Now that I have been using Ender 3 v2 for a few months, I have been thinking of getting another printer. It is not because Ender 3 is not doing its job but because there are occasions where print jobs are queueing and causing lost sales. Therefore, there is a need for another printer. Creality Ender 3 v2 is my first printer and I have learnt about 3D printing significantly because of it. I am now far better informed about what I want or do not want from a printer.
What Ender 3 v2 does well
- Print quality: This printer can actually print at high quality. However there are some manual adjustments that need to be consistently made to ensure quality prints.
- Print reliability: I have not had a single print failure because the printer is malfunctioning. Ender 3v2 could do 25-hours and 51-hours prints with no issue. It is a solid printer.
What I would like to have in the new printer
- Easier/ automated bed-leveling: This is the must-have feature. Indeed, a lot of time is wasted on calibrating Ender 3 v2 print bed before prints.
- Print in multiple colour: It would be great to have this feature in the near future as I would like to try out this feature. However, it is not an essential feature at the moment.
Printers being considered
The list of printers that I am considering is not much different from the initial list that I had earlier when purchasing printer for the first time. Having done initial & comprehensive research just a couple of months ago, I zeroed in on 2 printers now:
Now let’s compare all 3 printers
| Parameters | Ender 3 v2 | Prusa i3 MK3S+ | Flash Forge Creator Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | FDM | FDM | FDM |
| Printable Materials | PLA, TPU, PETG | PLA, TPU, PETG, ABS, PET, Polycarbonate, Nylon and many more… | PLA, ABS, PVA, HIPS |
| Open/ Closed frame? | Open frame | Open frame | Closed frame |
| Print size | 220 x 220 x 250 mm | 210 x 210 x 250 mm | 200 x 148 x 150 mm |
| Heated Bed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Extrusion? | No | Yes. Up to 5 colours with MMU extension (purchase separately). | Yes. 2 colours. Built in & Independent |
| Sensors available | No | Filament Sensor, Super PINDA for first layer and bed levelling calibration. | Auto bed Leveling |
| Availability in Singapore | Available from various online platforms. | Only available from Prusa Official Website | Available from Flashforge official Website |
| Price | SGD 400 | USD 749 + 94 (Shipping) = USD 843 (SGD 1120). Including 7% GST = SGD 1200 | USD 699 + 90 (Shipping) = USD 789 (SGD 1048). Including 7% GST = SGD 1122 |
Prusa i3 MK3S+ vs Flash Forge Creator Pro
My second printer should be different from Ender 3 v2. This is not because I have anything against the reliable Ender 3 v2. But it is because I’d like to experience how another printer performs so that I can give objective review afterwards. Therefore, it is either Prusa or Flash Forge.
- Price: Price between the two is almost the same, it is not the main variable in the decision making process.
- Size: I need to print variety of prints with various size. Prusa is ahead here as it can print bigger models.
- Auto-bed leveling: This is a key consideration which both of the printers have.
- Print multiple colours: It is important, but not so essential now as most print models don’t require this feature as of now. Prusa can print up to 5 colours with MMU extension. Creator Plus can print with 2 colours right out of the box and with independent movement. Both have its strength and as a results so it is a tie.
- Community support & technical support: From quick check on Prusa and Flash Forge website as well as from Google search results, we can infer that Prusa is better supported by the community. This is an important factor as we are all still learning in this rather novel field of 3D printing.
Based on that factors, I decided to go with Prusa i3 MK3S+. It is now time to purchase it! Read up the experience of purchasing from Prusa in the next article.
