There's a lot of hype surrounding this cheap 3D pen, but how does it stand under scrutiny? Find out if this pen is a diamond in the ruff or just another piece of plastic junk in today's Dikale 07A review.
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Design
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Value
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User Experience
Dikale 07A Review
Dikale 07A 3D Pen Review Basics
This entry-level 3D pen features a thin, light plastic body that fits well in the hand with a counterbalance at the back that rests comfortably over your thumb. More recent iterations of the Dikale 07A have gotten significantly lighter, thinner, and shorter as the company attempts to perfect their design. Still, it’s neither the smallest nor the most rugged 3D pen on the market with its wide rear and thin, hollow shell.
The Dikale 07A uses a miniUSB-to-USB power cord, which is the best option in our opinion. These cords are easily replaceable and can be used with a wide variety of other electronics, like power banks, for portable power.
Use either ABS or PLA plastic with this 3D pen. Choose the filament mode first, then set your speed. There are three speed settings, with each faster speed getting a bit hotter in order to melt the filament at the right rate. The speed options are good and the pen reaches temperature in under 30 seconds, which is nice. On the downside, each of these functions is controlled by a separate button. There’s one for filament selection, speed selection, extrusion, and unloading filament. It takes some practice and a thorough read through the instructions to properly operate this 3D pen.
Dikale 07A 3D Pen Review Pros
Excellent Customer Service
Proving that Dikale is no fly-by-night operation, this company strives and succeeds at excellent customer service. Whether it’s sending you a new pen, a new part, or walking you through technical support, the Dikale customer support team is fast, patient, and friendly.
Good Selection of Accessories
The Dikale 07A ships with quite a few helpful accessories to help get you started. Stencils, a pen holder, and finger protectors come along in the box, as well as 180ft of filament in 18 different colors. Helpfully, they even include a small PVC drawing board which allows you to sketch over drawings without the filament sticking to the paper. Overall, this is a good kit with a smart selection of accessories.
Dikale 07A 3D Pen Review Cons
Unreliable Performance
Unfortunately, the most important thing about a 3D pen is its performance and that’s where the Dikale 07A fails. While you can get decent results with this pen, there are several big issues. The first is that extrusion is unpredictable, with the pen sometimes releasing more or less filament instead of an even stream. When you finish extruding, lots of plastic still flows from the tip, too, leaving long stringy messes and globs of extra filament.
Finally, and most importantly, the Dikale 07A is more prone to jams and clogs than other pens at this price point. Clogs are easy to fix, but you must completely dissect the pen each time, which is both annoying and increases the risk of causing unintentional harm to the pen. Some clogs even render the pen useless without replacement parts.
Cheap Construction
We’ll just come out and say it – the Dikale 07A feels like a cheap toy. In fact, it feels like a pen that costs half as much. Ultra lightweight but bulky at an 1”, the plastic casing feels brittle and the interior hardware looks unfinished. Everything about the pen from the ceramic nozzle to the basic LCD screen is disappointing.
Dikale 07A 3D Pen Review Verdict
You can probably guess our opinion by now, but in case it wasn’t clear, we do not recommend the Dikale 07A. At best, this 3D pen is an overpriced toy. At worse, its shoddy construction is dangerous. There’s even evidence of the company paying customers to remove bad reviews from their store page, which indicates that although Dikale has excellent customer service, they’re also willing to “cheat” for good reviews.
If you’re a beginner or are looking for a good gift for the kids, try the Tecboss 3D pen. More experienced users should check out a pen like the AIO Robotics Full Metal Premium 3D Pen. Either way, pass on the Dikale 07A for something better.
