Category: 3d Printing Reviews

Mod or Buy – Upgrade Ender 3 V2 or Buy Ender 3 S1


Have you ever wondered whether you were better off buying the Ender S1 or the modifying the already affordable Ender 3 V2?  Well, in this article we’ll explore the pros and cons of each and see which might be a better choice depending on your use case.  What you see here is my own opinion.  Undertake these upgrades at your own risk.

Now, for the purposes of this video, I will be comparing some specific upgrades which make the Ender 3 V2 more similar to the Ender 3 S1.  One of the biggest differences is the hot end assembly, which on the S1 uses a Sprite extruder, while the V2 uses your standard Bowden tube setup.  Now both methods have their own pros and cons, but for this comparison will be upgrading it to also have a Sprite extruder.  I did the math on this and unless you’re buying a knockoff hot end, it’s a lot easier to simply get the Sprite extruder upgrade kit which comes with the replacement cables. Just make sure to buy the High temperature version when you do so.  The S1 strangely has a heat break which isn’t all metal, so I’d recommend looking into replacing that if you want to print with higher temperatures.  Just be aware, that replacing this can be a little finicky, and I did do some damage to mine when doing that upgrade. The sprite extruder comes with a CRTouch for auto levelling, and there is already a firmware upgrade for the V2 if you install this on your machine. Depending on where you purchase this kit, you’ll be looking around $100 USD at the time of writing.

Generally speaking, I do recommend that you have a dual Z axis setup, when you have a direct extruder, so for this reason we’ll be adding another Z axis to the machine for additional stability.  The good news is that there are plenty of these kits available, but you’re going to want to make sure that they come with the wiring and if possible two lead screw bearing brackets since they can help stabilize the lead screws.  Most of these kits have a splitter cable which helps divide the signal from the stepper motor drivers and makes it a lot easier to install.  I’ve already created a playlist for Upgrading the V2 so make sure to check that out if you’re planning on doing the same changes to your machine.  This will roughly add $25 USD to our total for the upgrade.

Another big difference between these two machines, is the build plate. For some reason, you currently can’t purchase the exact same build plate that comes on the S1 unless you’re a registered vendor.  This is problematic for print farms, which normally want to have a couple of extras, so they can easily swap them out.  The one that is currently available is the older version, which just doesn’t work as well and isn’t really worth the money.  I added one of these to my machines and honestly, I’m thinking about either simply removing it or using 250 grit sandpaper to rough up the metal side since that seems to work great for PETG material.  This will roughly add $26 USD to our total.

Now, the nice thing about both of these machines is that the source code is available for both.  So if you decided to make additional changes, you still can.  This makes the longevity of the machines more likely, since this opens up the possibility of additional suppliers for certain components.  In a time when there’s supply chain issues, this level of flexibility is quite necessary for any purchasing decisions.

So which options do I recommend and for whom.  If you already own a V2 and don’t plan on picking up another machine, then simply upgrading your existing one is a good idea.  Doing this will reduce waste and help prolong the longevity of your machine, but I wouldn’t consider the upgrades a necessary step until you want to print with higher temperature materials.  If you’re planing on getting a new machine, or need to replace the one you currently have, then the S1 is a feasible option, however keep in mind that certain replacement parts aren’t available to the public as of the writing of this article.  Since quite a few components are proprietary, this could pose a serious issue if you need to replace a component.  Therefore, if you’re looking for a reliable machine, then a stock V2 may actually be a better option because of it’s level of flexibility, and it’s lower price point.

If you’re always looking around for the information that you need on these printers’ and other’s I have the PDF guides which include the wiring diagrams, tips and tricks, maintenance, printer calibration, realignment, parts, firmware and much more.  For the machines that require it I’ve also included the STL which helps restore functionality. 

Ender 3 S1 – Final Verdict – Just how good is it?



In today’s today’s article, we’ll be going over the Ender 3 S1 by Creality to see if it’s a machine that’s worth spending money on.  I purchased this machine with my own money in order to do this review, so everything you see here is based on my own opinion.  

With this new machine, with have a newly upgraded build plate which is both flexible and has excellent print adhesion.  While I have had this machine for a couple of months now, the build surface has held up and has no visible damage as yet.  I haven’t had any issues with the prints sticking and removal has been quite easy with the print’s, self releasing if they’re allowed to fully cool down.  In fact, I was so impressed by it that I tried to order a second surface for my Ender 3 V2 which I had upgraded in this Video Here.

This machine has been the first to come with ferrules connection out of the box, which I’m happy to report.  What I have found confusing however is the fact this machine has proper connections while the CR10 Smart Pro still has tinned one.  So although my machine has the proper connection types, I would still recommend you double-check yours since I purchased mine on Amazon and some reseller’s upgrade the machines prior to sending them out. 

This machine does in fact have silent stepper drivers, however they did not upgrade the extruder fans to be more silent, so it can be still quite loud during operations.  This is an unfortunate oversight since the hot end assembly has so many great innovations included within its design.  

Similar to other recent machines, this one has a drawer which contains all the tools you’ll need to repair it in the future.  This is appreciated since it makes it easier to keep everything organized and easy to find when you need it.  I’ve gotten in the habit of storing original hardware, which I may have replaced, in this drawer just in case I need it later on.

The X gantry has a small clip to help to hold the cable to the hot end assembly, and while this allows for clean cable management, it doesn’t quite work correctly.  When printing, the cable for the hot end assembly bends and cause the limit switch and motor connections to become strained.  If you already have this machine, you may which to print this cable support to help keep this portion into place.  You’ll need an extra long M3 screw to attach this into place, along with a Zip tie.  I will have this file available on my website along with the PDF survival guide for this machine.

Thermal Runaway Detection was tested and is fully functional.  The nice thing about this extruder drive is that it can easily be detached with the cable, so you have access to all the connections.  This made it a lot easier to test as a result, and will make maintenance in general more user-friendly. The company has also recently released the source code files for the firmware, which should make it easier to upgrade in the future.  Although not all of their machines are currently available, it’s likely that they may be in the future.  Here’s a link to where you can find the repositories.

With the new dual Z axis, bed levelling should be less of an issue and shouldn’t be required as often.  Both motors are linked together with a timing belt to help keep them in sync with each other.  Although you shouldn’t have any issues out of the box, you’ll want to make sure that your stepper motor timing is properly synced up. For this, you’ll loosen one of the clutch screws for both motors and, with the machine turned on, use the menu to lift it up and down a bit.  You’ll then simply re-tighten them, and should be good to go.

The spool holder and filament run out are both located on the top of the machine and have also been updated.  The spool holder has the filament run out sensor attached to it’s front, which allows the sensor to rotate with the hot end assembly.  While this helps reduce the amount of friction it does raise the overall height of the machine and because of my limited amount of space I had to create a filament guide to get around the issue.   It should also be noted that having the spool holder on the top of the machine can cause more vibrations, which can affect final print quality.  So although this is a great innovation, you may need to do some form of modification depending on your space limitations.

With the upgraded hot end assembly, we now have the new sprite extruder, which uses a direct drive mechanic.  It’s similar to that of the CR10 Smart Pro with one important difference.  In this case, although it is does have a Sprite Extruder, it isn’t an all metal hot end.  This machine has a Bowden tube which lines the inside of the heat break and should be replaced with a Capricorn one to prevent any future issues.  At the time of this recording, some upgradable or replacement parts were not yet available within my area.  The only way to get the upgradable components was by agreeing to the terms of service and become a Creality reseller.  Due to how the wording of certain clauses are, I find this to be risky and have refused to do so.

So what is the final verdict on this machine?  Well this machine is a very reliable one which has become my go to for many prints.  With the source code released, it’s a great option for those just starting or more advanced user’s alike. The only sticking point at the moment is the lack of available replacement parts, so although that’s something they’ll need to address in the future, they have left it open to modifications and alternatives. So for me, this gets a solid 8/10 for both new users and veterans alike.

IS it worth Buying? – CR10 Smart PRO



In today’s article, we’ll be taking a closer look at the CR10 Smart Pro by Creality.  Full disclaimer, I purchased this machine with my own money in order to do this review, so everything you see here is based on my own opinion.  

For those of you who follow these articles, you already know my opinion on the regular CR10 Smart, and this was quite a different experience mixed in with some familiar ones.  To start things off, I didn’t need to update the firmware in order to get the machine to function properly, which is always a good sign.  If you need to update your machine, however, make sure to check out my other article HERE since there’s quite a few things to be aware of when starting off.  So while the update process is still quite finicky, it isn’t required to get a functioning machine. 

Unlike previous machines, the company has decided to stop providing the source code and this will make future upgrades more difficult and can prevent newer features from becoming available.

EDIT: Since the original writing of this article, Creality has released the source code for this machine and some of the newer one’s as well.  You can find them at this link here.  

 Like most budget friendly machines, most of these are notorious for not updating to the newer versions of marlin, which often limits their usability and can sometimes present safety issues.   I did test thermal runaway protection, and I’m happy to report that the safeties are in place for the stock version of the firmware.  One thing I would have liked to see, however, is a specific warning for the different types of thermal runaway errors to make it easier to troubleshoot.  As is, there’s just a generic warning in place.  Now, if this warning triggers‘ when you first get your machine, I could be that you improperly installed the connection to the hot end assembly.  So you’ll first want to reseed it, making sure that both ends are properly secured and held in place with both the clips and the bracket.

I’m happy to report that the automated bed levelling feature works quite well on this machine out of the box.  With the inclusion of the adjustment knobs, is easily adjusted to ensure proper print adhesion.  When you first get your machine, you’ll first want to manually adjust the bed levelling prior to doing an automatic one.  Once completed, you can choose to include an auto bed levelling procedure in your G-Code commands or do so when needed.  As long as your print bed is levelled, you should only need to do this periodically instead.  I will have a separate video on how to level your print bed, but for now I do have the downloadable PDF for this machine if you need it right away. 

This machine like so many others on the market has tinned wired connections which should replaced with ferrule one’s.  This is unfortunately a pattern with most companies and I would like this to be changed in the future since it does pose a safety risk.  I already have an article going over this process in more detail, so please feel free to check HERE.

The hot end assembly has been updated to include the sprite extruder with the all metal upgrade.  With this addition, you can now print with higher temperature materials right out of the box instead of having to add this feature yourself.   There is still is a small Bowden tube connection that connects to the feeder, which I prefer to replace with a Capricorn one, but I wouldn’t say this is required unless you encounter issues.  Both the entire Hot end is a custom design, so unfortunately it’ll be difficult to purchase replacements from any other vendors at this time, but it was designed so that key components can be easily swapped out.  The remainder of the hot end assembly is quite difficult to take apart since all the components have been tightly integrated together.  Luckily, it doesn’t seem like this should be needed unless you were doing any modification.  They seem to have learned from the Ender 3 S1, and have added some additional support for the hot end assembly cable.  The cable does still do a twisting motion when moving around, which could cause it to wear over time, and there isn’t currently a purchasable replacement cable.  Some hot end connections use a non-standard connector, which could make alternative replacement parts more difficult to find. The heat break is also using a different length and threading size than what’s standard, which once again makes it difficult to find alternative versions of these parts.  The machine which I purchased showed signs of pre-testing, so quality control may have improved in comparison to previous versions.  

A great new feature is the integrated lighting which has been included with the machine out of the box and is something which I didn’t think I would even need until it was available. So far this has made it a lot easier to work on the machine and turns off automatically when the machine is powered off.  Alternatively, you can turn off the light with the power switch as well, making this new feature quite convenient to use.

The bottom screws that attach the base of the machine are very easily striped, so be very careful when putting them in or taking them out.  I will be replacing those since I don’t want to risk being unable to access the components of my machine.  When you open up the machine, you’ll see the integrated Creality Wifi Box which I of course disconnected, so I could use the USB port to connect to my computer or raspberry pie directly.   You can check out this Article which goes through the process if you intend to do the same.

The build plate has been upgraded to a flex build plate, and they’ve added some indentations to make it easier to line it up during re-installation.  I personally love this new feature because it makes it so much faster to swap the build plate in and out.  If you have a printing farm, then having a series of build plates you swap out just became a lot faster with this machine.

This machine has a lot of new innovations, and I’m happy to see that they’ve been properly implemented.  With this however we are looking at a much higher price point especially when comparing it to the regular CR 10 Smart.  So is this worth the price?  If you want something that works out of the box, then this gets a solid recommendation, but I would also consider how some of this has been locked down by the manufacturer.  You see, without easily purchasable components, this machine does have a limited life span in comparison to other machines.  With a regular Ender 3 V2 for example, I can easily upgrade the hot end to whatever I feel like using and this means that I can replace parts from a larger amount of suppliers, in turn increasing the lifespan of the machine. It’s for this reason that this machine gets a 7/10.  It’s a good machine, but without additional support materials and the files it may not be as repairable in the future unless you’ve created an account with the company and to their shady contract.

Ender 3 V2 – How good is it?



Review

In today’s article, we’ll be taking a closer look at the Ender 3 V2 by Creality and see where it stands in today’s market.  I purchased this machine with my own money in order to do this review, so everything you see here is based on my own opinion.  

This is the updated version of the original Ender 3, and it does seem like the company may have implemented some customer recommendations.  First off, this machine does use silent stepper drivers, which greatly reduces the amount of noise during operation.  Very important to note, however, is that the stepper drivers are soldered to the board, making any future replacements or upgrades more difficult with this main board.  Although the motors moving the machine are silent, the fans which cool all the various components are not, and this should be taken into consideration. A great addition to this machine is the fuse for the main power input that’s located on the motherboard. This is the first time I’ve seen a company implement this safety feature, and I certainly hope to see other companies do so as well.

With the screen now fully enclosed, it also has a new modern interface which makes it easier for new users.  The one downside with this interface is that some functionality is no longer available with the more modern versions of marlin.  In this model, the screen uses a knob to control the interface, which is perfectly functional if perhaps slightly outdated. There is an issue with the contrast levels on the screen, thereby making it difficult to see what’s been selected.  This is especially prominent when looking at the screen from an angle which is to the side.

While the original print bed was flexible, it has since been upgraded to a glass bed, which is far more durable.  With a glass build plate, the prints will almost always release once the surface has cooled down, however if this isn’t the case you can use your filament cutter’s to help leverage the corner just enough to release the pressure or fit your spatula underneath.  During my testing, I found that most prints released without any issues after the first couple of prints. In most cases, unless you’re filling up the bottom surface with a large print, this is rarely an issue.  

Like most machines which use a very basic hot end, this one uses one which is prone to heat creep at around the 230 degree.  I highly recommend upgrading the standard Bowden tube with a Capricorn one to help prevent issues in the future.  Because of the current mounting design, it is fully compatible with the Micro Swiss all metal hot end and doesn’t require any modifications other than a firmware changes.  Creality has since released the Creality Sprite extruder upgrade, which is supposed to be compatible with this machine.  Since I have yet to test that particular upgrade, I can not say whether it’s worthwhile.  The cable for the hot end does tend to get caught if it isn’t properly secured.  In my case, I simply used a zip tie to fix the issue by attaching it to the adjustment screw of the extruder feeder.   

The power supply is incorporated into the base of the machine, unlike the original Ender 3.  It’s also been upgraded to a genuine Meanwell Power Supply, which makes it more reliable and safer.  Unfortunately, this machine in particular uses tinned connections, which I would highly recommend you replace since they could pose a safety hazard.  Like most of these companies machines, this one in particular does have properly functioning thermal runaway protection enabled. The only ventilation for the power supply is where the intake fan is located and is something that I would like to see revised in the future.  All the components, although they are properly contained, are fairly segmented in their locations. For instance, the power supply has its own enclosure as well as the motherboard.  While this isn’t really a problem, is can be inconvenient when doing repairs since you have to open up two different compartments within the base of the machine.

This machine uses only one Z axis, which is fine with this particular set of features.  If you’re looking to add a direct extruder, however, you will want to upgrade to a dual Z axis setup since the X carriage is very easy to move.  Because this machine comes with a Bowden tube setup, most of the weight is taken off the X carriage, and this hasn’t been an issue for me as yet.  

So how would I rate this machine overall?  Well I’ve used this exact model for both my contract work as well my own personal projects for well over a year now and can say that I’m very pleased with its operation.  Other than some very minor tweaks, it’s been my go-to machine for anything that fit’s it’s build size.  It’s for this reason that I give it a solid 8/10.  For the price, it’s well worth the money, and I’ve actually been debating whether to pick up another.  But is this the best that this machine has to offer?  Well, I’m going to be doing a series of upgrades to see which one’s might be worth it and comparing it to the newer release, so keep an eye out for that article.  

I’ve started creating downloadable support files and mods for the machines I’ve reviewed, so if you’re looking from some additional information, I would suggest you follow the link in the description below.  Thank you for watching, and I hope to see you again soon.  Thank you and take care.

Highlights

  • Tinned Wires
  • Glass Build Plate
  • Bowden Tube Setup
  • Thermal Runaway IS active
  • Meanwell Power Supply
  • Screen is Moderns with Turning Knob
  • Silent Stepper drivers are soldered

Mods Article Link

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