The Artillery Sidewinder X2 is an affordable yet high-quality 3D printer that offers excellent value for money. With its large 300 x 300 x 400 mm build volume, all-metal construction, direct drive extruder, auto-leveling, and other premium features, the Sidewinder X2 punches well above its price point.

In this in-depth review, we’ll take a close look at the key specs and capabilities of the Artillery Sidewinder X2 to help you determine if it’s the right 3D printer for your needs and budget.

Key Specs and Features

Some of the most notable features and specs of the Artillery Sidewinder X2 include:

• Build volume: 300 x 300 x 400 mm – Excellent for printing large or multiple objects at once
• All-metal construction – Sturdy and more durable than plastic frames
• Direct drive extruder – Allows flexible filament printing and better print quality overall
• Dual Z-axis lead screws – Helps maintain leveling and prevent gantry sag
• Auto bed leveling – Levels the bed before each print for consistent first layers
• Touchscreen interface – Intuitive controls with color LCD touchscreen
• Resume print function – Automatically resumes a print after a power outage
• Filament runout sensor – Pauses printing when filament runs out to prevent failed prints
• Print speed: up to 150 mm/s – Fast enough for quick prints without compromising quality
• Connectivity: SD card, USB, WiFi – Gives you multiple ways to print and control remotely

Unboxing and Setup

Unboxing and setting up the Artillery Sidewinder X2 is simple and straightforward. Everything you need comes right in the box, including tools for assembly.

The well-packaged printer comes mostly pre-assembled. You’ll just need to attach the gantry, tighten a few screws, plug in the cables, load the filament, and level the bed. Artillery provides a detailed manual that walks you through the quick setup process.

Once built, the Sidewinder X2 has an all-metal construction that feels sturdy and durable. The frame features 2020 extruded aluminum rails and thick injection molded parts. Everything fits together precisely with quality machining.

The 4.3” full color touchscreen gives you intuitive controls right on the device. You won’t need to hook up to a computer for basic operation. The screen makes it easy to load filament, level the bed, start prints, and more.

Overall, expect the unboxing and setup process to take 30-60 minutes even for someone who is new to 3D printing. The Sidewinder X2 comes ready to start printing fast right out of the box.

Print Quality

The Artillery Sidewinder X2 is capable of outstanding print quality for its price point. Key factors that contribute to the excellent quality include:

• Volcano style hotend – Heats and melts filament fast for stable extrusion
• All-metal micro Swiss direct drive extruder – Provides consistent filament feeding and allows printing of flexible materials
• Dual Z-axis – Keeps the gantry precisely level during tall prints to prevent layer misalignments
• Auto bed leveling – Levels the bed before each print for proper first layer adhesion
• Rigid frame – Reduces vibrations that can negatively impact print quality
• 0.4mm nozzle – Good balance between detail and speed
• 100-150mm/s print speeds – Fast enough for good throughput while preserving quality

With the right slicer settings dialed in, the Sidewinder X2 can produce parts and models with excellent dimensional accuracy, fine details, and smooth surface finish. Materials like PLA, PETG, and TPU can be printed with great results.

The large 300 x 300 mm heated bed, combined with auto-leveling, allows the Sidewinder X2 to maintain consistent first layer adhesion across the entire build area. This helps minimize warping on larger prints.

Overall, the print quality rivals more expensive printers and meets or exceeds expectations for its price range. You get great value for money.

Core Printer Functions

Here we’ll take a deeper look at some of the key functions of the Artillery Sidewinder X2 that enhance the overall user experience:

User-Friendly Touchscreen Interface

The responsive 4.3” touchscreen makes printing, calibration, and other functions quick and straightforward. You can easily perform tasks like:

• Auto-leveling the bed
• Loading/unloading filament
• Selecting files to print from SD card
• Starting, pausing, and resuming prints
• Changing settings like temperature and print speed
• Performing firmware updates
• Calibrating flow rate

Not having to connect and control everything from a computer really improves accessibility, especially for beginner users.

Auto Bed Leveling

The integrated BLTouch auto bed leveling probe measures variations in the bed height and automatically adjusts the Z axis during printing to compensate. This helps achieve uniform first layer adhesion and prevents common issues like warped corners.

The ABL can be initiated at any time to recalibrate a warped bed. It also runs automatically before each print, eliminating the need to manually re-level the bed frequently.

All-Metal Direct Drive Extruder

The Sidewinder X2 utilizes an all-metal micro Swiss direct drive extruder. Direct drive provides better extrusion control and allows printing of flexible materials like TPU. The all-metal construction gives more stable filament feeding and longevity over plastic extruders.

The volcano style hotend has a wide nozzle opening that lets it heat and melt filament extremely quickly. This supports the high print speeds up to 150mm/sec.

Filament Runout Sensor

The integrated filament runout sensor pauses prints automatically when filament runs out. This prevents failed prints and wasted time and material.

You simply swap in a new spool, trim the end, and resume printing. The print head even lifts Z slightly to make filament changes easier without bumping the nozzle.

Power Loss Resume

If the power goes out, the Sidewinder X2 will save the print status. When power returns, you can resume the print from where it left off to avoid losing the entire print.

WiFi Connectivity and Camera

The optional WiFi module lets you print wirelessly and monitor prints remotely through the webcam. This makes it easier to manage prints from your computer or smartphone without needing to connect via USB.

Print Size Capabilities

The Artillery Sidewinder X2 offers an expansive 300 x 300 x 400 mm build volume, substantially larger than most consumer 3D printers under $1,000.

This generous build capacity lets you create prints like:

• Larger cosplay armor pieces and props in one go
• Tall vases, busts, and figurines up to 400mm high
• Multiple smaller prints in one batch
• Enclosures and housings for electronics projects
• Gaming miniatures and terrain
• Educational models
• Repair and replacement parts

The large cubic build area combined with fast print speeds makes the Sidewinder X2 ideal for high-volume prototyping and production applications. You can really leverage the build volume to increase efficiency.

Some Ender 3 users upgrade to the Sidewinder X2 specifically for the larger size. It’s a significant upgrade over the 220 x 220 x 250 mm Ender 3 build area.

Keep in mind that very large, complex prints may require slower speeds and will take more time to complete. But the Sidewinder X2 build volume can handle a wide range of common prints with ease.

Print Quality Troubleshooting

As with any 3D printer, you may need to fine-tune settings and troubleshoot print quality issues as part of the learning process. Here are some common challenges and solutions with the Sidewinder X2:

Warping/Poor Bed Adhesion

• Re-level the bed and adjust the Z offset to optimize first layer squish
• Use a brim or raft for better adhesion, especially for small footprints
• Increase bed temperature for filament type (60C for PLA, 80-100C for ABS)
• Use glue, hairspray, or PEI bed surface for stubborn materials like ABS

Stringing or Oozing

• Lower nozzle temperature and reduce retraction distance
• Increase retraction speed and/or use linear advance for clean retractions
• Adjust coasting settings or wipe nozzle before travel moves

Layer Shifts

• Tighten X/Y belts
• Ensure frame is square and securely fastened
• Reduce acceleration/jerk settings
• Check rollers/wheels on axes are tight and smooth

Clogged Nozzle

• Perform an atomic pull to remove debris trapped in nozzle
• Replace nozzle with proper size for filament (0.4mm for PLA/PETG, 0.6mm+ for wood, glow in the dark, etc)
• Increase nozzle temperature

Many issues can be fixed by adjusting slicer settings. Take time to tune profiles for each filament type. The large community provides support to troubleshoot any problems. Consistent high quality is achievable with some calibration.

Suitable Filaments

The Sidewinder X2’s all-metal micro Swiss direct drive extruder and volcano hotend allow it to print a wide variety of filament types.

Here are some of the most common materials with great results on the Sidewinder X2:

PLA – The standard choice for beginners. Prints easily at 190-210C. Provides good detail and a glossy finish. Low warp.

PETG – A durable plastic that’s resistant to bending and heat. Prints around 230-250C.

ABS – Produces strong, engineered plastic parts. Print at 230-255C. Heated bed recommended. Minimal warping and good layer bonding are achievable with the right ABS print settings.

TPU – Flexible filament that bends and compresses. Direct drive is required.

Wood – PLA blended with wood creates an appearance and texture of real wood. Needs 0.6mm+ nozzle.

Carbon Fiber – Reinforced PLA gives high strength and lighter weight. Requires abrasion resistant nozzle.

The hotend can reach over 280C, which allows exotic filaments like polycarbonate. Overall, you’ll have no issues printing all common filament types well on the Sidewinder X2.

Artillery Sidewinder X2 Print Speed Capabilities

The Artillery Sidewinder X2 can print remarkably fast for an under $500 machine.

Print speeds up to 150mm/sec are achievable thanks to:

• Volcano hotend for rapid melting
• Direct drive for responsive filament feeding
• Dual Z axis lead screws prevent gantry sag at high speeds
• Quality linear rails and frame limit vibrations

Faster speeds are better suited to simpler, more cylindrical prints where details are less crucial. But you can still get decent quality at 100+ mm/sec.

For more detailed prints like miniatures, 50-80mm/sec will provide the best results. Larger layer heights around 0.2-0.28mm also increase overall print speed.

Accelerated print speeds do put more stress on the machine over time. As with any printer, higher speeds increase chances of ringing, layer shifts, and other artifacts.

With well-tuned profiles, the Sidewinder X2 provides a great blend of speed and quality. You can choose the right speed for each print based on the model geometry, finishing needs, and print time requirements.

Noise Levels

Thanks to TMC2208 stepper drivers and a well-designed chassis, the Sidewinder X2 operates at noise levels below 60 dB in most cases.

Some user upgrades can further reduce noise:

• Replace stock 40mm fans with quieter Noctua or Sunon fans
• Print vibration dampening feet or add foam pads under the printer
• Lubricate Z lead screws and linear rail rods

The printer makes a muted hum during printing rather than irritating high-pitched noises. Noise is lowest when running at slower speeds around 50mm/sec or less.

While not as quiet as the near-silent CoreXY formats, the Sidewinder X2 noise output is comparable or lower than most Cartesian style printers. It’s quiet enough to run overnight in the same room without issues.

Supported Materials

In addition to common filaments like PLA, PETG, ABS, the Artillery Sidewinder X2 also supports more advanced materials through upgrades:

Flexible filament – The direct drive extruder can print TPU and other flexibles. A bondtech extruder improves flexibles further.

Polycarbonate – Requires an all-metal hotend upgrade to reach 290C+ temps needed for PC.

Nylon – Printing nylon is possible with an all-metal hotend and dry box filament storage.

Carbon fiber – The abrasive carbon fibers will wear down the stock brass nozzle over time. A hardened steel nozzle is recommended for extended CF use.

Glow in the dark – Needs a 0.6-0.8mm nozzle for the glow particle size in most GITD filaments.

Wood – A 0.6mm nozzle improves printing of wood filled filaments like timberfill due to the sawdust particle size.

While PLA, PETG, and ABS will meet most needs out of the box, it’s nice having the upgrade potential for more materials via simple mods down the road.

Reliability and Longevity

Artillery 3D printers have earned a reputation for reliability and dependability. The Sidewinder X2 provides the same lasting performance.

Key factors contributing to the printer’s longevity include:

• All-metal construction – More durable than plastic parts prone to cracking
• High quality components – Motors, PSU, rails, hotend, and electronics are built to last
• Proven design – Iterative improvements resolved issues from earlier Artillery models
• Large community – Help is available to troubleshoot and fix any problems
• Responsive customer support – Artillery is active in helping users via email and Facebook
• Replaceable parts – Individual components can be replaced if needed

With proper care and maintenance, Artillery printers often continue functioning for years of frequent use. The Sidewinder X2 should deliver years of service life.

While no printer is infallible, the Sidewinder X2 provides reliability on par with more expensive machines. Lack of quality control issues also instills confidence. You can expect this workhorse to hold up to heavy use over time.

Artillery Sidewinder X2 Review Summary

The Artillery Sidewinder X2 offers tremendous value in a mid-range 3D printer thanks to its winning combination of build volume, print quality, speed, and features.

Priced under $500, the X2 competes well against more expensive printers in the $700-$1500 range. You get premium upgrades like auto-bed leveling, direct drive extruder, all-metal hotend, and large touchscreen that are rare finds at this budget-friendly level.

New users will appreciate the intuitive interface and easy setup. Intermediates can take advantage of the high print speeds, flexible filament capabilities, and large 300mm build size for bigger projects. The responsive community provides guidance to fully master the printer over time.

While not as polished or feature-rich as prosumer printers over $1000, the Sidewinder X2 punches far above its class. With the right slicer tweaks, it can produce professional quality prints rivaling more expensive machines.

If you’re looking for large build volumes to print bigger items or batches, want high reliability at a reasonable price point, or wish to graduate from an entry-level printer, the Artillery Sidewinder X2 is a leading choice worth your consideration.