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Anycubic Kossel Delta Review: Everything You Need To Know

Anycubic Kossel Delta Review: Everything You Need To Know

Anycubic is known for their Kossel 3D printers. There are many different varieties including a pulley version we will discuss here, a linear version that has rails instead of wheels on the carriage, and the Linear Plus with a smaller height but a larger diameter.

The Anycubic Kossel Delta moves quietly and smoothly, although, at high speeds, the print will fail. While linear rails are often smoother and quieter, they are a significant cost upgrade over the pulley version, which is perfect for people who like to build the printer themselves.

Anycubic Kossel Delta

Unboxing

The Anycubic Kossel Delta box is relatively small. All of the contents are secure inside the box with foam. It arrives in perfect condition because the manufacturer takes great care in protecting it from damage during shipping.

It comes completely unassembled, and like most 3D printers, it has a lot of parts. It can be overwhelming, but if you enjoy putting things together, this is definitely the right 3D printer for you. The detailed manual includes instructions that are easy to follow, so there’s no need to be intimidated.

The SD card contains the owner’s manual, instructions, and test files so you can get started printing right away. It’s a nice feature for those who still haven’t gotten the hang of designing anything themselves but still want to give the printer a try. It also includes 3D models you can use to give slicing a try.

The Anycubic Kossel Delta comes with printer firmware and slicer software. Once you put it together, you should make sure the firmware is up to date. There is a link included in the manual to check for updates.

You can update the firmware using the Arduino software. The firmware is open-source Marlin firmware, which is popular on most printers. It’s easy to update, and you can learn a lot by customizing it yourself.

Setup

Setup is eco-friendly because none of the manuals or instructions are printed on paper, but everything you need to get started is on the SD card.

The Anycubic Kossel Delta is easy to assemble following the instructions. Some users have complained of the need for more secure T-nuts. The one supplied with the printer doesn’t seem to tighten down very securely, and it’s worth the extra cost for the stability they would add.

Another complaint is that the kit doesn’t come with a tie down for the cables at the back of the unit so the wire doesn’t come off the heater block. It could also help keep the heater core from coming out, which would cause burning or catching fire.

AnyCubic Kossel Delta Structure Extruder

While there are always possible improvements, the Anycubic Kossel Delta setup is straightforward and takes a couple of hours. Before you power it on, double check all of your connections and the motherboard. If everything is connected correctly, you’re ready to go, but if you did something wrong, it could cause your bed to burn out right away.

Before you print anything, the bed needs to be leveled, and to make this easier, we would suggest labeling your X, Y, and Z stepper motors, so it makes the process easier. The box doesn’t come with labels, but it’s something that other 3D printers include, and it’s a clever shortcut to ensure your bed is leveled correctly. The instructions may be difficult to follow, but there are plenty of helpful videos out there to show you how to complete this step.

The Anycubic Kossel Delta is made with an aluminum frame which gives it a more sturdy feel than other 3D printers in its price range. It’s well-built and easily could be moved during printing, which is not something you could say about acrylic printers. However, it’s not a good practice to move it while printing, but better quality T-nuts would make it possible and less risky.

Specifications

  • Model: Anycubic Kossel Delta
  • Printing size: 180mm x 300mm pulley version
  • Printer dimensions: 315mm x 680mm
  • Printer weight: 5kg
  • Print area: 220mm x 220mm x 240mm
  • Print speed: 20mm per second – 80mm per second
  • Layer resolution: 0.1 – 0.4mm
  • Axis positioning accuracy: 0.001mm XYZ
  • Material diameter: 1.75mm
  • Printer frame material: Aluminum
  • Mainboard: TriGorilla
  • Pre-assembled: No
  • Screen: 2004
  • Extruder type: Bowden
  • Heated bed: Optional upgrade
  • Max nozzle temperature: 260 degrees Celsius
  • Auto-leveling sensor: Optional upgrade
  • Filament sensor: No
  • Resume from outage: No
  • Enclosure: No
  • Recommended material: PLA
  • Power input: 100V/240V AC, 50/60Hz

Print Quality

The print quality of the Anycubic Kossel Delta is on par with many more expensive printers. It handles circles, lettering, and bridges with the best of them. It comes with a benchy – short for benchmark – pattern to test how well it can do with these things so you can test your machine after you set it up. It also comes with a diagonal rod design, top caps, and a few others.

One user complaint during printing has to do with the buildtak surface on the bed. It’s meant to create stability with your object while printing, but it works a little too well, causing some breaking when you try to remove the completed print job. However, you can remove the buildtak surface and print directly on the glass with something like hairspray to eliminate this problem.

Anycubic Double Cooling

A unique feature of the Anycubic Kossel Delta is that you can see the motherboard through the glass bed. Installing LEDs would enhance the visibility and the effect, making it a really cool printer to watch in action.

While the Anycubic Kossel Delta can’t print as quickly as some other 3D printers, if you are patient enough with your print speed, the quality is on par with much more expensive printers, which leaves us wondering why some other printers charge so much.

Filament

Because the Anycubic Kossel Delta doesn’t have a heated bed, your filament options are limited to PETG and PLA. PLA is a common filament type among 3D printers, so it’s easy to find and shouldn’t give you any trouble.

PETG is strong and glossy, so it can withstand very high heat, much like ABS. If you want to enclose your printer to contain heat, this is the perfect filament to use because it helps prevent warping. You can’t print using ABS without a heated bed, so PETG is your best option at high temperatures unless you want to spring for a heated bed upgrade.

You can use flexible filament with the Anycubic Kossel Delta, but even at slop speeds it is difficult to print with, so it could get caught up in the extruder gears and cause you some trouble.

Anycubic Kossel Delta Pulley

The best filament option for the Anycubic Kossel Delta is PLA. And like many other 3D printers, one of the best things you can do to start out is print your own modifications like top caps for the pulley wheels or motherboard supports. PLA is the perfect filament for these projects.

Software

At the affordable price of the Anycubic Kossel Delta, it comes with open source software rather than company-built software, but Cura and Slic3r both work great and get updated regularly. You may also choose from the many other open source software options out there.

Modifications

The 3D printer community has a wide range of available modifications that you can use one your Anycubic Kossel Delta including things we’ve previously mentioned like top caps and motherboard supports. You can also print bottom caps, a kill button, and rod spring clips.

If you want to invest some more money into your Anycubic Kossel Delta, you can get a heatbed upgrade, in which case you would need to print a base extender. There are also plenty of holders and mounts you can print like a top mount spool holder, a cable holder, and pulley enforcement.

Of course, part of the fun of this tool is that as you print more and get better at designing, you can create your own modifications and share them with the community. Many social media communities are helpful and responsive to new users and can help out with almost anything.

Anycubic Kossel Delta Pros & Cons

Anycubic Kossel Delta Pros:

  • Excellent print quality
  • Stable and durable
  • Tall build volume
  • Great value

Anycubic Kossel Delta Cons:

  • The heated bed is not included
  • Some parts seem cheap
  • Can be hard to level
  • Doesn’t print quickly

The Verdict

Anycubic claims that the Kossel Delta can print at faster speeds, but that doesn’t always seem to be the case. It can also be hard to level, but the print volume is tall, it is easy to assemble, and the instructions are complete and helpful.

You can get involved with online communities to help you with modifications and upgrades, and there’s a lot of potential with this printer when it comes to improving it over time. The user interface and navigation take some getting used to, as well.

However, if you enjoy building and assembling, and you’re excited to try your hand at a 3D printer, the Anycubic Kossel Delta comes at an affordable price. Other 3D printers come fully assembled and may be better for those who don’t want to mess with that step, but for those who do, this one is perfect.

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