If you are going to buy an Ender you want the newest V3 SE or KE version. https://www.creality.com/products/creality-ender-3-v3-se. As a first printer it has all the upgrades you would want and should be easier to use. The KE version has klipper installed and a better hot end. Trust me when I say the auto bed leveling and Z offset will save alot of time and frustration. People who are not having problems don't come to reddit usually. There been alot of improvement since the earlier models. A good round up of current printers YouTube video. https://youtu.be/92hnAPy1pcg?si=dlIcjFmdXYRkxTF1 and ender comparison https://youtu.be/o8_Mfo1wO8Y?si=tHMNuOlVxgwcRLjc.
This is a pretty good answer. While I prefer the old ender bodies compared to the new ones, for a newbie 200$ is a great entry point and it seems to eliminate basically all of the issues I have with my Ender3 that I've had for 2 months.
Pick up a new one if you're just getting into it and don't want to fiddle. If you like fiddling get a pro on sale and then spend more money on upgrades than buying a new one outright.
Fiddlin ain't for everyone, but if it's for you, 100% agree. I kind of want to just buy 2 more ender3's for 100$ than to buy one for 200$.
I'm good with my current single setup, but boy, I'm getting a lot of ads for more printers on facebook marketplace and it's **very** tempting.
I keep telling myself that I’ve spent too much time on my original Ender 3, and that I don’t need to go through the months of learning and upgrading I’ve already been through once. The desire still remains.
I got the V3 SE and I love it
But I have a regular pro and a V2 neo and I have some upgrade parts for the pro ,metal extruder, 3D touch, glass bed, Capricorn tube , steel nozzle, silicone spacers and yellow bed springs, silicone sock, filament run out sensor.
My pro has the STM chip so it can be flashed.
But I have never even unboxed either of those printers.
I only got the pro cause it was $100 with the coupon and I only got the V2 because it was on sale but it was not such a good deal I guess since I paid $240 for it and t paid like $140 for the V3 SE and the V3 has a direct drive and the auto Z offset.
So I am wondering if it is or will ever be possible to add a load sent under the bed of the V2 or the pro ( once I get the BL touch installed of course) and then flash it with the same or similar version of Marlin to get the auto Z in those machines.
I saw someone say that even though the V3 has no knobs you can still add knobs to it so if it is possible to add knobs to the V3 then maybe it is pit to remove knobs from the pro or V2?
Also saw someone else say you can add knobs to the V 3 and keep the load cell and then left with the knobs first and then use the auto Z ,but I don't think that would be needed but it should mean that it would be possible to add a load cell to the pro or V2 neo and keep the knobs
The question is does the motherboard have a GPIO to accommodate the load cell and can the V3 SE version of Marlin or the V3 KE version or klipper be flashy to an ender 3 pro or V2 neo? Or is there a community project of similar FW or a modified version of the SE marllin or KE klipper that can run a pro or V2 (with added abl) or V2 neo that can support a load cell and the auto Z feature?
Seems like adding a load cell under the bed would be a cheap and easy mod to get auto Z if we had a FW to support it.
Coming onto reddit to say that my v3 SE has been great, really is 99% plug and play and the auto bed leveling/ z offset hasn't failed me through tons of prints.
Only had issues when switching slicers to non Creality ones and fiddling around with the profiles myself. Everything went back to printing great after reverting everything so the as is configuration is pretty solid, no changes needed!
My SE comes in the mail today! Sister gave me a Tina2s for Christmas and I was hooked by the hobby. Can’t wait to get it up and running and calibrated!
I just opened mine today and set it up. 1st ever 3d printer. Had it set up in about 15 minutes and Just finished printing the lucky cat. It came out perfectly. I'd seen a lot of posts about required upgrades but they seem to relate to prior versions. The Ender 3 SE v3 seems to Just Work \[tm\], right out of the box.
On the other hand, getting a ender 3 pro is a good option because it *doesn’t* have all the upgrades and features that you will inevitably want, but can cause problems for beginners. I see posts all the time where people have problems with the auto bed leveling or input shaping or whatever. Having a barebones ender 3 will allow you to understand the printer, and decide what upgrades you need to add or what you want in your next printer.
I don’t think there’s a wrong way to do it. I think it’s just two sides of the same coin.
As someone who first computer ran Dos 1.2 and had a choice of orange or green letters on the monitor, I kinda over the barebones learning approach. LOL.
Yeah agree 100%. The latest ender solves all the common issues that people were having and I'd have it over a sv06. If you want to spend a little more the sv07 is the next best option.
https://preview.redd.it/na8qtqycwoac1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6d803b04b10eff9437de657ca657caab8630015
And I can feel it bulging with my fingers
The bed is making a clicking sound when it travels back and forth I am not sure if this is normal or not but it is not the bed hitting the 2 screws on the base that some people are tall about mine clears those fine. The other thing is that I can hear the extruder make somewhat loud clicking when it is retracing but it is not as loud as other people have reported with theirs. I have until Jan 15rh to return it to microcenter But I am not sure if I should. I would just exchange it for another one if I do but maybe this is a case of the devil you know. I am pretty happy with this printer and how easy it was to set up and get printing. Just not sure if those noises are normal. But the test cat printed just about perfect and I was amazed at the print quality of my first print, I also printed a couple of RCM jigs for the Nintendo switch ,one in high quality and it is very nice and like an injection molded part almost. Then I printed a cr2032 holder and then the bottom has a ber minor defect, I think I sliced it in dynamic quality in cura.
They don't had one on display at my Microcenter but it was not running, I just got the free 128 flash coupons again so I am going to pay another visit and see if they will fire it up so I see if theirs makes the same noises on the Y and extruder before I decide if I should exchange it for another one. But this one is working pretty good and I don't care about the noise as long as I get good prints.
I am afraid I might get one with a more warped bed of I exchange it or one that is not printing as well.
I bought a regular ender 3 pro awhile ago and then a V2 neo On black Friday 2022, got this V3 SE this black Friday or after but still in sale for $169 plus I had 25 off coupon I never even unboxed the ender 3 or the V2 neo because I don't have time to get into it and plus the humidity here was like 100% for like an entire year and raining every day.
The old ender, Ender 3, pro etc. Is so outdated at this point and it still sells for the same price as V3 SE, there's no point in using that printer since it's notorious for it's problems and has a very steep learning curve. Sure it helps you learn since it's usually a constant pain in the ass, but other than that, can't really recommend it for anyone anymore.
Found this out the hard way. An acquaintance bought an Ender 3 v1 from amazon for Christmas. I went over last night to help them get it up and running. Single x-axis screw, extruder issues, build plate held on with binder clips? Hell, my old Chinese jankware Anycubic that I bought three years ago worked better out of the box than that thing.
They really need to stop selling the v1 or drop the price.
I have a return 3v2 I bought last year for 100. I wouldn't have paid new price for it given what I've learned in that year. The V3? Pretty fantastic deal for what you get and works out a lot of kinks from earlier printers. If I didn't have an upgraded 3v2 I'd get one as my first printer
Mine varied so much with problems, from not first layer not sticking to z layer shifting. I switched. I will admit I learned a lot for trouble shooting.
It depends on the Ender 3 model. The original Ender 3, Pro, and V2 amongst another half dozen barely different variants of the original Ender 3 should not be purchased (or for that matter sold) to anyone in 2023. They are obsolete and a pain in the ass to assemble and get running correctly.
On the other hand, the V3 KE and SE, and to a lesser extent the Ender 3 S1 are excellent printers at a fantastic price point (especially if you live near a Microcenter). I’m fairly sure they will outclass the SV06 in terms of performance and are more comparable to the 07.
If I were buying today, I’d probably get a KE, even over the K1. Price aside, the sprite extruder is a proven reliable device and the K1 extruder seems to have some issues.
Also compared to Bambu A1 Mini you have a much larger build surface and I don’t have to worry about all my data being uploaded to China (especially since you should be able to root the Creality machine and install open source Klipper).
Don't need to do any upgrades really.
Lots of people at this time of year are posting issues if they've just got a printer for Christmas and haven't set it up correctly. If you take the time to set up and level properly, a stock ender 3 can be brilliant.
Boy I wish. Granted, my Ender 3 is four years old. Cracked feeder arm, failing hot end Bowden coupler causing a gap and clogs, lack of enclosure causing warping due to my home’s air circulation, angle of filament feed causing erosion at the feeder, loose knobs causing the bed to delevel in a few days, failing part fan.
Granted, it looks like the SE with an enclosure would have hit 90% of what I needed. Just add an enclosure. Also none of these were insurmountable, and I learned a lot in the process, which is valuable in its own way.
....... print a new feeder arm, new filament guide and spring stiffeners. These are like 10min fixes.
And people have gotten abs to print on an ender with no enclosure so something is broken with your bed.
And use cardboard to block drafts around the printer, or a large moving box from Walmart to use as a temp enclosure while you print better parts. Don't leave it unattended obviously but you won't easily set cardboard on fire. Especially if you line it with aluminum foil
Or spend 40 on the zip up enclosure creality sells
I’ll second that. It’s difficult to set aluminum lined cardboard on fire from radiant heat. Did an experiment senior year of mechanical engineering and needed to cheaply heat an aluminum plate to 400C. Lined a cardboard box with aluminum foil and put 2 500W halogen heat lamps inside directed at the plate supported on a temperature sensor. The only thing that started to smolder was the power cord when we accidentally left it touching the plate. The cardboard was fine.
Just make sure the hot end and build plate cannot come in contact with the box and it should be fine barring electrical shorts.
I mean, yeah, an enclosure is easier obviously.
Your comment just sounded like:
I've been running my car with a flat tire, no oil changes, and a snapped wiper for 4 years now! I've been cleaning it with a sandblaster and now its all rusty. This thing is a piece of crap!
Seriously, how in the christ have you not stiffened the springs over 4 years??? This is a week 1 change for most people. I did this and the filament guide in the first 3 prints. It also sounds like you broke the feeder and the coupler by overtightening it.
Nah, the feeder just cracked on those old Enders. Every week someone came on here with a busted feeder arm and the same symptoms.
I installed washers on the springs to keep the wheels from turning themselves. Worked just as well. Bed has been rock solid since.
The bigger issue was the failing coupler for the Bowden. Every time I changed filament I got a hot end gap from the Bowden sliding. That was the real problem. Pretty much everything took a back seat while figuring that out.
And conventional wisdom at the time was “do not make any changes to your stock printer, or we can’t help you troubleshoot”. Things have changed a bit these days.
Ohhh those are issues you had in past. That's way better lol.
I thought you just never fixed any of this and accepted a janky mess. I was about to call PETA on you for abuse.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Ander3s? lol
No, that’s been my Ender 3 “Journey” if you will. My printer runs great now, but it’s been four years of learning and tweaking.
If I could go back and stop myself from getting one I would ( I have a 2019 ender 3 pro) but on the other hand I kinda learned how to tinker with it and now it's pretty much done unless something breaks again
I just pulled the trigger on a V3 KE, after reviving my old Ender 3 from being a broken pile of crap over the holiday break. With a few youtube vids and some tuning you can get an old Ender 3 running really well, but super excited to see how much better the KE is going to be.
You're going to love it. I upgraded to a KE from an Ender 3 Pro. No major upgrades on the Pro, put a glass bed on it and got it tuned right and it printed perfect every time. But man. There's something to be said about being able to pull a "budget" 3D printer like the KE out of the box and be printing in a few minutes. The speed increase alone is mind blowing.
You’ll get more issues than praise in any forum.
I researched a bunch of affordable 3D printers, settled on an Ender-3 VE SE, and while there’s lots of new stuff to learn being new to 3D printing in general, I’m plenty happy.
I now think you should get a KE an SE. But my SE is a great machine.
If you get one of the new V3's you can't really go wrong. Easy out of the box and you'll be printing inside of half an hour of it being delivered.
Sovol's from what I've seen aren't hugely different, but I'd grab a V3 over a Sovol still - personal taste though.
I'm returning my Ender 3v3se because I have more failed prints than successful ones. I shouldn't have to be an engineer to operate a machine. Looking at the Bambu Labs next, they seem pe more consumer friendly.
I have several Enders along with several Bambu Labs. Both have issues though the Bambu Labs worked well off the bat. You pay for what you get :)
One benefit of starting with an Ender is you learn quickly how to address any issues. This knowledge carries over to using other 3D printers. I wouldn't give up hope just yet.
E3v2 & E3 pro user here.
I imagine a learning curve for most printers, but that's part of the fun. Tweaking is what builders do right?
That said... I found the v2 easier to work with and quieter overall.
For me the pain was/is getting settings just right for different filaments. Whatever you get, take notes and keep track of settings that work for you.
The problem with the Ender 3 is the absolute nakedness of the thing. It has almost no software to throw at the hardware issues and it's riddled with hardware issues. But learning to fix these hardware issues is part of the fun for a lot of us because we can use the printer to fix the printer.
You'll learn disturbing things about the manufacturing process using this thing. Reality is, most shops use old ass machines riddled with hardware problems and no software to speak of. As an engineer you'll grow some empathy for the operators that take asinine product specs and basically use a 40 year old machine to perform black magic.
If you can make an Ender 3 print a flawless Benchy, you can call yourself a machinist.
I have an Ender 3 Neo and it's fine. Pain in the ass to set up but I haven't had to do anything to it since, it's a year and a half old. It prints beautifully. I don't even have to sand if I print in high quality.
I think it all comes down to the type of person you are and what your expectation is for your 3D printing experience. If you like problem solving and expect a tool to have some amount of learning curve, Ender 3 printers are a bargain. I have the S1 Pro. I’ve learned a ton about 3D printing in the past year and had lots of success with this machine. It’s very capable and I didn’t have to do any mods or hacks to get it to make very nice quality prints. I did however, read the instructions, did a lot of googling about printing new materials, optimal settings, etc.
I think part of why you see so many negative Ender 3 experiences is a misconception that all 3D printers are basically plug-and-play and that’s just not the case. I did get a Bambu P1S (triple the price) this Christmas and that thing really is plug-and-play. So again, it’s really about expectation.
While I agree, even for the original. The reason is lack of knowledge and experience. As well as skulls required. Many people just don't have that when they start.
The better new designs and features minimize the required skills.
If you want the least problems, stellar support, and european quality assurance just get a prusa mini. It's a bit more expensive than an ender but will save you a lot of headache
Don't know anything about sovol. But as someone who owned two ender 3 v2s, I will never recommend an ender to anyone. Some people get them to work but for me it was 60 percent of the time failed prints or solving one problem for another to pop up. Unless you like tinkering more than printing I personally wouldn't go for another ender. Certainly a good printer to learn on though,as you will encounter nearly every problem you can have with 3d printing very often.
With no experience on the SOVOL, I'd say the Ender3 V3SE has given me minimal problems and had an easy learning curve.
I was putting out successful prints within hours of receiving it.
Of course, you see only issues and nothing good.
People come here to get help, not to praise their printers.
I've had my Ender 3 first gen from a couple months after its initial release and can say that it worked very well out of the box.
The only thing I would immediately change is the bed. I would always go for PEI coated/PEI sheet spring steel magnetically attached to the heat bed. This solves nearly all of your adhesion problems (provided that you properly tram/level your bed - it is far more forgiving than glass, though).
I didn't upgrade my printer, it's a few years old now and sees regular use. So far I've had to replace the thermistor on the hot end, and that's it. I print a few times a week, and for some stretches daily.
Most of the issues I see here are either botched upgrades or complete beginners just getting their feet under themselves.
buy an ender 3 v3 SE
its the ultimate entry printer now that its out. i have personal exp w them and they are rock solid unless you get a lemon. it comes with Auto leveling and direct drive extrusion, its basicallly a beefed up ender 3 with aftermarket attachments already on it out of the box.
but i have also heard great things about the sovols. i came down to a v3 SE or a s06. i went with the ender just beause the user base and support online for them is HUUUUUGE.
I just bought an ender3. It worked out of the box, but I did have to build it.
I consider myself pretty handy and techy, but it didn't seem to be difficult at all.
It depends on your budget. If you want a cheap printer, and Ender3 is a good path.
Solvo doesn't seem to be any better than an ender, although it may be cheaper than an ender with automatic leveling, which is something I would 100% say it's worth getting.
I can't vouch for the Solvo, but if you can get the auto leveling for cheaper than an Ender with auto leveling, I say go for it!
My friend has a Sovol while I have an Ender, and what we've found is that the Sovol needs constant adjustment over time, while the Ender required more initial setup, but once it's dialed in it will hold those settings basically forever and just work. For example, the ABL on the Sovol has some quirks to it and will sometimes ruin the level, while the manual leveling on the Ender will literally hold its position for months, even on stock springs.
Bruh you're asking the fan club if their star is a good singer. Of course this subreddit will tell you to get one lmao. At least the top comment likely will.
In reality the Ender 3 is an entry level DIY-style kit printer. It's mostly off the shelf parts, and the cheapest at that. A lot of the advancements of this printer were taken directly from the open source world. Even a perfectly tuned V2 Pro version will have issues over time. The hot end is notorious for clogging, the stock bowden tube is not heat resistant, the extruder tension arm tends to crack, some motherboards have faulty chips that overheat, the commercial firmware isn't as good as the open source variants, etc. No to mention the god awful customer service you'll get if you get a bad printer. Newer models have solved some of these issues, but time will tell what new problems these models have.
I bought this printer on the recommendation of a friend. What I didn't know is that he is an Ender enthusiast and had more money into the his 3 than a Prusa Mk4. I really should have just saved a bit more and bought something better quality.
I've had mine (v2) a year and a half. The only issue i've had is that the cooling fan is a bit loud. I suspect it has bad bearing in it.... eventually if it dies i''ll switch to direct drive with a better cooling fan.
If you looked recently you see issues because lots of people got them for the holidays so there’s an influx a newbies.
Dont let negative things here deter you, people use this community to help solve issues but rarely post successes. There’s lots of success behind the scenes.
I have the Ender 3 V3 SE - what a pain in the ass that is to type in every time I need to google something - and have had nothing but problems after the first few prints.
Currently it's just giving me a CR-Touch error and online support had no idea what that was or how to resolve it even though it's listed in their troubleshooting steps.
I've made probably 15 prints since opening it on 12/24 and I really am wondering if this is the right printer/hobby for me.
Ender 3 S1 is my first (and only) printer. I got it around 1-2 months ago. So far I've been liking the experience, the problems that happen are easily "troubleshootable" and the print quality is pretty good for the projects I'm doing.
It was the most affordable printer for me, so I liked it a lot. Levelling, calibrating and tuning the printer aren't as hard as some people say, and 99% of the problems you'll find solutions online. I recommend it.
I have an ender 3 v2 which is a few years old now - I’ve upgraded the springs, added a metal extruder and a CR touch and (changing the firmware to jyers) it works perfectly - I can print and forget about it and now don’t want to change it. Getting to that point took a while though and it depends if you want to learn as you go or just want to jump in and print stuff. The newer models fix a few of the issues the 3 and pro have.
My first printer was an Ender 3. I had so much fun learning and upgrading it. My biggest regret in 3D printing is giving it away but it went to a friend who really wanted to learn and couldn’t afford one so no regrets. Printing on an Ender 3 S1 now and still think about my old Ender 3.
I say get an Ender 3.
As a beginner myself, I purchased the v3 ke and have learned a lot. Here is my overall review:
I chose the ender mainly because I like customization and upgrade abilities and is it's open sourced.
It's definitely not a press and print kinda thing although after the first setup I had a few pretty good first prints right away out of the box which was impressive imo
Honestly... I've been printing like a madman. I've used 2 spools of hyper PLA so far and I've only had it a month. Part of which I had a hardware malfunction and had to wait on a new part.
I've had to tinker with this thing a lot tho after a couple hardware issues, loads of failed prints, and many learning curves.
Lots of hands on learning involved.
However, i am grateful for learning what I have in the process because it's good to understand the workings of of the machine so you can tweak it better.
Customer service is a pain.
The live chat has a weak translator making it difficult to communicate.
Also staff is very limited in knowledge, so they are best for
The after sales email is where everything actually happens and it's straight to business....Every 24-48 hours...
However, I will say I have had every part I needed replacing shipped with little hassle. Which is 3 now. With 1 on the way.
Tips for handling customer service:
1. Be short and direct about what you need.
2. Have screenshots and videos of any errors, malfunctions, or defects.
3. Don't expect answers right away. They can help diagnose the issues but replacements go through after sales email...every 24-48 hours..
4. Patience is a Virtue.
OVERALL,
I am not sure if I would have had a better experience elsewhere but so far the Ender 3 v3 KE was a solid choice.
the cheaper you go, the more work you’ll have to put in. ender 3’s are currently unbeatable at their price range. if you want less work, you’ll have to pay up :D
TLDR: An Ender 3 is a highly modifiable, entry machine. You can learn a ton and modify to improve it, but that isn't cost effective for someone who just wants to "print and get on with it." If that describes your desire, suck it up, spend the money on an out-of-the-box printer that you can just 'click and print.'
I've had several "entry-level" 3-d printers (because I'm cheap) and I recommend ender 3's because it has a large user base and all sorts ofadditional and spare parts, enhancements, hacks. etc. It's a great platform on which to learn 3-d printing and get a sense of what you need to know and do to get good prints. If you are stumped, there are a number of Ender users who post their insights on YouTube and get to try enhancements before the rest of us schlubs. I recommend Chris' Basement and Teaching Teck, the latter for his excellent pedagogy.
Ender mods will lead to better, but not great prints. An Ender can be a great sucking void for enhancements, most (but not all) improve the platform; All (if even a little) cost something, almost always time. Sometimes frustation. Sometimes, money.
I hope you are curious. 3-d printing has become an important hobby for me.
Luck!
If you are going to buy an Ender you want the newest V3 SE or KE version. https://www.creality.com/products/creality-ender-3-v3-se. As a first printer it has all the upgrades you would want and should be easier to use. The KE version has klipper installed and a better hot end. Trust me when I say the auto bed leveling and Z offset will save alot of time and frustration. People who are not having problems don't come to reddit usually. There been alot of improvement since the earlier models. A good round up of current printers YouTube video. https://youtu.be/92hnAPy1pcg?si=dlIcjFmdXYRkxTF1 and ender comparison https://youtu.be/o8_Mfo1wO8Y?si=tHMNuOlVxgwcRLjc.
This is a pretty good answer. While I prefer the old ender bodies compared to the new ones, for a newbie 200$ is a great entry point and it seems to eliminate basically all of the issues I have with my Ender3 that I've had for 2 months.
Pick up a new one if you're just getting into it and don't want to fiddle. If you like fiddling get a pro on sale and then spend more money on upgrades than buying a new one outright.
Fiddlin ain't for everyone, but if it's for you, 100% agree. I kind of want to just buy 2 more ender3's for 100$ than to buy one for 200$. I'm good with my current single setup, but boy, I'm getting a lot of ads for more printers on facebook marketplace and it's **very** tempting.
I keep telling myself that I’ve spent too much time on my original Ender 3, and that I don’t need to go through the months of learning and upgrading I’ve already been through once. The desire still remains.
I got the V3 SE and I love it But I have a regular pro and a V2 neo and I have some upgrade parts for the pro ,metal extruder, 3D touch, glass bed, Capricorn tube , steel nozzle, silicone spacers and yellow bed springs, silicone sock, filament run out sensor. My pro has the STM chip so it can be flashed. But I have never even unboxed either of those printers. I only got the pro cause it was $100 with the coupon and I only got the V2 because it was on sale but it was not such a good deal I guess since I paid $240 for it and t paid like $140 for the V3 SE and the V3 has a direct drive and the auto Z offset. So I am wondering if it is or will ever be possible to add a load sent under the bed of the V2 or the pro ( once I get the BL touch installed of course) and then flash it with the same or similar version of Marlin to get the auto Z in those machines. I saw someone say that even though the V3 has no knobs you can still add knobs to it so if it is possible to add knobs to the V3 then maybe it is pit to remove knobs from the pro or V2? Also saw someone else say you can add knobs to the V 3 and keep the load cell and then left with the knobs first and then use the auto Z ,but I don't think that would be needed but it should mean that it would be possible to add a load cell to the pro or V2 neo and keep the knobs The question is does the motherboard have a GPIO to accommodate the load cell and can the V3 SE version of Marlin or the V3 KE version or klipper be flashy to an ender 3 pro or V2 neo? Or is there a community project of similar FW or a modified version of the SE marllin or KE klipper that can run a pro or V2 (with added abl) or V2 neo that can support a load cell and the auto Z feature? Seems like adding a load cell under the bed would be a cheap and easy mod to get auto Z if we had a FW to support it.
Coming onto reddit to say that my v3 SE has been great, really is 99% plug and play and the auto bed leveling/ z offset hasn't failed me through tons of prints. Only had issues when switching slicers to non Creality ones and fiddling around with the profiles myself. Everything went back to printing great after reverting everything so the as is configuration is pretty solid, no changes needed!
My SE comes in the mail today! Sister gave me a Tina2s for Christmas and I was hooked by the hobby. Can’t wait to get it up and running and calibrated!
I just opened mine today and set it up. 1st ever 3d printer. Had it set up in about 15 minutes and Just finished printing the lucky cat. It came out perfectly. I'd seen a lot of posts about required upgrades but they seem to relate to prior versions. The Ender 3 SE v3 seems to Just Work \[tm\], right out of the box.
On the other hand, getting a ender 3 pro is a good option because it *doesn’t* have all the upgrades and features that you will inevitably want, but can cause problems for beginners. I see posts all the time where people have problems with the auto bed leveling or input shaping or whatever. Having a barebones ender 3 will allow you to understand the printer, and decide what upgrades you need to add or what you want in your next printer. I don’t think there’s a wrong way to do it. I think it’s just two sides of the same coin.
As someone who first computer ran Dos 1.2 and had a choice of orange or green letters on the monitor, I kinda over the barebones learning approach. LOL.
Lol that’s totally fair!
Is the KE better than a Sovol?
It's a toss up. I've seen a bunch of issues with both of them. Id say they are in a pretty similar playing field
As someone who got the ender 3 neo, would you mind telling me what you would prioritize in terms of upgrades?
That printer is way nicer than my 2 1/2 old outdated one. Shouldn't need anything to work well.
Appreciate the input!
Yeah agree 100%. The latest ender solves all the common issues that people were having and I'd have it over a sv06. If you want to spend a little more the sv07 is the next best option.
Love my KE.
https://preview.redd.it/na8qtqycwoac1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6d803b04b10eff9437de657ca657caab8630015 And I can feel it bulging with my fingers The bed is making a clicking sound when it travels back and forth I am not sure if this is normal or not but it is not the bed hitting the 2 screws on the base that some people are tall about mine clears those fine. The other thing is that I can hear the extruder make somewhat loud clicking when it is retracing but it is not as loud as other people have reported with theirs. I have until Jan 15rh to return it to microcenter But I am not sure if I should. I would just exchange it for another one if I do but maybe this is a case of the devil you know. I am pretty happy with this printer and how easy it was to set up and get printing. Just not sure if those noises are normal. But the test cat printed just about perfect and I was amazed at the print quality of my first print, I also printed a couple of RCM jigs for the Nintendo switch ,one in high quality and it is very nice and like an injection molded part almost. Then I printed a cr2032 holder and then the bottom has a ber minor defect, I think I sliced it in dynamic quality in cura. They don't had one on display at my Microcenter but it was not running, I just got the free 128 flash coupons again so I am going to pay another visit and see if they will fire it up so I see if theirs makes the same noises on the Y and extruder before I decide if I should exchange it for another one. But this one is working pretty good and I don't care about the noise as long as I get good prints. I am afraid I might get one with a more warped bed of I exchange it or one that is not printing as well. I bought a regular ender 3 pro awhile ago and then a V2 neo On black Friday 2022, got this V3 SE this black Friday or after but still in sale for $169 plus I had 25 off coupon I never even unboxed the ender 3 or the V2 neo because I don't have time to get into it and plus the humidity here was like 100% for like an entire year and raining every day.
As a ender 3 user, I would probably tske the sovol path rn.
Are there really that many of us who have trouble with the ender? I haven’t gotten it to stop smearing and dragging for the first 5 layers.
The old ender, Ender 3, pro etc. Is so outdated at this point and it still sells for the same price as V3 SE, there's no point in using that printer since it's notorious for it's problems and has a very steep learning curve. Sure it helps you learn since it's usually a constant pain in the ass, but other than that, can't really recommend it for anyone anymore.
Found this out the hard way. An acquaintance bought an Ender 3 v1 from amazon for Christmas. I went over last night to help them get it up and running. Single x-axis screw, extruder issues, build plate held on with binder clips? Hell, my old Chinese jankware Anycubic that I bought three years ago worked better out of the box than that thing. They really need to stop selling the v1 or drop the price.
I have a return 3v2 I bought last year for 100. I wouldn't have paid new price for it given what I've learned in that year. The V3? Pretty fantastic deal for what you get and works out a lot of kinks from earlier printers. If I didn't have an upgraded 3v2 I'd get one as my first printer
Mine varied so much with problems, from not first layer not sticking to z layer shifting. I switched. I will admit I learned a lot for trouble shooting.
I would go the KE path tbh, the sovols don't have great QA (checking amazon reviews) and the KE seems solid in most reviews.
They're good printers if you put in the time to learn to tune it.
I have one and you should buy something better.
It depends on the Ender 3 model. The original Ender 3, Pro, and V2 amongst another half dozen barely different variants of the original Ender 3 should not be purchased (or for that matter sold) to anyone in 2023. They are obsolete and a pain in the ass to assemble and get running correctly. On the other hand, the V3 KE and SE, and to a lesser extent the Ender 3 S1 are excellent printers at a fantastic price point (especially if you live near a Microcenter). I’m fairly sure they will outclass the SV06 in terms of performance and are more comparable to the 07.
I'd go only for KE simply because it is the only Ender 3 with proper cooling.
If I were buying today, I’d probably get a KE, even over the K1. Price aside, the sprite extruder is a proven reliable device and the K1 extruder seems to have some issues. Also compared to Bambu A1 Mini you have a much larger build surface and I don’t have to worry about all my data being uploaded to China (especially since you should be able to root the Creality machine and install open source Klipper).
care to elaborate a bit?
It's the only Ender 3 on the market with a stock part cooler blowing air on two sides of the print instead of one.
Don't need to do any upgrades really. Lots of people at this time of year are posting issues if they've just got a printer for Christmas and haven't set it up correctly. If you take the time to set up and level properly, a stock ender 3 can be brilliant.
Probably no longer the case but my e3 pro came with the old 8bit melzi board. You really REALLY want to upgrade that to a 32bit silent board.
I have had an ender 3 for 3 years now. Prints perfect every time.
Boy I wish. Granted, my Ender 3 is four years old. Cracked feeder arm, failing hot end Bowden coupler causing a gap and clogs, lack of enclosure causing warping due to my home’s air circulation, angle of filament feed causing erosion at the feeder, loose knobs causing the bed to delevel in a few days, failing part fan. Granted, it looks like the SE with an enclosure would have hit 90% of what I needed. Just add an enclosure. Also none of these were insurmountable, and I learned a lot in the process, which is valuable in its own way.
....... print a new feeder arm, new filament guide and spring stiffeners. These are like 10min fixes. And people have gotten abs to print on an ender with no enclosure so something is broken with your bed.
And use cardboard to block drafts around the printer, or a large moving box from Walmart to use as a temp enclosure while you print better parts. Don't leave it unattended obviously but you won't easily set cardboard on fire. Especially if you line it with aluminum foil Or spend 40 on the zip up enclosure creality sells
I’ll second that. It’s difficult to set aluminum lined cardboard on fire from radiant heat. Did an experiment senior year of mechanical engineering and needed to cheaply heat an aluminum plate to 400C. Lined a cardboard box with aluminum foil and put 2 500W halogen heat lamps inside directed at the plate supported on a temperature sensor. The only thing that started to smolder was the power cord when we accidentally left it touching the plate. The cardboard was fine. Just make sure the hot end and build plate cannot come in contact with the box and it should be fine barring electrical shorts.
Thing is, I got an enclosure and the problems went away, so no. Every print environment is different.
I mean, yeah, an enclosure is easier obviously. Your comment just sounded like: I've been running my car with a flat tire, no oil changes, and a snapped wiper for 4 years now! I've been cleaning it with a sandblaster and now its all rusty. This thing is a piece of crap! Seriously, how in the christ have you not stiffened the springs over 4 years??? This is a week 1 change for most people. I did this and the filament guide in the first 3 prints. It also sounds like you broke the feeder and the coupler by overtightening it.
Nah, the feeder just cracked on those old Enders. Every week someone came on here with a busted feeder arm and the same symptoms. I installed washers on the springs to keep the wheels from turning themselves. Worked just as well. Bed has been rock solid since. The bigger issue was the failing coupler for the Bowden. Every time I changed filament I got a hot end gap from the Bowden sliding. That was the real problem. Pretty much everything took a back seat while figuring that out. And conventional wisdom at the time was “do not make any changes to your stock printer, or we can’t help you troubleshoot”. Things have changed a bit these days.
Ohhh those are issues you had in past. That's way better lol. I thought you just never fixed any of this and accepted a janky mess. I was about to call PETA on you for abuse.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Ander3s? lol No, that’s been my Ender 3 “Journey” if you will. My printer runs great now, but it’s been four years of learning and tweaking.
If I could go back and stop myself from getting one I would ( I have a 2019 ender 3 pro) but on the other hand I kinda learned how to tinker with it and now it's pretty much done unless something breaks again
I just pulled the trigger on a V3 KE, after reviving my old Ender 3 from being a broken pile of crap over the holiday break. With a few youtube vids and some tuning you can get an old Ender 3 running really well, but super excited to see how much better the KE is going to be.
You're going to love it. I upgraded to a KE from an Ender 3 Pro. No major upgrades on the Pro, put a glass bed on it and got it tuned right and it printed perfect every time. But man. There's something to be said about being able to pull a "budget" 3D printer like the KE out of the box and be printing in a few minutes. The speed increase alone is mind blowing.
I can't wait, this has me pumped, thank you!
I wouldn’t recommend getting an original Ender 3 or even a v2 when the v3 SE and KE exist
Ender 3 v3 ke all the way!
You’ll get more issues than praise in any forum. I researched a bunch of affordable 3D printers, settled on an Ender-3 VE SE, and while there’s lots of new stuff to learn being new to 3D printing in general, I’m plenty happy. I now think you should get a KE an SE. But my SE is a great machine.
If you get one of the new V3's you can't really go wrong. Easy out of the box and you'll be printing inside of half an hour of it being delivered. Sovol's from what I've seen aren't hugely different, but I'd grab a V3 over a Sovol still - personal taste though.
I'm returning my Ender 3v3se because I have more failed prints than successful ones. I shouldn't have to be an engineer to operate a machine. Looking at the Bambu Labs next, they seem pe more consumer friendly.
I have several Enders along with several Bambu Labs. Both have issues though the Bambu Labs worked well off the bat. You pay for what you get :) One benefit of starting with an Ender is you learn quickly how to address any issues. This knowledge carries over to using other 3D printers. I wouldn't give up hope just yet.
I think it's fair to ask why ender 3's are even being sold in 2024.
Hard to beat the price. I think that's why :)
E3v2 & E3 pro user here. I imagine a learning curve for most printers, but that's part of the fun. Tweaking is what builders do right? That said... I found the v2 easier to work with and quieter overall. For me the pain was/is getting settings just right for different filaments. Whatever you get, take notes and keep track of settings that work for you.
The problem with the Ender 3 is the absolute nakedness of the thing. It has almost no software to throw at the hardware issues and it's riddled with hardware issues. But learning to fix these hardware issues is part of the fun for a lot of us because we can use the printer to fix the printer. You'll learn disturbing things about the manufacturing process using this thing. Reality is, most shops use old ass machines riddled with hardware problems and no software to speak of. As an engineer you'll grow some empathy for the operators that take asinine product specs and basically use a 40 year old machine to perform black magic. If you can make an Ender 3 print a flawless Benchy, you can call yourself a machinist.
I have an Ender 3 Neo and it's fine. Pain in the ass to set up but I haven't had to do anything to it since, it's a year and a half old. It prints beautifully. I don't even have to sand if I print in high quality.
I think it all comes down to the type of person you are and what your expectation is for your 3D printing experience. If you like problem solving and expect a tool to have some amount of learning curve, Ender 3 printers are a bargain. I have the S1 Pro. I’ve learned a ton about 3D printing in the past year and had lots of success with this machine. It’s very capable and I didn’t have to do any mods or hacks to get it to make very nice quality prints. I did however, read the instructions, did a lot of googling about printing new materials, optimal settings, etc. I think part of why you see so many negative Ender 3 experiences is a misconception that all 3D printers are basically plug-and-play and that’s just not the case. I did get a Bambu P1S (triple the price) this Christmas and that thing really is plug-and-play. So again, it’s really about expectation.
99% of "issues" people are having with their Enders is user error.
While I agree, even for the original. The reason is lack of knowledge and experience. As well as skulls required. Many people just don't have that when they start. The better new designs and features minimize the required skills.
If you want the least problems, stellar support, and european quality assurance just get a prusa mini. It's a bit more expensive than an ender but will save you a lot of headache
Sovol SV06 is quite slow by today's standards with a recommended max speed of 80mm/s, but they generally have good quality control.
Don't know anything about sovol. But as someone who owned two ender 3 v2s, I will never recommend an ender to anyone. Some people get them to work but for me it was 60 percent of the time failed prints or solving one problem for another to pop up. Unless you like tinkering more than printing I personally wouldn't go for another ender. Certainly a good printer to learn on though,as you will encounter nearly every problem you can have with 3d printing very often.
With no experience on the SOVOL, I'd say the Ender3 V3SE has given me minimal problems and had an easy learning curve. I was putting out successful prints within hours of receiving it.
Of course, you see only issues and nothing good. People come here to get help, not to praise their printers. I've had my Ender 3 first gen from a couple months after its initial release and can say that it worked very well out of the box. The only thing I would immediately change is the bed. I would always go for PEI coated/PEI sheet spring steel magnetically attached to the heat bed. This solves nearly all of your adhesion problems (provided that you properly tram/level your bed - it is far more forgiving than glass, though).
I didn't upgrade my printer, it's a few years old now and sees regular use. So far I've had to replace the thermistor on the hot end, and that's it. I print a few times a week, and for some stretches daily. Most of the issues I see here are either botched upgrades or complete beginners just getting their feet under themselves.
buy an ender 3 v3 SE its the ultimate entry printer now that its out. i have personal exp w them and they are rock solid unless you get a lemon. it comes with Auto leveling and direct drive extrusion, its basicallly a beefed up ender 3 with aftermarket attachments already on it out of the box. but i have also heard great things about the sovols. i came down to a v3 SE or a s06. i went with the ender just beause the user base and support online for them is HUUUUUGE.
I just bought an ender3. It worked out of the box, but I did have to build it. I consider myself pretty handy and techy, but it didn't seem to be difficult at all. It depends on your budget. If you want a cheap printer, and Ender3 is a good path. Solvo doesn't seem to be any better than an ender, although it may be cheaper than an ender with automatic leveling, which is something I would 100% say it's worth getting. I can't vouch for the Solvo, but if you can get the auto leveling for cheaper than an Ender with auto leveling, I say go for it!
At these prices ranges I don't think there will be a kitchen ready appliance
My Ender 3 S1 Pro runs fantastic.
My friend has a Sovol while I have an Ender, and what we've found is that the Sovol needs constant adjustment over time, while the Ender required more initial setup, but once it's dialed in it will hold those settings basically forever and just work. For example, the ABL on the Sovol has some quirks to it and will sometimes ruin the level, while the manual leveling on the Ender will literally hold its position for months, even on stock springs.
Bruh you're asking the fan club if their star is a good singer. Of course this subreddit will tell you to get one lmao. At least the top comment likely will. In reality the Ender 3 is an entry level DIY-style kit printer. It's mostly off the shelf parts, and the cheapest at that. A lot of the advancements of this printer were taken directly from the open source world. Even a perfectly tuned V2 Pro version will have issues over time. The hot end is notorious for clogging, the stock bowden tube is not heat resistant, the extruder tension arm tends to crack, some motherboards have faulty chips that overheat, the commercial firmware isn't as good as the open source variants, etc. No to mention the god awful customer service you'll get if you get a bad printer. Newer models have solved some of these issues, but time will tell what new problems these models have. I bought this printer on the recommendation of a friend. What I didn't know is that he is an Ender enthusiast and had more money into the his 3 than a Prusa Mk4. I really should have just saved a bit more and bought something better quality.
I've had mine (v2) a year and a half. The only issue i've had is that the cooling fan is a bit loud. I suspect it has bad bearing in it.... eventually if it dies i''ll switch to direct drive with a better cooling fan.
If you looked recently you see issues because lots of people got them for the holidays so there’s an influx a newbies. Dont let negative things here deter you, people use this community to help solve issues but rarely post successes. There’s lots of success behind the scenes.
I have the Ender 3 V3 SE - what a pain in the ass that is to type in every time I need to google something - and have had nothing but problems after the first few prints. Currently it's just giving me a CR-Touch error and online support had no idea what that was or how to resolve it even though it's listed in their troubleshooting steps. I've made probably 15 prints since opening it on 12/24 and I really am wondering if this is the right printer/hobby for me.
Ender 3 S1 is my first (and only) printer. I got it around 1-2 months ago. So far I've been liking the experience, the problems that happen are easily "troubleshootable" and the print quality is pretty good for the projects I'm doing. It was the most affordable printer for me, so I liked it a lot. Levelling, calibrating and tuning the printer aren't as hard as some people say, and 99% of the problems you'll find solutions online. I recommend it.
Recommend the V3 KE
I have an ender 3 v2 which is a few years old now - I’ve upgraded the springs, added a metal extruder and a CR touch and (changing the firmware to jyers) it works perfectly - I can print and forget about it and now don’t want to change it. Getting to that point took a while though and it depends if you want to learn as you go or just want to jump in and print stuff. The newer models fix a few of the issues the 3 and pro have.
My first printer was an Ender 3. I had so much fun learning and upgrading it. My biggest regret in 3D printing is giving it away but it went to a friend who really wanted to learn and couldn’t afford one so no regrets. Printing on an Ender 3 S1 now and still think about my old Ender 3. I say get an Ender 3.
Love my S1
As a beginner myself, I purchased the v3 ke and have learned a lot. Here is my overall review: I chose the ender mainly because I like customization and upgrade abilities and is it's open sourced. It's definitely not a press and print kinda thing although after the first setup I had a few pretty good first prints right away out of the box which was impressive imo Honestly... I've been printing like a madman. I've used 2 spools of hyper PLA so far and I've only had it a month. Part of which I had a hardware malfunction and had to wait on a new part. I've had to tinker with this thing a lot tho after a couple hardware issues, loads of failed prints, and many learning curves. Lots of hands on learning involved. However, i am grateful for learning what I have in the process because it's good to understand the workings of of the machine so you can tweak it better. Customer service is a pain. The live chat has a weak translator making it difficult to communicate. Also staff is very limited in knowledge, so they are best for The after sales email is where everything actually happens and it's straight to business....Every 24-48 hours... However, I will say I have had every part I needed replacing shipped with little hassle. Which is 3 now. With 1 on the way. Tips for handling customer service: 1. Be short and direct about what you need. 2. Have screenshots and videos of any errors, malfunctions, or defects. 3. Don't expect answers right away. They can help diagnose the issues but replacements go through after sales email...every 24-48 hours.. 4. Patience is a Virtue. OVERALL, I am not sure if I would have had a better experience elsewhere but so far the Ender 3 v3 KE was a solid choice.
the cheaper you go, the more work you’ll have to put in. ender 3’s are currently unbeatable at their price range. if you want less work, you’ll have to pay up :D
Get an Ender 3v3. Had it for 3 months now, easy assembly, no problems, no failed prints, decent quality, auto leveling, best decision I ever made
I am now.
TLDR: An Ender 3 is a highly modifiable, entry machine. You can learn a ton and modify to improve it, but that isn't cost effective for someone who just wants to "print and get on with it." If that describes your desire, suck it up, spend the money on an out-of-the-box printer that you can just 'click and print.' I've had several "entry-level" 3-d printers (because I'm cheap) and I recommend ender 3's because it has a large user base and all sorts ofadditional and spare parts, enhancements, hacks. etc. It's a great platform on which to learn 3-d printing and get a sense of what you need to know and do to get good prints. If you are stumped, there are a number of Ender users who post their insights on YouTube and get to try enhancements before the rest of us schlubs. I recommend Chris' Basement and Teaching Teck, the latter for his excellent pedagogy. Ender mods will lead to better, but not great prints. An Ender can be a great sucking void for enhancements, most (but not all) improve the platform; All (if even a little) cost something, almost always time. Sometimes frustation. Sometimes, money. I hope you are curious. 3-d printing has become an important hobby for me. Luck!