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In 2020 Creality released several new machines, some of which are evolutions of their previous generations, the Ender3 V2 being one of them.
AliExpress Creality Official Store sent me this machine, which I decided to give you as a gift for Christmas after testing it! (more info at the end of the article).
If you want to buy this machine, AliExpress (Europe&US) sent me a promotional code, of -16€, which brings the price down to about 180€ (Stock Spain or Poland), so if you wanted to buy a 3D printer for Christmas, take advantage of it! Code: CREALITY12
Resellers for the Ender3 V2
Ender 3 v2 (AliExpress Official Store)
Machine details and improvements (differences between Ender3 Pro and Ender3 v2)
You may be hesitating between the Ender3/Pro and the Ender3 v2, as to what the v2 brings to the table, as Creality continues to sell the old version which is still very popular. The price difference is noticeable, the Ender3 Pro being sold for about $190 (or 155€) and the Ender3 v2 being sold on the official website for $262 (or about 215€), so the current AliExpress offer (Europe&US) with the 180€ coupon is a really good price!
Concerning the improvements of the Ender3 v2 compared to the previous generation:
– New silent motherboard with TMC2208 drivers
– Belt tensioners for X and Y axes
– Ultrabase type board
– Colour screen with new UI interface
– Integrated tool storage box
These improvements are not insignificant, it is indeed cheaper than the Ender3 Pro if you plan to change the motherboard to make it silent (these boards are usually sold between 30 and 50$).
Unpacking and assembling the Ender 3 v2
The machine is well packaged and the components seem to be of good quality, the finish is a level above a classic Ender3, we notice that the power supply is now integrated into the chassis.
I like this type of ultrabase plate which works very well, to easily remove your cold prints, but be careful at the first use, not to have the nozzle too close to the plate otherwise you risk scratching it!
For this test, I will not use the Creality tray supplied with the machine, to keep it “new” because this machine will be offered for the Christmas contest (see the end of the article for details)! So I will use a flexible metal tray from Sovol (which I will not glue either), which is another 3D printer manufacturer that also offers some accessories for the Creality 3D printers.
The Ender 3 v2, just like the other machines of the Ender series, is a partially assembled machine, you will have to assemble the X and Z axes, if you are a beginner don’t panic, it is not very complicated, count about 1 hour by looking carefully at the documentation or a tutorial on Youtube, all the electronic part is already assembled inside the chassis.
Calibration and first impression with the Ender3 v2
Before starting your first print, it is imperative to adjust your platter, otherwise it could be damaged/failed on the first print!
The procedure is relatively simple, it is best to do this with the platen preheated to 50-55°. Using a sheet of paper, you will need to check that the nozzle is at the right height for the 4 corners and the centre of the tray, you should leave about 0.10mm gap, equivalent to the thickness of the sheet of paper (the sheet should be able to move freely, with very slight resistance).
Once the tray is set, you will find example models to print on the micro-SD card, to be inserted directly into the printer (it is not necessary to connect the printer to a computer, it will be autonomous).
I strongly advise you to print a test model before starting with your own files, this will allow you to be sure that the machine works properly.
Here is the first printout made with the Ender3 v2, the result is really clean!
Slicer configuration for the Ender 3 v2
I’m used to using the Prusa Slicer, which I find very easy to use, with a minimum of setup… plus they recently added some Creality machines, including a profile for the Ender3.
So here is my configuration:
I didn’t change anything from the original profile, so we’ll see how it goes!
First “real” prints
It’s time to launch the first real impression with the Creality Ender 3 v2, I’m relatively confident!
The rendering is really clean, for a first “real” print, this Ender3 v2 is really good! I used Sunlu PLA+, with a layer height of 0.20mm at 200°C.
So we’ll keep these settings, there’s really nothing to adjust.
Here are the other prints made with this machine.
Hiprecy black PLA filament at 200°C, Creality white filament at 200°C, Tianse blue PLA filament at 200°C. All made with a layer height of 0.20mm.
Conclusion on the Ender 3 v2
After about 40 hours of printing, here is the verdict on this machine!
I immediately want to compare it again with the previous generation, it is true that it was time to update this Ender 3 which has been out now for more than 2 years. Most users today are looking for machines that are easy to use, and not too noisy, and this is the case for this new Ender3 v2, I had no particular difficulty for the assembly, nor for the use, the machine is ready to use in 1 or 2 hours.
It’s relatively quiet, and not hearing the shrill sound of the old motherboard drivers is really nice, too bad they didn’t make the effort to put in some quieter fans too.
I would also have appreciated to have “orange” springs a little bit stronger under the tray. Otherwise it’s a good evolution, I like the belt tensioners, the integration of the power supply as well as the new design of the print head cage, which gives it an image of a printer a little more upscale.
I’m not sure about the print quality, it’s really clean, I get almost the same print quality as with the Creality CR6-SE, so if you are hesitating between these 2 models, and you have a tight budget, you can choose this Ender3 v2 without any worries!
If you want to buy this machine, still during this christmas period, don’t hesitate to order it from AliExpress (Europe&US) Creality Official Store, the promo code CREALITY12 is still valid for a few days, for a final price of 180€ delivered from Europe, it’s really a good offer !
Retailers of the Ender3 v2
Ender 3 v2 (AliExpress Official Store)
Christmas contest to win this machine!
This year I received a lot of machines to test, thanks to all my partners who trust me, and it’s also thanks to you, so I decided this year to make you win this machine, freshly tested, which I took great care of (we’ll try to put it back in the original box without disassembling everything, to save you time).
To participate, I invite you to read the publication with all the details on our Facebook page: https: //www.facebook.com/3DSerialTesteur/posts/3711425295607934
So there are 3 chances to win, by commenting in different places (facebook and youtube), but if you have read this article in full, I offer you a 4th chance to win, by simply commenting on this article 🙂 All entries are cumulative!
