With the X5SA, Tronxy offers a cheap filament printer with a large installation space, filament and level sensor. We tested this giant 3D printer and have the lowdown of what you should expect. More in our Tronxy X5SA review below.
In the last few months, we have mainly dealt with SLA printers, such as the Elegoo Mars and the Nova3D Elfin. These 3D printers harden special resin with UV light to make prints. The units are particularly suitable for printing smaller objects at extremely high resolutions.
To determine whether you should use filament or resin printers, read our guide on 3D Printer Resin vs. Filament.
The Tronxy X5SA is an FDM 3D printer that we’ll be reviewing in this guide. And just like the Anet ET4, this unit is shipped as a kit.
Tronxy X5SA Review
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
The most striking thing about the Tronxy X5SA is its unusually large dimensions of 660×580×640 mm. The huge framework offers a maximum print size of a whopping 330×330×400 mcm. That’s huge.
For comparison, the installation space of the Ender 3 is just 22o×220×250 mm. The largest possible print from the Elegoo Mars is just 120×70×150 mm.
The features of the printer include a 3.5-inch color touchscreen, heated print bed, leveling and filament sensor. The maximum temperature of the printing platform is 100°C. The filament holder and extruder are located on the right side of the case.
The plastic print pad is glued to an aluminum plate and ensures the filament sticks well. The entire printing platform is pleasingly flat. This is not always the case as we saw, for example, with the first version of the Ender 3. This 3D printer is decent for the price, but not exceptional.
With the X5SA, the print head travels along the X and Y axes. The print platform with the heated bed moves down along the Z-axis. The 0.4 mm brass nozzle is supplied with filament via a Bowden extruder and allows layer thicknesses between 0.1 and 0.4 mm. The print head reaches temperatures of between 170 and 270°C.
With this unit, you can print PLA, ABS, HIPS, WOOD, PC and PVC with a diameter of 1.75 mm. Flexible TPU is not suitable because of the Bowden extruder. The printing speed is between 20 and 100 mm/s, which is standard for FDM printers.
Despite its large size, the proximity sensor makes it easy to level the print bed without any problems. The leveling and calibration process only takes a few minutes. We’ll touch more on the calibration process down below.
The integrated filament sensor detects when the printing material tears or runs out. If this happens, printing will pause and can be resumed after refilling. In case of a power outtage, the printing will pause and when power resumes, the X5SA will continue to print. This worked well during our test.
The 3D printer comes with Tronxy slicer, which is on a micro SD card. The unit is also compatible with other programs such as Cura or Simply3D. The supported file formats are STL, OBJ and G-code file formats.
Technical Specifications
General Specifications
| Technology | Fused deposition modeling (FDM) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Assembly | Kit |
| Mechanical arrangement | CoreXY |
| Manufacturer | Tronxy |
3D Printing Properties
| Build volume | 330 x 330 x 400 mm |
| Feeder system | Bowden |
| Print head | Single |
| Nozzle size | 0.4 mm |
| Max. hot end temperature | 275°C |
| Frame | Aluminum, sheet metal |
| Bed leveling | Auto |
| Connectivity | USB, TF memory card |
| Print recovery | Yes |
| Camera | No |
Materials
| Filameter diameter | 1.75 mm |
| Third-party filaments | Yes |
| Materials | ABS, PLA, TPU, nylon, carbon fiber, PVC, HIPS |
Software
| Recommended slicer | Tronxy Slicer, Cura, Simplify3D |
| Operating systems | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| File types | STL, OBJ, G-code |
Dimensions & Weight
| Frame dimensions | 639 x 580 x 658 mm |
| Weight | 11.5 kg |
Construction
The printer arrives neatly packaged. While there are some pre-assembled components in the padded box, most of the contents are separate parts. Unfortunately, very few of the components are labeled. Since the small parts, such as several different screws, arrive packed in just two bags, finding the required parts takes longer than is necessary.
All the tools required are included in the scope of delivery. The only items you will need beforehand are a pair of pliers and a meter ruler. A few meters of PLA filament is also included. However, we recommend buying an additional filament if you want to print many models.
A metal spatula, a USB card reader and a micro SD card with 8 GB are included. There is also an English manual with clear instructions.
However, during assembly, it becomes apparent that some steps are only shown very superficially. According to the instructions, some screws are already attached to the components. In practice, however, this is not always the case. Therefore, we had to find the parts we need ourselves. For DIY enthusiasts, the assembly process is easy but it would be better if some of the screws were already in place.
Assembly
Let’s start by assembling the printer frame.
The frame comprises of massive, black aluminum profiles that are very stable. We have to mount the individual components, motors and power pack on the frame.
At this stage, we realized that a small holder for attaching a drag chain was not packed. We had to improves the holder with a small aluminum sheet, where we drilled three holes. The replacement wasn’t fancy, but it serves its purpose.
Apart from the holder, no other components are missing. In fact, at the end of the assembly, some screws, nuts and a spare limit switch were left over.
The two very long toothed belts may look unreliable. However, in operation, they work reliably and without problems. Still, if you have no previous experience with 3D printers, you might find it difficult to find the correct voltage during installation.
We took six hours to assemble the unit. If the parts were all there and labeled, and the instructions were a bit more detailed, it probably would have taken only two to three hours. for example, when inserting the Z guides in some places, it is advisable to work in pairs.
All in all, the construction is easy to do alone.
Connecting the cables is also easy since they are properly labelled and long enough. The two cable strands that move during the printing process are protected by plastic drag chains. The rest of the cables can also be protected by a spiral hose and hidden in the aluminum profiles using cable ties.
Overall, the wiring is well thoughtout and easy to do. With the X5SA, no cables get caught or chafed during operation. We took about about 5 minutes to put the cables together.
Installation
After all the components were in place and connected, we plugged in the 24V power supply to the back of the printer. We then inserted the micro SD card with print templates into the card slot on the side. After switching on, a multi-tone initial melody sounds and the manufacturer’s logo appears on the display.
It takes about 10 seconds for the X5SA to be ready for use. The menu navigation of the printer is intuitive and clear, even for beginners.
To begin, we have to align the print bed. The printer allows automatic calibration.
Here, the print head will move to 16 points on the platform with the proximity sensor and measure them. The left measuring point is set at the very front as a reference. After the measurement, the display shows the values by which the other points deviate from this reference.
For values over 0.8 mm, you have to readjust the pressure platform with a total of 6 adjustment wheels under the heating bed. This worked well. The values of the third measurement were already level. So, we continued with the Z-axis calibration.
To do this, we moved the print head to the zero point of the Z axis and checked how far it is from the print bed. In our case it was about 4mm. Then, we gradually raised the platform on the display touchscreen. When a sheet of paper can just be pushed between the nozzle and the bed, we set this point as the new zero point.
The last step is inserting the filament. The material is first pushed through the filament sensor and fed into the extruder. After that, we heat the nozzle to 200°C and start feeding the extruder. Shortly, the gray PLA reached the print head and came out of the nozzle as thread.
Quality of Print
Next, it was time to start printing. For the first test, we printed a geometric shape that was available on the micro SD. When we started the printing process, it took about 5 minutes for the print bed and print head to reach the respective working temperature.
From there, the printing started. The result of the first print was okayish.
Next, we sliced the Benchy ship model and some objects from Thingiverse. The first Benchy is a real success apart from severe stringing. While there is still room for improvement in some areas, the printer can do little about this. Instead, it’s us who had to do the improvements.
Like is the case with all FDM printers, we had to optimize the print settings for the respective filament and the set layer thickness. The slicing software is okay, but we still recommend Cura or Slicer3D. These two 3D slicers have more setting options and huge communities behind them to help you with any errors or settings optimization issues.
The third attempt was a vase with a height of 28 cm. It looked much better. However, we used a slower print speed. As a result, the printing process takes 17.5 hours. No problems were experienced during the printing period. The power supply and motors remained at a reasonable operating temperature during operation.
When pressure is applied, the unmistakable fans of the X5SA are noticeable. During the printing process, the print head fan starts to screech. Therefore, the X5SA is not suitable for use in the living room. If you want to work with the large-format 3D printer, invest in quiet PC fans from an OEM in the medium term and replace the originals.
The information on printing time differs significantly in practice. For example, the vase was to last 10 hours. However, the printing time was actually over 17 hours.
The Tronxy X5SA is an affordable 3D printer that costs less than $500 (check current price here). The printer is available on both Amazon and other online store.
Despite various problems during assembly, we really like the Tronxy X5SA. The overall decent print quality with the standard settings, the large installation space, and the price of less than $500 are good arguments for a purchase.
However, the printer is only suitable to a limited extent for beginners. Without certain previous knowledge and the desire to tinker, the assembly can be frustrating. If you are not afraid to tinker, the X5SA is an FDM printer at a very fair price. With the right slicing settings and other fans, we’ll recommend the Tronxy if you plan on printing large models.
However, you should have enough space for the giant printer. If you have limited space, look for a smaller device, such as these 3D printers under $200. If it is not about the size, but about the highest possible level of detail, we recommend using an SLA printer.
PRICE ON AMAZON
