Anettka (Anet A8)

In the last year I was thinking about a 3D printer in my office. Even I was bringing my Geeetech printer there for a week.
As I see the prices dropping, I couldn't resist anymore. I ordered an Anet A8 from the German eBay. It cost me €130 + €15 shipping. It arrived in a few days.

It took me just a few hours to assemble. Started on Friday late afternoon, finished on Sunday, but mainly I did other things during the weekend. I think the net build time was around 6-7 hours.

Here is my experience with the whole thing. Mostly random thougths:

• The build instructions I found is clearly not for the kit I bought. I think the printer has several revisions, and therefore the documentation need to be handled "creatively".
• The whole thing is easy to assemble. If you get use to the nuts inserted into the acrylic frame.
• I don't understand the provided screw drivers. There is no screw fits to it.
• The quality of the timing belt provided is the worst available on the market. It is the plastic kind without reinforcement.
• The tightening of the timing belts are always an issue. Same here. For the Y axis it can be handled by loosening the screws of the motor and the pulley on the other end before mounting the belt ends to the Y carriage.
• For the X axis the situation is not as good as for the Y. The construction itself has design flows. There is nothing in your hand to tighten the belt, but even if you can handle it, the axis is tightened against the Z guiding rails (and not against the X rails), what create a force to those rails, what has to be avoided. Here comes the one and only modification I made for the original build (I'm planning several after the first working build). I printed this:
  https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1683070
  
  
  
• Fortunately my Geeetech printer was able to do this, so I didn't struggle with the build without this component.
• The rumpled masking tape on the build platform is a joke not something you can print on.

• The labeling of the various cables are excellent. It makes easy to connect everything together.
• The UI of the firmware is extremely slow. I don't get why need to animate on alphanumeric display with an 8 bit processor (Marlin is coming).
• The extruder: pro: it has an all metal heathbreak - no teflon tube inside, con: can't be removed, disassembled without loosing the bed leveling. It is a problem without autoleveling

And the first test print: