Simple Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 Review – Worth Buying or Not?
Reading Time: 11 minutes A large build volume, several key features that a 3D printer user would ask for and more. I’m talking about the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4, an upgraded model which got many things right and produces serious 3D model quality.
This article is going to take a simplistic, but effective dive into reviewing the Sidewinder X1 V4 (Amazon) by looking at a breakdown of factors that a person would want to know before deciding whether it’s worth their hard-earned money, and having it by their side.
I’m going to be first looking over the features so you can get a good feel of what is within this 3D printer, as well as its capabilities, then I’ll be looking through the benefits and downsides to users.
After that, we can go over the technical details by listing the specifications, and I like to specifically look at what current customers are saying because what better way to gauge a 3D printer than to see people’s actual experiences.
Check out the video below to see how it looks in action.
Let’s get started with the features of the Sidewinder X1 V4, then give a nice description of each one below!
Features of the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4
- Powerful Titan Style Direct-Drive Extruder
- Solid Construction With A Modern Frame Design
- 3.5-Inch Touchscreen Operation
- Synchronized Dual Z System
- Lattice Glass Platform – Ultra-Fast AC Heat Bed
- Filament Run-Out Detection and Power Loss Recovery
- Very Quiet Stepper Drivers
- Supports Multiple Connections for USB & MicroSD
- Safe and Secure, Quality Packaging
- 95% Pre-Assembled with Easy to Follow Steps
Powerful Titan Style Direct-Drive Extruder
A Direct Drive Titan Aero Extruder along with a Volcano Hotend is what you are receiving when you get yourself the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4. Extruders are an essential part of your 3D printer, so making sure its top quality is important.
3D printers that can print flexibles are usually of better quality because printing flexibles takes a really dialed-in 3D printer and a good extruder. You can expect years of great 3D printers with this Titan Style Direct-Drive Extruder.
The hotend can reach temperatures of up to 250°C so you can 3D print most materials out there, and it has a long melting zone that works great with faster flow rates if you choose to increase your flow rate. Other extruders just can’t keep up.
Solid Construction With A Modern Frame Design
Sturdiness and durability always mainly stem from the design and frame of the 3D printer. The Sidewinder X1 V4 is built properly, with a solid construction and aluminum frame design.
Not only that, but the overall look and aesthetics of this 3D printer is top-tier, something you can be proud of having in your home without looking like an intimidating mechanical concoction.
I think the best thing that Artillery done here is having a well-organized, ribbon-cable to transfer data from motherboard to parts, rather than having those zip ties and cables flinging around while printing.
I can’t say the same with my Ender 3, especially with the power supply mounted to the side. You can get this changed on an Ender 3, but still, it’s that much better when it’s done for you like the Sidewinder X1 V4.
The design is really futuristic and I think it’s what 3D printers onwards will look like, compact, clean and professional. Almost minimalistic, yet classic.
3.5-Inch Touchscreen Operation
Following on from the design, let’s look at what how we control this clean-looking 3D printer. Rather than have a manual touch dial, which isn’t the most efficient to operate, we have a 3.5 inch touchscreen.
It may seem like a small improvement, but it really makes a 3D printer a lot more fun to use. Along with the futuristic design, being able to touch the screen to input your commands just works so much more efficiently.
I recently did an upgrade of my Ender 3 to a SKR Mini V2.0 touchscreen, and wow, it made a world of difference. The Sidewinder X1 V4 again, does this for you so you don’t need to purchase any upgrade, then take the time to actually implement the upgrade.
You’ll really appreciate this feature, seeing as you’re going to have this 3D printer for years to come. I can imagine it will be saving you plenty of time due to being more efficient and faster to navigate.
It’s also very beginner-friendly for you and anyone else interested in using it.
Synchronized Dual Z System
Okay, that’s a lot about the looks and control, how about the actual 3D printer and its feature about quality?
Here’s where the synchronized dual Z system comes in. Performance in a 3D printer is great, but being able to synchronize the movement across the 3D printer, especially in the all-important Z-axis is going to be very beneficial for 3D printer quality.
Single Z-axis rods can work just fine, which does pretty well on my Ender 3, but once you start increasing the build volume of a 3D printer, to get that level of quality and even higher, you do start requiring dual Z-axis rods.
Its main benefit is making sure that both sides of the 3D printer gantry move up and down at the same height and speed.
What this does is ensure that your X carriage moves upwards in a parallel motion to your build plate, even in the event of your Z-stepper breaking down.
The quality of materials and parts used to achieve this is above and beyond what many other 3D printer manufacturers use, so I really thank Artillery for going the step above.
The Sidewinder’s Z-axis also has some anti-backlash nuts for top performance.
Lattice Glass Platform – Ultra-Fast Heating AC Heat-Bed
A feature which may go unnoticed is the efficient use of power for heating up our 3D printer.
Heat is the foundation of the functionality that 3D printers give us, so being able to speed that process up is always appreciated. I’ve heard some terrible 3D printer heat times, especially with larger models.
The Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 uses an AC heater with insulated wires that provide optimal heating temperatures a lot faster than DC power supplies.
The lattice glass platform in addition to this fast-heating bed is a great combination, being very flat and doesn’t have warping problems that you get with many other platform types.
The adhesion is great and once parts cool down, they should be fairly easy to remove, and in some cases they even pop off the print bed by themselves after cooling.
You can reach a maximum temperature of 120°C without issues.
Filament Run-Out Detection & Power Loss Recovery
The filament run-out detection feature is one that can save you plenty of time and filament in the long-run. Being a larger 3D printer, you are more likely to do bigger projects. This means filament is more likely to run out during the printing process.
Rather than have your 3D printer continue to print without having any filament left in there (which has happened to me on my Ender 3), your Sidewinder X1 V4 will detect that there is no filament and automatically pause the printing operation.
When you come back to your 3D printer and reload it with material, you hit a prompt to continue 3D printing and it will resume from the last printing point.
The same thing with the power loss recovery feature, where instead of filament running out, it’s when the power runs out. I’ve also had the power run out on me and this feature came in very handy, resuming the print from the last break point.
Very Quiet Stepper Motor Drivers
I remember getting my Ender 3 and hearing those ungodly sounds vibrating throughout my house, although the end result was a nice 3D print. It wasn’t very welcomed by myself or those who could hear it.
The Sidewinder X1 V4 made sure to address this issue that many 3D printer hobbyists also experience by using very quiet stepper drivers. They work by reducing the idle current through the motor windings which reduces the noise effectively.
You can change the stepper motors of your 3D printer, but again, it’s a lot better when that is all done for you.
Supports Multiple Connection for USB & MicroSD
The Sidewinder X1 offers support for both USB and micro SD. The USB connection makes it easy to plug your computer directly into the printer while the micro SD is ideal for those who don’t work in the same room as they print.
Safe and Secure, Quality Packaging
Although the Sidewinder X1 V4 is a durable 3D printer, it does require secure packaging to protect it from any potential damage during delivery. Artillery did do some drop tests from a height of about 5 feet to check how safe the packaging was.
It passed the drop test so you can have more peace of mind knowing that you shouldn’t experience receiving a damaged 3D printer after looking forward to delivery.
The 3D printer is tightly packed with plenty of layers of foam on the inside, which ensures great protection for the specific parts of the 3D printer such as the all-important rods, for the frame, and all the rest.
Artillery did face quality control issues at the start, but they took control back and fixed this with rigorous quality control testing and standards, which has since been acknowledged and praised by future customers.
95% Pre-Assembled with Easy to Follow Steps
Faster assembly is always welcomed with 3D printing, and the Sidewinder X1 V4 is well aware of this. From delivery to opening the packaging, you can get this 3D printer assembled and ready to go in less than 20 minutes.
It really doesn’t take a lot to get things started and it comes with an easy-to-follow instruction manual to get you up and running.
People who are new to 3D printing will love this feature so you don’t have to spend hours putting together a DIY kit, and not even being sure that it was put together properly. It took me about 2 hours to put my Ender 3 together, so avoid that with the Sidewinder X1 V4.
These printers go through proper testing at the factory to ensure that everything works as it should, putting Quality Control at a high regard.
Benefits of the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4
- The dual Z-axis is in perfect synchronization for better quality
- Well-organized bunch of ribbon cables for better organization
- AC-powered heat bed is well-insulated and fast heating
- Smooth and firmly placed print bed gives the bottom of your prints a shiny finish
- Bright and multifeatured Touch Screen makes things easier to operate
- It supported both USB and MicroSD cards for more choice
- The majority of its parts are pre-assembled so it takes a lot less time to set up
- This unit works so quietly, you’ll hardly hear any noise
- Uses inductive endstops for higher precision
- Has large leveling knobs for easier leveling
Downsides of the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4
- Sometimes it’s easy, but Artillery doesn’t allow the removal of its print bed.
- Quality Control is an issue some have faced in the past, but it is a lot better now
- EEPROM save is not supported by the unit
- Titan Extruder can be improved in terms of heating
- The spool holder is pretty tricky and hard to adjust
- It doesn’t come with a sample filament
Specifications of Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4
- Layer Resolution: 0.1mm
- Build Volume: 300 x 300 x 400mm
- Max Print Speed: 150mm/s
- XYZ Positioning Accuracy: 0.05mm, 0.05mm, 0.1mm
- Printing Filament: PLA, ABS, TPU, Flexible Materials
- Filament Diameter: 1.75mm
- Nozzle Diameter: 0.4mm
- Machine Dimensions: 550 x 405 x 640mm (550 x 405 x 870 mm w/ spool holder)
- Maximum Print Speed: 150 mm/s
- Maximum Travel Speed: 250mm/s
- Extruder Type: Direct Drive Extruder
- Maximum Build Plate Temperature: 130°C
- Power Requirement: 110V
- Connectivity: USB, TF Card, USB Stick
- Control Board: MKS Gen L
- Nozzle Type: Volcano
Customer Reviews of the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4
The first thing to notice about the reviews is that on Amazon the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 (Amazon) currently has a rating of 4.5/5.0 at time of writing, with 87% of reviews being 4 stars or above.
Now let’s see what people are actually saying.
One of the main things loved about this 3D printer from one user is just how fast the bed heats up. After setting the printer to pre-heat, it’s done in just a few minutes which is great. The mains voltage is pretty high so the transfer of power is efficient.
They said they have haven’t had any problems with it in the 2 months of having the 3D printer. One modification was done to enable micro-stepping within the Marlin firmware which was easy because the firmware is open-source.
Another user mentions how well-packaged the 3D printer came, ensuring that it arrives in one peace rather than it coming damaged and needing to send it back or repair it.
They went from a small 3D printer to the massive 12″ x 12″ x 15.5″ (300 x 300 x 400mm) allowing them to expand their creative capabilities. Another upside was the difference in the noise, being that the Sidewinder X1 V4 is whisper quiet.
Lastly, the user said the print quality that this 3D printer produces is close to perfection, where they have to look very closely to find defects, if any.
Someone was about to purchase the Prusa Mk3S but instead got the Sidewinder X1 V4 at near enough half the price. They primarily print with TPU and found this to be an amazing choice that really paid off.
The support isn’t as strong as Prusa, but the community is amazing, and they had no major issues whatsoever.
Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 Review – Worth Buying or Not?
When you weigh up the list of features such as the large build volume and the Direct Drive setup, along with the benefits such as quiet printing and amazingly high quality prints, it’s hard to deny this is a 3D printer worth buying.
The main things that you would want in a 3D printer is present in ths Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4, minus auto-leveling and maybe Wi-Fi support, but with the quality and sturdiness of this machine, you won’t have to level it very often.
You can upgrade your 3D printer to transfer files wirelessly so that isn’t an issue, but it would’ve been nice to see that already done for you.
Comparing this machine to 3D printers in a similar tier, the price and quality that you are getting is fantastic.
Get yourself the Artillery Sidewinder X1 V4 from Amazon for a great price today!
