Kywoo Tycoon Kickstarter Review Joins 3D Printing Market

Kyoo Tycoon from Kywoo3D is coming soon. The Kickstarter for the Tycoon and larger Tycoon Max is fully funded and ending soon. Production models will include a Kywoo designed auto-level sensor, SD and TF cards slots, an improved part cooling fan nozzle, updated firmware and a redesigned feeder knob. Pictures, videos, prints and feedback will follow soon. Bookmark, subscribe and sign up for Inov3D’s newsletter to stay informed.

KICKSTARTER and Kywoo3D UPDATES – January 2021:
* The first and second batch of Kywoo Tycoon printers have shipped.
* Final assembly and shipment of Tycoon Max printers will begin soon.
* Kywoo has an official Youtube channel with assembly and test print videos.
* There is also an Kywoo Tycoon Official User Group on Facebook. This group is a great resource for news, firmware releases, Tycoon STLs and future customer service.
* Keep an eye on the official Kywoo.com site for additional products and replacement parts.

 

Kywoo3D based in Shenzhen, China, Kywoo3D is dedicated to the research, development and production of high-precision, intelligent 3D printers. Their team of talented engineers embarked on research that has led to developing patented additive manufacturing technologies unavailable to the competition. Kywoo3D has seven years of experience in 3D printer design.

Their customer service team has a background of theoretical and practical training, striving to listen to user feedback, help resolve issues, and augment the product development process. Kywoo’s Kickstarter campaign for their Tycoon and Tycoon Max went live in late October 2020. These Tycoon printers are slightly larger than average and includes multiple modern features.

The Kywoo Tycoon Kickstarter has ended. It was fully funded and reached two stretch goals!! Kickstarter Link

Updates and Additional Information

Kickstarter UPDATE 01:

Kywoo Tycoon Kickstarter went live October 22, 2020 and will run for 29 days. A second larger Tycoon MAX model (300x300x240) is also available in the Kywoo Kickstarter campaign. They set the limited Tycoon Flash price at $279, and the limited Tycoon Max Super Early Bird is $369.  Initial shipping costs, warehouses and tax details are listed. Marlin 2.x Firmware is open source and already posted. Minor corrections & additions were made to this article.

Tycoon UPDATE 02:

Kywoo Tycoon Kickstarter has been live for only a few days and has already surpassed $19,000 USD with nearly 60 backers. Additional details continue to be added to the campaign, its FAQ and the Comments section. Testing of Nylon was unfavorable at this time and will be removed from the specs. They plan the initial batch shipment for late December. Various rewards tiers will affect personal delivery dates. Overall corrections & additions were made to this article.

Kickstarter UPDATE 03:

After only a few days, the Kywoo tycoon Kickstarter Campaign for the Tycoon has surpassed $26,000 USD with 79 backers. They have announced the first stretch goal: A $75 Octoprint kit with a camera when the campaign is 100% funded at $30,000 USD. The Beta sample printer has arrived in the USA and testing has begun. Included SD files have printed nicely. I will slice additional test and real prints with a fresh slicer profile. Emails have been bouncing back and forth with Kywoo. They plan improved firmware. Kywoo’s bed sensor is not “metal” as initially described.

Tycoon Update 04:

The campaign is fully funded and has unlocked its first stretch goal. Now backers shall receive an Octoprint Kit (a $75 value) with their selected pledge of $279 or higher. They base the kit on an Orange Pi. They frequently add additional details to the Kickstarter’s comment section.

Tycoon Updates Continue:

Kywoo’s Tycoon campaign is nearly over or just ended depending on when you read this. In the last few days it has reached the second stretch goal. Printer level backers will now receive an All-Metal Hotend + 0.4mm Hardened Steel Nozzle kit. Additionally, two new accessories will be available to purchase. This includes an Auto Shut down Kit for $12 and an Acrylic Enclosure partial DIY kit for $25. The combination of the hotend and enclosure kit should appeal to many users.

Besides the stretch goal and available accessories, Kywoo has listed the changes made for the production level 3D printers. The full list with pictures is available on the Kickstarter page. However, here is a list of the improvements based on feedback from Beta testers and general improvements.

1. Updated the package design to protect the two couplers of Z-Axis from stretching and protect from the wrong Z-axis home direction;
2. Changing the socket direction of Y-Axis end-stop to make the inserting easier;
3. Revised the socket of the thermistor cable below the hotbed to make the original two cables different;
4. Switching the air flow direction of the extruder fan to have the cooling parts back the heat bed;
5. Use the power supply with protection;
6. Making the manual easier for beginners to read, add slicer and slicer instruction to SD card;
7. Increasing the hotbed binder clips from two to four; (Please note the height of the hotbed is 3mm, and the height of the tempered glass is 4mm. Some alligator clips may not suitable for this hotbed.)
8. Kywoo decided to change the filament holder type and discarded their injection molded design.
9. Adding more instruction for assembling, like stickers on the foot pads reminding users to insert the Y-Axis base first then screw on the foot pads;
10. Redesigned the shape of the feed-in knob to avoid glue and slip;
11. Change the insert ports have changed to a micro USB port, an SD card port, and a TF card port on the right side;
12. Add a Z-axis timing belt;
13. Offer two adjustable belt clips in the package for the X/Y axis;

There are also some changes that reviewers don’t mention, but they have revised. Kywoo quote: “All the changes make this a solid and stable machine. We believe you will be happy while using it in the future!”

1. Fix the wire of the mainboard to make it more durable and reduce the interference to filament;
2. Chamfer the profiles to make it safer;
3. Use a wider and thicker LCD FPC line.

Kywoo has also released a brief video showing the installation and use of the Octoprint with Camera kit that is included as the first stretch goal.

Author’s Note:  My typed review of the machine was mostly lost during a forced Windows 10 update – ARRRGGHHH!   But don’t worry, another update with my full review is coming shortly!!!

A quick summary is that I like this machine. I feel that it is well built with plenty of features for new and experienced users. I’m looking forward to the minor improvements planned for the production model.
The full review is included below.

Kywoo Tycoon Features and Specifications

Kywoo Tycoon is an FDM Cartesian “bed-slinger” 3D printer with multiple upgraded features. Below are the details we have so far.

Specifications	Details	Comments
Printing Size	Tycoon 240x240x240 Tycoon Max 300x300x240	New Mid-range Size Larger than Prusa and Ender3** Second Max Size Available
Filament	PLA / TPU /  PETG / ABS / ** NYLON	Direct Drive Setup SINGLE 1:1 Gear ** NYLON may be removed from specs
Bed Temperature	≤ 110º C	Borosilicate Glass Bed 245 x 260 mm; ** Spring steel PEI is a planned as a Kickstarter accessory
Nozzle Temperature	≤ 260º C	MK8 – 0.4mm Brass Nozzle; PTFE Lined Throat; Upgrade sales planned;
Printing Speed	80 – 100 mm/s
Auto-Leveling	Yes **	BL Touch style on Beta ** Kywoo Designed sensor for Production Models
Resume Printing	Yes
Filament Sensor	Yes
Main Board	32Bit	Custom board in development
Marlin v 2.0	OPEN FIRMWARE
Stepper Drivers	Silent TMC2208 (X & Y)	55db Max (Fans)
Linear Rail	X-Axis
Compact Hotend	MK8 0.4 Brass Nozzle	Assembly with Cool Red Extruder Wheel
Double Z-Axis	Dual Motors
Double Y-Axis	Rods and Sleeve Bearings
Interface	3.5″ Color HD Touch screen	9 Lanuages
Power Supply	Enclosed – 24 volts	Meanwell Power Supply
Easy assembly	YES	4 Screws, 4 Wire Connectors, 2 Piece Snap On Spool Holder & Power Plug
Filament rack	Adjustable width
Carry Handles	YES	Weight of machine 12.3kg
Overall size of the machine is	485 x 525 x 475 mm	Box is580 x 510 x 300mm
Rubber Leveling Feet	Adjustable
Connectivity	WIFI Transfer, SD and TF cards

 

Kywoo Tycoon Test Print Time Lapse

Here is a support-free quality test print from Kywoo.

Kickstarter Risks and Challenges

Kickstarter has been around for some time now. It has many success stories and some horror stories. We at Inov3D CANNOT promise the end results of the Kywoo Tycoon Kickstarter or any Kickstarter project. That being said, I personally have received several products and am currently backing a few more. Learn about accountability on Kickstarter and make your own decisions.

Quote from Kywoo:

Like all Kickstarter projects, we will face certain risks and challenges in delivering this product at the quality we demand of ourselves. However, the Kywoo team brings with it not only our passion but experience in engineering and manufacturing at scale, and we’ve made every effort to mitigate these risks for our backers.

Tycoon Kickstarter Pricing

Here is a breakdown of the Tycoon Kickstarter price tiers (while supplies last).

To find out more on the Kickstarter and for its launch, you can check out the page here. Stay tuned for more details, updates and test prints when they become available on the Kywoo Tycoon!

Kywoo Tycoon 3D Printer Review

A BETA sample of the Kywoo Tycoon 3D printer has been sent to our author Bob Modrow for a review. Keeping reading for the results Hands-on testing, photos and initial impressions.

Unpacking and Assembly

The Tycoon printer arrived safely in the USA. My pre-production box did not include an instructions sheet and I didn’t check the micro SD card (before I lost it). However, assembly is very easy. It requires ONLY 4 screws, 2 Leveling Feet, 4 plug connections, snapping the two filament spool brackets onto the frame, selecting your correct voltage (115v or 230v) and plugging in the machine. The Tycoon 3d printer fired right up.

While assembling a Kywoo Tycoon or Tycoon Max, take note of these two critical points.

• First install the third and forth leveling feet after securing the bed sub-assembly to the Z-gantry sub-assembly.
• Secondly, be sure to place the Y-Axis motor towards the rear. Yes, I made both mistakes!

Here are some unboxing and (incorrectly) assembled pictures. Don’t worry, I corrected my mistake!

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Test Prints and Beta Cooling Issue

To emulate the new hobbyist experience, some of the included sample gcodes were printed. Initially, a spool of Yousu Silk Copper (Amazon LINK), was used. I printed a robot with Kywoo’s logo, which had plenty of supports. The supports are a great introduction to real printing for new users. However, a few issues were noticed with the slicing and cooling.

There did not seem to be enough top layers, and the outer surfaces were ugly. Initially, I assumed the gcode and new material were to blame. However, after printing a simple 20mm cube, the quality got worse. Next I switched to a favorite roll of Pastel Blue from Solutech 3D (Amazon Store). This time, it printed the included 40mm test cube. Although the layers and overall quality were acceptable, the X and Y letters didn’t look good.

Here are some pictures showing my initial test prints BEFORE I adjusted the cooling fan installation.

While emailing back and forth with Kywoo it was mentioned that I should check on the part cooling fan. They assembled some early sample printers with the fan upside down. This results in nearly zero air flow. Unfortunately, my printer was one of those machines. After unscrewing the fan, flipping it over and installing some spacers (for the now incorrect screw lengths) the machine was back in service. Reprinting of the robot with my blue PLA was nearly perfect! Yet I still wanted to create my own printing profile for additional testing.

Cura Slicer Profile Setup

My go-to slicer was Cura 4.6.2 when I received the Tycoon 3D Printer. Setup was simple and based on a Non-Networked, Custom, Custom FFF Printer with the correct bed (240x240x240mm) and material diameter. Next I started tweaking the default Fine 0.1mm profile to match my preferences. I only change a few initial settings when using a new machine. Typically, this includes initial layer height,  shell thicknesses, Z seam alignment, infill percent & pattern, temperatures, overall speed, RETRACTION settings, combing mode, Z hop settings and my preferred tree support settings, especially the Z gap per layer thickness used.

The “basic” changes I make for all Cura profiles are personal preferences after a year of printing and watching countless YouTube videos. Feel free to start with my settings and don’t be afraid to experiment!

UPDATE: Go To our Slicer Profile Article to download the Kywoo Tycoon cura slicer profile, with extra files to help setup a Kywoo Tycoon in Cura 4.6.2 (or newer).

Additional Prints and Details

Below is a gallery of some of the prints, with the fan reinstalled correctly and my Kywoo Tycoon Cura profile. The 3DBenchy printed nicely. The normal 20mm cube looks good. A complex cube printed with some strings. (The Solutech 3D material needs more retraction distance). The Kywoo robot quality is high. Printing of the AutoCAD kickstarter test model was successful. The printer’s dimensional accuracy has not been checked or adjusted yet. My custom cylinder shape printed with smooth surfaces and minimal stringing. I use that particular test model when setting up new machines, material and experimental profile changes.

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Once I was satisfied with minor profile adjustments, I began printing a witch figure from Andrew Stephanov at 1/10th scale. Here are Andrew’s Facebook profile and Patreon links. The model’s body pieces were printed using 0.10 layer height at 50mm/s with tree supports and 0.20 Support Z Distance. I printed the head using 0.06 thick layers and the stock 0.4 nozzle! Solutech3D PLA printed great at 195C and 3mm of retraction. I used again Yousu Copper to make the base at 215c and 0.12 layers.

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Kywoo Tycoon 3D Printer Feedback

Negatives or Room for Improvement–Let’s get this out of the way!

No machine is perfect, no matter what the various fans claim. Currently, I own twelve (12) FDM printers from seven (7) different manufactures. I’m a fanatic about FDM 3D printing, but not anyone brand or model. So lets discuss some of the shortcomings of the Kywoo Tycoon (Beta) machine. Overall, there were very few issues that are not already scheduled to be addressed with the full production models. Regardless, here are a few items.

• Firmware

  The included firmware/touch screen menus need some minor tweaking – Kywoo tells me they will continue to change and test until they began production packaging and shipments.

  • Filament run-out – The drive motors were not engaged/locked when the hotend parked during the filament change process. This allowed the print head and bed to move when inserting new filament. As a result, that print was ruined. A few simple firmware settings will fix this, and I suggested it to the Kywoo team via email.
  • Some of the touch screen menu features are in unique locations. It took a few minutes to find the z-offset feature which is required when using a bed level sensor. (The z-offset, incorrectly called baby stepping, is located in the printing sub-menu after starting a job). Additionally, some of the screens have extra or unused buttons. Currently, every brand’s touch screen menus seem to vary. Hopefully, future firmware releases will continue to improve the menus.

• Part Cooling

  As mentioned above, my part cooling fan was installed incorrectly. Kywoo states they have already addressed this assembly process. Additionally, they have designed a fan nozzle to better direct the part cooling air flow. I did not get a chance to print a copy with PETG or ABS yet.

  • For those that love or require extreme cooling modifications, you will be in for a challenge. The hotend assembly spacing is tight, and the entire assembly slides between the dual Z-axis extrusions. Creative and new designs will be necessary if you want to change to fan configurations.

• Rigid Bed

  Good or bad, the print bed does not have any manual leveling wheels. Instead, the bed is fixed to dual Y-Axis rods with slide bearings. This REQUIRES the use of a bed level sensor and Z-offset. When Kywoo begins selling their sensor separately, ordering a spare might be a good idea. On the flip side, new users will not need to worry about leveling the four corners. Instead, they just need to utilized the bed leveling function and z-offset.

• Filament Holders

  The original snap on & open bearing style filament holders were a bit different and weak. One of mine broke while swapping filament spool widths. Luckily, this is a moot point. Kywoo has already announced that it will include a traditional top spool holder with production models.

3D Printer Good Points – Great for youth, entry level & experienced 3D printing

Honestly, this printer has many outstanding features and design choices. New and experienced users will appreciate and maybe get spoiled by the Kywoo Tycoon. Without relisting, all the features here are some highlights.

• Auto Leveling

A prominent feature for new users or those who are just tired of manual leveling.

• Direct Drive

Reducing the filament travel is great for flexible filament, PETG, and for improved prints overall. This is especially important with projects that require an excessive amount of retractions.

• Carry Handles & Enclosed Power Supply

This is a simple yet effective method for relocating a 3D printer in a classroom, family room, or large printing farm. Just grab the power cord & handles and off you go. There is no dangling power box or struggling to balance the printer in your arms.

• Multiple Inputs

Besides the standard Micro SD and USB there a Wi-Fi connection module (not tested yet). Additional memory card slots planned for production models using Kywoo’s custom main board. There is a YouTube video highlighting the Wi-Fi setup, but I have not had a chance to test it.

• Quiet and 32Bit

The printer is relatively quiet and will include a custom 32bit board. 3D printers with minimal noise output are great for all users and printing locations. Inclusion of a 32bit board is ideal for the Marlin2 based firmware as well as future updates.

• Size

Whether you purchase a Tycoon 240x240x240mm or a Tycoon Max 300x300x240mm, either machine is larger than the most common machines. This means most users won’t outgrow their Kywoo’s build volume.

• Touch Screen

Although some prefer the older non-touch dial screens, the Tycoon screen was responsive and easy to read. Firmware revisions should make the menus even better and more user friendly.

• Bed Surface

The textured release-your-parts-when-cold glass bed is useful for many filaments and designs. Using glue sticks on the glass or the optional magnetic spring steel bed provide additional options.

Future Modifications – What is desired?

Overall, the Kywoo Tycoon has almost every modern feature desired in a 3D printer. Auto bed leveling sensor, silent motor drivers, 32bit board, touch screen, direct drive and improved print beds are all features customers are now looking. The Tycoon has all of these features and a compact frame.

I believe the Tycoon is nearly perfect straight out of the box. However, there is always room for improvement or modifications when your budget and creativity allows for it. Here are just a few things that owners may eventually add to their machines.

• Electronics

Some users may want to experiment with an alternative main board, touchscreen, drivers and firmware.

• Fans

No matter how quiet a 3D printer is, some owners still wish to use alternative fans.

• Cooling

Although the stock machine prints very good, some people wish to push the limits of their printers. This will require some new part cooling designs and mounts.

• Extruder

Even with a direct drive setup, certain materials and designs benefit from a dual gear filament extruder with gear reductions. Personal preferences and custom mounting will affect this potential revision.

• Other ideas

Did I miss something you’d like to see improved? Leave a comment and/or give Kywoo a shout. Who knows what they will design in the future.

Conclusion For The Kywoo Tycoon Review

Kywoo’s Tycoon 3D Printer is an impressive machine from a new company. Setup is quick and easy. Once the Auto Bed Leveling is complete, the Z-Offset can be set and you will be ready to print. Creation or importing of a slicer profile is straightforward. Besides the cooling fan installation, my pre-production BETA revision printer has worked smoothly. After a few slicer tweaks, I was able to print a multiple piece 1/10th scale figure using PLA filament. Other than a few strings, the individual pieces printed with outstanding quality.

The Kickstarter campaign for the Tycoon and Tycoon Max has ended. Kywoo’s inaugural printer is fully funded and reached its first two stretch goals. Planned production improvements address all the minor issues noted by multiple beta testers, reviewers and me. Hopefully, the delivery of the Kickstarter machines goes smoothly for Kywoo and all of their backers. I will continue to use my Tycoon and look forward to future machines designed by the Kywoo team.

NOTE: I forgot to mention it above, but I have not performed PID or Estep calibrations yet!! I wonder how much my prints will improve once I have fully calibrated the printer and installed the revised production-level cooling fan nozzle.

Here are a two completed figure prints from Andrew that were printed on my Tycoon.

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