Snapmaker 2.0 A350T Review – Testing 3-in-1 3D Printer, Laser and CNC

Snapmaker 2.0 A350T is the latest and largest volume machine from the Snapmaker team. This record-breaking and award-winning company continues winning hearts with their quality products. In this detailed product review, we will feature three different manufacturing modules plus an enclosure. Let’s test the whole 3-in-1 combination: a 3D printer, a laser cutter and engraver and a CNC machine.

Snapmaker 2.0 A350T
Price: $999 – 1,799

Amazon
AliExpress
Official Website

Snapmaker 2.0 A350T General Specifications

Machine Dimensions 495 × 506 × 580 mm
Modular 3-in-1 System
Print Build Volume 320 × 350 × 330 mm
Magnetic Sheet Heated Bed
3D Printing Module Review
Laser Work Area 320 × 350 mm
Laser Power 1600mW, 10W optional NEW
Laser Engraving & Cutting Module Review
CNC Work Area 320 × 350 × 275 mm
Carving Module with ER11 Collet
CNC Module Review
Custom 3-in-1 Software
Wi-Fi Connectivity
Luban Software Review
Optional:
Enclosure Dimensions 626 × 820 × 603 mm
Enclosure Weight 19.3 kg
Enclosure Review and Air Purifier
“A350T/A250T has several upgrades based on Snapmaker A350 and A250, offering a faster and quieter printing experience.”

Packaging and Unboxing

Both the machine and enclosure boxes are big and heavy. All packaged well so no damage has been done during transportation. To just unpack this beast, I needed some extra space as one table is not enough.

– Toolbox. A handy plastic toolbox is provided to keep nuts and screws, etc. It is quite useful as there are many parts needed for such disciplines as CNC carving like clamps and router bits, for example. Good to keep all product-related items together. In the toolbox, there is everything we need for the assembly and operation. A familiar and very handy hex-key driver is one of the items. To assemble a machine with a regular hex key would be laborious.

– Module Box. I would strongly recommend keeping this neat peace of packaging to store the modules safely.

Basic Structure Assembly

The instructions provided are well thought through and straightforward. I found it easy to follow them. The whole procedure took me around 2 hours, and as I kept taking pictures throughout the process, it took longer than it otherwise would. Size-wise, I could not resist comparing A350T with the Snapmaker Original.

– Linear modules. These are the updated units. Not sure if the previous version had any issues, I saw some reviewers shaking the print bed checking for robustness. I can say that my assembled bed felt very stable.

– Cables. I wish I could secure these cables to the base. I guess this is a DIY “to-do” task, or maybe OK to leave them as they are. The machine is pretty heavy and it presses on the cables hard, so there is no chance that these cables can get loose.

Note: The DC power cable (to power a module) looks similar to others but the socket is different. It is easy to confuse and try to put a wrong cable into its socket. This cable is not labeled to distinguish from the others.

– Dust protection. I have never seen such cables and sockets before. Together with the Controller’s dust plugs, it shows that this machine should be strong against CNC dust and smoke excessive residues.

The same as in the instructions, once the basic structure assembly is completed, there are 3 functions to pick from to continue. I would say, switching between a 3D printer, Laser, and CNC mode is about a 10-20 min job. A lot of screwing and unscrewing is involved, mainly because of securing the work area/build plates.

WiFi – Say “Bye” to a USB Stick

It is possible to use the machine without WiFi, if none is available or other concerns, for example. Initially, I started using USB, the old way, but when I switched to WiFi for the updates, I couldn’t see myself going back to USB. Especially with an enclosure. Leaning or opening the side door in order to reach a USB socket felt like some unnecessary and easily avoidable efforts.

Also, Wi-Fi automatically updates to the latest firmware for all three modules (3D printer, Laser, and CNC). This is not done in one go, but every time I install a different module on the machine.

It is possible to transfer G-codes generated on other sophisticated slicers, like Simplify3D (3D printing) or LightBurn (Laser Engraving/Cutting) software, via the Luban interface if needed.

Touch Screen

Very straightforward, and easy to use. I wish there were more “Tuning Live” functions, like “Filament Flow Rate” or “Fan Speed” settings. But apparently, simplicity for regular users is what the Snapmaker team is aiming at. Extra advanced/expert settings could be intimidating for the casual users. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t mind these features added sometime in the future.

Luban Software Review

The first time I used Snapmaker’s Luban was a few years ago. Since then, the software became much more stable, faster, and easier to use. Of course, it won’t replace such sophisticated and constantly developed slicers, like Cura, PrusaSlicer for 3D printing, and LightBurn for laser jobs, but Luban is more than enough for beginners, and I would say, its simplicity is even beneficial and generally less intimidating for the less experienced.

As I mentioned above, with the Wi-Fi function, the Luban software is actively used as a hub to transfer the G-code files to the machine.

When reviewing Snapmaker 2.0 A350T, I tested all three functionalities in at least three tests per each, and here are my thoughts about each of them.

Luban 3D Printing Settings

I was pleased to find a Z-HOP setting in the Luban software. It is a very important setting for such models as articulated dragons, for example. The filament FLOW rate also has to be tuned for other brands, non-standard or experimental filaments.

More tests and settings in the 3D Printer Module review

Luban Laser Settings

For me, as a casual user, the Laser section in Luban for setting up cutting and engraving was enough for my product testing projects. The default options are good for engraving and I turned my profile picture into a coaster with no problem. The settings windows in the Process section are straightforward. A cogwheel brings up an additional Preset window for finer tuning. There is an extra explanation for each setting when the mouse hovers over. Also, there are the recommended settings on the Snapmaker’s page.

– Preview. Initially, it is confusing to see a completely blacked preview. When zoomed, there is a clearer picture. But it is still confusing and it doesn’t give the clarity on what the end result will look like. So I would recommend practicing on the smaller, short engraving jobs to get the feel of the brightness, contrast, and the material as well.

– Timer. If for 3D printing timer was OK, then for the laser jobs it was inaccurate, but overall gives an idea if the job will take 2 hours or 20 hours.

– Materials. There is a wide range of materials for laser cutting and engraving on the official website

In my latest Snapmaker 40W Laser Module review, I featured a massive .SVG collection in Luban, Snapmaker Software. This includes quick templates and designs ideal for creating logos and banners. The full collection is readily accessible via ‘Insert Shape – Online Library,’ allowing you to add designs to your workspace effortlessly.

And of course, I quickly created a file by placing two templates together and applying the right size to the hexagon. Then it took me less than a minute to laser cut it. Here is the result:

More tests and settings in the Laser Module review

Luban CNC Settings

Luban CNC area also saw a few improvements. The Toolpath and Simulation previews give a clear idea of what will happen. I would recommend watching the timer when working on the test objects.

More tests and settings in the CNC Module review

3D Printer Mode and Module Review

If you are eager to try all three functionalities on any Snapmaker 3D Printer, then the 3D printing mode should be tried first, as it is the cleanest compared to Laser and CNC. I managed to print 20+ hours of the dragon models along with some quick test files. In order to test the full (320 × 350 × 330 mm) print volume, I would recommend changing the nozzle to something larger. I will keep adding here more tests in the future, including with a large nozzle.

Extruder

Snapmaker extruders became more sophisticated. Now there is access to filament pushing gear. The feature is highly welcome as this makes it easier to load the filament. Previously, with the button system, it was slightly complicated. The button was hard to push and the filament had to be straightened even with the slightest curve.

Snapmaker Extruders: Before – After
©3DWithUs – MP4: Max Funkner

To our slight disappointment, we cannot use a new extruder on our previous small machine as wires and sockets are different.

Spool Holder

Looks neat and works well in its original position (attached to the printer). But I am really concerned about leaving it on the side of the enclosure unattended. When we were printing overnight and had to leave a 1 kg spool rotating on the spool holder, I was afraid that either the filament will snap at some point while going through the hole in the side of the enclosure or the extruder gear will fail to pull it through. It worked fine, but it is possible to look up the alternative DIY spool options, including with PFTE tube, if to dig through the official forum.

3D Print Bed

The automatic bed leveling, a heated bed, and a flexible sheet are all welcome features for comfortable printing. It takes longer to heat up this big volume (320 × 350 × 330 mm) though. I had no bed adhesion issues so far. Removing the print from the cooled-down sheets was also easy.

Vibration and Noise Test – Solutions

In its original state, there is no way I can leave this beast printing overnight. The noise and vibration levels are tolerable for small jobs only. So, the enclosure and the noise dampers are important to have here.

Measuring the noise levels of printing on Snapmaker A350T
©3DWithUs – MP4: Max Funkner

For every FDM printer I have I get some sort of the noise and vibration-cancelling system. Usually, it is in a form of 3D printed in PLA/PETG noise-cancelling dampers. It was super easy to set up such for Snapmaker Original, because it was small, but dealing with A350T is a different matter. Together with the enclosure for A350T, to reduce the noise further, I used the packaging material and 4 rectangular tiles as a noise damper system at the base.

With the setup above, the app displayed the reduction of decibels by 10-ish to 50. The external DC power box was still noisy, but due to the reduced vibration on the floor, A350T’s presence was not felt as much anymore in the room next-door. As I tested further, I left Snapmaker printing an articulated dragon overnight without much of the noise or vibration issues. And again, there are more advanced DIY ideas circulating on the Snapmaker’s official forum.

Read more about the Enclosure below

3D Printing Test

– Benchy. Filament: Snapmaker PLA, Settings: Luban Normal Preset. I am happy with the result.

– Low Poly Bunny. SUNLU Silk PLA, Settings: Luban Normal Preset vs Prusa Slicer profile by William Bosacker. I wasn’t happy with the initial result and tried again with the Prusa Slicer profile tunned for Snapmaker A250 and A350 that I found on the Snapmaker forum. I think I could get better results with the Luban software but more time for tuning and testing was required, and this would make this 3-part review even longer.

– Articulated Dragon. Caution: these models are the torture tests for any 3D printer. I managed to print McGyBeers Articulated Dragon, and the print came out gorgeous. We featured the dragon in the dedicated article. All print-in-place flexible dragons need careful tuning. Failed cooling, bed adhesion, warping may jeopardize a nearly completed print after 20+ hours of printing.

3D Printer Module – Conclusion

Beginner friendly, good for various projects. There is definitely space for improvement. I would like to see some more tuning live options, like Fan Speed and Filament Flow Rate, for example.
– Cooling. I need more time to get the feel of the cooling system to prevent the warping issues.
– Pause and Print Later Option. For the big and long projects, I need a functional pause and print in the morning option. The thing is, if extra cooling is necessary, I cannot keep the enclosure doors shut. I tested to Unplug and Resume printing option – worked well. But we have to keep in mind the bed adhesion issue as the bed will get cold and may pop up the print. The solution may lie in a raft or glue. More on the forum.

the testing continues …

Laser Engraving & Cutting Mode and Module Review

Laser cutting and engraving performance is definitely one of the strongest sides of Snapmaker 2.0 A350T. The Luban software gets it right without the need for sophisticated software, at least in my experience so far. The work area is a space of 320 mm wide and 350 mm long.

Note: Operating laser should be taken very seriously as irreparable damage may be done to the eyes. Always use provided goggles or/and do all work with the enclosure doors shut.

My first test object was a demo Gift Box from the Luban software. It was a laser cutting job using 1.5mm plywood sheet provided. A very quick, 35 min job. Assembling the box was a great experience. This is a very nice Demo model; we would definitely recommend trying it out.

Materials

There is an official page with a list of the recommended materials together with the laser cutting and engraving settings for them. These settings are for 1600mW Laser Module.

You can find the settings for such materials as Cork, Bamboo, EVA, Rubber, Acrylic, Corrugated Cardboard, Plywood, MDF, Leather, Sticker and Colored Card.

Engraving and Cutting 3mm Plywood

There are many awesome plywood laser-cut creations on Etsy. There is even a physical shop near me that has a lot of awesome creations on display for sale. And all these models are made with mostly 3mm plus plywood material. And while testing the 1600mW laser module, I came to the conclusion that it is not feasible for such a task as it takes a lot of time to cut through to create a decorative box with fine detail, for example.

In comparison, an easier laser engraving and cutting job, like a coaster, took just 4 hours to complete. To cut through a 3mm-thick plywood for the project below, a decorative box with fine detail, would take 12 hours. And again, my level in this discipline is of a beginner/intermediate, and maybe there is some tweaking that can be done to achieve the quicker results.

10W Laser Module

If you want to create the plywood cut models, I would recommend purchasing a 10W Laser Module which is available from the official store and on Amazon as an add-on product. I had an opportunity to thoroughly test it and here is my 10W Laser Module review.

Snapmaker 10W High Power Laser Module
Amazon
AliExpress
Official Website

Snapmaker 40W Laser Modure Review and Product Link:

While this product is available on the Official Website, it may appear on Amazon at a later time. In the meantime, check out other modules available on Amazon.

Enclosure and Air Purifier

If the Enclosure is a MUST for the eye protection and noise reduction, then the Air Purifier is another MUST for the laser cutting jobs in case, for some reason, you cannot use the connecting Hose. The laser cutting jobs produce a lot of smoke and fumes. I would say, the most, compared to laser engraving, 3D printing, or CNC. If the room is not ventilated enough, such smoke can even set off a fire alarm in the proximity.

Official Website

Read more about the Enclosure below.

CNC Mode & Module Review

To be honest, this is the least used module by me as I am not only an absolute beginner in this area but also am reluctant to use this method of manufacturing in my home environment. Dusty and loud. But while testing, I could see the potential. It was amazing to recreate an item, a house number plaque that we bought on Amazon for our place just recently. The original was laser-cut.

CNC Noise Levels

The enclosure and my DIY base noise damper system do a good job, but the pitch of some noise is so high that it gets through. Here is an app record. Even if my noise measuring app didn’t show it, I found that the ball end milling part was much noisier.

CNC Noise Level Measured
©3DWithUs – MP4: Max Funkner

Read more about the enclosure below.

CNC Module Testing – Cutting

The first thing I want to mention is that the MDF Wasteboard was so good that in no way did I want to scratch it with the random test cutting jobs. So, I found a way to elevate material by placing something between the work bed and the material. As a result, the Wasteboard remained unscratched.
Instead of cutting a demo model, I tried to recreate our house door number, and here is the result.

To recreate such a vector, I scanned the original number plaque (created by laser cutting), because it was tricky to find exactly the same font, and then used Inscape’s “Trace Bitmap” option to get my vector and saved it as an SVG file. Of course, my vector had a lot of imperfections. Also, I forgot to add the gaps in the vector that would leave a couple of places uncut and keep an object attached to the surrounding material. Nevertheless, I am happy with the result.

Relief Carving

As I mentioned before, I am generally happy with the Luban CNC slicing software. I didn’t try any other one for comparison but the results I achieved were great. One of the first things I did was to carve our logo from wood.

The result was impressive, with a lot of potential, as this job took me only 1.5 hours to complete. I used a Ball End Mill with a shank diameter of 3.175mm. If only I knew how to replace the shank with the finest V curved afterwards, then I could have achieved very smooth details relatively quickly. Please mind that if you install a V shank in the very beginning for such a job, it would be a 15.5-hour job instead.

There are a lot of awesome models for relief cutting. I may get back to this topic if I will find the right settings for a quick carve or the quiet cut options so that I can leave the machine on overnight.

CNC Carved Text

The Luban software carving text options are straightforward, and if the Text is big enough, it will work well. I had a small area to work on and slightly struggled to get the small letters. In the end, I am happy with the result.

Enclosure for A350 – Unboxing & Review

Another product worth mentioning is the Enclosure. Together with the machine, I received the Enclosure for Snapmaker A350. As a product, it is yet another masterpiece by Snapmaker, which aim for quality no matter the cost. The box that arrived was enormous and had all the needed parts neatly packaged in separate boxes. The dimensions of the enclosure are 626 × 820 × 603 mm and took up the whole of my desk.

The enclosure beams are numbered and instructions are provided. I would recommend installing the numbered beams correctly, even if they look the same at the beginning. I managed to fail here and had to reassemble the base as a result.

The whole structure is heavy but the only time I needed the help of another person was when I had to lift the enclosure to fit on top of the noise dampening base.

So basically, between the desk and the enclosure, there are packaging foam and a hard surface. In my case, I used leftover floor tiles.
If the enclosure reduces the noise by approx. 10 DB, then the DIY noise damper system reduced vibration through the desk and the working machine presence is less noticeable in other rooms.

The extraction pipe is short – one meter.

Air Purifier Quick Look

Another accessory product important to mention is the Air Purifier. I had no chance to review the purifier myself but I feel I miss this product. Everything must be done in order to keep the family happy and safe, right? Also, it is tricky to get a completely detached house, and therefore neighbors may be very unhappy with the factory-like noises and smells. When the enclosure partially fixes the noise issues, then the purifier should help with the smell, especially when operating Laser Engraver and Cutter.

Official Website

The cost of such a purifier is close to the enclosure and may feel pricey. Another drawback is that replacing the cartridge filter will cost extra.

Read More & Compare

For a comparison with other FDM 3D printers please refer to the
detailed budget FDM 3D printers guide.

For a comparison with other laser cutters and engravers please refer to the
detailed budget laser cutter and engravers guide.

Conclusion

An awesome machine and accompanying products. I wish I had a detached noise or an insulated place (Detached Garage) where I could use it 24/7. This is not the case, and my projects stay to take no longer than 12-14h.

Amazon
AliExpress
Official Website