Another 3D printer hops on the color wagon.
Tom’s Hardware Verdict
The Flashforge AD5X is a stripped-down Core XY that has excellent print quality but is hampered by a flawed version of OcraSlicer. The base unit lacks creature comforts like lighting, a camera, or an enclosure, which can be added to the printer as upgrades.
Pros
- +
Four color printing
- +
Smaller footprint with filament spools on the side
- +
Easy to load
- +
Quick change nozzle
Cons
- –
Flawed Slicer
- –
No camera
- –
No lighting
- –
Touch screen requires pressure rather than touching
- –
Slicer won’t sync filament to the prepare screen
- –
Enclosure is DIY
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The Flashforge AD5X is a good 3D printer with a bad slicer experience. I find it somewhat flummoxing, as the machine is using a version of OrcaSlicer, which is widely regarded as an excellent slicer. And yet, the AD5X is hampered with a buggy program that crashes frequently, does not transfer filament types and colors from the device tab to the prepare tab, and worse of all, does not inform the user how much filament is wasted in color swaps.
These slicer issues could be solved with a software/firmware upgrade, so take this review with a grain of salt. We saw a similar problem with the Anycubic Kobra 3, and after the slicer problems were fixed, the machine became quite enjoyable to use. I hope that Flashforge takes this to heart and fixes the problem.
The AD5X is an evolution of the budget model Adventurer 5M with an almost identical steel skeleton frame. The enclosure is sold as a DIY Kit that includes clear plastic panels and hardware, while you provide printed parts. This is also a chance for you to upgrade your machine to a fully enclosed one for a small $39 upcharge, which also allows you to give the printer a custom look.
The AD5X features a quick swap nozzle with a steel insert, which is good up to 300C, and a heated bed that reaches 110C making this an excellent machine for high-temperature filaments (once enclosed).