Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
🔥 New Studio, New Snapmaker U1 – Tool-Changer Unboxing & First Impressions
What’s going on friends – Sam Prentice back once again! I’m finally filming in the brand new studio, rebuilt after the fire damage just eight months ago, and to break it in properly I’m unboxing something big: the Snapmaker U1 – a brand new CoreXY multi-colour tool-changer 3D printer launching on Kickstarter.
👉 Back / Pre-order the Snapmaker U1 here
snapmaker.sjv.io/o42ZYW (post release price $849)
(affiliate link)
In this video I unbox the Snapmaker U1, walk through assembly, calibration and first power-on, load up four colours of filament, test the RFID system, run the built-in test print and then move on to my own models. You’ll see real first impressions – the good, the bad, the bugs – from a prototype machine that still has unfinished firmware and some missing features.
If you’re wondering whether to drop that $30 Kickstarter deposit for the $679 early bird price (or $729 standard campaign price), this video gives you the context: what the hardware looks like, how the tool changer works, how much waste it produces compared to purge-based systems like Bambu Lab, and whether this compact tool-changer could be the more affordable alternative to a Prusa XL.
🧰 What’s in This Video?
Rebuilding after a studio fire & first proper shoot back in the space
Snapmaker U1 unboxing – packaging, tools, accessories & extras
Installing the four SnapSwap™ tool heads and feeder units
Plugging in PTFE tubes, filament holders, waste bin & nozzle wiper
First power-on, touchscreen setup, Wi-Fi & automatic calibration
49-point bed levelling, resonance test & multi-tool calibration
Loading Snapmaker PLA + testing the RFID filament system
First multi-colour test prints – Pikachu failure, under-extrusion & fixes
Orca Slicer setup, sending files over the network & early software quirks
Discussion on Kickstarter pricing, early bird cashback & marketing hype
Why tool changers matter for reducing filament waste vs AMS / purge towers
How the U1 feels compared to the Prusa XL and other tool-changing systems
💸 Snapmaker U1 Kickstarter Pricing (Explained Simply)
💰 $679 – Early Bird price (with a $30 deposit and cashback after shipping)
💰 $729 – Standard Kickstarter campaign price (excluding shipping)
Yes, the structure is a bit “Kickstarter gamified”, but if the hardware and software land where they should, this could be one of the most affordable multi-colour tool changers on the market.
❤️ Channel Sponsors
🔧 PCBWay – PCB manufacturing, CNC, sheet metal, 3D printing & more:
https://shorturl.at/c5d7X
🧵 Polymaker Filament – PLA, ABS, ASA, PC, Nylon, CF & specialty filaments:
us.polymaker.com/?aff=22
Supporting them helps support the channel 🙌
🕒 Video Chapters
0:00 – Back in the new studio after the fire
0:26 – Introducing the Snapmaker U1 & Kickstarter pricing
1:01 – Prototype disclaimer & what’s NOT working yet
1:33 – What this video covers (unboxing + first prints)
2:00 – Why tool changers matter for filament waste
2:45 – Kickstarter link, affiliate info & beta tester context
2:58 – Snapmaker U1 box on the bench
3:36 – Looking back at the Snapmaker J1 vs Bambu Lab era
4:19 – Why purge-heavy multi-colour printers waste so much filament
4:44 – Tool changers like Prusa XL vs U1’s more compact approach
5:20 – Thoughts on Kickstarter hype, early bird deals & marketing
6:02 – First look at the machine – plastics, size & design
8:33 – Inside the U1: tool bays, PTFE, feeders & back panel ports
9:31 – Z-rods, bearings & build volume impressions
11:07 – Enclosure rumours & “high-end consumer” design feel
12:02 – Opening the accessory box & first look at the tool heads
13:20 – Nozzles, tools & accessories overview
16:31 – Waste bin, nozzle wiper & purge reality check
16:59 – PCBWay sponsor segment
17:31 – Installing feeders, PTFE, spool holders & cable routing
20:00 – Fitting the tool heads & understanding the sliders
23:20 – Final assembly steps & powered-on for the first time
27:26 – Screen setup, Wi-Fi & calibration sequence
29:05 – Build volume & device calibration
31:15 – First look at Snapmaker PLA & possible RFID tags
33:30 – RFID filament detection confirmed
35:07 – Bed leveling & resonance test
37:19 – First “rabbit” test print & firmware update hunt
39:40 – First Pikachu attempt – under-extrusion & failure
40:25 – Orca Slicer setup for multi-colour cubes
41:37 – Checking extrusion from each tool head
44:20 – Results of the cube test & extrusion fixed
45:34 – Summary, first impressions & where to watch the in-depth review
🔥 New Studio, New Snapmaker U1 – Tool-Changer Unboxing & First Impressions
What’s going on friends – Sam Prentice back once again! I’m finally filming in the brand new studio, rebuilt after the fire damage just eight months ago, and to break it in properly I’m unboxing something big: the Snapmaker U1 – a brand new CoreXY multi-colour tool-changer 3D printer launching on Kickstarter.
👉 Back / Pre-order the Snapmaker U1 here
snapmaker.sjv.io/o42ZYW (post release price $849)
(affiliate link)
In this video I unbox the Snapmaker U1, walk through assembly, calibration and first power-on, load up four colours of filament, test the RFID system, run the built-in test print and then move on to my own models. You’ll see real first impressions – the good, the bad, the bugs – from a prototype machine that still has unfinished firmware and some missing features.
If you’re wondering whether to drop that $30 Kickstarter deposit for the $679 early bird price (or $729 standard campaign price), this video gives you the context: what the hardware looks like, how the tool changer works, how much waste it produces compared to purge-based systems like Bambu Lab, and whether this compact tool-changer could be the more affordable alternative to a Prusa XL.
🧰 What’s in This Video?
Rebuilding after a studio fire & first proper shoot back in the space
Snapmaker U1 unboxing – packaging, tools, accessories & extras
Installing the four SnapSwap™ tool heads and feeder units
Plugging in PTFE tubes, filament holders, waste bin & nozzle wiper
First power-on, touchscreen setup, Wi-Fi & automatic calibration
49-point bed levelling, resonance test & multi-tool calibration
Loading Snapmaker PLA + testing the RFID filament system
First multi-colour test prints – Pikachu failure, under-extrusion & fixes
Orca Slicer setup, sending files over the network & early software quirks
Discussion on Kickstarter pricing, early bird cashback & marketing hype
Why tool changers matter for reducing filament waste vs AMS / purge towers
How the U1 feels compared to the Prusa XL and other tool-changing systems
💸 Snapmaker U1 Kickstarter Pricing (Explained Simply)
💰 $679 – Early Bird price (with a $30 deposit and cashback after shipping)
💰 $729 – Standard Kickstarter campaign price (excluding shipping)
Yes, the structure is a bit “Kickstarter gamified”, but if the hardware and software land where they should, this could be one of the most affordable multi-colour tool changers on the market.
❤️ Channel Sponsors
🔧 PCBWay – PCB manufacturing, CNC, sheet metal, 3D printing & more:
https://shorturl.at/c5d7X
🧵 Polymaker Filament – PLA, ABS, ASA, PC, Nylon, CF & specialty filaments:
us.polymaker.com/?aff=22
Supporting them helps support the channel 🙌
🕒 Video Chapters
0:00 – Back in the new studio after the fire
0:26 – Introducing the Snapmaker U1 & Kickstarter pricing
1:01 – Prototype disclaimer & what’s NOT working yet
1:33 – What this video covers (unboxing + first prints)
2:00 – Why tool changers matter for filament waste
2:45 – Kickstarter link, affiliate info & beta tester context
2:58 – Snapmaker U1 box on the bench
3:36 – Looking back at the Snapmaker J1 vs Bambu Lab era
4:19 – Why purge-heavy multi-colour printers waste so much filament
4:44 – Tool changers like Prusa XL vs U1’s more compact approach
5:20 – Thoughts on Kickstarter hype, early bird deals & marketing
6:02 – First look at the machine – plastics, size & design
8:33 – Inside the U1: tool bays, PTFE, feeders & back panel ports
9:31 – Z-rods, bearings & build volume impressions
11:07 – Enclosure rumours & “high-end consumer” design feel
12:02 – Opening the accessory box & first look at the tool heads
13:20 – Nozzles, tools & accessories overview
16:31 – Waste bin, nozzle wiper & purge reality check
16:59 – PCBWay sponsor segment
17:31 – Installing feeders, PTFE, spool holders & cable routing
20:00 – Fitting the tool heads & understanding the sliders
23:20 – Final assembly steps & powered-on for the first time
27:26 – Screen setup, Wi-Fi & calibration sequence
29:05 – Build volume & device calibration
31:15 – First look at Snapmaker PLA & possible RFID tags
33:30 – RFID filament detection confirmed
35:07 – Bed leveling & resonance test
37:19 – First “rabbit” test print & firmware update hunt
39:40 – First Pikachu attempt – under-extrusion & failure
40:25 – Orca Slicer setup for multi-colour cubes
41:37 – Checking extrusion from each tool head
44:20 – Results of the cube test & extrusion fixed
45:34 – Summary, first impressions & where to watch the in-depth review
