a good job of sticking prints to it, so they don’t fall off. I have to get in there with the included putty knife and really work on them to get the prints off.  I had to put this as both a pro, and a con.

Final Thoughts on the Anycubic Kossel Linear Plus

Dragon Egg from Thingiverse

I think it is obvious from the title, I like this printer.  I’d be tempted to say this is a good first printer, but I really think it is a spectacular second printer.  The Anycubic Kossel Linear Plus is a low-cost, fast printing, well built 3D Printer.  It prints as good, if not better than my CR10S, at a higher rate of speed.  That makes this printer one of my go-top printers.  It isn’t nearly as big as the CR10s, but it still is pretty large.  Most of the terrain I print fits quite well. 

 

On the more technical side, this printer has an average power draw of 144 watts, with it fluctuating around 43-216 watts overall.  I use a Wemo Insight plug that tracks energy usage and emails it to me weekly, plus, I can turn the printer off or on, remotely.

If you can, I would recommend this as second or even third printer… heck, your second AND third printer even.  I’ve only had it for a couple of months, so I may run into more issues, but so far, after a few hundred hours of printing, the printer has been awesome.  I love how fast it prints.  I love how it looks.  I love how it moves.  This is just that printer that I run more than any others, though, that could easily be because my Tornado AND CR10s have been giving me problems as of late.  This is the first printer I have ever had, that the print time actually goes DOWN over time on Octoprint, instead of up.  I have some ideas on upgrades on the Anycubic Kossel Linear Plus, but I have really felt the need to upgrade it either.  I’m thinking I will put squash ball feet on it, eventually, and there are some ways to tighten the structure up further.  I’ll probably add those sooner rather than later.  

Here is the big question I have for you.  How many 3D printers do you see out there, that are put together well?  That actually ship with a full spool of filament, that is good quality?  That has quality tools and parts to use, that you don’t just toss out?  There is a great community on Facebook that has been very helpful as well.  I hear Anycubic has decent support, but so far, I have not had to use it.  

If you are trying to figure out the right printer for you, check out my 3D Printer Buying Guide.