Anycubic Kobra Neo Review: The Best Affordable 3D Printer for Beginners

Anycubic is a Chinese 3D printer manufacturer that is known for its affordable and reliable 3D printers. The Anycubic Kobra Neo is a budget-friendly 3D printer that is perfect for those new to 3D printing. It is easy to use and you can assemble within a few minutes. In this article, we will review this 3D printer so that you can decide if it’s the best one for you.

Specifications of the Anycubic Kobra Neo:

• Machine dimensions: 490 x 445 x 443 mm.
• Build volume: It has a build volume of 220 x 220 x250 mm.
• Extruder type: Direct drive. It features a Bowden extrusion and feeds filament consistently without facing blockage issues.
• Bed leveling: It comes with automatic bed leveling capabilities. There is no manual leveling.
• Nozzle size:  0.4 mm (It is replaceable)
• Control panel: It comes with an LCD screen with a control knob.
• Material supported: It supports PLA/PETG/ABS/TPU.
• Power outage resume: Anycubic can detect when the power goes off and prompts you to resume 3D printing. 
• Connectivity: USB/MicroSD 
• Technology: Fused deposition modeling.
• Filament sensor: No
• Belt Tensioners: Anycubic Kobra Neo has belt tensioners for the X and Y axis. With the help of this, you can smoothly fix the tension with your hand. 
• Control Knob: If you are the one who is not comfortable with the touchscreen, then this control knob is for you. Its 2.4-inch LCD has a rotary control knob.

The assembly process takes less than 30 minutes. You can follow the steps below:

Unpacking the 3D Printer from the Box

 Carefully remove the packaging and place the 3D printer on a flat surface. After unboxing, you will see the following components: Printer Base, Frame X-axis limit switch kit, Screen kit, Filament holder, Print head,  Spare nozzle, Memory car Card reader, and Screws. Tool kit and a small roll of filament.

After unpacking, proceed now with the setup.

Tighten the Screws on the 3D Printer.

Tightening the screws of the 3D Printer is essential to ensure that the printer is working correctly and producing prints accurately. The screws on the printer's base need to be appropriately tightened before you continue to assemble other parts.

Attach the Frames to the Base of the 3D Printer

The printer comes with two frames; you must attach them. To do this, loosen the screws on both sides of the holes where the frame will fit into the base, making it easier to fit the frame properly. 

Next, we shall take the frame and attach it to the base, making sure to correctly align the Z-axis profile with the groove of the aluminum base. This will ensure that the frame is properly secured. After that, take the screws and use them to secure the frame. Ensure that the screws are tight, but not too tight, as this could damage the frame or the base. 

Install the Axis, Limit Switches, and Print Head

Attach the limit switch to the left bracket of the X-axis and secure it in place using the screws. After installing the axis, take the print head and install it on the axis you installed.

After that, secure them in place using the screws. Then take the M4 screws and use them to ensure the harness of the print head in the bracket, as shown below.

Install the LCD Screen and Wires

To install the LCD screen, use the screws to attach it to the bottom right section of the printer, then insert the wires into the correct place. Then, take the six wires (X motor and X-axis limit switches,  Y-axis and motor limit switches, and Z motor and axis limit switches. The cables come labeled clearly, and you can easily find where to insert them. 

Ensure everything is securely connected, and double-check the connections before powering on the printer. After the installation, you should be able to enjoy the benefits of the LCD screen on your Anycubic printer.

3D Printing Process

After the installation, you should be ready to start 3D printing. Before inserting the card with your files, insert the filament, level the bed, and set the Z offset. Inserting the filament in Anycubic is easy, and you simply slash the tip so that it can be sharp, then insert it through the print head from the top, as shown below.

Then on the LCD screen, go to Menu>Prepare>Load the filament, and the filament will be drawn inside. After loading the filament, you can proceed to preheat the filament by going to Menu>Prepare>Preheat filament. 

Once you are done with the above, you should be ready to start leveling. As we mentioned earlier, Anycubic has automatic leveling capabilities. Go to Menu>Leveling>Auto leveling, and the leveling process will begin.

Once done, you can then proceed to set the Z-offset. To set the Z-offset, place a piece of paper on the bed, move the Z-axis until it’s hard to drag the paper from the bed, and then save the settings.

Examples of Objects I 3D Printed With Anycubic Kobra Neo

I managed to 3D print several designs with the machine. The first design was for an Owl that I found on the SD card with the 3D printer. I didn’t change the file; I just printed it as it came, and the final results were wonderful, as shown below.

Later on, I printed a decoration vase. 

This was a great success, and I was proud of the result. Not only did it look amazing, but it also showed the capability of this machine.

I sliced the model using Cura Slicer and didn’t change many settings. After that, I had to try the famous 3D Benchy, used as a 3D printing benchmark design, as it's made up of a complex network of curves and angles designed to test the limits of 3D printers. It's a great way to ensure the printer is up to the task of producing high-quality prints.

As seen in the photo above, the print came out well, except for the bottom layers that had some issues (primarily because I had enabled rafts in the slicer), but a little post-processing fixed it.

In summary, Anycubnic Kobra Neo is a superb 3D printer for beginners who don’t want to take a lot of time printing their first design, as the machine is pre-assembled and will take you less than 30 minutes to assemble and start 3D printing. It’s also affordable as it costs only $189, which is reasonable compared to similar 3D printers with the same functionalities. 

3D Modeling Software for Preparing Files for 3D Printing

If you would like to prepare 3D models for 3D printing using Anycubic Kobra Neo, many options are available on the market, but we recommend using SelfCAD. SelfCAD is an easy-to-use 3D designing software that has been designed for both beginners and professionals. You can get started within a few hours of learning and don’t need to have previous experience in 3D modeling to use it.

If you want to modify STL files, you can also use SelfCAD. It also comes with its own online slicer, which is compatible with Anycubic Kobra Neo and other FDM 3D printers, and you can use it to slice your designs and generate the G-code you can send to your 3D printer. The software is also affordable, costing only $14.99/m or $139.99/yr. There is also a perpetual license of $599. If you can’t afford it, you can use the software’s free version, though it has limited functionality.

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