Overall, in my hands-on Creality Halot One Plus test, I had very little to complain about. It’s reliable and intuitive, and produced excellent-quality prints.

I had the odd failed print, but that’s mostly down to the wrong software settings, rather than the printer. It’s slightly more expensive than entry-level Anycubic or Elegoo printers, but with extras like Wifi and the larger build volume, it’s a fantastic option if you have the budget.

Creality Resin 3D Printer, HALOT-ONE Plus 3D Printers

4.5

$279.00$239.00

Build Volume: 172 x 102 x 160 mm

LCD size: 7.9" Mono LCD

LCD Resolution: 4320 x 2560 4K

Accuracy: 0.04 mm

Printing Speed: 1-4s/layer

Layer Thickness: 0.01-0.2mm

Interface: 5-inch touchscreen

UV Light: integral light source 4500 UW/cm2, 405nm

Connectivity: USB, WiFi

Pros: Packed with features: usually only found on more expensive models. Excellent-quality prints: with an accuracy of 0.04mm and a printing speed of 1-4s/layer. Large build volume: 172 x 102 x 160 mm is larger than some of its competitors, and it has a 7.9" Mono LCD with a resolution of 4320 x 2560 4K. Easy to assemble: even for beginners, and comes with an instructional video and quick setup guide. WiFi: features both USB and WiFi connectivity. Easy-to-clean resin vat.

Cons: Price: slightly higher than entry-level Anycubic or Elegoo printers, but it comes with extras like WiFi and a larger build volume. Equipment: doesn’t come with a pair of nitrile gloves or a robust metal scraper for removing prints, which may be a minor irritant for some users.

Amazon here

Creality Resin 3D Printer, HALOT-ONE Plus 3D Printers

4.5

$279.00$239.00

Build Volume:

172 x 102 x 160 mm

LCD size:

7.9" Mono LCD

LCD Resolution:

4320 x 2560 4K

Accuracy:

0.04 mm

Printing Speed:

1-4s/layer

Layer Thickness:

0.01-0.2mm

Interface:

5-inch touchscreen

UV Light:

integral light source 4500 UW/cm2, 405nm

Connectivity:

USB, WiFi

Pros:

• Packed with features: usually only found on more expensive models.
• Excellent-quality prints: with an accuracy of 0.04mm and a printing speed of 1-4s/layer.
• Large build volume: 172 x 102 x 160 mm is larger than some of its competitors, and it has a 7.9" Mono LCD with a resolution of 4320 x 2560 4K.
• Easy to assemble: even for beginners, and comes with an instructional video and quick setup guide.
• WiFi: features both USB and WiFi connectivity.
• Easy-to-clean resin vat.

Cons:

• Price: slightly higher than entry-level Anycubic or Elegoo printers, but it comes with extras like WiFi and a larger build volume.
• Equipment: doesn’t come with a pair of nitrile gloves or a robust metal scraper for removing prints, which may be a minor irritant for some users.

Amazon here

After putting it through its paces, we’re happy to report that the Halot One Plus is an impressive printer decked out with features you’d be hard-pressed to find on machines from leading resin manufacturers at a similar price. 

It has a spec sheet that reads as prosumer thanks to advanced luxuries like WiFi, cloud services, a large touch screen, and an air filter, but it should be within reach of thriftier makers. 

Initially pricier than what you’d expect for the build volume, it’s now on price parity with the Elegoo Mars 3 and Anycubic Photon M3 thanks to a recent price drop – down to just above $300.

Creality Halot One Plus Specifications

• Build Volume: 172 x 102 x 160 mm 
• LCD: 7.9″ Mono LCD
• LCD Resolution: 4320 x 2560 4K
• Accuracy: 0.04 mm
• Printing Speed: 1-4s/layer
• Layer Thickness: 0.01-0.2mm
• Interface: 5-inch touchscreen
• UV Light: integral light source 4500 UW/cm2, 405nm
• Connectivity: USB, WiFi

Unboxing and Setup

The Creality Halot Plus ships in your typical assortment of card and layered cut-out foam pieces to keep the printer safe in transit. It’s clear Creality has put some thought in here as the more sensitive parts – the vat, film, and LCD screen – are bolstered with individually cut pads. Peelable plastic is wrapped around the UV cover and the LCD screen for that factory-fresh feel.

The printer comes with accessories including:

• Allen keys
• a plastic scraper
• replacement films
• a power cable
• a quick setup guide and other documentation
• and disposable paper funnels. 

Creality opted not to include a pair of nitrile gloves, and the scraper is mostly unsuitable for removing prints. A minor annoyance, but one to keep in mind if you don’t own a more robust metal scraper.

As with most consumer-grade resin printers, assembly is straightforward. I used the clear instructional video and the provided quick setup guide. 

Beginners won’t feel daunted, and the process will be all-too-familiar to seasoned resin printer users. The build platform slides into the arm, jutting out from the threaded rod, and is held in place with a large screw knob. 

As for the vat, there are no grooves per se, but screw notches on the printer help you align it easily. Then, it’s a case of pushing through the provided screws and tightening them for a snug fit. With these in place, the Halot One Plus is ready to go, with only the plastic film to peel off.

Test Prints

The Halot One Plus prints in 4K and up to a pixel size of 40 microns, so I had high hopes for the quality of the prints. And after several prints, I was thoroughly impressed with its performance.

To start, I tried the trusty AmeraLabs town calibration print – it tests the printer’s ability to render fine details and complex geometries in small dimensions.

The print came off the bed flawless, something that doesn’t necessarily translate to the image here, which shows chipped and sheared parts – blame my overly playful kitten with sharp fangs.

Satisfied with a quick print, I moved on to something more ambitious: a figurine of character Ranni from the popular video game Elden Ring. 

The model features a heavy selection of details, including a face, hands, and a complex pattern on the clothing, as well as the large hat to test the Halot One Plus’ performance. Though the print took seven hours to print, it was worth it! 

A point to note here is how easily the support structures snapped off the print, leaving very few blemishes and marks to deal with in post-processing.

Next up was a model of an axolotl to test the Halot One Plus’ ability to render smooth surfaces. The print isn’t overly complex, but the printer performed fantastically when producing large, uniform surfaces, something you simply don’t get on FDM printers.

As our final test print, we loaded in a model of Warhammer Triarii to see how the printer fared on small minis – a potential application for many users. 

Though not quite as impressive as our previous prints, the results were again good, with solid details throughout with no noticeable defects despite the demanding model (I accidentally snapped off the gun during post-processing – my fault, nothing to do with the printer). 

With a bit of tweaking, I reckon I could get even better results – I just haven’t had enough time to further experiment with the printer yet.

Design and Features

Once assembled, the Halot One Plus has a nice heft – not too heavy, not too light, making it sturdy and solidly planted on any surface yet easily transportable.

The construction is what you’d expect in this price range, with lots of plastic covers, but it doesn’t feel cheap or like corners have been cut.

The blue UV cover is a welcome change from its competitors, giving the One Plus a sleek, understated design.

Connectivity and touchscreen

On the front is a large 5″ touch screen that’s bright and responsive. The menu arrangement is intuitive, and though it doesn’t feature an extensive set of options, all the basics are covered.

Two USB ports – one for connection to a PC, and another for USB sticks – sit next to the touch screen – a nice touch that avoids scrambling behind the back to connect a device or load up a print file.

Rod z-axes

Below the cover, we have a typical threaded rod Z-axis with dual rails, which in my experience, provide precise and controlled movement at every turn. Next to the rod assembly is the intake fan for the air filter, sucking up those smelly resin fumes. 

Cover

With the cover on, that distinctive resin smell is barely noticeable unless you’re up close to the printer. The system is also very quiet, with the only peak in sound being that distinctive popping sound when cured resin snaps off the film during the printing process.

Vat

Finally, the vat is well designed with few grooves for the resin to find its way into souring the cleaning process. 

It also features several fill markers – 250, 450, and 650 ml – to help you pour in the right amount of resin for your project. Creality also made the sound decision to implement a smooth cut-out on two corners to help remove resin from the vat after a print.

Build platform

The build platform is a chunky slab of metal with a subtly textured finish to improve adhesion and, in our case, a seemingly perfectly flat surface with no concave corners or imperfections. 

The only gripe we had here is that Creality opted for four bolts to secure the platform to the arm, which dips into the resin during the printing process. The bolts have a cavity where you’d insert an Allen key where resin tends to lodge itself, which makes for tedious cleaning. 

Again, this a minor issue, but one that may jar on heavy users having to carefully remove resin on, inside, and around the bolts after every print run.

Calibration

Though the Creality Halot One Plus requires manual calibration, it’s straightforward and accessible even for beginners to resin printing.

After removing the vat, simply raise the platform to the top of the threaded rod until the end stop prevents it from moving any further, and loosen the four bolts connecting the plate to the arm. 

Place the provided calibration card on the LCD screen, then navigate and click on the Leveling function on the printer’s touchscreen to lower the platform. Once the plate touches the LCD, press down gently, then tighten the screws. Tug on the calibration card; if it won’t budge, the bed is leveled.

Software

The printer ships with a QR code to download a copy of Creality’s own Halot Box slicing software, developed specifically for the Halot 3D printer family. 

While software wrangling is a big part of the resin printing experience, Creality has greatly simplified the process with a solid balance of intuitive design and more advanced options like hollowing, manual supports, and part slicing you’d find on competing slicers. 

I also tried Lychee slicer to slice several prints for the Halot One Plus and found it paired well, though it lacks the specific settings for the printer that Halot Box offers. This might not bother experienced users, but beginners will appreciate Halot Box’s ease of use.

We used the standard settings for all our prints, only keying in our resin – an ordinary bottle of Anycubic Grey resin. Automatic support generation in Halot Box is solid, balancing the support you need for overhangs but without resorting to overkill.

WiFi connectivity test

Decked out with a WiFi controller, I tested the printer’s ability to receive prints remotely. The setup is simple and uses Halot Box. It took just a few clicks to have the STL file on the printer and ready to go. 

Creality offers cloud services alongside the printer, and though we didn’t spend much time investigating, they seem useful – but may be surplus to requirements for most hobbyist makers. Small businesses may, however, find value here as it simplifies the transfer and storage of files, especially if you’re using your printer non-stop.

Creality Halot One Plus Review – Verdict

One of the most striking aspects of the Halot One Plus is how little there is to flag up or complain about in any meaningful sense. It works with little effort, is intuitive and user-friendly, and, most importantly, produces superb quality 4K prints. 

It’s a sharp-looking, well-designed machine capable of producing all the richness of detail and precision we expect from modern resin printers, whether miniatures or large, ambitious figurines.

We had the odd failed print during our time with the printer, but this was almost exclusively linked to mismanagement during the software side of print prep rather than the printer itself.

At $400, it’s a little tricky to recommend the Halot One Plus over cheaper but equally impressive printers from Anycubic and Elegoo. But with the price now floating around $300 and the fact you get added niceties like WiFi connectivity and large build volume, we can happily recommend the One Plus alongside the Elegoo Mars 3 and Anycubic Photon M3. We’ve also tested and reviewed the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro if you don’t mind a 2K LCD screen, too.

If you are a novice maker looking for a high-quality print with fine detail, the Photon M3 and Mono 4K are the best options. They’re very budget-friendly, and can produce figurines, minis, and models with high detail.

However, if you need a larger build volume and can afford to spend more, the Mono X/6K would be better options – with the Mono 6K hosting a beautifully high-resoliton screen.

Those are the main differences, but I’ve pieced together this comprehensive Anycubic Photon M3 vs. Mono 4K vs. Mono X/6K guide to walk you through all the details – so you can confidently choose the one that’s right for you.

Is the Photon M3 the sleek upgrade touted by Anycubic’s well-oiled marketing machine or a drab refresh of the Mono 4K that’s not worth the extra spend?

Let’s find out.

Best Budget Anycubic Resin Printer	Premium Pick
Anycubic Photon M3 Resin 3D Printer	Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K
4.6	4.3
$299	$689
Anycubic Store here	Anycubic Store here
Amazon here	Amazon here

Best Budget Anycubic Resin Printer

Anycubic Photon M3 Resin 3D Printer

4.6

$299

Anycubic Store here

Amazon here

Premium Pick

Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K

4.3

$689

Anycubic Store here

Amazon here

Meet The Printers: Anycubic Photon M3 takes on the Photon Mono 4K, Mono X, and Mono X 6K

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Anycubic Photon M3

• Price: $299.00 — Available at Anycubic here
• Printing technology: MSLA Resin 
• Build volume: 163 x 102 x 180 mm
• LCD Size: 7.6’’
• LCD Resolution: 4K +, 4098 x 2560
• XY Resolution: 40 microns
• Accuracy: 10 microns
• Print Speed: 50 mm/h
• Connectivity: USB

Swooping into the ever-expanding low-cost segment of the 3D printer market, the Anycubic Photon M3 is a compact, user-friendly MSLA resin printer that dips below that symbolic $300 mark.

Touted as a replacement for the 2nd generation Mono 4K (hence the 3 in M3), the Photon M3 hit the market with a few enhancements. Size is always a big driver for these types of generational leaps, and the Photon M3 is no different, sprouting an above-average 163 x 102 x 180 mm, a 7.6’’ LCD, 4K + pixel count, high detail 40 micron XY resolution, and an ultra-adhesive checkerboard build plate.

Specifications lists are one thing but translated, this means the Photon M3 generates reasonably-sized figurines, minis, and models at a level of detail that should meet the expectations of anyone that’s dabbled with the Elegoo Mars 3 and Mono 4K.

For all its offers, $299 isn’t a price you’ll find many makers complaining about. This being Anycubic, expect the price to drop further as the company is partial to using any excuse to conjure up what feels like monthly sales events. At the time of writing, it’s currently available for $279.

We can’t mention the M3 without a word on the Photon M3 Plus and Photon M3 Max. These take the core design and features of the M3, then supersize them with larger build volumes and extra comforts, including an automatic resin feeding system on the Plus. Check out our dedicated comparison guide for a deeper dive into the similarities and differences between the Photon M3 trio.

Best Budget Anycubic Resin Printer

Anycubic Photon M3 Resin 3D Printer

$299

Anycubic Store here

Amazon here

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Anycubic Photon Mono 4K

• Price: $289.00 — Available at Anycubic here
• Printing technology: MSLA Resin 
• Build volume: 132 x 80 x 165 mm
• LCD Size: 6.23’’
• LCD Resolution: 4K, 3840 x 2400
• XY Resolution: 35 microns
• Accuracy: 10 microns
• Print Speed: 50 mm/h
• Connectivity: USB

Launched as recently as the tail end of 2021, the Anycubic Photon Mono 4K saw Anycubic jump on the pixel-pumping bandwagon by pushing its rather good Photon Mono to 4K with a competitive price tag to match. An entry-level printer built upon solid foundations then and one designed to see Anycubic join Elegoo and Phrozen at the big boys 4K table.

Under the 4K heavy name and marketing, the printer is pound for pound identical to the first Mono, housing a pretty average and possibly even dingy 132 x 80 x 165 mm build volume. However, it does manage to push a sharper 35 micron XY resolution courtesy of the jump to 4K.

Much like the M3, it’s very much aimed at novice makers, including those looking for the type of high-quality prints FDM machines simply can’t offer. Think miniatures, modest figurines, small decorative pieces, and jewelry with plenty of fine detail.

Anycubic Photon Mono 4K 3D Printer

$299

Anycubic Store here

Amazon here

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Anycubic Photon Mono X

• Price: $759.00 — Available at Anycubic here
• Printing technology: MSLA Resin 
• Build volume: 192 x 120 x 245 mm
• LCD Size: 8.9”
• LCD Resolution: 4K, 3840 x 2400
• XY Resolution: 50 microns
• Accuracy: 10 microns
• Print Speed: 60 mm/h
• Connectivity: USB

Launched in late 2020, the Photon Mono X wasn’t just Anycubic’s first 4K machine but its first foray into large format resin printing. With the Mono 4K, Mono X 6K, and most recently the Photon M3, it’s lost some of its initial launch luster but remains worth considering, given it’s available pretty much steadily for as low as $379.

By MSLA resin printer standards, the Photon Mono X’s 192 x 120 x 245 mm build volume is generously-sized, giving makers more options for more ambitious prints such as figurines and even reasonably-sized terrain for tabletop gaming, for example.

Its 50 micron XY resolution is nothing to sneeze at, but it lags behind more recent Anycubic resin machines. However, the Mono X makes up for this with nippy layer cure times pushing up to 60 mm/h and a nowadays par for the course 4K LCD.

Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K

• Price: $689.00 — Available at Anycubic here
• Printing technology: MSLA Resin 
• Build volume: 197 x 122 x 245 mm
• LCD Size: 9.25”
• LCD Resolution: 6K, 5760 x 3600
• XY Resolution: 34 microns
• Accuracy: 10 microns
• Print Speed: 80 mm/h
• Connectivity: USB, Ethernet

Last but not least, we have the mighty Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K. As evidenced by the name, this large-format resin printer comes with a high-pixel 6K LCD covering a hulking 197 x 122 x 245 mm build volume – the best of the Mono bunch.

Other specifications read like a wishlist for an affordable resin printer: 34 micron XY resolution, up to 80 mm/h print speeds, 40 LED light matrix, Ethernet connectivity, and a competitive price tag. Elsewhere, it recycles much of what maker’s praised in the Mono X.

It prints all those go-to resin printer favorites like minis but also shows quite a bit of versatility when it comes to larger projects, especially prototypes for product development or general business ends. As always with Anycubic 3D printers, regular sales pull the price down to under $500, making it ever more value-packed.

Top Pick

Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K

$689

Anycubic Store here

Amazon here

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Anycubic Photon M3 vs. Mono 4K vs. Mono X/6K Comparison

Build Volume

• Anycubic Photon M3 – 163 x 102 x 180 mm
• Anycubic Photon M3 Plus – 197 x 122 x 245 mm
• Anycubic Photon M3 Max – 298 x 164 x 300 mm
• Anycubic Photon Mono 4K – 132 x 80 x 165 mm
• Anycubic Photon Mono X – 192 x 120 x 245 mm
• Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K – 197 x 122 x 245 mm

The build volume is the starkest differentiating factor between the Anycubic Photon M3 and Mono trio. With the growing appetite for larger capacities, the Photon M3 printers win out for the simple reason that they were released later.

Though the comparison isn’t perfect, each of the M3s beats the equivalent Mono. For example, even the low-cost Photon M3’s 163 x 102 x 180 mm offers substantially more print space than the Mono 4K’s comparatively meager 132 x 80 x 165 mm.

The pattern continues as we increase the price, culminating in the massive Photon M3 Max’s 298 x 164 x 300 mm, besting the Mono X 6K on the X-axis alone by over 100 mm. If print capacity lingers near the top of your list of features and your budget allows it, the Anycubic Photon M3 offers more value for your money than the Mono range.

LCD and XY Resolution

We’ll start by saying that regardless of which Photon you go for, these are resin printers and produce prints with vastly better detail than standard FDM 3D printers. That said, there are some differences between the models, which may be important for those planning to produce small, high-detailed minis.

It’s also worth knowing there’s a trade-off between pixel count and LCD size. The larger the LCD, the more the pixels have to ‘stretch’ to fill up the space, so ideally, a printer with a large LCD will have a higher resolution to match.

Top of the quality food chain, we have the Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K with a 34 micron XY resolution, 6K, 9.25″ LCD . Following close behind is the Anycubic Photon Mono 4K with a 4K, 6.23″ LCD, and 35 microns XY resolution. The Anycubic Photon M3 bumps this up to 40 microns and 4K+ 7.6″ LCD, while the Anycubic Photon Mono X sits at a higher 50 microns and a 4K at 8.9″ LCD.

With a 15 micron difference between them, we are clutching at straws when considering detail alone. It’s best to view it alongside price and, more specifically, what quality you’re getting for your money. In that sense, the Anycubic Photon M3 and Anycubic Photon Mono 4K offer the most value but have the smallest build volumes of the four printers as a trade-off.

We’d suggest avoiding the Mono X entirely. It’s getting a little long in the tooth, and the price is simply too high for the quality on offer.

Print Speed

• Anycubic Photon M3 – 50 mm/h
• Anycubic Photon M3 Plus – 100 mm/h
• Anycubic Photon M3 Max – 60 mm/h
• Anycubic Photon Mono 4K – 50 mm/h
• Anycubic Photon Mono X – 60 mm/h
• Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K – 80 mm/h

It’s important to note that advertised print speeds represent the theoretical maximum. Chances are you want to push any of these printers that far, but it’s nice to know the potential is there if you need it.

That aside, the Anycubic Photon M3 Plus pushes a blistering 100 mm/h, and in keeping with resin printers curing entire layers regardless of XY size on one go, you can churn out batches in no time at all. The Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K holds its ground with a swift 80 mm/h, which is superb given the large print capacity.

The Photon M3, M3 Max, Mono 4K, and Mono X dart between 50 and 60 mm/h. Reasonable speeds for a consumer-grade printer but nothing to steal headlines. Expect roughly two hours and a half to print a standard 12 cm miniature or a batch of similarly sized models.

Price

• Anycubic Photon M3 – $299.00 — Available at Anycubic here
• Anycubic Photon M3 Plus – $699.00 — Available at Anycubic here
• Anycubic Photon M3 Max – $1,099.00 — Available at Anycubic here
• Anycubic Photon Mono 4K – $289.00 — Available at Anycubic here
• Anycubic Photon Mono X – $759.00 — Available at Anycubic here
• Anycubic Photon Mono X 6K – $689.00 — Available at Anycubic here

Aside from the Mono X, which is a little pricey in our opinion for what it offers, all the Photon printers offer excellent value. The Photon M3 and Mono 4K stand as well-priced starter printers for novices that want a reliable, hassle-free printing experience. For everything it offers, the M3 Plus packs plenty of bang for the buck.

Anycubic is partial to a good sale, with one popping up every month or so, so there’s a good chance you won’t pay anywhere near MSRP for any of these printers.

Availability

With the arrival of the new M3 trio, the older Photons are being phased out to make way for the factory-fresh newcomers. This means massive discounts likely to reduce availability very quickly and suggest it may be complicated to pick up a Mono X in six months time.

If you’re leaning towards one of the older models, we recommend making a purchase quickly as they won’t be sold for much longer.

Anycubic Photon M3 vs. Mono 4K vs. Mono X/6K – The Bottom Line

New is usually better, but in the case of Anycubic Photon M3, there’s room for argument. Anycubic has done well to offer a printer for all budgets, each one packed with value. The older Mono 4K, Mono X, and Mono 6K still have their place for those looking to snap up a bargain.

For novices, the Photon M3 delivers an easy first-timers printing experience at a great price. The Mono 4K is still a solid 3D printer for beginners, especially as you’ll often find it heavily reduced.

For those looking for a large build volume, the M3 Plus and Max are great options, decked out with outstanding print speeds and modern comforts. However, the Mono 6K isn’t all that new, having been released less than a year ago, and it could be a thrifty way to save some money but still get a vast resin print capacity.

Other related articles:

• Anycubic Photon Mono vs Mono X vs 4K vs 6K [Compared]
• Elegoo Mars 3 / 3 Pro vs Anycubic Photon M3
• Elegoo Saturn vs Anycubic Photon Mono X
• Anycubic Photon M3 Max vs Elegoo Jupiter (& Saturn 2)

Creality’s Sermoon V1 3D printer is a great basic 3D printer for beginners, kids, and small spaces.

3D printing is growing massively, and every year more and more people get their hands on a 3D printer. 

Creality Sermoon V1

Pros

Great for beginners and kids

Very simple to use: one-touch filament feed in, magnetic print bed, no assembly required, and enclosed

Low price

Quiet – I ran it all night on a 15-hour print, and in my one-bed apartment it did not disturb me

Cons

Smaller than average build volume

Available at amazon Here

But, 3D printing can be intimidating. Some don’t have a background in tech or electronics, and might find designing or sending 3D model files to be a step too far, or you might not have much space in your crowded apartment.

If this matches you, you’ll need a printer that fits your lifestlye. The Sermoon V1 is Creality’s attempt at a user-friendly, beginner 3D printer that’s great for teaching kids the basics of design, manufacturing and engineering principles.

A 3D printer for kids needs to be safe, easy to use, and work without having to troubleshoot too many technical problems. Both the Semoon V1 and V1 Pro (we tested the standard V1) can print right out of the box – without any assembling or leveling required. One-touch filament feeding is also a nice touch.

Other nice features include the magnetic print bed, designed for flexibility and stable, consistent printing, as well as easy print removal after your model is done. Unlike most printers in its price range, the Sermoon V1 has WiFi connectivity, and you can print directly from your smartphone if you download the Creality Cloud app – and even track your print remotely.

It’s also very quiet – printing at around 45dB.

However, if you’re looking for a larger 3D printer, look elsewhere. Naturally, enclosures limit your build volume, and the Sermoon is smaller than other entry-level Creality printers such as the Ender 3 V2 Neo (which you can also read our review on). 

The Creality Sermoon V1 has a build volume of 175 x 175 x 165 mm, so you’ll need to decide whether this limits you with your planed print projects.

Set-Up

Unboxing

The box arrived in the mail with no signs of damage. Unboxing the machine and all the extras included in the package was simple. The cutest mascot – Creality’s Cuva – greeted me from the side of the package. 

The package doesn’t come with a full physical manual, but it does include a small pamphlet with a QR code that directs you to the manual. I found the written setup directions a little bit confusing, but luckily Creality has made a very helpful unboxing video. 

Have you ever bought something and opened it with excitement, only to have your momentum grind to a halt while you search for batteries? Products can’t be ready out of the box unless the box contains everything you need. 

The Sermon V1 package did just that – it had clipper pliers to remove the zip ties from the packaging, a mini screwdriver, an extra nozzle, and a selection of hex keys. The entire workflow from receiving to starting your first print was clearly thought through, and everying was packed to set me up for success.

Assembly and setup

Following the instructions in the video, I was able to get the Creality Sermoon V1 unpackaged and ready to use in a few minutes. There were a few pieces of protective foam that need to be cut out, and plastic removed from the surfaces of the windows. 

The instructions were clear and thorough. The only place where someone might get hung up is with the voltage. 

The factory default voltage is 230V, which is too high for standard American outlets. They remind you a few times to adjust the voltage to your local voltage if necessary. Once I verified my voltage needs it was simple to switch the machine to its 115V setting which is compatible with my outlets. 

The video walks you through loading filament through the nozzle. This was a very straightforward process. Run the filament through the tube as directed, and press the small lever on top to feed it into the nozzle.

There is no need to calibrate anything or level the printer bed. Everything comes ready to go so you can get to printing without delay. You don’t even have to figure out how STL files work and choose one for your first print. The package comes with an SD card preloaded with several files you can choose from that are all ready to print.

Sermoon V1: First 3D print test

Getting Ready

Figuring out how 3D modeling works and how to use different files is a huge barrier for new 3D printing enthusiasts. They are complicated, and a lot can go wrong. That is why it’s so cool that the Sermoon V1 comes with an SD card that has multiple models all ready to go for you. That is key for this machine being true out-of-the-box printing. You can go from cutting the tape off of the packaging to starting your first print in under half an hour!

I chose the “Space Man” file on the SD card for my first print. It’s the one they print in the video tutorial, and I thought the finished model of an astronaut sitting on the moon looked great. This print took about 15 hours, so if you are looking to see results as soon as possible you could choose something that would print more quickly.

I didn’t change any settings, I chose my file and let the machine do its work.

Printing

I was curious to see how this printer would deliver on its “silent printing” claims. I live in a one-bedroom apartment and set the printer up in the main room. Since my Space Man model was a 15-hour print, I ended up letting it go overnight. 

While there is a soft whirring audible near the machine, from the other room I couldn’t hear it at all. That quietness makes it compatible with makers like me who live and craft in a small space. 

The machine is fully enclosed, but has windows on 3 sides and the top so you can keep an eye on your print from every angle. It was fun to feel safe enough to lean in and watch the 3D print happen without worrying about accidental burns or injuries. 

The Sermoon V1 Pro has a feature that automatically locks the door during printing which makes it especially safe for children who may be curious. I tested the basic version, so the door doesn’t lock, but the magnet keeping it in place is strong enough that the door can’t be accidentally bumped open. 

There was no detectable smell in the room during printing. I was curious to see if printing in a small space would affect the air quality, but my indoor air quality monitor did not spike. That made me feel better about the potential exposure to fumes. 

Results

I set the print to run overnight, and in the morning the part was finished and the printer totally cooled down. The magnetic printer bed was secure but easy to remove without messing up the part. It was easy to remove my Space Man print from the printer bed.

The part turned out great. It was a pretty detailed model and the small pieces all came out correctly even without any kind of calibration. The surface of the model was very smooth. 

I had some trouble removing some of the supports and even damaged the piece a little bit while trying. Ultimately that was fine and only happened because of the way the supports were built in the file, not because of the printer itself. 

I was impressed with the quality of my little Space Man model. It was amazing to get something so refined with no changes to the settings. Truly straight out of the box. 

Creality Cloud App

Downloading the App

From the instruction pamphlet that came with my package, I was directed to download the Creality Cloud App. Finding it and setting up an account was quick and simple. 

Creality has designed its app to be engaging and make normal 3D printing tasks feel like video game quests. Users earn “cuvacoins” (the in-app currency) by doing things like logging in to the app daily, uploading files, participating in groups, and starting printing projects. 

You can redeem your cuvacoins for model files and even physical products like filament or replacement nozzles. Looking through the app, the cuvacoins were more useful than I expected for an in-app currency. 

Beginners, especially kids, might enjoy earning cuvacoins while learning more and experimenting with 3D printing. 

The app walked me through linking a device. I was easily able to connect my new printer to wifi and connect it to my account on the app via Bluetooth. 

Once my printer was connected it was simple to find a fun file to print – there are hundreds of options right there in the app – some free, others paid. 

I wanted to see how the printer would be able to handle something a little bit more intricate without any manual leveling or changing the settings. I chose an articulated snake so that I would be able to see in the model’s movement if something had gone wrong during printing.

Second Print

Sending Print from the app

I was nervous that sending the file to print from the app would be more difficult than printing something preloaded on the SD card had been. It ended up being even simpler. Once I had picked which file to print, it was only a few clicks before my machine was whirring away, working on that first layer. 

It was cool to be able to see the status of my project throughout the whole printing process. The app gave me an estimated project time before I began, then continued to update it over the course of the print. 

It also told me exactly which layer was printing out of the 71 layers my snake needed. When the print was over it told me exactly how long it had taken- 10 minutes quicker than the estimated 9 hours.

Results

Once again, my model printed exactly as expected. It was easy to remove from the printer bed once it had cooled completely. This time I had no trouble removing the supports from my finished part. That confirmed that the problem before had been the Space Man file supports being too strong. 

My articulated snake was able to move completely smoothly. As any seasoned 3D printer knows, you can achieve movement with a 3D printer that is totally different than any conventional plastic toy. This printer would be a great way for a child to learn to 3D print and create interesting toys to learn about engineering. 

Creality Sermoon V1 Review Summary: Should You Buy It?

The Creality Sermoon V1 3D printer is a great choice for beginners, especially kids and people with small spaces. 

I was very impressed by the Sermoon V1’s print-out-of-the-box capabilities. The package included everything a new maker needs to get straight to printing. The system required little setup and no assembly, leveling, or calibration at all before it was ready to print. Unboxing to first print only took me about 30 minutes. That quick turnaround is great for encouraging newbies to stick with printing. 

The Creality Cloud App was easy to figure out and makes WiFi printing accessible to anyone. 

The biggest drawback to the Creality Sermoon V1 is the small build size. However, if you are going to be printing in a small space and don’t have a lot of room on your desktop, a smaller machine like this is a great choice. The downside of the smaller max build size is also made up for by the fact that the build plate is fully enclosed, which makes it extra safe. 

The Creality Sermoon V1 3D printer is a step toward making 3D printing more accessible to new audiences.

Creality Sermoon V1

Pros

Great for beginners and kids

Very simple to use: one-touch filament feed in, magnetic print bed, no assembly required, and enclosed

Low price

Quiet – I ran it all night on a 15-hour print, and in my one-bed apartment it did not disturb me

Cons

Smaller than average build volume

Available at amazon Here

Related articles:

• Ender-3 V2 Neo: A Hugely Improved Classic [Review]
• Creality Halot One Plus Review
• 3D Printer Spotlight: Testing The Creality CR-10 Smart
• Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro Review: Best Under $500?
• Toybox: A Family-Friendly 3D Printer [Review & Test]
• The best enclosed 3D printers

But, the previous Ender 3 V2 had issues (that the Ender 3 V2 Neo now fixes!):

• It took a while to build (longer than an hour, whereas now kits are 20-30mins)
• It didn’t have auto-leveling

To update it for the present day, Creality have launched the Ender 3 V2 Neo, with a range of new features added. 

And we were fortunate to receive an Ender 3 V2 Neo from Creality to test, on the agreement we would impartially review it based on what we think: is it the next best-seller, or does it not live up to the original Ender 3 range’s former glory?

Even before we got our hands on it, we were excited about its new features: the CR Touch auto leveling, removable build plate, and all-metal extruder. But we were also curious about how it performed in action, and the 3D print quality.

So, we ran several tests on our new Ender-3 V2 Neo, sometimes pushing it to the limit. We played around with its new features and tested its overall performance. Here’s what we found out.

Ender-3 V2 Neo

Pros

Auto-leveling works great via CR-Touch

New and improved metal extruder system

Build plate makes removing prints easier, and prevents damage from sticking too well

Print resume features saved us during power outages

Handles 90mm/s speeds pretty well, 1.5x faster than standard 60mm/s

Cons

Still doesn’t have a touchscreen

At 120mm/s speeds you see a noticeable loss in print quality

Available At Creality Here Amazon Here

TL;DR – A Quick Summary

Overall, we were impressed with the Ender 3 V2 Neo. 

Even at higher speeds it mostly maintains high precision and quality, and honestly we pushed it way beyond the settings you should be using it at on a day-to-day, so a couple of the models that have small imperfects and gaps would have come out perfect if we’d ran the print on calmer settings.

The auto-leveling is a huge plus, especially for new beginners – who otherwise would have to install the CR-Touch themselves. And the new build plate and metal extruder are big quality-of-life improvements on the original Ender 3, and Ender 3 V2.

Assembly

We started by assembling the 3D printer. One of the things you’ll notice off the bat is that the Ender-3 V2 Neo comes pre-installed. All you have to do is:

1. Install the gantry
2. Connect the screen
3. Attach the filament rack

All this can be done in 25 minutes, which is not bad for a printer of its capacity. Once we got the parts together, we shifted our attention to the newly added features. 

Ender-3 V2 Neo New Features

PC Spring Steel Magnetic Build Plate

This was one of the major improvements on the Ender-3 V2 Neo. Its build plate is removable, bendable, and made out of steel. 

At the bottom of the plate, there’s a magnetic surface that helps it stick firmly to the print bed. On top, the build plate has a glossy, black coating of Polyetherimide (PEI). This material gave us great adhesion during all our printing, so we never needed any plate adhesive. 

So what’s so special about this type of build plate? 

Since it’s detachable, the PC spring steel magnetic build plate has two major advantages:

1. It makes it easy to get your printed object off the bed. Once you’re done printing, simply drag off the plate, bend it a little, and off goes your print. It’s much better than a spatula because you won’t damage your print bed surface with all the scraping, and you’re far less likely to have your print stick too well and take a chunk out of your print bed. 

2. It’s easier to clean. You can quickly pop it off, clean it, dry it, and lay it back onto your print bed. If it were fixed in one place, you’d have to be really careful not to get water into the crannies of the printer, and it’d just be much more of a hassle to clean generally.

Bed Springs

Below the print bed are four orange springs that let you manually adjust the bed surface. 

Compared to previous Ender 3 printers, the Ender-3 V2 Neo’s strings are stronger and more compact, so they won’t buckle. Once they compress, they hold the position of the bed much better. And because they’re flatter on top, you’ll have a more leveled bed.

Manually leveling your bed is tedious. So if your print bed remains in one flat position for long, you won’t have to do it all the time. 

Full Metal Bowden Extruder

The Ender-3 V2 Neo’s full-metal Bowden extruder offers greater durability, extrusion force, and smooth feeding and retracting of filaments. This is one of the features that pay off in the long run.

Plastic Bowden extruders are okay. But if you’re constantly using your printer, you’ll need an extruder that will last.

Model Preview 

The Ender-3 V2 Neo may not have a touch screen display, but there’s something to love about its user interface – the model preview function. It shows you a 3D colored image of what you’re about to print.

This comes in handy if you have a large collection of models but the names are difficult to discern the models from.

To work the display, you have to rotate the knob, which takes you through the different options. To select an option, you push on the knob, which makes a rather loud popping sound. 

Although it gets the job done, we still feel like Creality can do better with this knob. Most 3D printers in this price range, like the Anycubic Kobra, now use touchscreens.

Other Ender-3 V2 Neo Features

Build Volume

The Ender-3 V2 Neo has a 220 x 220 x 250 mm build volume – the same as the original Ender 3s. It can 3D print pretty much any size of object you expect from a desktop printer.

Printing a small sculpture? You’re covered. Want to print something sizable? Unless it’s particularly large, you should be alright – but if it’s particularly large like a cosplay helmet, you might want to consider the larger Ender 5 Plus (or brand-new Ender 5 Neo range!).

Technically, the bed surface is 235 x 235 mm, giving you more wiggle room to create slightly larger prints or to print multiple objects at a go. If you require more space on your build plate and you want to pick up an Ender 3 – a better option is the Ender-3 Max Neo with its 300 x 300 x 320 mm build volume.

Speed

Speed is important when it comes to 3D printing. It affects print quality and how much power and material you use. 

According to Creality, the Ender 3 V2 Neo prints optimally at around 60 mm/sec. That’s not bad. But if you want to do things quickly, this printer can go all the way up to 120 mm/sec. 

Bear in mind that there’s a trade off between speed and precision. As you increase your print speed, you might see a fall in the quality of your 3D object. 

To test the Ender 3’s print quality at higher speeds, we printed these two little sink drains at two different speeds. 

The one on the left was done at 60 mm/s and the other at 90 mm/s. These were the results:

At 60 mm/s, the print on the left turned out practically as perfect as can be. When we increased the print speed to 90 mm/s, we noticed some slight stringing between the holes of the drain, but overall it was still a pretty solid print and still came out very circular. 

But that wasn’t enough, we wanted to know what happens when you crank up the print speed on the Ender-3 V2 Neo right to the top. 

More specifically, we needed to know if there is a noticeable change in the print’s quality as the print speed increases beyond what it’s comfortable with.

So we brought out the classic speed test tower. In this test, the printer starts printing this model at a low speed and gradually increases print speed as it goes higher up the tower. For every 12.5 mm increase in height, the print speed increases by 20 mm/s. 

We started at 40 mm/s at the base and ended at 120 mm/s.

As you can see, the quality of the print was consistent until around 100 – 120 mm/s. At this printing speed, we notice some inconsistencies in the bonding between the layers, and some slight stringing starts. But still, it wasn’t horrendous.

Minimum Layer Height 

When we talk about layer height, we’re referring to the thickness of each layer of extruded material. Layer height is important because the shorter the layer, the higher the precision in your object.

Therefore, if you want the highest level of definition in your prints, try printing at the minimum layer height. The Ender-3 V2 Neo has a minimum layer height of 0.1 mm with the default being 0.2 mm, same as the original Ender range.

So, we printed the halloween mini-pumpkin on the left at 0.1 mm, and the one on the right at 0.2 mm. This is what they looked like.

They look identical at first glance. But when you look closely, you’ll immediately see the effects of layer height on the two prints. On the left halloween pumpkin, the layers are almost visible while the right one has a smoother texture to it.

Though if we did this again, we would tweak the print settings to cover for the layer gaps and holes, you can clearly see from this layer height test that you get notably better results at 0.1mm, with less prominent layer lines – which the Ender 3 V2 Neo handles without too much issue. 

For this particular set of prints we had power outages unfortunately, which the Ender 3 V2 Neo recovered from owing to its power outage recovery features (discussed further in the next section!). The print quality would have been smoother without these issues most likely, and when it had an uninterrupted run, the print quality was high.

Resume Printing – Print Resume / Filament Run-Out Sensor

Worried about a sudden power outage? I have some good news for you. The Ender-3 V2 Neo has a resume printing function that allows you to get back to your printing in case of an interruption in power supply. 

Interestingly, many of the prints in this review were made during sporadic blackouts, but still completed the prints, without a large loss in quality (we’d perhaps do some post-processing on these prints, but they still work as decorations).

Creality Slicer Software

The Ender-3 V2 Neo comes with a memory card loaded with the Creality Slicer program, the official slicer software made for every Creality printer ever made. We quickly installed it in a matter of minutes, and launched it to an interesting surprise.

If you’ve used Cura before, you’ll notice that the Creality slicer software has a striking resemblance to Cura, and it’s basically exactly the same to use. 

Creality Slicer lets you see a multi-angle view of your model by changing the angle of the bed to 3D view front, top, left, and right view. You can also rotate and move the model around the bed, scale it along the X, Y, and Z axes.

Within the slicer, you can also tweak the settings for infill settings, dual color printing, nozzle movement, slicer preview, and others.   

If you’re looking for a wave of inspiration, try the Creality Cloud plugin that comes with the slicer. There, we found tons of models that you can download, including TV characters, toys, famous architecture, and many more.

The slicer supports several 3D file formats, such as STL, 3MF, AMF, and OBJ files that you can drag and drop into a neat user interface.

Material Compatibility

Like a lot of the extrusion-type printers today, the Ender-3 V2 Neo’s default filament is PLA. But it’s also compatible with PETG and ABS. 

For best results, you might want to use Creality filaments on their printers. A good example is this roll of 1.75 mm PLA that came with our printer.  

Overall, the Creality Ender 3 V2 Neo impressed. It is what it claims to be: an updated version of the hugely successful Ender 3 that brings it in line with the new tech we have a few years on. 

It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a solid low-cost 3D printer, that along with other printers we rate highly like the Anycubic Kobra and Prusa Mini, are great beginner-friendly FDM printers that beginners and experienced makers alike can enjoy.

Ender-3 V2 Neo

Pros

Auto-leveling works great via CR-Touch

New and improved metal extruder system

Build plate makes removing prints easier, and prevents damage from sticking too well

Print resume features saved us during power outages

Handles 90mm/s speeds pretty well, 1.5x faster than standard 60mm/s

Cons

Still doesn’t have a touchscreen

At 120mm/s speeds you see a noticeable loss in print quality

Available At Creality Here Amazon Here

If you enjoyed this post, also check out our other articles:

• Top FDM 3D Printers In Every Price Range
• Here Are The Best Affordable Auto Leveling 3D Printers
• Sovol SV01 Pro Review: Everything To Know Before Getting One
• Creality Sermoon V1 enclosed 3D printer review
• Putting The Creality CR-10 Smart To A Test (Review)

Creality are the best-selling low-cost printers, and I’m typically the kind of person that opts for the name brand.

However, I’m happy to re-evaluate that stance based on the amazing performance of the Sovol SV01 Pro. It’s such a great 3D printer for just over $300.

Read my entire review below, but spoiler alert, I absolutely love this printer. In fact, I haven’t turned my CR-10 on since I got the Sovol.

THE REVIEW

Sovol SV01 Pro

Available at:

Sovol 3D here Amazon here

Unboxing and Assembly

We have previously tested and reviewed the Sovol SV04, the sub-$1K dual extrusion printer, so we knew from experience that Sovol make some great 3D printers.

The printer was packaged very well. The exterior of the box had sustained a little damage in transit, but nothing inside was so much as scratched.

It came with the industry standard accouterments. An SD card and USB dongle. Some nondescript filament. And of course a set of side snips. When I took them out of the box I remember thinking, “How many of these things do I own at this point?” And then, I swear to you, I have not seen them since. 

Side snips are to 3D printers as socks are to dryers. 

It took me about 30 minutes to go from opening the box to printing my first test part. There were a couple of minor frustrations that I’ll go over. 

There is a machined edge at the bottom of the gantry. It lines up with the mounting slot and holes on the side of the printer.

Pictured here.

And here.

You have to line up the two legs of the gantry. This wouldn’t be a problem except that the distance between the legs on the printer I tested was slightly under the size of the body. So I had to both line up and stretch apart the gantry to get it to slide into position. It only took a couple of minutes but I was worried the whole time that I was going to drop it.

If I were to do it over again I would ask for help. An extra set of hands would have made a world of difference.

Another thing to note. There are two lead screws that control the Z-axis on either side of the gantry. 

It’s possible to turn one of these by hand and throw the gantry out of level. Then you have to re-level the screw and you can end up chasing the level up and down. (Don’t ask how I know this.) 

It’s a bit of a hassle so don’t mess with the screws before you even put the thing together.

The only other minor issue I ran into actually led to my first print failure so I will touch on that as well

The Sovol SV01 Pro comes with a filament sensor. I’ll talk more later about what a filament sensor does but for now, let’s focus on assembly. It’s the small box located on the top of the gantry in-line with the filament holder.

It has a couple of bolts on the back for tightening it into position. The instructions aren’t very clear on this, but what I came to find out is that the bolts allow the filament sensor to swivel. That way the filament can track back and forth with the movement of the extruder.

If you over-tighten these two bolts the filament can become snagged and cause your part to fail. Tighten them enough to attach it and then let it be.

After that, you just mount the touch screen and plug in all the wires.

Setup and Calibration

If you are new to 3D printing I can talk about bed leveling and you probably won’t shudder. Those of us that have been around for a while get goosebumps every time someone mentions it.

Leveling the bed on the Sovol SV01 Pro was so easy I found myself grinning like a child. It felt like I was cheating at a game. 

It comes with a CR-touch pre-installed. You simply push the touchscreen leveling button and the printer takes a sample of the center of the build plate.

Then you grab a sheet of paper and lay it on the bed. You tap the area you want to check, the extruder moves there and then you use the large knobs on the bottom of the plate to bring it up to where the extruder just starts to compress the paper. 

The instructions recommend that you do all four quadrants twice. You may feel it’s unnecessary, but don’t skip that step.

Once you’re done with that, the printer takes 16 even samples all over the bed and gives you a display of how flat the bed is. I cannot begin to overstate how amazing it felt to be given actual measured data on how flat I got it.

The only thing left is to load the filament into the extruder. It’s a direct drive so no messing around with bowden tubes or any of that goofy stuff. You just squeeze the compressor out of the way and push in the filament.

Also, make sure the drive belts are tightened up. Keep reading to learn more about this. 

Test Prints

When you first launch a ship it is custom to break a bottle of champagne across the bow to ensure good luck.

When you first fire up a 3D printer it’s just as important to print a Benchy for the same reason. This tradition dates all the way back to the ancient and wondrous days of 3D printing yore, circa 2015.

I kid, but only a little. The Benchy is a great first print because it’s fairly small and fast and if there is something wrong with your printer it will tell you if you know how to listen.

This is my first Benchy off of the Sovol and, although it has some issues, it’s pretty great.

As you can see there is minimal stringing and good layer adhesion. This tells me there’s nothing wrong with the extruder.

But, looking the part over, I found that the corners were deformed in a way that suggested the X and Y axis were not working in perfect synchronization.

One of the great features of the Sovol SV01 is that it comes with manual belt tensioners. This allows you to keep the belts at the appropriate level of tension. When you strum a belt with your finger you want to hear it hum. 

If you want your 3D printer to sing, you need to keep it tuned up. (I’ve mixed my metaphors but you get what I mean.) 

What I found is that neither of the belts were very tight. I should have checked that when I set up the machine.

So I tightened the belts and started another benchy. The first test print was directly from Sovol’s provided SD card. I decided that if I was going to print another benchy I would slice it myself, to compare.

As you can see, it was not a success. If Benchy’s can talk this one is screaming “Oh, the humanity” or something along those lines. Remember earlier when I said I learned a valuable lesson about over-tightening the filament detector bolts?

This is the Benchy that gave its life to provide me with that intel.

At this point, I was starting to have reservations. Doggedly and with bated breath I pulled the trigger on yet another Benchy.

The third one turned out perfect and I literally “whooped” with joy when I saw it. It’s the best one I’ve ever printed.

One last test print to check that everything was working as it should be.

Which turned out amazing.

At this point I decided to have some fun and see what this printer could do.

Precision

This printer had started to get my attention. I had no idea that it was about to blow my mind.

Regardless of your particular reason for wanting a 3D printer, its ability to precisely deliver the object you’re trying to print is of paramount importance.

I decided to do three tests to check for precision.

The first test was of a miniature like you would use for tabletop games. (Incidentally, this is what got me into 3D printing). I slowed the print speed down to 40mms and dropped the layer height to 0.1mm.

I could not be happier with the print. I sprayed a coat of gray primer on the mini so you can better see the finished results.

Next, I printed an articulated octopus that does double duty as a great test for layer adhesion and accuracy. 

It worked perfectly. The legs easily separated after the print and moved freely.

The next test of precision was the one that I worried the most about. I’ve made, roughly, twenty of these little iris boxes and it’s always a roll of the dice on my other printer.

Again, it turned out great. So I made three more. They’re very popular with the kids.

Having satisfied myself with the Sovol’s accuracy it was time to move on to a larger project.

Build Volume

The working area of the Sovol SV01 Pro is 280mm x 240mm x 300mm (11in x 9.5in x 11.8in).

While that isn’t huge, it’s still pretty big and lands on the large side of medium. This machine can make some large prints, but wouldn’t be a good fit for someone looking to make, say, cosplay helmets or tall statuary prints.

I wanted to make something for my daughter while also testing the build volume. Additionally, I also checked out how the Sovol handled a mid-print filament change. In a couple of words, very easily. Succinct, on-screen instructions lead you through making the switch.

I printed the background in a clear glow-in-the-dark PLA and the foreground in black. 

Another, hassle-free, success. She loves it, and I got a big hug.

Features

The Sovol SV01 Pro comes with some really good features built in. Many of them have become standard in 3D printers and for good reason.

Filament Sensor

This device detects if you’ve run out of filament. If that happens, the print is paused and you can simply load in some more filament to continue. It can be a real lifesaver.

CR-Touch Auto Bed Leveling

The CR-Touch is an automatic leveling tool that both detects the actual build plate height and helps you to level it. It also reports on how flat the plate is, after leveling. 

Read more: the best auto-bed leveling 3D printers

Magnetic and Flexible Build Plate

An absolute must-have feature. I’ve ruined more parts than I care to relate, trying to pry them off of a glass or metal build plate. With this, the parts come off easily.

Direct Drive Extruder

Instead of having the extruder located somewhere else and then feeding the filament to the hot end by way of a bowden tube, this machine feeds the filament straight into the hot end.

Touch Screen Controller

I had thought that the touch screen was going to be a cheap gimmick. A parlor trick to convince you that the machine was on par with its sleeker competitors. I was wrong. It’s intuitive, useful, charming, and, honestly, pretty fun.

Material Compatibility

I have only tried PLA, so far, but the manufacturer lists that the Sovol SV01 Pro can print the following. I plan on trying all of them.

• PLA (including glow-in-the-dark PLA)
• TPU
• ABS 
• PETG
• Wood

Noise Level

Here is where we run into my only real complaint. The printer is whisper quiet. The stepper motors make almost no sound. There are no annoying vibrations or ringing. 

Then, after the first layer, the cooling fan on the extruder kicks on and it sounds like a miniature jet engine. I have no idea why Sovol would include the 32-bit silent motherboard upgrade and then entirely undo that feature with an excessively noisy fan.

Final Thoughts

This is what I feel may have happened. In some boardroom or lab or basement or wherever, a bunch of people got together and decided to design a 3D printer. 

They then realized that all the heavy lifting had already been done, so the best thing they could do was combine all the accrued knowledge of their predecessors. 

In my imaginings, they came at the task by asking themselves, “What are the worst parts of 3D printing?”

Someone raised their hand and said, “I hate when I can’t get the bed to level.”

CR-touch it is.

Another, “It’s awful when I accidentally run out of filament mid-print.”

The filament sensor was added.

And so it went. I hate when parts stick to the bed. Enter the flexible magnetic bed. I’d rather pull my hair out than feed another strand of filament through a bowden tube. Direct drive extruder it is.

In short, Sovol managed to take everything I dislike about 3D printing and either remove it or give me a better tool to surmount it. All that was left was the sheer joy of making stuff.

It’s a really good machine. And I don’t even care if the cooling fan is loud. When I watch it print, it just sounds like music to me.

THE REVIEW

Sovol SV01 Pro

Available at:

Sovol 3D here Amazon here

Specs

• Price: $329 — Available at Sovol 3D here / Amazon here
• Build Volume: 280 x 240 x 300 mm
• Build Plate Size: 300mm x 255mm
• Max Nozzle Temperature: 260°C
• Bed Temperature: 110°C
• Printer Connectivity: TF card, USB connection
• Layer Thickness: 0.1-0.4mm (Adjustable)
• Nozzle Diameter: Standard 0.4mm (Adjustable)
• Recommend Print Speed: 50-80mm/s
• Filament Compatibility: PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, Wood filled filaments
• Extruder Type: Direct drive
• Screen Type: Touchscreen
• Auto-leveling: Yes, CR-Touch ABL system
• Features: filament sensor, day/night theme, flexible build plate, dual z-axis, 32-bit motherboard
• Material Diameter: 1.75mm
• Support File Format: G-code
• Machine Size:  520mm x 509mm x 647mm
• Machine Weight: 9.8kg
• Package Size: 569mm x 559mm x 231mm
• Package Weight: 12.9kg
• Voltage: input 115v/230v50/6Hz Output 24v
• Operation System: Windows/Mac/Linux
• Power: 350W Creality Power Supply

Related posts:

• Are 3D Printers Worth It? (Pros & Cons Compared)
• The 5 Best 3 in 1 3D Printers 2022 (with Laser Engraving & CNC!)
• Best Large 3D Printers In Every Price Range
• Top 20 Best 3D Printers
• Sovol SV04 Hands-On Review – Best Low-Cost IDEX 3D Printer?

With growing concerns about plastics, energy use, and wasted materials, reducing our carbon footprint has never been more important.

Because of how much 3D printing relies on energy use and plastics, it’s important to know how to make the process greener. A great way of doing this is to learn which 3D printing filaments are and aren’t recyclable and to what degree.

Unfortunately, most filaments can’t be recycled in the same way as you’d recycle a soda bottle. 

However, there are some methods for recycling filaments to keep in mind depending on which kind you use, all of which we’ll explain here.

Knowing which filaments you can recycle and how is imperative to reducing your carbon footprint without having to sacrifice 3D printing, and we’re going to look at all of them today.

Here we’re going to look at which 3D filaments you can recycle, and which you should avoid if you’re eco-conscious.

We’ll also look at the best ways to recycle various filaments for maximum eco-efficiency, like filament recyclers and even home composting.

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Which Filaments Can Be Recycled and How?

There are quite a few recyclable 3D printer filaments out there that will help you keep your printing as green as possible.

Keep in mind that there’s no one filament that’s easily recyclable by standard means, so even though they are the greener options, you won’t be able to simply throw these in with your plastic bottles and containers and just call it a day.

Going green with 3D printing isn’t easy, but it is worth the time and effort to reduce your carbon footprint and keep your passion eco-friendly.

PLA

PLA recycling is a very easy process. It’s a highly recyclable filament, and chances are you’ve even used already recycled PLA filament if you’ve been 3D printing for a while.

While PLA and PLA-based materials like wood filament can be recycled, they can’t be mixed with other recyclable plastics.

This is because it has a different melting point than what most recycling plants handle. As a result, leftover PLA needs to be processed separately, and so many industrial plants will refuse to take it.

That’s not to say there isn’t something you can do, though.

PLA is primarily made from plant starch, meaning it is 100% biodegradable and can be composted at home. For more information on how to go about this, you can check out some good advice and guidelines here.

Failing that, you can use a filament extruder to reuse any extra PLA yourself, effectively breathing new life into what would otherwise be wasted materials.

If you 3D print often, you’ll find this is a great money-saver too, as all the little bits of material that would otherwise be wasted all add up.

PETG

PETG is not biodegradable like PLA, but it is more widely accepted by recycling centers.

It will depend on the collection rules and laws of your local service, so it’s worth checking to see if they accept PETG filaments for recycling.

If not, you may still be able to find recycling centers and plants that will accept it.

This is particularly important because PETG shares a lot of chemical similarities with more commonly recycled plastics, but will render those plastics unrecyclable by standard means if they are somehow mixed together.

In essence, if you aren’t careful with recycling your PETG, you may end up doing more harm than good.

Non-Recyclable Filaments

Unfortunately, not all 3D printer filaments are recyclable, at least not easily.

Generally speaking, thermoplastics that aren’t PLA-based are the hardest to recycle as they don’t degrade naturally and aren’t fit for general recycling.

Here are the 3D printer filaments that you should avoid if you’re eco-conscious and why, as well as some methods to make them more environmentally friendly if you’d prefer to use them while still being conscious of your carbon footprint.

Thermoplastics (ABS, Polycarbonate, and Nylon)

While PLA is a thermoplastic, its biodegradable nature means its easily reused or recycled at home. The same is not true for other thermoplastics.

ABS is a commonly used 3D printer filament.

As a thermoplastic, it is not accepted by curbside recycling, and unlike PLA, it is not biodegradable, which also makes it unsuitable for composting. The same goes for polycarbonate and Nylon, making them some of the least green filaments around.

This makes these thermoplastic filaments a bad option if you want to go eco-friendly. However, wastage can be reduced with the use of a home filament recycler.

If you have the funds or 3D print as part of your business, you can also hire private recycling contractors who do accept thermoplastics if there are any in your area. These thermoplastics are marked as Type 7 plastics, so be sure your chosen company accepts these.

If you’re taking a more eco-friendly direction in life, it will prove useful to you to become familiar with the different plastic types and their environmental impact. You can find more information here.

Do not fret, though. New research is conducted every day in making PLA-based Type 7 plastics, which will allow you to use these materials that will effectively have the same recyclable properties as PLA.

If you do have a penchant for these materials, then try to follow the steps above to reduce plastic waste and get as much as possible from these filaments.

Ceramic

While most ceramic filaments are PLA-based, they’re not as widely or easily recycled as wood or coffee filaments. While ceramic is easily recyclable on its own, PLA is not, and so it can’t be recycled once the two are combined.

Ceramic filament can, however, be recycled using a filament recycler, so don’t be discouraged if you happen to prefer using ceramic filaments but are concerned about its eco-friendliness.

Resins

While the recyclability of your resin will depend on its type, they are not widely or easily recycled in general.

Even if you are trying to dispose of your failed resin prints properly, you will need to cure them first to remove the toxicity that will further damage the environment.

If you use a resin 3D printer, we recommend using professional recycling centers and, even better, using plant-based resins instead of your standard type or brand.

Special Mention: Reusing ABS at Home

While ABS is a thermoplastic, which we’ve mentioned above, it needs its own section because it has some uses that go beyond standard or professional recycling, many of which you can do at home.

Reusing and repurposing ABS yourself will take some work but is rewarding and practical as well as eco-friendly by turning wasted material into usable tools!

By treating ABS scraps with acetone and leaving it overnight, you can make adhesive for helping with bed adhesion (though it only works on glass), glue for 3D printing projects and general use, or slurry to help fill in any gaps in your prints.

The only difference between making these three is how much leftover ABS you use. For every 50ml of acetone, you simply need to mix small snips of ABS, stir, and leave it overnight.

For this, you’ll use around 4g of ABS for the adhesive, 8g for the glue, and 20g for the slurry.

Reusing ABS like this is a great way to use an otherwise non-recyclable material while also making some useful things to help with your 3D printing!

Eco-Friendly 3D Printing Solutions

If your filament is recyclable, you’ll need to work out how.

Not all of these methods are universal, so they’re all worth keeping in mind if you regularly change your filament type.

Filament Extruders/Recyclers

Filament extruders are excellent ways to reuse filaments and even create your own. They’re simple to use and are fantastic for taking any wasted materials and making them usable again.

As well as recycling filaments, you can use filament extruders to make some new filaments or buff yours out by using extra materials.

Personally, I recommend blending PLA with coffee grounds for filament with some very cool color diversity that’s also completely biodegradable.

You can also buy a filament shredder, which further streamlines the reusing process as well as making it easier to reuse otherwise non-recyclable materials like ABS and other non-PLA thermoplastics.

The Felfil Filament Recyclers and shredders are products we highly recommend, and can be found here.

In general, desktop extruders like the Mabelstar are great additions to any eco-friendly 3D printing enthusiast’s workstation.

Home Composting

Most PLA and PLA-based filaments are largely, if not completely, biodegradable. These include coffee, beer, and wood-based filaments.

Because they will naturally decompose, they are suitable for home composting and are ideal for use in the garden the same way you’d use hedge trimmings.

As a side, if you have a garden and haven’t started home composting yet, I highly recommend doing so.

It’s a great way to turn garden waste and food scraps into working compost and is a fantastic way to go greener with almost no effort.

It’s a far greener alternative to wastage that will also help you out with your gardening. It’s simple to start and very much worth the time.

It’s worth noting, however, that most filaments need temperatures of over 140°F to properly degrade, and so aren’t suitable for home composting.

Reducing Plastic Waste

There are a few ways to cut down on plastic waste entirely. This is especially important if you use filaments that are not easily recyclable.

A good way to do this is with proper 3D printer maintenance. If your printer is running at maximum efficiency, then it vastly reduces the risk of warped and unusable prints, as well as cutting down on general filament waste.

Don’t forget to keep your extruder in good condition, too!

This risk is further reduced by using good quality filament and storing it properly to make sure it stays in top condition so everything runs smoothly.

You can also simply opt for projects that don’t use any more filament than necessary. By opting for well-designed STL files that require few or no supports, you’ll use less material in general for the same results.

It’s also worth noting that, as well as 3D printer maintenance, you should keep a close eye on your printer settings to ensure efficient bed adhesion.

Broken-off pieces and overheated filaments will also contribute to plastic wastage, and these seemingly insignificant fragments will add up over time if you happen to use your 3D printer regularly.

Use Eco-Friendly Materials

There’s no real point in recycling things if you don’t use recycled products yourself.

Recycling is only half the battle, after all, and we can still do our bit by simply opting for more eco-friendly and recycled materials.

There are a lot of companies out there that offer or even specialize in recycled filaments, and buying from these sources helps to support the recycling industry as well as reduce your environmental impact.

If you don’t use an FDM printer, you can also buy eco-friendly, plant-based resins like this one from Anycubic.

Just like buying recycled products, using recycled or partially recycled filaments is a good way to be more eco-friendly without expending any more effort or sacrificing quality or reliability.

Other articles you may be interested in:

• What To Do With Empty Filament Spools?
• Biodegradable filaments
• Metal Filaments: The Complete 3D Printing Guide
• PLA 3D Printing Filament – Everything You Need to Know
• HIPS Filament: The Complete HIPS 3D Printing Guide
• Paper 3D Printing: The Complete Guide
• PLA vs ABS: Which is Best for your 3D Printing Needs?
• How to Untangle a Tangled or Knotted Filament Spool

We printed small miniature models, larger prints, and tried 3D printing scans from our 3D scanner. We were really impressed with the quality, reliability and how easy the printer was to set up and use.

The direct drive extruder is ideal if you want to print flexibles and generally improves your printing experience, and our models turned out great. The kicker: it’s also super quiet.

However, there are a few small irritations. It doesn’t have WiFi built-in, though you can buy a Creality WiFi box, or if you’re more technical go down the Raspberry Pi and Octoprint route. It’s also over $200 more than the standard Ender 3, so you need to factor whether the performance improvements are worth it for you.

A quick note: we tested the S1 Pro, which is $80 more than the standard S1. However, we include a detailed comparison on the differences (and between the S1 Plus), as well as the differences between the S1 Pro and standard Ender 3, so you can find which is best for you.

Here’s the full review.

Creality Ender-3 S1 Pro

Creality Store here

Amazon here

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Who is the Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro for?

The Ender 3 S1 Pro builds on the strengths of the standard model. It’s a tinker-free, set-and-forget way of producing high-quality prints regardless of your experience level.

It’s incredibly user-friendly, designed to be built, powered up, and printing within minutes.

Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro Unboxing and Assembly

This assembly process was, as you’d hope, pretty painless. The Ender 3 S1 Pro comes in 3 main preassembled parts, and it’s just a case of using 7 – 8 screws to bring it all together.

Add on the touchscreen, connect up the wires, and you’re good to go.

I went from a sealed box to a functioning printer within an hour, and I’m hardly the best when it comes to this sort of thing. 

Even though the manual had pretty clear images, there wasn’t much corresponding text. Luckily, the Ender website has assembly instruction videos that make building your printer super simple.

The package comes with all the accessories you could realistically expect – pliers, a filament slicer, and an SD card complete with a USB dongle. Basically, everything you need to get started 3D printing, and some spares.

When it’s all set up, you’ll notice a 22cm x 22cm x 27cm build area that offers plenty of space while still remaining desktop sized.

P.S All the screws came with a couple of spares, which is pretty useful if you like modifying your 3D printer over the years – or if you have a tendency to drop things under the sofa!

Set up and calibration 

Once everything was put together, all that was left was the initial calibration. The Ender 3 S1 Pro will conduct a sweep to get itself in a ball park, but then it’s up to you to take your A4 piece of paper to apply the finishing touches. 

Most of the data points were just a millimeter or so out, which is pretty impressive. I haven’t had to recalibrate the printer since the first use, and I’ve probably done half a dozen prints since then.

Getting STL files onto the Ender is a breeze. Just throw them on the SD card, click it into the slot, and it’s all there for you on the touch screen at a glance. It’s way better than having to scroll through a load of designs, you can just go straight to what you need.

However, it doesn’t have WiFi connectivity, so you’ll have to make do with the SD card file transfer, or upgrade to a Creality WiFi box or Raspberry Pi Octoprint custom kit.

Once you press go, the screen switches to show you the current print duration and estimated percentage of completion – a super handy feature for scheduling your prints in the most effective way. 

Ender 3 S1 Pro Review: Test 3D Prints

The Famous Cat – SUCCESS

For my first print, I decided to let the Ender 3 S1 Pro play on its home turf with one of the four designs that come on the SD card.

I own a cat – a single cat – and thought I’d make her a companion. 

I was really impressed. The build was solid, the curves of the body and head were very clean, and the detailing of the face and whiskers was superb.

It was a big win all around, and keep in mind this was my very first print with the device. Normally I find printers are a little rougher for the first couple of prints while they get their eye in, so to speak, but the Ender 3 S1 was ready to rock from the get-go. 

Statue – FAIL … Followed by Success!

For my next test, I decided to go with something a little less straightforward. Human faces are always a good benchmark for a 3D printer, with plenty of details that are tricky to nail cleanly.

We recently tested and reviewed the Revopoint POP 2, one of the best low-cost 3D scanners around. During the test we scanned a small statue model, and had the STL file on hand to try 3D printing it.

Unfortunately, this test was a bit of a disaster, but it was my bad.

After my cat print, I was super excited. So I started the next print pretty much immediately, without checking everything on the printer was reset properly. Some of the filament from my first print had strung out from the nozzle and was dangling down.

During the first half an hour, the base of the statue was printing just fine – so I decided “what the hell, just let it run”. 

What I should have done was taken advantage of the S1 Pro’s pause and resume feature, halted the print, dealt with the issue, and resumed after that.

So, by the time we got to work on the base of the head, the stringing had reached a height that was connecting with the print itself and had moved the statue. This means the print was no longer where the Ender “thought” it was, causing it to print in various sections of mid-air pretty comically. 

I was all out of filament, so had to wait a couple of days to re-run the statue experiment. But this time, things were different.

Success!

The statue came out looking great, with excellent detail on the facial features and hair. This STL came from a 3D scanner, so it was really cool to see the S1 Pro produce such a lifelike replica of a real-world object.

Pokémon – Gotta Print Them All!

I then decided to inject a little extra joy into my life. What better way than to print a few of my favorite pokemon – Umbreon, Mudkip, and Nidoran.

The prints were pretty impressive overall, but they’re small models, so we could have improved the surface finish with lower layer heights and other better slicer settings to make them even better.

Nevertheless, after some post-processing and sanding to get rid of the imperfections from support removal, they’ll look fine.

So overall from those first few prints, I was very impressed. It worked well printing miniatures (though for perfect detail, go for an MSLA resin 3D printer), printed a standard fun cat model well, and if you planned to use it for more professional uses, it printed a 3D scan effectively in a similar vein to rapid prototyping.

The next part of our Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro review focuses on the differences between this Pro model and the standard S1, and the differences between this and the standard Ender 3.

THE REVIEW

Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro

Available at:

Creality here

Ender 3 S1 Pro: Main Features

Very Quiet

Our testing found the Ender 3 S1 Pro clocked in at just 36 decibels while printing.

One thing that struck me about the Ender 3 S1 Pro compared to other 3D printers I’ve used is how quiet it is.

I normally have to keep my roommates in mind if I’m doing any prints after work. When you’ve had a long day at work, you don’t need some guy whirring away on a print.

With the Ender, you really can’t hear a thing from the next room. The Pro model uses a 32-bit silent motherboard, and it makes all the difference.

To make the point, I thought I’d run a test.

The average 3D printer runs at around 50 – 55 decibels, which is about as loud as a normal, animated conversation. When I tested the Ender 3 S1 Pro, it clocked in at an average of just 36 decibels (adjusted for background noise).

It sounds about as loud as a laptop that’s a few years old, where the fan is seeing a little more action than it used to. 

Automatic Bed Leveling

The Ender 3 S1 Pro also comes with a CR touch auto-bed leveling system. It removes a lot of the manual work from producing crisp prints and is a huge time saver. During the set up there’s a little manual leveling involved, but it seems once you’ve calibrated the S1 Pro once, it doesn’t need much love after that.

A Couple of Extras

Beyond these main upgrades, there are a few nice bonuses here and there. For instance, the built-in drawer is a little larger, meaning there’s more place for you to store your filament, tools, and other goodies. 

There’s also new insulation stored under the steel sheet, keeping it hotter for longer while helping you save power.

Would I Recommend the Ender 3 S1 Pro?

The Ender 3 S1 Pro would be near the top of my list for anyone new to 3D printing, or looking for an upgrade on a cheap purchase they made to get into the hobby.

It prints to a high standard, and comes bundled with the first few upgrades you would look to make on a more basic model.

At this price, it’s an absolute steal of a deal.

Nevertheless, if you’re unsure, here are the differences between the Ender 3 S1 Pro and S1, and between the Ender 3 standard.

THE REVIEW

Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro

Available at:

Creality here

The Ender 3 S1 Pro vs Ender 3 S1 – The Differences

So, what’s the difference between the Ender 3 S1 Pro version and the standard Ender 3 S1? And is it worth the extra $80?

For the extra 80 bucks, you 4 key upgrades that improve the functionality, usability, and convenience of the printer.

4.3-inch Touchscreen

Whereas the Ender 3 S1 has a toggle to navigate the screen, the Ender 3 S1 Pro has a full touchscreen.

The difference in usability is analogous to moving from an iPod Classic click wheel to the more intuitive touchscreen of an iPhone.

The screen itself is very responsive to taps, and actions register without any lag. 

With the Pro, you can see far more information at a glance. I was far less reliant on the manual to get stuff done than I was using the basic model. It’s all just there in front of you, rather than having to scroll through options to select what you need. 

This might not be a gamechanger if you’re already competent with Ender 3 S1, but it will certainly reduce the learning curve for those new to the Ender range (or 3D printers in general). 

LED lightbar

I will often install a light bar on 3D printers that don’t carry it as standard, so it’s nice to see Ender beat me to the punch on this one.

The light distribution is powerful enough without producing glare from the print surface, allowing you to properly scrutinize your print in progress.

I like to print after work and in the evening which is totally possible, given how quiet the Pro is (more on that later). 

It’s useful to be able to see what I’m doing without having my main lights on and disrupting my valuable “winding down routine”. 

My only critique would be that they could have gone even further with it. This is just a simple white light, that is either on or off. It’s for visibility of prints in progress only.

If they’d installed an RGB light, they could have used it as a useful means of communicating information. For example, it could glow green when the print was completed, or hum red to alert you that you’re out of filament. 

Sprite Metal Hotend

The Pro model allows you to print at higher temperatures, with the upgraded Sprite Hotend and a PEI spring steel sheet.

The sprite hotend is all metal, not PTFE lined like the Ender 3 S1. 

This means that it is capable of reaching max temperatures of around 300°C vs the Ender 3 S1 Pro’s 260°C, giving you access to high-temperature materials like Nylon, Polycarbonate, or carbon fiber-filled Nylon (if you fit a hardened steel nozzle).

PEI Spring Steel Sheet 

The upgraded sheet is made with these hotter prints in mind. It works really well. For me, my prints stuck to it really well and popped off easily once they had cooled.

My only issue with these higher temperature modifications is that it’s a good idea to have an enclosure in these cases.

While I’ve never been burnt, and have been able to maneuver the sheet post-print safely by using the overhanging tags, an enclosure would be a worthwhile addition for more public purposes like a classroom or workshop.

If you don’t feel you need the Pro version, you can buy the Ender 3 S1 for $379 here.

For a more in-depth comparison, we have another article covering the differences between the Ender 3 S1 and S1 Pro.

Ender 3 S1 Pro vs Ender 3 S1 Plus

You don’t lose any of the premium extras you get on the S1 Pro on the S1 Plus – so the metal dual gear direct drive extruder, touchscreen and other features all come as standard on the S1 Plus. 

However, the build volume is expanded to an enormous 300 x 300 x 300 mm, so if you plan to print large terrain for your miniature models, large prototypes, cosplay helmets, or any other creative and fun yet large project – the Ender 3 S1 Plus can almost certainly handle it.

It costs extra though, at $529.

You can buy it here.

Ender 3 S1 Pro vs Ender 3

The main differences for your extra $250 are:

Build volume: the standard Ender 3 has a 220 x 220 x 250 mm, 20 mm shorter on the z-axis (Ender 3 S1 and S1 Pro have 270mm z-height).

Hotend and extruder: the S1 Pro has a full-metal direct drive extruder, whereas the Ender 3 range (including the Pro and V2) have PTFE bowden extruders. Bowden extruders can be fine as they take some weight off of the extruder, but they’re considered worse for printing flexible filaments like TPU due to its delicacy. The S1 Pro’s extruder is generally higher quality, pushing 80N of force and built in-house to be 30% lighter, with chrome steel gears for feeding well without slipping. Upgrade and you’ll get less jamming – especially with flexibles.

Speed: the Ender 3 runs up to 100mm/s, whereas the S1 and S1 Pro run up to 150mm/s. 

Filament compatibility: the standard Ender 3 can probably print more than those Creality advertise on the specs, but the product specs recommends just ABS, TPU and PLA. Realistically it can print PETG too, but the 255°C max temperature and less beefy components mean higher-temp filaments aren’t really suitable. The S1 Pro can print filaments like Nylon and similar high-temp filaments, as well as being better suited to TPU.

Layer thickness: the Ender 3 can handle layer heights as low as 0.1mm (100 microns), whereas the S1 and S1 Pro offer layer heights of 0.05mm (50 microns).

Max nozzle temperature: The S1 Pro can reach 300°C, the S1 260°C, the Ender 3 255°C.

Auto-leveling: the Ender 3 has no auto-leveling, but you can purchase a BLTouch or CRTouch and manually install it – though is a hassle and an extra cost. The Ender 3 S1 and S1 Pro have auto-leveling by default.

Z-Axis build: the Ender 3 S1 and S1 Pro have a sturdier z-axis built with the dual screw motor design.

Extruder type: the S1 and S1 Pro have a direct drive extruder, whereas the Ender 3, V2 and Pro all have bowden extruders. These have different pros and cons, but direct drive extruders are considered more reliable for flexible filament printing.

If the standard Ender 3 works just fine for you, you can pick it up for under $200 here.

THE REVIEW

Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro

Available at:

Creality here

For more options that won’t break the bank, check out our guide to the best budget 3D printers.

Some other 3D printer reviews:

• Creality Sermoon V1 review
• Review of Creality Halot One Plus
• Ender 3 S1 vs Anycubic Kobra 3D printer
• Anycubic Kobra review
• Elegoo Mars 2 Pro review
• Sovol SV04 review
• Sovol SV01 Pro 3D printer review
• Snapmaker 2.0 A350T review

With good specs, helpful design choices, easy setup, and high-quality results, the SV04 is a great choice for anyone looking for a dual extruder 3D printer to call their own. 

Compared to more well-known dual extruder printers like the Raise3D Pro2 or E2 ranges, or Ultimaker 3D printers, the Sovol SV04 offers just as large printing area, and great performance for a hobbyist 3D printer — yet at a fraction of the price.

You don’t get all the premium, professional-grade features that you would on those industrial-focused printers (more details on these features later on), but you can’t expect that for under $600.

My Sovol SV04 review shows some of the models I’ve printed since I began testing it, as well as my review on how easy it is to assemble, the setup process, the software and slicer, 3D printing specifics and how to get the best out of your SV04, and my overall recommendations – directly comparing it to other low-cost dual extruder printers on the market.

Main Specs

• Price: $539 – Available at Sovol Official store here
• Build volume: 300 x 300 x 400 mm
• Dual extruder: IDEX dual extruder
• Extra features: auto-leveling, magnetic flexible print bed, print recovery and filament run-out detection, touchscreen

THE REVIEW

Sovol SV04

Available at:

Sovol 3D here Amazon here

Pros and Cons

Design and Unboxing

Immediately on unboxing the Sovol SV04 you will notice its large dimensions – 65 x 63 x 80 cm to be exact — weighing in at 15kg. This benefits the machine, offering an impressive maximum build size of 300 x 300 x 400 mm. 

However, you should take note of this gargantuan size before purchasing to ensure that you have enough space on your counter for it to reside. Appearance-wise, the SV04 opts for an industrial, function-over-form design, with a shiny metallic blue finish on the extruders.

On its base, you’ll find the power switch and plug to the right, voltage switch on the back, an SD card slot, belt tensioner, USB connection, and touchscreen on the front. The 4.3-inch touchscreen is pretty basic, I found that I had to press it quite hard sometimes to register my touches, but at the end of the day, it does exactly what it needs to do, with its menus intuitive and easy to navigate. 

Sat atop the base is the removable magnetic build plate. I was impressed with both the strength of the adhesion of the plate, as well as the strength of the magnet.

Having an easily removable magnetic plate was a great design choice, as it allows you to both detach your prints and clean the surface without having to apply pressure to the bed and risk de-leveling it. The bed is also flexible, another good choice, as flexing it makes it really easy to remove your models post-print.

Finally, towering above is the gantry, which holds the two extruders, spool holders, and filament sensors. 

Sovol SV04 Setup & Calibrating the Dual Extruders

Assembling the printer was an easy task. The instructions in the manual were clear enough, although I realized while following them that they did not account for a couple of pieces in the box – namely the two purge buckets for the extruders. Sovol’s own official YouTube channel has an excellent full tutorial for building the printer which I would recommend anyone watch before they get started. 

Just as easy, but prolonged slightly by the presence of the second extruder, was the calibration process. The SV04 does include a 3D touch auto-leveling sensor on the main extruder, which I found to calibrate the Z-axis fairly well, although I still had to make some further adjustments of my own. 

Getting the secondary extruder level with the main one on the Z-axis involves simply tightening a screw until you’re at the desired height. It really was all simple.

Being a dual extruder printer, you must also tweak the hot-end offset to ensure that the two extruders are in sync on the X and Y-axes. To figure out your required offset settings, you will need to perform a couple of test prints using the pre-installed ‘calibration’ model. This will print two pairs of combs, horizontal and vertical, clearly displaying the exact distances you will need to offset the secondary extruder. Again, Sovol have a very helpful video on their YouTube channel to help with this step. 

It is worth noting here that despite running my SV04 near-continuously for a couple of weeks, in all its different printing modes, I have not yet needed to recalibrate once. Again, the removable magnetic build platform helps with this, and when I do need eventually have to recalibrate, I know that the auto-leveling feature will speed up the process.

Software

The recommended slicer for the Sovol SV04, Sovol’s version of Cura (Sovol3DCura), has been extremely easy to use.

Upon downloading the software, you will be prompted to select a printer. On the list, the SV04 appears multiple times, corresponding to the multiple printing modes available on the SV04, which we detail later in this review. 

Simply select the mode that you require and open your model files. From there, simply orient them on the build platform, add supports or a raft, and change the level or pattern of infill in your model. It does everything you can reasonably expect from a slicer, and it does it well.

• We have an article on the best 3D slicer settings.
• Ranked: the best 3D slicers.

Included with the SV04 is an 8GB SD card with a USB adapter, more than enough for most users — you’d need hundreds of STL files to fill it up, and then you can either buy another, or just delete some. 

Some calibration prints also come reinstalled on the SD card, as well as some test models to get you started.

If you’re not a Sovol3DCura fan you can also use standard Cura, as well as other options like Simplify3D, Repetier-Host, and others.

Sovol SV04 3D Printer Review — Testing

The Sovol SV04 has several printing modes, allowing for a great deal of versatility in how you choose to print. Your options are: 

Single Mode

• Build volume: 300 x 300 x 400 mm 

Choosing either the left or the right extruder, this will perform your print as though you were using a typical single extrusion printer, ideal for the times when you don’t need to do anything fancy. 

To test this, I thought I’d start with this small Einstein bust model, since faces tend to showcase a lot of fine details. I am more than happy with the quality of this print.

Dual Mode

• Build volume: 300 x 300 x 400 mm 

In this mode, the two extruders combine to print one model, allowing you to print models in two colours, and because the two extruders’ temperatures can be set separately, even in two materials. 

If you were thinking about getting a dual extruder printer, this is probably the setting you’re most interested in, and I am glad to say that the Sovol SV04 prints in Dual Mode remarkably well. If you wanted to print PLA along with soluble PVA supports, the Sovol SV04 can handle this no problem, likewise with HIPS and ABS if you plan to dissolve the HIPS supports in limonene solution.

The large printing dimensions are ideal for Dual Mode as the extruders both have free rein of the entire build area. To put this printing mode to the test, I printed this small tree frog model. Being able to make two-color prints at home is never going to get old — and if you wanted to start a small 3D printing business printing your own models, printing in multiple colors is a huge plus.

Naturally, to avoid some dodgy-looking prints you’ll need to be fully on top of your calibration. You can see from my dual-color cube test print below that my settings were just slightly off to begin with. 

This isn’t down to the printer, but because you need to make sure everything’s fully calibrated for the best results. Make sure to try this test before committing tens of hours of printing time to something larger and more complex. 

We tweaked the settings and had another go at the cube, and second time around the results were great. This reinforced that the printer offers great results, it’s just a matter of getting things right beforehand. The layers were even and no elements were missing, and you can clearly see the X and Y imprints in the cube.

Copy Mode

• Build volume: 150 x 300 x 400 mm on each extruder

Using half of the build platform each, in Copy Mode the two extruders can be set to work simultaneously to produce two identical copies of a model. 

The advantage of this is obvious – if you want to print several of the same item — for example if you sell prints online, or you need to print multiple prototypes or parts at once for business use — you can complete the task in half the time. I decided to test this to produce this pair of plant pots.

Mirror Mode

• Build volume: 115 x 300 x 400 mm on each extruder

This mode is similar to Copy Mode, except the right extruder will behave as a mirror image of the left. You will notice in the slicer that the available build platform size for this mode is slightly smaller than that of Copy Mode, to prevent the extruders from colliding during the printing process. The output is a pair of models, one a reflected copy of the other, akin to a right and left hand. 

Printing left and right hand copies of the same part will be familiar to many who use their printer for crafts, and mirror mode saves a lot of time.

Should You Buy The Sovol SV04?

If you’re after a highly versatile dual extruder 3D printer, capable of huge prints, then I cannot recommend the Sovol SV04 enough.

For an IDEX 3D printer in this price range, the main competitors are the Sovol SV04, the Tenlog TL-D3 Pro, and alternatives like the Qidi Tech X-Plus or similar, and to us, the Sovol SV04 is the best of the bunch.

To get a better dual extruder 3D printer, with extras like an enclosed build area, wider filament compatibility, and better accuracy, you’re looking at spending $3,000-$4,000, so for under $600, the SV04 is great value.

THE REVIEW

Sovol SV04

Available at:

Sovol 3D here Amazon here

Main Sovol SV04 Features

IDEX Direct Drive Dual Extruders

While the Sovol SV02 also featured a dual extruder, they weren’t independent, so you don’t get the productivity-boosting Mirror Mode and similar features. Sovol’s first IDEX machine makes it ideal for batch-producing multiple of the same parts, either for business use or home fun, and the direct drive extrusion makes for generally easier flexible filament printing with less clogging – if you’re a TPU fan.

The direct drive extruders appear to be Titan-style, and made of metal (but not fully – they’re not all-metal extruders).

Auto-leveling Bed Sensor

While not a BLTouch, the SV04 features a clone version for automatic bed leveling, with G34 X-axis tramming. This generally makes your life easier, correcting small issues, and if you’re a beginner maker, you may not want the complexity of manual leveling just yet.

When we leveled the SV04, we didn’t have to re-level it again for a long while.

• The best auto-leveling 3D printers – that won’t break the bank

Magnetic Flexible Build Plate

Rather than the glass print bed that previous Sovol 3D printers have – as well as its closest rival, the Tenlog TL-D3 Pro – the Sovol SV04 ops for a magnetic flexible print bed, making it easier than ever to remove finished prints, and during our tests we found it had no negative effect on adhesion vs the adhesion you’d expect from a glass bed.

Filament Run-Out Detection and Print Recovery

Unsurprisingly, given these features come as standard on nearly all printers nowadays, the Sovol SV04 has filament run-out detection and will pause when filament runs out. It can also recover if you have a power outrage, or another similar issue so that you don’t have to restart your print all over again. 

This is especially useful if you plan on printing 24-hour or longer projects, where a power issue could cost you not only a day’s time, but also lots of money in filament.

Mainboard & Firmware

The Sovol SC04 uses a 32-bit V5.2.1 Creality mainboard, offering enough power to power both extruders simultaneously and independently, packed with stepper motors that keep the noise down, while keeping the power up.

We had no issues with the firmware, that early makers a year ago reported minor issues of. If there were ever any issues, they’ve since been long-fixed, and printing was a dream for us — just make sure you’ve updated to the latest firmware version.

Filament Compatibility

To get you started, the Sovol SV04 comes with samples of two different color filaments. We stuck to printing multiple different colors of PLA, but the Sovol SV04’s maximum 260C hot end temperature opens up opportunities for other filaments like ABS, ASA, PC, HIPS, and more. 

The direct drive makes it easier to print TPU, TPE and other flexibles, and you can also print novelty wood-filled and other similar filaments.

The full filament compatibility list according to Sovol is: PLA, TPU, TPE, HIPS, ABS, PETG, WOOD, PC, PA, PVA, ASA.

Sovol SV04 Alternatives

While we highly recommend the SV04 having tested it for the last few weeks, it’s still worth making you aware of similar-priced alternatives.

Tenlog TL-D3 Pro

• Price: $649 – Available at Amazon here
• Build volume: 300 x 300 x 350 mm
• IDEX dual extruder
• Up to 300C nozzle temperature

The most similar alternative to the SV04 is the Tenlog TL-D3 Pro, a rare sub-$1,000 dual extruder 3D printer with similar (slightly smaller z-axis) build volume and a higher maximum nozzle temperature.

Main differences include the Tenlog’s glass bed vs the generally easier magnetic flexible bed on the Sovol SV04, and the higher maximum nozzle temperature (vs 260C on the SV04).

General opinion however strongly favors the SV04, with its 4.3-star rating on Amazon compared to the 3.7-star rating the TL-D3 Pro receives. Customers seem to love the Sovol SV04, but more commonly have issues with the Tenlog’s extruders and firmware.

Sovol SV02

• Price: $259 — Available at Sovol3D official store here
• Build volume: 240 x 280 x 300 mm
• Standard (non-IDEX) dual extruder
• Up to 260C nozzle temperature

The SV04’s little brother, if you want to save $200 and don’t mind losing the benefits you get with an IDEX 3D printer vs a standard dual extruder, and a little bit of build volume, then this is ideal for you.

You can upgrade it with a BLTouch auto-leveling sensor if you much prefer this (comes as standard on the SV04, though it’s a BLTouch clone), and like the TL-D3 Pro it comes with a glass bed rather than a flexible magnetic bed.

SV04 Full Specs

• Technology: FDM 3D printer, Cartesian
• Year released: 2021
• Assembly: 3D printer kit, but comes semi-assembled
• Build volume: 300 x 300 x 400 mm (but changes depending on which mode you use)
• Extruder type: direct drive extruders
• Dual extruder: yes, IDEX 3D printer heads
• Nozzle size: 0.4 mm
• Max nozzle / hot end temperature: 260°C
• Print speed: 20-120mm/s – Sovol suggest 60mm/s
• Minimum layer resolution: 0.1mm
• Positioning accuracy: X/Y 0.012mm Z 0.001mm
• Print bed: flexible magnetic print bed
• Auto bed leveling: Yes
• Connectivity: only via SD Card or data cable
• Print recovery: Yes
• Filament run-out sensor: Yes
• Built-in camera: No
• Compatible filaments: PLA, TPU, TPE, HIPS, ABS, PETG, wood-filled, PC, PA, PVA, ASA
• Compatible file formats: .STL, .OBJ, DAE, AMF
• 3D printer dimensions: 653 x 625 x 803 mm
• Package Dimensions: 735mm (L) x 700mm (W) x 290mm (H)
• Weight: 15kg

Other articles you may be interested in:

• The best dual extruder 3D printers
• Anycubic Kobra review
• The best 3D printer reviews — in every price range
• Sovol SV01 Pro review

Priced at just shy of $300, sporting auto-bed leveling, a good-sized print bed, a removable magnetic print bed, and minimal assembly, is the Anycubic Kobra yet another passable Ender 3 alternative, or the next must-have budget printer?

We had recently tested the Anycubic Vyper, and were impressed with its simplicity and auto-leveling.

Read on to find out why despite some early frustrations, we’ve grown to love the Anycubic Kobra.

Assembly and Setup

The Anycubic Kobra arrived semi-assembled, nestled in three hulking layers of protective foam with cut-outs for each part. Thank goodness in our case, as our model journeyed from Hong Kong to the UK, weathering a custom’s stop and delivery to the wrong address before finally arriving.

The full-color assembly instructions are clear and concise, with just the right amount of handholding to guide beginners but not make seasoned DIYers feel they’re being taken for a fool.

In under 20 minutes, we fused the gantry to the base, plugged in the wiring for the stepper motors and print head, screwed on the touch screen and spool holder, and tidied up cabling as instructed. Anycubic then walked us through a brief maintenance check, covering potential shipping-induced printhead and bed wobble and belt adjustment via the tensioners.

With Anycubic Kobra pieced together, a few appealing points stand out. The build quality is high throughout. The all-metal frame, extrusions, and gantry, the high-quality injection molded parts, and chunky, rubber shock-absorbing feet make for a sturdy machine. The attention to detail is apparent throughout. It’s a compact, sharp, and stylish printer.

With the Anycubic Kobra primed and ready for action, we started it up for the first time, triggering a chirpy little tune. The 4.3″ color touch screen sits on the front right of the printer for easy access, setting adjustments, and print triggering. A clean UI and smooth, responsive navigation make it a joy to use, powered by a 32-bit motherboard. Anycubic doesn’t overwhelm with options, and the directory is laid out logically.

On to calibration. Anycubic’s shiny new patented 25-point LeviQ process and BLTouch-style probe worked their magic, taking no more than a few minutes before asking us to set the z offset manually. The process involves sliding a sheet of paper under the nozzle lowering it via the touch screen until you feel a light tug. If only bed leveling was this quick, reliable, and pleasant on all printers.

Next up is filament loading. The spool holder sits atop the gantry, well placed to feed the extruder from above. Three taps on the touch screen and the Kobra sets to work, upping the extruder to the target temperature. The extruder and bed heat up very fast, hitting 200°C and 100°C respectively in under two minutes. Another tap, and the extruder gear springs to life.

Anycubic recommends cutting the filament at a 45° angle before feeding it in, but we found that a more extreme cut is better. Although the filament path and the spring clasp are well designed, we did have to, at times, gently rotate and prod the filament for the gear to find some purchase and latch on. A minor irritant, the subtleties of which you’ll come to understand after some time with the printer.

Software

The Anycubic Kobra comes with Cura 4.2.1 installation files for Windows and macOS on the USB stick. Why 4.2.1 and not a more recent version? Your guess is as good as ours.

Although Anycubic provided us with Cura parameter profiles for PLA, ABS, and TPU, there’s no Kobra printer profile. We had to create a custom one instead, then key in the Kobra’s main specifications.

It’s disappointing, to say the least, leaving us to tinker and fine-tune to find the optimum settings, Not exactly in keeping with the user-friendly appeal of the hardware. We hope this is just an early review model quirk and the company provides a Cura printer profile for the Anycubic Kobra’s consumer launch.

These issues aside, Anycubic chose wisely with Cura, our favorite among third-party slicers, thanks to an intuitive interface and plenty of depth to the trove of settings it offers. You can offline print via SD card or pair up the Kobra to Cura or other third-party slicers via USB.

Anycubic Kobra Review: 3D Printer Test

To start, we printed the owl file loaded onto the SD Card that ships with the printer, sticking to the PLA profile provided by Anycubic.

We were impressed by the print’s clean layering, sharp details, and overall solid finish, as expected from an example print optimized to highlight the printer’s strength. The printer only struggled with the upper layers, creating some unsightly blobs on the ears.

In action, the Anycubic Kobra’s silent stepper motors are near audible, if only because any sound they do make is hidden by the rather loud din produced by the fans. Something that intensified when heating the extruder/bed, at which point the fans make a worrying, churning sound that audibly surged in decibel count before quietening down within 30 seconds or so.

Confident, we pivoted to a three-part Minecraft Creeper model. The reasonably complex surface made of slightly overhanging cubes rendered well. The dimensional accuracy was on point, the head swiveling as intended by the designer. Much like the owl, there was some roughness on the top layer, but overall a strong showing.

Next, we set the Kobra upon the classic 3D printing Benchy test. The printer struggled with the arches on the cabin, coughing up layering issues and imperfections here and there. This is a stress test, so we weren’t overly concerned as the Benchy was decent, but there was plenty of room for improvement here.

From here, our experience with the Anycubic Kobra took a frustrating turn for the worse. Whatever we threw at it, the printer produced an array of failures, errors, excess stringing, first layer adhesion problems, hot end leakage, and, if prints finished successfully, poor quality results.

A print of the PolyPearl Tower Torture Test crashed and burned after laying down the base. Less complex models such as a miniature ghost and base for a Hollow Knight model fared better but had so many issues they were hardly worth keeping. Out of sheer frustration, we printed a simple, high-poly fox, which came out great except, once again, for some last layer imperfections.

This reassured us that the Kobra had some printing pep under the hood, and the initial successes weren’t a fluke. After hours of troubleshooting and dozens of print tests, we got to the root of the problem: the provided Cura profile is woefully inadequate, defined by poor retraction, infill, temperature, and support settings.

Our first port of call was to upgrade to the latest version of Cura, 4.13.1, one of the single best decisions we made when testing the Anycubic Kobra. Then, we got to work honing in the settings. This came to define our time with the Kobra; tinkering, tuning, adjusting, all in search of a profile that should have shipped with the machine.

For reasons beyond us, we noticed that the leveling and z offset shifts between prints, coughing up wildly inconsistent results printing the same part, model, or object in quick succession. We opted to level the bed before each print from here onwards, which resolved the issue.

As for first layer adhesion issues, settings helped, as did instructing Cura to create a multi-line skirt to purge any pre-print filament accumulation on the nozzle, something the Kobra seems particularly prone to. We also found that wiping the nozzle at just the right moment a mere seconds before starting a print helped with depositing a clean and consistent first layer.

Satisfied with a stable profile and more attuned to the Kobra’s quirks, we worked our way to a successful PolyPearl Tower Torture Test, proving that the printer can perform beautifully. We also put it through its paces with a general stress test that left us indifferent with illegible lettering but decent bridging, overhangs, and supports. Still, work to be done.

At this point, queue a lengthy montage of further software tinkering and countless attempts, culminating in a far superior Benchy, an impressive Hollow Knight model, and a good quality large multi-part King Boo model. It took time and effort, but the Anycubic Kobra created some superb prints for us.

Verdict

There’s a fine line between love and hate. It’s one we straddled throughout our time with the Anycubic Kobra.

At times, it embodied everything we’d want from an affordable entry-level printer glistening with usability features such as the excellent bed leveling, removable magnetic bed, and sleek touch screen. Then, things would turn sour with failed prints, inconsistent results, and endless scrolls through slicer settings to find potential culprits.

Software tinkering is an unavoidable facet of modern desktop 3D printers. But, the effort required here feels at odds with the Kobra’s fantastic user-friendly hardware and Anycubic’s ‘worry-free’, ‘limitless’ marketing spin.

Don’t get us wrong; the Anycubic Kobra is a solid printer capable of superb quality prints for the price, but its idiosyncrasies require a sometimes obtuse set of maneuvers to perform at its best. Like its namesake, it has fangs, but sharpening them isn’t always easy. Rather fittingly, the Kobra needs charming.

After roughly four weeks with the Anycubic Kobra, tailoring the Cura profile, leveling the bed before each print, and pinpointing the right moment to wipe the nozzle before the first layer goes down, we’ve ultimately grown to love this temperamental printer that positively brims with potential.

As long as you’re willing to get to grips with its quirks, the Anycubic Kobra is an affordable option for beginners or seasoned makers looking for a user-friendly Ender 3 alternative.

Anycubic Kobra Pros

• Ease-of-use: fast and reliable automatic bed leveling, solid quality removable magnetic build plate, fluid and intuitive touch screen.
• Build quality: compact, sturdy design and quality parts throughout.
• Print quality: impressive print quality for the price.
• Affordable: under $300 for a print with many advanced hardware features

? Anycubic Kobra Cons

• Software: needs tweaking, poor quality Cura profiles.
• Tinkering: requires substantial time and effort to find the right software settings.
• Bed leveling: needs calibrating before each print for reliable results.

Anycubic Kobra Specs

• Technology: FDM 
• Build volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm
• Layer height: 0.05 – 0.3 mm
• Print speed: 20-100 mm/s
• Positioning accuracy: X/Y/Z 0.0125 mm
• Extruder: single direct drive Bowden
• Nozzle diameter: 0.4 mm
• Max extruder temp: 260°
• Max bed temp: 110°
• Build plate: removable magnetic sprint steel plate
• Bed leveling: automatic (BLTouch-style probe)
• Power outage recovery: Yes
• Filament run-out sensor: No
• Filament diameter: 1.75 mm
• Material compatibility: PLA, ABS, TPU, HIPS, Wood
• Connectivity: USB, SD Card

Related articles:

• Anycubic 3D printer buyer’s guide
• Anycubic Kobra vs Anycubic Vyper
• Anycubic Vyper 3D printer review
• Elegoo Saturn vs Anycubic Mono X resin 3D printers
• Anycubic Photon vs Elegoo Mars compared
• Ender 3 S1 Pro review
• Sovol SV01 Pro review

A low-cost resin 3D printer, it’s capable of printing 2K quality layers with a mere 2-second exposure time.

Furthermore, its compact form houses luxuries like an in-built air filter and touch screen controls, and it comes bundled with a plethora of helpful tools. For a printer with such a low price tag, you can’t ask for much more.

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3D PRINTER REVIEW

Elegoo Mars 2 Pro

Available at:

Elegoo here Amazon here

Elegoo Mars 2 Pro: Design & Setup

The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro has a sturdy, metal base and a sleek red and black color scheme. I like the futuristic aesthetic. Despite its compact size, it has a fair amount of weight to it, making it feel secure and stable on your counter. Externally, there is little else to say. On its front is a 3.5-inch touch screen and USB port, and on its back are air vents, power switch, and plug socket.

Putting the printer together was a piece of cake. The machine comes almost fully built out of the box and affixing the final couple of pieces is easy thanks to the sturdy, secure screw of the build platform, and the helpful groove around the LCD screen. I can tell that considerable care has been put into this aspect – ruining a print due to something as trivial as misaligning your build platform or resin vat is very frustrating, and Elegoo have made this almost impossible to do.

After removing the protective film from both the resin vat and the 2K mono LCD screen, it was time to calibrate. To set the machine’s “z=0” level, you need to sandwich a piece of paper between the build platform and the LCD screen and manually move the platform down until the paper “has some resistance but you can still pull it out with slight efforts”.

The subjectiveness of this instruction did leave me a little unsure before my first test print as to whether I had calibrated correctly, but I had no need to worry. Your intuition will do you just fine on this step.

While switched on, you’ll hear a whirring from the Mars 2 Pro’s in-built air filter. This is a feature that a beginner may fail to consider, but it is important — it will save you from having to subject an entire room of your home to that dreaded resin smell.

Read more: Elegoo Mars 2 Pro vs Anycubic Photon Mono 4K reviewed

Elegoo Mars 2 Pro Review: Testing Print Quality

The Mars 2 Pro prints to a 2K resolution across the 129mm x 80mm build platform. Of course, some (pricier) resin printers use 4K LCD screens, but on a build platform this small and to the naked eye, the difference between 2K and 4K is truly negligible. This is no considerable trade-off for 99% of users. 

The quality that the Mars 2 Pro is capable of is nothing short of astounding. For those wanting to print figurines, the detail you’ll be able to achieve with this printer is more than plenty. 

My test print of Elegoo’s rook chess models was a mixed bag of success. I like the design of the rooks; beneath the spirals on the outside, you can see a staircase-like structure, and a helix in the center, highlighted well I think, by the translucent red resin. The intricate details came out nice and sharp. 

However, I was unable to remove them from the build platform without chipping their base. This was due to the exposure time of the first layer being set far too high, leaving them hopelessly stuck to the build platform. But hey, that’s why we have a test model.

The Mars 2 Pro exposure settings of Chitubox are 2 seconds per layer, with 35 seconds for the bottom layer. These settings have worked perfectly for me every time. This short exposure time is an area where the Mars 2 Pro really shines.

Compared to other printers, you can save several seconds per layer, which can really add up to massive amounts of time when printing thousands of layers at once. Depending on what you have to print, the relatively small dimensions of the build platform may necessitate printing in several parts, and the rapid printing at least somewhat offsets this drawback. 

It is worth noting here that I did also try the settings recommended by my resin, 8 seconds of exposure per layer with 60 seconds for the bottom layer. These settings resulted in my prints becoming stuck in the exact same way as the rooks, leading to damage. Depending on your resin, your mileage may vary, but I suggest starting with the lower exposure time.

To test how the Mars 2 Pro handles intricate patterns, I printed the Sierpinski Gasket fractal. I noticed no defects on this complicated model.

My next print was a little figurine of Clank from the Ratchet & Clank series of video games. I wanted to test some of the functionality of Chitubox by hollowing and adding support to a model before printing. In my opinion, the Mars 2 Pro is a perfect printer for those who enjoy making and decorating models.

Read more: the best 3D printers for miniatures

Printed in two parts, this T-rex skull shows off how smooth curved surfaces can be with the combination of Chitubox and the Mars 2 Pro. I think that it might have looked better in white though…

Software

Chitubox is the included slicing software for the Mars 2 Pro. The basic, free version of the software is a user-friendly experience with all the features you need from adding support to hollowing. 

Simply select the Mars 2 Pro on the list of printers in Chitubox to resize the virtual build platform to the exact dimensions of that of the Mars 2 Pro, and from there it is easy to arrange and slice your models, ready for printing. 

One thing you need to know is that the firmware that comes pre-installed on the Mars 2 Pro is not compatible with the .ctb files that the latest version of Chitubox produces, so you should make sure that your printer is updated before slicing your files.

The printer itself is controlled via a 3.5-inch touchscreen on its front. The firmware installed is basic, but in a good way – you can’t really misinterpret anything on there. One nice touch is the ability to see the shape of the layer currently printing on the screen. 

Another useful feature is the ability to pause prints part-way through. Oftentimes I use this to quickly take a look if my print is coming along well, or if the resin needs refilling, just for peace of mind.

I did encounter a couple of hiccups due to the Mars 2 Pro’s interaction with different USB sticks. When I had the printer on and then plugged in my own, personal USB stick, the printer would switch off. If the printer was off whilst the USB stick was in, it would not turn on. 

It took a while of trying different things and a lot of googling, but I did figure out what was going wrong. Apparently, the Mars 2 Pro is only compatible with USB sticks of memory at most 16GB. 

Upon using disk manager to partition 16GB of my USB stick for use, it works just fine for printing, but for some reason still not for updating the firmware. Elegoo do include a USB stick of their own with the Mars 2 pro, which worked properly for the update. 

If you’re having any problems using your own USB stick, I’d advise trying the included one. Of course, this is not a significant problem, just something I wish I knew earlier. USB-C compatibility would also have been nice, but to most users this won’t pose a significant problem.

Elegoo Mars 2 Pro Accessories

Accompanying the Mars 2 Pro is a little cardboard box of helpful accessories marked “tool kit”, including plastic and metal scrapers for the build platform and resin vat respectively, diagonal cutters, face masks, latex gloves, paper filters for your resin, and a neat little stand which connects to your build platform. 

Each of these items may as well be considered an essential for resin printing – their welcome addition is characteristic of Elegoo’s consideration of beginners. 

The purpose of the build platform stand is twofold: it allows you to connect your build platform to your printer at different angles, useful for immediately after printing whilst your model is still dripping with resin, and it can be used to stand the build platform perpendicularly on your table, which allows you to scrape off prints with less risk of un-leveling the build platform by applying force to it from different angles. Surprisingly, I found this to be one of the most useful tools in the box.

Also included is the aforementioned USB stick, which has on it the Chitubox software, a copy of the instruction manual, and a model of a pair of rooks to test out your printer.

Should You Buy the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro?

Its accessible operating, simple assembly and maintenance, and bundled essentials make it perfect for beginners and experts alike. I wholeheartedly recommend this printer.

Yes, the small build platform is a compromise, but the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro prints with impressive speed, to seriously impressive quality, at an even more impressive price point.

Read some of our other 3D printer reviews:

• Snapmaker 2.0 3D printer review
• Flsun QQ-S review
• Anycubic Vyper review
• Elegoo Mars (2 Pro and 3) vs Elegoo Saturn: Compared
• Elegoo Saturn vs Anycubic Mono X