3D printers are very interesting and useful because now you can make a real three dimensional objects based on your design. There are also so many options you may want to choose for the machine such as the very affordable Anet A8 Vs A6. These are machine kit that we can build at home so they are ideal for those with more experiences. If these options are also attractive to you, do check what they can offer below before making a decision.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- Prebuilt or DIY 3D Printer Kit
- What are Anet A8 and A6
- What Anet A8 and A6 Look Like
- How are the Assembly of Anet A8 and A6
- How are the Build Volume of Anet A8 and A6
- How are the User Experience with Anet A8 and A6
- Anet A8 Vs A6
3D Printers
Our technology is so advanced that almost everything are possible to do from your home as long as we have the proper equipment to achieve them. From our computer we can access the world and in this pandemic time many of us are moving to work from home and being less mobile to be safe and to prevent further spreading. Not only creating file and communicating, there are also manufacturing activities that can we do conveniently at home especially with 3D printer.
This machine is very convenient and as you can guess, they are capable of making a real object or three dimensional object based from your design. The machine itself however are differentiated based on the technology being used such as FDM or SLA but there are many more yet they are not usually being used at home manufacturing setting. In comparison, FDM machines like Creality CR 10S and Ender 5 Pro are the most popular because they are simpler to use.
If you are here then FDM machines are the best option but, before getting the machine itself, there are probably some factors you may want to decide first and after the type of machine or filament you prefer the most of fitting in the application the most, there is also an option to choose either a prebuilt machine or a 3D machine kit that you can built yourself at home. Note that there are also a kit that pack everything in the box and there are those that may require you to make additional purchase.
There are always pros and cons to every options and talking about buying printer that is already assembled, actually it doesn’t mean that we can use the machine just straight out of the box without doing any effort since chances you will also need to put some parts together such as installing the pillars or attaching the power unit. They won’t take hours depending on how the company design it however and in most cases we can follow video instruction or manual to built properly.
As for 3D printer kit, the first thing we all have to prepare is willpower and patient because they will need quite a lot of work and even some tools to properly attach the part together. Overall we have to be at least enthusiast in crafting or DIY-ing since there might be some tools not yet present in our inventory to properly do the job. Yet, one of the biggest pros is they can be quite affordable and interesting to satisfy your crafting hobby especially if you enjoy every process of assembling it.
| Anet A8 | Anet A6 | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
|
| Product Dimensions | 20 x 19.5 x 7 inches | 1.85 x 1.85 x 0.94 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 21.75 Pounds | 21.7 pounds |
| Best offer | Check price | Check price |
About Anet A8 and A6
Both options are actually amazing based on what do you want to get from the machine itself and how do you see the process of preparing them before they can run smoothly but, for those who are also interested not only to how the machine will print your object but also creating building them from each components the going with DIY kit is the ideal option, moreover if you have experience already but for those who just jump into the hobby, we highly recommend to pick a prebuilt 3D printer.
As for the choice, there are actually quite a lot of them but probably not as many as the prebuilt machines out there and one of the best choice you may want to consider is Anet. Many have been talking about this printers because they seem to deliver a great experience for the users and they are also quite affordable as the machines for entry-level with mostly around $200. Their machines are delivered for enthusiast and people who are interested in the process.
But, you will find options as well in their catalog and while it is not as abundant as what you can find on the other brand of prebuilt printers such as Creality or ANYCUBIC, they have two popular variants you may want to consider first before deciding to choose one and they are Anet A8 and A6. As you can guess they are close siblings and must be quite similar to each other which is why it can get quite confusing to decide between the two.
But, they are actually not that much different from each other and as opposed to what many may thought about the printer, the latter A6 is actually said to be an improved model of the previous A8 so it should be better in comparison. In our opinion however, they are very similar to each other but if you have assemble the A8, now we can do it much easier with A6 because at least we have an experience already with the machine.
Anet A8 and A6 Design
Coming as a kit there will be tons of parts and especially screws in the box so you will have to put them apart and do check each one of them if they are included in the box based on the guide if not then we may should contact the customer support to request for the missing parts. All parts of the printers are not assembled and the main frame itself seem to be made from certain plastic which not the best in quality as well.
This glossy black frame acrylic looks great from afar but not very sturdy in our opinion. The basic design of Anet A8 and A6 are the same with the print head moving in both Z and X axis while the bed will take care of the Y axis. The shape of their frame are a bit different however, because the A8 removes the wide pillar that cover the power unit from the front now leaving only two in the back so in a glance the A6 will look sturdier or more enclosed.
Anet A8 and A6 Assembly
Since these are DIY printers, let’s talk about the assembling first and this is probably the most fun part of these machines. They come with a flash disk that contains all the information you need to run these machines including software. Putting them together you won’t need to do any drilling which is a relief since some DIY printers sometimes need them in the process, overall what you need to do is attaching one part to another using driver or other fastener tool.
The acrylic finish looks great but if you want to be quick, we can actually leave the cover attached but this may made the printer looks kind of ugly. Both Anet A8 and A6 are controlled using a rotating button and click action such as those in Ender machines and the first experience of using this action is very smooth. Note that you will need to test all axis movement after done with assembly to see if all moving parts are smoothly attached.
Anet A8 and A6 Volume
The next part we want to talk about is their build volume as this is what most small printers can do in larger scale and what set these brothers apart the most in our opinion is the volume itself as the A8 is 220mm by 220mm by 240mm and now the Z axis is added just a little bit at 250mm for maximum height. This is actually not much and what you can get from similar machines like Ender 3 which is also about the same price currently.
They are using heated bed already and Anet claimed that this bed can heat up to 100 Celsius which is pretty impressive for a machine in this price range. They have no magnetic or glass layer however so there is nothing special about the bed surface.
Anet A8 and A6 User Experience
The last part we want to talk about is their user experience and we also want to mention that the A8 has been renewed now. This newer variant of the printer kit is coming with an additional feature and it is a self levelling sensor that you can install on the machine to help with self-adjustment but unfortunately the A6 is not yet upgraded to follow the newer addition. On the print quality they are just good out of the box.
The print result is definitely far from perfect without any tweak especially on the cooler and replacing the filament holder. With more updates and upgrades, your Anet A8 and A6 are actually amazing, and can produce great prints.
Anet A8 vs A6
These DIY kit printers are not for everyone but enthusiast or those who enjoy the assembling process since it is quite inconvenient for new users and beginners who never try 3D printing before. Their prominent difference beside slightly taller volume is A6 does have a sturdier frame and slightly better user interface as well but, the A8 now comes with auto leveling for your convenience.
Conclusion
There is no bad choice in between these 3D printer kit but they are also pretty much similar to each other and personally, from the build we like the A6 better but A8 offers auto leveling sensor and is cheaper so if you want to save more, we do think the A8 is still a good choice today.