Flashforge AD5X

The Flashforge AD5X is an enclosed CoreXY 3D printer that I’ve found interesting for a few reasons and that I decided to start keeping notes on.

• Works with OrcaSlicer (mostly) out of the box
• Price point is very appealing (EUR 375 on Amazon as of this writing)
• Multi-material handling included out of the box, with a simple and straightforward solution
• Quick release nozzle system with useful selection of nozzle sizes available
• Somewhat fits my volume constraints if I finagle the spool placement
• There is a thriving community around it, with a few useful software mods and upgrades available
• Explicitly supports “LAN only” mode and does not require activation through an app (although there isn’t any info on telemetry)

• Build plate size and volume (220×220×220mm) are a bit on the small side for a CoreXY printer.
• Comes with yet another semi-hackish OrcaSlicer fork
• Does not come with a hardened steel nozzle and seems targeted at non-abrasive filaments.
• Open frame, with a flimsy enclosure kit that you have to mostly 3D print yourself (+US$64 for acrylic and screws…).
• No camera in the stock configuration (+US$40).
• Proprietary display and semi-proprietary Klipper firmware fork
• External volume and filament spools take up a bit too much space (it would be interesting to see if I could mount them above the printer)
• Flashforge’s track record regarding software is… interesting. The current shipping firmware has hard-coded purge limits that make multi-material printing difficult without firmware hacks.

In short, this is an interesting printer to tinker with, but not without its quirks. It might be a fun replacement for my Kingroon KP3S if I can get the software side of things sorted out, but is not going to be a “print anything” machine given its volume and feature limitations.