Tevo is a 3D printing company, known for their Tarantula 3D Printer. Besides Tevo Tarantula, which is i3 Prusa style affordable printer they have two more mid-range printers in store: Tevo Black Widow and Tevo Delta (aka Little Monster).
In this article, I would like to compare these 3D printers side by side. There hasn’t been much information on the web while I was researching Tevo brand, so I decided to make a comparison and features table. Even though these two printers do not look like each other at all, it is essential to emphasize the differences between them, as each of those can be used differently.
The goal of this article is to show you the differences and help you decide which Tevo printer is right for your needs.
Tevo Printers Specification
Specification table below depicts a major feature, technology and design difference between Tarantula, Black Widow and Little Monster (Delta).
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Tevo Tarantula 3D Printer Kit
Tevo Tarantula Overview
Aimed at the entry-level customers, this RepRap Prusa i3 style printer certainly has its advantages over some other i3 clones. Made of aluminum, with a Bowden type extruder and a 200X 200 X 200mm printing area, Tevo Tarantula certainly sounds promising for those which do not wish to break their bank.
Besides optional heat-bed upgrade, Tevo offers two more features: extruder and auto-leveling sensor upgrade.
What makes Tarantula stand out from the crowd is that you do not have to ponder over which part is the best, what improvements to add, and how to enhance printer’s performance. The manufacturer did this for you. Of course, both of those improvements will increase the final cost of the printer.
Tevo Tarantula Firmware
Tarantula’s Repetier firmware is available for download from the official website of Tevo. If you wish to use the Marlin firmware, you may acquire it from other online sources. Make sure that you’re downloading the firmware that is specifically configured for this printer.
Assembly
For the Tevo Tarantula assembly process, you may refer directly to the Tevo Tarantula instructions manual provided by the manufacturer. You can also check other online sources where experienced users provide a detailed guide and some useful tips on how to assemble your printer kit correctly.
How to Calibrate the Tevo Tarantula?
Calibrating your 3D printer is easy. You just need to locate the thumb nuts on the print bed of the 3D printer. Then, lower or raise the corners of the print bed just enough to allow you to slice a thin sheet of paper right below the nozzle of the printer.
Tevo Tarantula Parts
Some of the parts you can purchase for your Tevo Tarantula mods and upgrades are as follows:
- Heated Bed – for a large, heated bed upgrade
- TEVO Volcano hotend – for 1.75mm Direct Filament 0.4mm Nozzle
- Dual Z-Axis Upgrade Kit
- MKS MOSFET – for the heated bed
- Print Fan – ideal for a temperature-sensitive filament
- Mega Anti-Tangle Spool Holder – to prevent tangles from the printer filament
Tevo Tarantula Upgrades
If you wish to make your Tarantula a little more than just another “newbie 3D Printing kit”, the manufacturer offers some options. Tevo offers expandable build option for the Tarantula. You can upgrade your heat-bed and increase printing size to 200 x 280 x 200 mm.
If standard single-color Bowden extruder is not the best for you, you can upgrade it with the following options :
- Pro Metal – this extruder allows you to print flexible filaments
- Dual Extruder – this type of extruder allows you to print with two filaments at the same time, multicolor.
Besides the extruder upgrade and heat bed expansion, there’s also an optional auto-leveling sensor upgrade which involves installing an auto-leveling probe.
With the total weight of approximately 7.8kg, Tarantula is the most lightweight of the trio.
Aimed primarily at lower-budget customers, it is interesting that, according to the specs, its printing speed can reach up to 150mm/s, which is faster than its expensive relative – Tevo Black Widow.
Tevo Black Widow
The mid-range 3D printer from Tevo is called Black Widow. Its printing volume is 370 X 250 X 300mm and it weighs ~13kg. This printer is literally midst among everything between the lower-end Tarantula and higher-end Delta. One feature which I am still unable to confirm is that it has only a slower printing speed 100mm/s compared to its little brother – Tarantula.
It’s not as customizable out of the box as the Tarantula, but it has an auto-level sensor optional upgrade. Compared to Tarantula which utilizes wheels on all axes of the aluminum frame to move, the Widow uses the rod for the Z axis.
Tevo Delta – Little Monster
With the printing area of 340 x 500mm and dimensions of 600 X 600 X 1200mm it is not a surprise why this 38kg Delta machine is called Little Monster. The most robust of all three (both by design, weight, and features), Delta has the highest price tag.
Little monster pretty much dominates in all fields. It can reach up to 300mm/s printing speed, which is nearly twice as fast as the other two. One more major advantage of the Tevo Delta is that it arrives pretty much assembled. According to the manufacturer, 80% of the printer inside the box is assembled, you just have to connect a few parts and you are ready to print.
With features and the price like this, Delta is probably neither a toy nor a beginner’s 3D printer.
Final Review: Tevo Tarantula vs. Black Widow vs. Little Monster (Delta) – which one is the best?
I hope that so far you managed to determine which printer best suits your needs. But if you are still undecided, here is my two cents. If you are a newbie on a budget and you wish to get a Tevo printer, you should probably go for the cheapest i3 style printer – the Tarantula Printer Kit. Tarantula DIY Kit offers more than enough customization options to suit almost any beginner’s need. Another good choice for beginners outside of Tevo is the Monoprice Maker Select or Monoprice Select Mini.
On the other hand, if you want a bit more stable of a printer with larger printing volume above all, but you don’t have a fortune to spend, Black Widow is a logical solution.
Finally, if you are an advanced user who needs tough, stable 3D printer with enormous printing volume and speed, Tevo Delta Little Monster is probably your best choice.
Question for you
Do you have any of these printers? What is your experience with it? Feel free to leave a comment and help us spread the knowledge. We’re waiting to hear back from you.
Oh, and if you found any mistakes or you’re aware of more differences than provided in this article, I would appreciate if you could share it. Sharing is caring.
Contributors
Following members of the community pointed out to some of the mistakes I initially made in the article and helped me make this writing more accurate and complete.
- Ben Bisares
- jayiii (reddit)
- Paco Raap
Useful Links
- Tevo website
- Official Tevo AliExpress Store
- Tevo Tarantula User Group on Facebook
- Black Widow User Group on Facebook
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