Tested: ANYCUBIC’s new auto-leveling Vyper 3D printer is as good as they come for beginners

Earlier this summer, ANYCUBIC launched its new Vyper 3D printer with a series of features that seek to lower the barrier of entry to getting in on the hobby. Headlined by an auto-leveling bed that takes the tedium out of zeroing in a calibrated printer, our latest Tested with 9to5Toys review is putting the new release to the test.

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Hands-on with the ANYCUBIC Vyper 3D Printer

3D printers have been coming down significantly in price as of late, and the new ANYCUBIC Vyper is a perfect example of just how compelling of a package you can get for the cash. Clocking in at $349, this offering arrives with a series of notable features to help make getting into 3D printing in the first place less intimidating.

The main trick up the Vyper’s sleeve is ANYCUBIC’s new auto-leveling technology that gets the entire package calibrated on its own. Otherwise, there’s a pretty modest 245mm by 245mm by 260mm print area, which should be large enough to craft all kinds of different creations. On top of being heated, the bed also pairs with a magnetic plate for easily removing finished models.

But is the more affordable price point actually worth the cash or should you just save up for a higher-end machine? Let’s dive in. But first, a closer look at some of the specs.

• Printing Technology: FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
• Build Volume: 245mm(L)×245(W)×260mm(H)
• Print resolution : ±0.1mm
• Positioning accuracy: X/Y 0.0125mm; Z 0.002mm
• Extruder number: Single; Nozzle diameter: 0.4 mm
• Print Speed: ＜180mm/s (recommended 80-100mm/s)
• Support filaments: PLA, TPU, ABS, PETG, Wood

9to5Toys’ Take:

I’ve been using the ANYCUBIC Vyper over the past month or so and have been pretty impressed by the overall package. This isn’t my first printer, but I’m still certainly nowhere near an expert in the hobby, so I can definitely appreciate all of the steps the brand took to make this an accessible release. So the long and short of my experience so far is that the 3D printer provides a fantastic starting point for those who want to try out the hobby for the first time, without cutting too many corners for its affordable price.

Right out of the box, getting things assembled was pretty straightforward and only took around 10 minutes. From what I’ve experienced in the past with other 3D printers, getting it up and running was pretty effortless. In fact, I’ve put together Ikea furniture that was a bigger hassle than this fabricating machine. So if you fancy yourself skilled with an Allen wrench in really any capacity, you’ll be right at home here.

That ease of use carries over to the rest of the experience and is best noted by the auto-leveling features. Normally with 3D printers at a starter price point like this, you have to go in and manually get the bed to be level pretty much each time you fit it up to print. ANYCUBIC has taken the guesswork out of this with an automated process that calibrates the unit on its own.

As good as the ANYCUBIC Vyper actually is, it’s still worth mentioning that this is only a $349 3D printer. The resolution it can crank out is certainly impressive for its price point and just how little tuning you have to do, but don’t expect to be printing highly-detailed miniatures or anything like that.

Even so, I was pretty surprised by the prints that it can actually create. The print bed adhesion is fantastic, which means that crafting larger models hasn’t been an issue at all. I’ve left quite a few prints going overnight without any fear of things being dislodged in my absence. Above you’ll find a few different things I’ve printed so far, which should give you a good idea of what this is capable of. HATCHBOX PLA is my preferred filament, and I’d recommend picking some up as the Vyper only includes a small amount to get you started.

At the end of the day, the ANYCUBIC Vyper is going to be my go-to recommendation for those who want an affordable 3D printer that’s packed with features to help make the whole process a bit easier. It has been quite the reliable machine so far after over a hundred hours of printing, and it certainly seems like it’ll be able to handle all of my hobbyist needs going forward.

Buy the ANYCUBIC Vyper 3D Printer

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