The Artillery Sidewinder X1 is an affordable desktop 3D printer that offers excellent value for money. With a large 300 x 300 x 400mm build volume, all-metal construction, and smart features like a touch screen and WiFi connectivity, the Sidewinder X1 punches above its weight class.
In this in-depth review, we’ll take a close look at the specs, features, print quality, pros and cons of the Artillery Sidewinder X1 to help you decide if this 3D printer is right for your needs.
Artillery Sidewinder X1 Key Specs
- Build Volume: 300 x 300 x 400 mm
- Layer Resolution: 0.05 – 0.4 mm
- Nozzle Diameter: 0.4 mm
- Filament Types: PLA, ABS, TPU, Wood
- Connectivity: USB, WiFi, USB Stick
- Touch Screen: Yes, 3.5″ Color Touchscreen
- Heated Bed: Yes, 110°C Max Temp
- Max Extruder Temp: 260°C
- Dimensions: 520 x 580 x 580 mm
- Weight: ~16 kg
Build Quality and Construction
The Artillery Sidewinder X1 has an all-metal construction that makes it sturdier and more rigid compared to printers with acrylic frames. The metal frame is made of aluminum extrusion that provides enhanced stability for better print quality.
All the motion components are housed securely within the metal frame. The X1 uses quality stepper motors, a GT2 belt drive system on the X and Y axes, and lead screws for the Z axis. The overall build quality seems reliable for the price.
The moving parts run smoothly and quietly due to the use of quality components. The power supply is housed within the printer’s base for a clean look.
Easy Assembly
Assembling the Artillery Sidewinder X1 is straightforward and should take 30-60 minutes. All the tools required for assembly are included in the package.
The gantry comes pre-assembled so you don’t have to worry about getting the X-axis belt aligned properly. You just need to attach the gantry to the base, add the Z-axis lead screws, attach the filament spool holder, and plug in all the cables.
The included user manual provides clear instructions with pictures to guide you through the assembly process.
Intuitive Touch Screen Interface
The Sidewinder X1 comes with an intuitive 3.5” smart color touchscreen that lets you control and monitor your prints. You can navigate through the menus easily to perform various functions directly from the screen.
The responsive touchscreen allows you to auto-level the heated print bed before each print. You can also adjust settings like temperature, filament loading and unloading, z-axis offset calibration, and more.
The screen displays valuable print status information like hotend and bed temperatures, print progress, time elapsed, and time remaining. Overall, the touchscreen enhances user convenience and control.
Excellent Print Quality
Considering its affordable price point, the Sidewinder X1 can produce outstanding print quality with smooth surfaces, sharp corners, and accurate details.
The all-metal hotend with a standard 0.4mm nozzle can heat up to 260°C to print various high-temperature filaments like ABS, TPU, PETG, etc. The maximum hotend temperature is higher than common budget printers that often max out at 240-250°C.
The removable spring steel print bed with PEI sheet provides good adhesion during printing. Once the print finishes and the bed cools down, models pop right off the bed. This makes model removal easy and prevents warping.
Straight out of the box, you can get great quality on PLA prints with minimal stringing or blobbing issues. With some basic calibration and slicer profile tuning, the X1 can achieve exceptional print quality for an under $400 3D printer.
Large 300mm x 300mm x 400mm Build Volume
The Artillery Sidewinder X1 comes equipped with one of the largest build volumes in its price segment.
The 300 x 300 x 400 mm build area allows you to create large prints up to 30cm in length, width, and height. This huge build volume enables you to scale up your creativity and print larger models, prototypes, cosplay props, architectural designs, etc.
Many under $500 printers have smaller 200-220mm cubic build areas, so the X1’s extra-large build envelope gives you far more design flexibility.
Fast Print Speeds
The Artillery Sidewinder X1 can print quite fast for an affordable 3D printer. It can reach speeds of up to 150mm/s on travels and up to 100mm/s during printing.
A Volcano-style hotend helps the nozzle heat and melt filament quickly, allowing higher flow rates that facilitate faster print speeds.
The responsive color touchscreen interface allows easy tuning of acceleration and jerk settings to optimize print speeds. Given its outstanding out-of-box performance, a little fine-tuning can make the X1 print faster than some pricier printers.
Excellent for Printing with PLA
The Artillery Sidewinder X1 delivers exceptional performance with PLA filament straight out of the box. It rarely clogs or de-primes with PLA.
The hotend provides stable heat throughout long PLA prints. The parts cooling fan works nicely to solidify layers quickly with minimal warping on overhangs.
PLA adhesion on the textured print bed is good. Prints stick well during builds but pop right off once the bed cools down after printing.
Overall, PLA prints come out looking great on the X1 with smooth surfaces, sharp corners, and crisp details. From miniatures to cosplay props, functional prints to hobby projects, the X1 can handle them all with ease using standard PLA filaments.
Reliable Performance with Other Filaments
Beyond PLA, the Artillery Sidewinder X1 can print reliably with a wide variety of filaments including ABS, PETG, TPU, wood, and more.
The hotend can reach 260°C, which is hot enough for any common desktop 3D printing material. The heated bed reaches 110°C to prevent warping when printing with high-temp filaments.
An all-metal hotend prevents potential clogging issues when printing with filled or flexible filaments. The direct drive extruder provides the necessary force to push filaments like TPU through the nozzle smoothly.
While prints with other materials may require some slicer profile tuning, the X1 demonstrates reliable performance with different filaments.
Convenient Features
Here are some of the standout features and conveniences offered by the Artillery Sidewinder X1:
- Auto bed-leveling via the touchscreen makes it easy to level the bed before each print. No more manually adjusting knobs and re-leveling frequently.
- The resume print function lets you recover a failed print from where it left off. This prevents wasted time and filament.
- Filament run-out detection pauses printing automatically when filament runs out to ensure print success.
- Power failure recovery saves the print status so you can resume a print after a power outage.
- WiFi connectivity allows printing from anywhere via a mobile app. Great for remote monitoring.
- A micro SD card slot enables printing from an SD card without a PC connected.
These features provide convenience and reliability for an exceptional 3D printing experience.
Active Online Community
The Artillery 3D printer brand has built an active community of users. Owners of the Sidewinder X1 can find helpful troubleshooting tips, upgrade ideas, print settings, and more by engaging with the Artillery Facebook group and other online forums.
There is also a growing library of printable upgrades like spool holders, electronics enclosures, cable chains, and more that X1 owners have designed. Plus, plenty of reliable YouTube channels offer Sidewinder X1 content.
The accessible community support can help new owners maximize the potential of their X1 3D printer.
Downsides of the Artillery Sidewinder X1
No printer is perfect, and the Sidewinder X1 also has some drawbacks to be aware of:
- Limited filament detection – It only detects run-out and does not show actual filament usage.
- No all-metal hotend option – The standard PTFE-lined hotend limits very high-temp materials. An all-metal hotend upgrade could improve this.
- No auto bed tramming – The auto bed leveling works great but cannot compensate for a badly unlevel build plate.
- Spool holder could be improved – The single-arm spool holder allows some slop in unspooling at times. An aftermarket spool holder can help.
- No hardened nozzle option – Hardened steel nozzles would be more durable for abrasive materials but aren’t standard.
While not dealbreakers, these limitations could be improved in future Artillery printers.
Artillery Sidewinder X1 Review Summary
Overall, the Artillery Sidewinder X1 is an excellent budget 3D printer offering great value for money. The sturdy metal frame, large 300mm cubic build area, touchscreen interface, and excellent print quality make it a very appealing option for the price.
It’s easy to assemble, reliable with common filaments like PLA out of the box, and produces impressive prints once dialed in properly. The active user community provides guidance to help new owners get the most from this printer.
For under $400, the X1 competes strongly with more expensive printers and is a great entry-level machine. Artillery continues to release firmware updates and accessories to improve the printer over time.
The Sidewinder X1 is a smart choice if you want reliable performance at an affordable price. We highly recommend adding this high-value 3D printer to your list if you are looking for your first serious desktop 3D printer or want a dependable second printer.
