Today we will discuss this 3D printer in our Artillery Hornet 3D Printer Review. The Hornet is an entry-level product with an attractive exterior, but are its prints as eye-catching as its looks?
Here, we will look into its design, functions, features, specs, and how it performs. Will it be enough for your 3D printing needs, or is it better to look elsewhere? Let us find out in our Artillery Hornet 3D Printer Review and first look at its packaging and contents.
Artillery Hornet 3D Printer Packaging
Our Hornet shipped in a standard-looking cardboard box that provides ample protection to the product inside. In addition, its components are secure and in place to handle any possible accidents during shipment.
The items and accessories in the box have their spots to keep them in place during transit. Aside from the Hornet, you will receive additional items in the package, such as the following:
- 4GB Micro SD card + adapter
- USB Cable
- Wrench
- Spare nozzle
- Zip ties
- Spare PTFE tube
- Card reader
- Hex wrenches
- Spare V-slot wheels
Artillery Hornet 3D Printer Review – Design and Functionality
This section of our Artillery Hornet 3D Printer Review discusses the functions and design of the product. Generally, it is a cool-looking 3D printer for your desktop, sporting a yellow-coloured extruder and base. Plus, its assembly, including its gantry, is painted black.
If you dislike DIYs, there is no need to worry about assembling the product. It comes mostly pre-assembled, where the only thing to do is connect the framework using the base screws and extruder carriage.
The injection-moulded spool holder attaches to the base frame and is spacious for large spools. After tightening the V-slots and belts, you are all set for printing.
Its frame uses high-grade aluminium alloy, while the Z-axis motor has an inverted set-up. This specific design is rare, but it helps lessen the Z-wobble issues. However, it can lead to more banding on the upper portions of taller models.
The Z-axis of the Hornet gets support from patent-pending Z couplers and a high-precision belt pulley.
We noticed an integrated control screen while writing this Artillery Hornet 3D Printer Review. You can find it on the front portion of its base and use the rotary knob to access the menu options.
The UI is straightforward, with controls that are easy to get used to. Some users might get disappointed with its screen, but for us, the presence of a classic screen is alright. It may not have fancy touch actions, but it has excellent functionality to compensate.
You can navigate through the menus via the click wheel. It also has a backlight, which makes it convenient to use in darker areas. There is also an SD card slot where you can slip in micro SD cards without readers and adapters. You will find it on the left portion of the printer base, close to its control screen.
Key Features of the Artillery Hornet 3D Printer
Metal Integrated Build
The integrated structure of the Hornet is a metal profile body that is 95% pre-assembled. As a result, it only takes three minutes to set up, is user-friendly, and is easy to maintain.
Combining Modern and Classic
Artillery designed the Hornet with the inspiration of the designs of high-end sports cars. It combines modern and classic with its contrasting yellow and black colour scheme, displaying the charm of science and technology with vitality and passion. The redefined classic design makes it a popular product among young users.
Economical and Cost-efficient
The Hornet has a compact design and many uses, making it an excellent choice for 3D printers. In addition, it has a 220 x 220 x 250m printing area, which is ideal for beginners and professionals alike.
Titan Bowden Extruder – Print with High Precision
Let us also discuss the Titan Bowden Extruder in this Artillery Hornet 3D Printer Review. Compared to other 3D printers from Artillery, the Hornet has this element mounted on the frame. It pushes printable materials to the copper hot end via a PTFE tube.
Unlike direct drive extruders, this set-up is more lightweight, so the print head moves faster and quieter. That means you will get more precise results.
Modular Hot End
The lightweight hot end can reach a temperature of up to 260°C. It is also easy to disassemble, allowing for convenient replacement of the contact PTFE.
Innovative Integrated Cabling for Clean Cable Management
Integrated Cabling is a patent pending cable management system used in the Hornet. This innovative design incorporates a fool-proof locking mechanism and a multi-purpose cable that works for signal and power feeding. In addition, it is ultra-lightweight, safer, more durable and organised.
Artillery Hornet 3D Printer for Smooth Performance
The single reverse Z-axis of the Hornet features the patented Z-coupler to facilitate smooth motion when printing. Plus, the 3D printer has stable V-shaped pulleys to prevent layering problems.
Coated Tempered Glass for High-quality 3D Prints
The platform of the Hornet is coated tempered glass with an aluminium DC heating plate. It facilitates uniform heating and higher energy efficiency to produce high-quality 3D prints.
The porous coating on the tempered glass helps make the first layers stick when heated. And then, the print pops off once the bed cools down.
You will not need to scrape a spatula and risk damaging the platform or the print. As a result, it prevents warping and makes removing the printed model easier.
Reliable Power Supply
This 3D printer has a certified 300 W 100V – 240V adaptable power supply. It also has protection against overcurrent, overvoltage, short circuits, heating, and other hazards. In addition, the Hornet can rapidly heat the platform and hot end with this power supply.
Self-Developed 32-bit Ruby Motherboard
Artillery equipped the Hornet with a self-developed 32-bit Ruby mainboard. It works with the proprietary stepper drivers from Artillery, resulting in better performance and silent operation.
The company has planned to create a self-developed mainboard since its first step into manufacturing 3D printers. What makes it even better is it has replaceable drivers, making the 3D printer future-proof. Also, Artillery is selling replacement 8-bit Ruby mainboards, which you can use if you have other units from the manufacturer.
Simple and User-friendly
The Hornet has multiple innovative features and controls to make operating easy. These include the 12864 mini display, easy-access restart button, and one-key knob integrated switch.
Continue reading our Artillery Hornet 3D Printer Review to learn more about the product specifications, dimensions, system requirements, etc.
Specifications
Let us look into the various specs of the printer and start with its general details, 3D printer properties, etc.
- Technology: Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)
- Mechanical Arrangement: Cartesian-XY-Head
- Assembly: Pre-assembled
- Manufacturer: Artillery
- Frame Dimensions: 470 x 410 x 450mm
- Weight: 8kg
3D Printer Properties
- Build Volume: 220 x 220 x 250mm
- Print Head: Single Nozzle
- Feeder System: Bowden drive
- Nozzle Size: 0.4 mm
- Print Bed Material: Tempered glass
- Max. Hot End Temperature: 260℃
- Max. Heated Bed Temperature: 140℃
- Frame: Aluminium, ABS
- Bed Levelling: Manual
- Connectivity: SD card, USB Type-B
Materials and Software
- Filament Diameter: 1.75 mm
- Third-party Filament: Yes
- Filament Materials: PLA, TPU, PETG
- Operating System: Windows, Linux, Mac OSX
- Recommended Slicer: Cura
- Compatible File Types: G-code
Hands-on with the Artillery Hornet 3D Printer
We tested the product to share our hands-on experience and how well it performs. This section of our Artillery Hornet 3D Printer Review will help you decide if its performance will meet your needs. But before that, we will discuss the set-up process.
Setting up the Artillery Hornet 3D Printer
After unboxing the Hornet, we attached the necessary parts to set it up and complete the calibration process. Artillery says it is 95% pre-assembled, but you cannot use the product immediately.
The good thing about assembling some parts is you will thoroughly understand your 3D printer. In addition, learning how it operates will be handy when troubleshooting or installing upgrades.
The Hornet has a pre-assembled gantry and printer base. So, experienced users who assemble and calibrate this printer can have it up and running in 30 minutes.
Beginners should take the time to pay attention to each step and follow instructions correctly. Although the slow-paced process can be frustrating, all the effort will pay off once you see the printer working well.
The first step is installing the gantry on top of the primary printer base before lowering the Z-axis. Next is tightening the four screws until the gantry is securely in place.
After positioning and securing the gantry, you will need a piece of paper between the heat bed and the nozzle. Next, readjust the distance with the levelling knobs.
A single resistance means the corner is levelled. When this happens, you can no longer push the paper between the heat bed and the nozzle. Once set, click the rotary knob and repeat this procedure on the rest of the corners.
We recommend printing several test models before printing a massive piece to test whether the Hornet works as it should. Doing this will allow you to solve any issues beforehand and prevent wasting materials on unsuccessful prints.
Printing Performance
The Hornet uses the popular Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technique for printing. FDM is a commonly-used method in home 3D printers and is simple to understand.
These printers have a plastic filament that goes through a tube and a heated print head. The head melts the filament and then carefully deposits it onto the print plate.
This process lets the printer achieve a consistent flow of molten plastic. It then constructs a 3D object layer by layer.
The process also allows the printer to perform admirably, producing quality and detailed prints with precision. Moreover, all this completes at a reasonable speed.
With the PLA, we received ideal print-in-pace models even with increased layers. Some overhangs hurt a few hinges, but the concern is less visible on finer layers.
Spiral Vase Mode Prints with the Artillery Hornet 3D Printer
Let us also discuss the spiral vase mode prints offered by the Hornet. This printer excels at producing stunning spiral vases consistently. The best part is that it functions flawlessly from the SD card without requiring configuration adjustments.
We even tried enlarging a spiral-vase rocket to 250mm in height, and the Hornet handled it effortlessly. It maintains minimal drooping even at the top of the antenna. Moreover, the filament received ample cooling throughout the process because of its cooling fans.
Overall, the Hornet is a user-friendly 3D printer that is easy to assemble and operate. Considering its affordable price point of around $200, the print quality it delivers is remarkable. It also operates quietly, allowing us to work peacefully next to it even for several weeks.
Artillery Hornet 3D Printer Review Summary
We were impressed with the Hornet from Artillery. It is a well-constructed 3D printer that produces high-quality 3D prints. Like most 3D printers, the Hornet required minimal adjustments for the best output. But despite that, the Hornet is an exceptional product with excellent features that make the product user-friendly and more convenient.
The Hornet has an attractive design combining modern and classic, making it ideal on a work desk. Plus, it will look good in most environments. Thanks to its compact size, it is easy to fit in any workspace or area at home.n
While testing the printer for our Artillery Hornet 3D Printer Review, we were surprised by its quiet performance. Aside from its noise-free operation, another impressive thing is its smooth performance which allowed us to print various pieces seamlessly.
Overall, the Hornet is a top-notch 3D printer that offers excellent value for money. It is ideal for beginners getting into 3D printing and experienced users who want additional gear.
Learn more about the Hornet 3D Printer by visiting the official product page of Artillery.
