Hello!

I am quite tempted to buy a 3D printer and have been looking a bit at the A8/A6 from Hesin store on AliExpress, as they have gotten good feedback from what I have seen both on the site but also here on the forums. However, after trying a few searches on google (and also on the forum specifically) I can't seem to find any information on the difference between the A6 printer and the A8? And on their store page the specifications seems to be identical?

So can anyone explain what the difference between the two are?

And further more while on the topic, does anyone have any additional thoughts about these printers? My impression seems to be that most people find them as a good value printer (which might require some tinkering of course)?

Best regards, Mattias.

I just bought an A6 and so far am quite pleased with it. Looking at the photos of the A8, it looks like the A6 has a sturdier frame. If you want to see all the differences just look at the spec sheets for the two on AliExpress or Ebay. The A6 is a little larger than a standard i3, about 220mm x 220mm x 240mm.

It took about 5 hours to build the A6 following the tutorial on Youtube. So far I have been using it with Cura (the slicer software) and I have done about 10 prints - it's my first printer so I can't make any comparisons, but it appears to be solid and well specked.

I'm still in the experimental stage, but I have made one small modification. The Y-axis idle pulley was not turning, so I put small washers either side of the supports so that it can turn without touching the sides.

Good luck with your choice.

Just one advice, as soon as you have it printing, desing and print all extra parts since the acrylic pieces don't last long.

The difference between A8/A6 Anet prusa i3 printers

Hi guys!

I don't know if this is still relevant to you, but I want to share with you my experience. Maybe it will help others to choose a fit 3D printer...

The A8 was my first 3d printer, not sure if this was the right choice for a first-time purchase, but I certainly learnt a lot. If you have some budget to spare, I would probably consider buying the A6 or a ready-to-use 3D printer.

Both are DIY kits and it will take time to assemble and get them to work. I know of many people who changed 15-30% of Anet’s original components to get them to work (and to make sure they won’t go on fire). Personally, I didn’t encounter such significant issues. In addition to the printer, I purchased a glass bed, a set of nozzles, fans as well as a set of spare bearings and belts. (Didn’t have to use the spare parts yet).

Anet A8 is more popular and has a large number of useful mods & upgrades (eg. check out thingeverse.com). It also has a larger build volume, but that’s probably where its advantages are ending. The A6 is sturdier, has an improved motherboard, a more convenient control system and a faster hotbed. My friend’s Anet A6 prints at the same quality that my upgraded Anet A8 does.

So, it’s up to you to decide. If you’re more the tinkering kind and need a larger build volume, go for Anet A8. If you want a more convenient and reliable machine, plus have some extra budget, go for Anet A6 or an entirely different machine, eg. Creality Ender 3 is affordable, but almost works out of the box.

Here’s a good comparative review of both with a video on how the two are assembled.

Maybe this will help someone to make a right decision.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2019 06:31AM by carrots.