The Creality Ender 3 Pro is one of the most popular and reliable 3D printers available. The price, upgrade potential, reliability and print quality are just a few things that drew me to the Ender 3 Pro. For printers under $300, this may be the best one available in 2020 and if you are looking for one under $200, the Creality Ender 3 (not the Pro) is a great option as the differences between the two models is minimal.
Like the Flashforge Adventurer 3, my hopes for the Ender 3 Pro were high, especially with all the adoration it gets in the 3D printing community. Well, so far it has held up to its name. Out of the box, it takes a little time to put together but a handy person can do it in around 60-90 minutes. If you are new to printing, something like the Adventurer 3 may be the better option as there is no assembly required. Being familiar with printers in general and printer assembly, I found nothing with the Ender 3 Pro difficult or challenging while putting together. If I had to give a tip, it would be to leave everything finger tight until everything is in place. Once you get it together, make sure the frame is as level and square as possible and then tighten.
Once assembled, it is time to feed in the filament and begin calibration. The Ender 3 Pro does have a heated bed with a magnetic surface plate and does require manual bed leveling in stock form. Don’t let that scare you, I found the machine easy to level. The large bed leveling nobs are easy to reach and turn. During your initial level, it may seem like the nobs are being turned way to much, the first two may even become loose. Stop and move to the others to level the bed more, this will put tension back on the first two springs. Once level, you should be good go with your first print. The SD card that comes with the printer has a few test prints, I went with the Dog and the results were as expected, good. Fine tuning some settings can make that good print great but that takes time so be patient. There is a large community out there that is will to help with any snags you may hit, just ask!
The bed size is 220 x 220 x 250 mm and is mid range for consumer grade printers, larger than the Adventurer 3 but smaller than a CR-10s. I have heard complaints about the magnetic build surface but so far, I like it. It is easy to remove, prints stick well, especially PLA, ABS and PETG, and the textured surface leaves a nice first layer. Some prefer the smooth layers provided by a glass bed so that is an option if you prefer. There are several glass bed upgrades available to purchase or you can make your own.
The bed is capable of reaching 110 degrees Celsius with a max nozzle temp of 255 degrees Celsius. The open design of the Ender 3 Pro does mean that these temperatures are reached slower than that of an enclosed printer but it is not unreasonable. There are enclosures available to purchase or like the glass bed and other upgrades, you can build your own. The MK8 Extruder works well and produces great prints. Some prefer a direct drive extruder which is an upgrade options for this printer as well.
To date, I have over 500 hours of print time on the Ender 3 Pro and my only complaint about the stock form is the noise. Being an open design, I would prefer silent fans and a silent board. These are probably the only future upgrades I will make to the printer as it is quite noisy. Other than that, for $239, which is what I paid directly from Creality, it is a really solid printer that I would recommend to anyone.
Product features
MAGNET BUILD SURFACE PLATE: Provide all-round protection to your 3D printer build plate and ensure consistent temperature throughout the build surface. Easy to remove the printing models after cooling.
SAFE POWER SUPPLY: Ender 3 Pro comes with a Mean Well UL Certified power supply, protecting your printer from unexpected power surges, that can heat the hotbed to 110℃ in just 5 minutes.
RESUME PRINT FUNCTION: Ender 3 Pro can resume printing from the last recorded extruder position after suffering unexpected power outages.
SEMI-ASSEMBLED KIT: several assembled parts This easy-to-setup kit comes partially assembled, allowing you to learn about the basic construction of 3D printers as you finish putting it together. A fun STEM educational experience in mechanical engineering and electronics.
WHAT YOU GET: Creality Ender 3 Pro 3D printer, 12 months warranty, lifetime technical assistance and 24 hours professional customer service.
Ender-3 Pro advantages:
1. V Slot cooperate with Prusa I3 frame: extremely innovative design, following the step of the trend, integrating with classic elements, create a new generation economic DIY 3D printers.
2. Super Printing size with one-piece structure, save space but building the world.
3. Only 10 minutes with 20 screws assembly before the first printing, simple assembly but more stable performance, Win-Win for fun and time.
4. Safety protected Power supply, reach 110℃ for hotbed in about 5 minutes. Additional power cut protection function to meet the needs of fast heating and longtime printing. Ability to resume prints even after a power outage or lapse occurs.
5. CNC machining of Y-rail mounting groove to make sure precise positioning and keep the stable frame with High-Precision printing quality.
6. Patent Technology: MK8 Extruder greatly reduces plugging risk and bad extrusion; Patent Technology: V Slot with POM wheel make it move noiseless, smoothly and durable
7. New Viscous Platform sticker to replace reprinting tape and glue, solve warping problem but save the printing cost.
8. 24 hours testing for key components before delivery and one year warranty.
9. Good printing quality, reasonable cost for the beginners and good performance for the enthusiasts.
Ender 3 Pro Machine Parameter:
Modeling Technology: FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling）
Power Supply: Mean Well UL certified power supply
Printing Size: 220*220*250mm / 8.6×8.6×9.8 inches
Machine Size: 440*410*465mm / 17.3×16.1×18.3 inches
Package weight: 8.6kg / 19 lbs
Max Traveling Speed: 180mm/s
Filament: 1.75mm ABS/PLA,WOOD,FLEXIBLE,Carbon firber,PA….
Input: AC 100-265V 50-60Hz
Output: DC 24V 15A 360W
Layer Thickness: 0.1-0.4mm
Nozzle diameter: 0.4mm
Precision: ±0.1mm
File Format: OBJ, G-Code, STL(in CURA converted to G-Code)
Working Mode: USB cable (not included) online compatible or micro-SD (offline)
Max Nozzle Temperature: 255℃
Max Hotbed Temperature: 110℃
