The Creality Ender series of 3D printers is more distinctive and popular than ever. Starting with Ender 3, the series has been admired by 3D printer users around the world. As you will find out in this review, this also applies to the next version - Ender 3 Pro : its price, hackability and overall print quality are great. Ender 3 Pro can now be purchased for under 6,000 CZK, which makes it a printer that belongs to the TOP cheaper 3D printers.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • affordable
  • easy assembly
  • compact design with decent print volume
  • the print can be very high quality
  • the ability to hack and upgrade
  • taut filament path improves compatibility with flexible filaments
  • good test results with Autodesk & Kickstarter

Cons

  • alignment of the printing pad is tricky
  • the magnetic pad may not be to everyone's liking
  • there may be problems with the fragile filament
  • sometimes it is necessary to add an additional adhesive component
  • some flaws that were already in Ender 3 were not removed

Verdict

Expectations were high for Ender 3 Pro. And the good news is: the Ender 3 Pro is an exceptional 3D printer for its price . But one thing needs to be made clear: the “Pro” label on this printer is just a bold marketing statement. The Ender 3 Pro is an affordable 3D printer, but by no means can it be considered a professional machine. It's an excellent and affordable printer for hobbyists, DIYers, and to some extent beginners. And if you're willing to spend some time giving your printer some loving care, the Ender 3 Pro is capable of delivering amazing quality prints that put even more expensive printers to shame. But to label her as a professional? Not that.

Nevertheless, there are many good reasons to spend less than CZK 6,000 on this printer. The first reason is obvious: the extremely low price! The second reason is that the Ender 3 Pro offers features that you often cannot find even on more expensive 3D printers:

  • decent assembly volume 220 x 220 x 250 mm
  • magnetic pad
  • power recovery mode
  • a taut filament path that facilitates working with flexible materials

And the third reason is that they fixed some of the flaws that appeared with the Ender 3. Which is a printer that users love because it's extremely hackable. But there are still some disadvantages. 

The most hyped feature of the Ender 3 Pro - the magnetic pad - is loved by some and hated by some. On paper it seems like a welcome addition to an already great machine, but once you get used to the spring steel pad (like the Prusa i3 Mk3 , for example ), you don't want to pick up a spatula and scrape the print off the pad. Compared to the rigid but flexible metal pad, the Ender 3 Pro's magnetic pad is clearly more unstable. The pad doesn't snap into a predetermined position, and instead snaps to where it lands. This can often lead to a situation where you have to adjust the pad manually. The reason is the tight space between the inner sides of the aluminum frames on which the heating pad is placed.

But once the pad finally cools down and you can take your print off of it, these imperfections are forgiven as the Ender 3 Pro delivers excellent print quality.

Leveling with the heated pad also remains a problem. If the Ender 3 Pro needed anything, it would definitely be automatic pad leveling. It will be decisive for the quality of the print if you spend enough time setting up the pad. Your prints will then be much better. Failure to do so can even result in the nozzle digging into the bed, which can destroy its coating and subsequently lead to ugly and misshapen prints.

Putting these shortcomings aside, you'll actually find that the Creality Ender 3 Pro is, for the most part, a great 3D printer that most users will enjoy spending time with. Once you get the pad setup and calibration right, the quality this affordable 3D printer can produce is nothing short of astounding.

Ender 3 or Ender 3 Pro?

One of the most frequently asked questions about the Ender 3 printer series is the differences between the classic version and the Pro version. The answer can be summed up in just three points:

Improved mechanical properties

The Ender 3 Pro has a stronger 40x40mm aluminum frame for the base of the Y-axis. Creality wanted to improve the overall stability of the print pad, and it must be said that they succeeded. Slightly better bearings provide more strength, reduce friction and overall stability. This detail, including the rubber feet, helps reduce noise.

New magnetic printing pad

Last but not least, the Ender 3 Pro is equipped with a "C-MAG" magnetic printing pad. The pad is removable and flexible, allowing you to easily remove prints. The textured surface helps to adhere the first layers to the substrate, which tend to be the most problematic. 

These goodies caused a higher price with which the Ender 3 Pro printer went on the market (unlike the basic version of the Ender 3).

So is the Ender 3 or the Ender 3 Pro better?

So is it better to buy the cheaper version of Ender 3 or the more expensive but improved version of Ender 3 Pro?

Reasons for Ender 3 : it depends if you're a crafter. If you don't mind changing the fans, adjusting and installing the print, or even replacing the pad with a glass one, you might appreciate the basic version of the Creality Ender 3. And if you invest a little in spare parts, you can turn it into a colossal machine capable of easily printing color filaments in amazing quality .

Reasons for the Ender 3 Pro : if you're on a budget, interested in improved features and gadgets, and don't want to spend a lot of time tinkering with the printer itself, the Ender 3 Pro will be perfect for you. It can be compared to the popular Anycubic i3 Mega 3D printer in terms of quality and ease of use. Ender 3 Can provide quality printing most of the time. Some prints are even indistinguishable from printers in a much higher price category. But it is true that sometimes the prints could be rated below average.

Unpack and assemble

The difficulty of assembly can be summed up in one sentence: if you can build an IKEA shelf, you can build an Ender 3 Pro. As with the original Ender 3, assembly and set-up are a breeze, meaning the Ender 3 Pro can be assembled, calibrated and set up even by those with little experience with 3D printers.

Creality strives to make the build process as painless as possible. Each part is clearly labeled so you don't have to guess which part goes where. You'll find assembly instructions in the box, which is always handy. Additional manuals and troubleshooting guides can be found on the SD card that comes with the printer. Creality even made a video that can help if you're not sure what goes where. So in summary: Good job, Creality!

The Ender 3 Pro takes about two hours to unpack and assemble. The X and Y axes are pre-made, so you just need to mount the Z axis. The Ender 3 Pro comes with a tool kit and an 8GB SD card. Some may not like the fact that everything (even the plastic parts) is packed separately in a bag.

During the installation, you may encounter three problems, which will only take a few minutes to solve. First - the belt that moves the extruder is not easy to mount. It may take you a few tries to get it right. Second - the X axis that holds the hotend is wobbly even if you follow the instructions. If you tighten the nuts holding the rear wheels, you get a much more stable axle.

You can see how easy it is to assemble a printer in this video . 

Design

Let's not pretend that the Ender 3 Pro and Ender 3 3D printers are perfect. It is possible to buy them at an incredibly low price. As with the Creality CR-10, the Ender 3 Pro's frame is made from aluminum extrusions. A separate lead screw drives the Z axis on the left side of the frame. Unlike its predecessor, the Ender 2, which was characterized by the X-axis rail protruding into the air, the Creality Ender 3 Pro encloses it in the frame.

Like the Creality Ender 3, the Ender 3 Pro features a generously sized heated print bed that measures 220 x 220 x 250mm. Which is almost double the Ender 2 and comparable to the Prusa i3 Mk3 (250 x 210 x 200mm).

Another great feature of the Creality Ender 3 series is the ability to completely resume printing in the event that the printer is disconnected or the power goes out. Which is a function that we can also find in the Prusa i3 MK3 3D printer . 

On the right side of the Creality Ender 3 Pro frame, an LCD display with a control wheel is attached. The control board is not covered, so the cover may be one of the first upgrades you print for your new printer (cover instructions can be found here ). The interface, which is the same as any other Creality 3D printer, offers some somewhat obscure settings, but overall it's relatively easy to use.

Test prints

Test by Autodesk and Kickstarter

A test model from Autodesk and Kickstarter focuses on the accuracy of the FDM printer. Ender 3 Pro achieved the following results:

  • dimensional accuracy: 5 out of 5 points (24.90 / 19.91 / 14.96 / 10.08 / 5.14)
  • flow control sensitivity: 0 points (no spiral was printed correctly)
  • overhangs: 2 points (the start was at a 30° overhang)
  • bridging: 4 points (1 bridge touched the surface below)
  • XY axis resonance: 2.5 points (undetectable noises)
  • Z-axis alignment: 0 points (visible layer effect)

The overall score for Ender 3 Pro is 21.5 out of a total of 30 points.

Software

It is also necessary to look at the software issue, especially the 3D slicer settings for Ender 3 Pro. Creality supplies an SD card that contains a Windows-only version of Cura. Fortunately, it is possible to download a free version for the Mac or Linux operating system directly from the Ultimaker website. In its latest version, Cura also offers a profile for the Ender 3 printer. Since the dimensions and statistics are the same, after setting it up, you can start slicing. While there are slight differences in the printers themselves, the overall setup and dimensions are exactly the same.

There are a few important things to keep in mind when adding your Creality Ender 3 3D printer to Cura. First of all, make sure you change the filament diameter from 2.85mm (which is the default number) to 1.75mm in the main menu. This small step can easily be skipped and result in an under-extruded and overall unsatisfactory print. The settings in Cura work perfectly for the most part. Popular slicing software Simplify3D offers a special profile for the Ender 3 Pro printer. The results are excellent, for example when it comes to supporting structures that can be moved much better.  

Technical Specifications

  • print volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm
  • nozzle: 0.4 mm
  • filament: 1.75 mm
  • heated pad temperature: 110℃
  • maximum print speed: 180 mm/s
  • layer resolution: 0.1 - 0.4 mm (100 - 400 microns)
  • connection: SD card reader
  • LCD screen: Yes
  • printing accuracy: +/- 0.1 mm
  • packaging type: Unassembled kit

All other technical specifications are the same as the classic Ender 3.