Ortur Obsidian 3D Printer Review

Read our Ortur Obsidian 3D printer review to find out the specs, features, and capabilities of the machine.

We recently got to test the Ortur Obsidian 3D printer. As you might guess from the name, this 3D printer is made by Ortur, which we all know for its high quality laser engravers.

How does the 3D printer perform? Is it worth talking about like the company’s laser engravers? Let’s find out.

Ortur Obsidian 3D Printer Review

AVAILABLE ON  ALIEXPRESS

Ortur Obsidian 3D Printer Specs

General Specs

Dimensions and Weight

Package Contents

Scope of Delivery

As always, let’s start with the scope of delivery.

The Ortur Obsidian arrives typically packed and tightly wrapped in black foam. Each part has its own compartment. Everything is tightly packed and should survive the long journey well.

With a little skill, the printer can be unpacked and assembled in about half an hour. The most necessary tools are included in the scope of delivery. Also available in the box include a card reader, blue pliers, and a small roll of test filament.

There is no assembly instruction video on the microSD card. The assembly instructions are on two A4 paper pages with illustrations.

However, there are two test files for the first print.

Before assembling, I disassembled the device to get a glimpse of the inside of the main housing. See the pictures below to get an idea of ​​the hardware installed.

The installed firmware (Marlin 2.1.6 and Free RTOS)  looks good! It’s optically a bit pimped up and somehow a mixture of Marlin and the well-known MKTS touchscreen firmware.

When you switch on the touchscreen, you get stylish graphics about the heating process and the like.

However, there is one small disadvantage. At the very top left in the corner there is usually the back button or a menu button. It is not easy to hit the patchwork, because the metal frame of the case is right next to it and above it.

To prevent this, either the display frame could have been a bit larger or the firmware for touch operation could have been optimized a little.

However, that is not a big deal.

The firmware makes printing a lot easier. Even during the printing process, temperature, fan, etc. can be conveniently controlled via the touchscreen.

Everything is easier to understand thanks to the software and the beautiful display.

The silver button next to the display is also new. This is a small main switch that powers the printer or disconnects it from the power. There is also a power switch right next to the power cable.

Personally, I still use the printer on a 3 or 5-way socket with its own power switch. If possible, even with an integrated fuse in the socket strip. Just in case.

At the moment, the Ortur Obsidian can be found on Ali Express. This is certainly not the cheapest printer, and for good reason. Many modifications that users normally make to a printer themselves come already integrated.

For instance, there is the smart touchscreen including the upgraded firmware. There is also a small white LED lamp that illuminates the heating plate and thus the object currently being printed. I had built something like this myself into the Anycubic Mega-S. With obsidian, the light comes already integrated.

The print head is a direct extruder. Therefore, the filament is transported directly into the print head. For testing purposes, the printer handled TPU filament without any problem.

I ordered a roll of green TPU from Esun and was able to print a little ass with ears with it the first time.

The ass with ears printed in size in just under 30 minutes. Moreover, it helps in testing whether the printer prints well in the air (the earlobe for example) and whether it pulls strings between the ears towards the end. This was partly the case with the TPU. However, it was almost certainly due to my settings, since I had never printed TPU before.

I had read somewhere that you should print really slowly and use a thick wall. That worked, but the second attempt in green above was printed at 30mm speed and 1mm wall thickness. It brought significantly better results.

By the way, the TPU filament I used was this one. The almost transparent filament from the second ass with ears was the PLA filament that came with the printer. The pressure was absolutely perfect from the start!

In general, I really like the way the printer handles TPU.

Let’s see what other print objects I can think of.

But wait…Perfect is subtly exaggerated. I did not get the printer set correctly in the first level process because the auto level sensor was screwed too high at the factory. Therefore, the printhead started the test print too deep.

By the time I noticed this, the beautiful Ortur printing plate was already marked with PLA marks. I moved the auto level sensor a little down and auto-leveled it a second time. This time, everything worked without any problems.

The scratches visible above are only superficial. Therefore, every further pressure still held wonderfully. However, something similar happened to me with the last Ortur printing plate.

The coated glass plates from other manufacturers can withstand such unsuccessful attempts much better. But it shouldn’t be a problem to put another printing plate on it. Moreover, they don’t cost a lot and the scratches are (for the time being) history again.

There is also a filament sensor that seems a bit fiddly in the way when you want to change the filament. You can hold it from above with tweezers or the like. However, with TPU, it is usually not possible to transport the filament through the tube from left to right, as in the photo, the first time. Perhaps the sensor housing shouldn’t be there to help with the tolerance issues.

Some printers have a poor reputation because the contacts on the heatbed come loose after several prints. This usually happens because the cables are always kinked in the same place by the movement of the hotbed.

To prevent this, users usually have to print and fit small guides. To address this issue, the Ortur Obsidian 3D printer comes already fitted with a printed guide. This means that the contacts on the heating plate are no longer stressed so much.

Many of the usual little cables have been replaced by black ribbon cables on the Obsidian. These include cables on the Z axis as well as those on the print head.

An additional belt connects the two Z-axes at the top. The belt helps to ensure that the prints are executed more precisely.

While it’s a little bit out of focus in the photo above, a carrying handle was also supplied. The handle is mounted with screws on the cross brace between the two Z-axes. This means that the (quite heavy) printer can be transported more easily.

The end stop for the Z-axis also has to be installed during assembly. This is done with tw o screws and plugging in the associated cable. Interestingly, only the Z-axis sensor is not a mechanical sensor.

The supplied filament reel holder is screwed on at the rear left of the device. In terms of size, the most common reels should fit on it. These 2kg things might be scarce. But not everyone uses them at home.

The X and Y axes are also easily adjustable. If a belt is no longer properly lashed here, manual readjustment via screws on the respective axis is sufficient.

Many cheap 3D printers have small screws on the print bed for manual leveling. The Ortur Obsidian 3D printer comes with larger screw heads, which make productive work easier.

Compared to my Anycubic Mega-S , the Obsidian is significantly louder. This is not due to the stepper motors, but the fans used for the power supply unit as well as those on the print head.

Print Results

Once set correctly, the printer printed without any problems or error. Even TPU wasn’t a problem thanks to the direct extruder.

For a trial, I inserted my orange PLA and printed the small vase. The vase printed without any problems at the standard settings.

All objects also adhere to the slightly scratched print bed surface. There is nothing to complain about here.

Ortur Obsidian 3D Printer Software

The Ortur Obsidian 3D printer does not come with its own dedicated software. Instead, it’s compatible with several popular open-source and commercial slicing programs, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage:

Advantages

• Free options: You can use free slicers like Cura, Repetier-Host, or Simplify3D, which can save you money.
• Wide range of features: These slicers offer a wide range of features and customization options, giving you more control over your prints.

Disadvantages:

• Learning curve: Each slicer has its own interface and settings, which can be overwhelming for beginners.
• No dedicated support: If you encounter issues, you’ll need to rely on the support community for help, rather than Ortur itself.

Ortur Obsidian 3D Printer Price

As for the price of the Ortur Obsidian 3D printer, it varies depending on where you buy it. The 3D printer is not available on the official Ortur website. Rather, it’s available through Ali Express and other third party retailers.

The prices of the 3D printer can range from $450 to $800, depending on where you buy. AliExpress offers the cheapest price (check here). However, consider the cost of shipping too.

Conclusion

The Ortur Obsidian 3D printer runs perfectly. The higher price justifies the nice features that come already installed in the printer.

The auto-level sensor, firmware, and touchscreen make printing fun. The only thing I can complain about is the somewhat fiddly filament sensor.

For the price, I can really recommend the printer.

Of course, there are many Ender series 3D printers that are cheaper. However, with the printers, it won’t be long before you have to retrofit one or the other function. Why fumble with this when you can basically buy the complete package directly?

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