Printer comparison
FlashForge Guider 3 Ultra vs QIDI i-Fast
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore FlashForge Guider 3 Ultra comparisonsMore QIDI i-Fast comparisons
| Property | FlashForge Guider 3 UltraINDUSTRIAL | QIDI i-FastIDEX |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | FlashForge | QIDI |
| Class | INDUSTRIAL | IDEX |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | Flashforge Guider 3 Ultra; the FlashForge spec table gives the machine name as "Guider 3 Ultra"[1] | QIDI Tech i-Fast, also written iFast and "I-Fast"[2][3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Not documented | Not published on the listings checked (Aug 2026)[2][3] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $2,399.00 against a $3,499.00 regular price on flashforge.com, but the listing checked is the refurbished SKU and is marked Sold out (Aug 2026)[1] | $1,899.00 at Top 3D Shop, listed as discontinued with a 5-10 business-day lead time, checked Aug 2026. 3DJake no longer sells it[3][2] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Top of the Guider 3 series. Build size depends on which head is used: 330 x 330 x 600 mm with one extruder, 300 x 330 x 600 mm with both. Siblings Guider 3 (300x250x340) and Guider 3 Plus (350x350x600) are both single-extruder. A refurbished SKU exists alongside the new machine, so check which one a price refers to[1][4][5] | Ships with two interchangeable dual-extruder assemblies — a standard dual head and a high-temperature dual head rated to 350 °C. Specifications quoted for one head do not apply to the other. Not to be confused with QIDI's i-Mate or the X-CF Pro[3][2] |
| Market position: superseded? successor announced? | Not documented | Discontinued; QIDI's current line is the Q, Plus and Max series[3][6] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 330 x 330 x 600 mm with a single extruder; 300 x 330 x 600 mm when both extruders are in use[1] | 330 x 250 x 320 mm advertised[2][3] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 635 x 550 x 1070 mm; packaging 775 x 690 x 1235 mm[1] | 710 x 510 x 670 mm[3] |
| Net weight (kg) | 70 kg net, 86 kg gross[1] | 33 kg net[3] |
| Frame construction & material | Enclosed professional chassis; FlashForge describes a lightweight, stable structure for high-speed operation[1] | Fully assembled enclosed metal-frame machine[2] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Closed design with an air filter fitted[1] | Fully enclosed with a heated chamber[2][3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY with two extruders, per a third-party buyer's guide. FlashForge's own spec table does not state the kinematics[7][1] | Dual independent extruders in an enclosed Cartesian gantry[2][3] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | 10-500 mm/s printing speed, 500 mm/s maximum travel speed (manufacturer figures)[1] | 30-150 mm/s print speed range (manufacturer figure — a working range, not a peak marketing number)[3] |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | 20,000 mm/s2 maximum (manufacturer claim)[1] | Not documented |
| Vibration Compensation / Input Shaping | ||
| Input shaping supported? Implementation (Klipper IS / Marlin ZV / proprietary) | Active vibration compensation, which FlashForge says was enhanced for this model. Implementation not named[1] | Not documented |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Two extruders[1] | Direct-drive, two extruders. MK10-style nozzle[2][3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | 350 °C maximum extruder temperature (manufacturer claim)[1] | 350 °C on the high-temperature extruder assembly[2][3] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | 0.4 mm default; 0.6 and 0.8 mm optional[1] | 0.4 mm nozzle diameter[3] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 120 °C bed setting supported (manufacturer figure)[1] | Not documented |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Replaceable flexible steel-plate platform, magnetic. No glass bed[1] | Not documented |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Full-auto one-click levelling; probe technology not named[1] | Not documented |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Filament run-out reminder[1] | Not documented |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA) | Air filter fitted; filter media not specified in the FlashForge table[1] | Not documented |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Input voltage (110/220 V, switch or auto) | AC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz[1] | 110-220 V[3] |
| Total rated power draw | 850 W maximum[1] | 700 W rated[3] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Not named; slicers are Orca-Flashforge and FlashPrint 5, with OrcaSlicer listed as compatible[1] | Not documented |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 7-inch touch LCD[1] | Not documented |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, plus cloud[1] | Wi-Fi, LAN, USB flash drive[2][3] |
| Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps) | Remote camera monitoring and time-lapse video supported; resolution not published[1] | Not documented |
| Power-Loss & Interruption Recovery | ||
| Power-loss recovery: mechanism (how is state saved? capacitor / eeprom / file on shutdown?) | Power-loss recovery supported; mechanism not published. Automatic shutdown also supported[1] | Not documented |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | PLA, ABS, HIPS, ASA, PETG, CoPA, PLA-CF, PETG-CF, PAHT-CF, PAHT-GF, PET-CF, PET-GF, PA12-CF, PA-CF, PA-GF, NexPA-CF25[1] | Carbon fibre, nylon, PETG, TPU, PC, ABS, PLA[3] |
| Safety | ||
| Certifications (UL/ETL/CE/FCC — verify, don't assume) | CE, FCC, RoHS (as printed in FlashForge's own spec table)[1] | Not documented |
Manufacturer claims, independent measurements, packages and test conditions retain their source wording. FDM linear speed and resin vertical speed use different units and are not directly comparable. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.
Sources for this comparison
- Flashforge Guider 3 Ultra product page (refurbished listing) flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech i-Fast technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI Tech i-Fast Dual Extruder FDM 3D Printer listing top3dshop.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- FlashForge Guider 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- FlashForge Guider 3 Plus technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI US store full product collection us.qidi3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge printer buyer's guide, 5M to Creator 5 eolasprints.com · 2026-08 · review