Creality 3D Printer Ender-3 Neo, CR Touch Auto-leveling
Creality 3D Printer Ender-3 Neo, CR Touch Auto-leveling, Full-metal Bowden Extruder, Large Corrugated Heat Sink, Silent Motherboard, Carborundum Glass Printing Platform, 220*220*250mm
From the brand
How we get our start?
Creality has focused on the design, research, production of 3D printers and 3D printing related products since 2014.
What makes our products unique?
Our factories and products are professionally certified, covers an area of 50,000 square meters, reaches an annual production capacity of over 1,000,000 units.
Why we love what we do?
Creality hopes to bring the convenience of technology to people. And should enable people to learn more about 3D printing technology. Create reality, make dreams come true! We want and do that.
| Dimensions: | 22 x 22 x 25 cm; 7 Kilograms |
| Manufacture: | Creality |
| Dimensions: | 22 x 22 x 25 cm; 7 Kilograms |
| Origin: | China |
I bought this for my husband for his birthday, he has been wanting one for a while, I researched the living daylights out of starter 3D printers and at the last minute I came upon this one. Obviously there is some good reviews and bad reviews but I decided from all the ones I looked at I decided this seemed the most reliable. I was right. He loved it of course! Set up was really easy, he did have to adjust the plate as his prints messed up a few times but once this was set its printed brilliantly. He printed me a little Eevee, my favourite pokemon and it turned out amazing. He is currently printing a full sized Mandalorian helmet which is his 1st big print. So far it’s working well!
I had a Weedoo Tina 2 as my first 3d printer and decided I wanted to print bigger items.
This Creality Ender 3d V2 Neo met my requirements, there is loads of feedback that I reviewed along with YouTube videos.
From my perspective it was easy to set up and so long as you take your time in setting the level Z offset ( and do not move the machine once set up) you should be fine.
Use a good filament and keep it fresh, I use the large sealable food containers from the Supermarket to store when not in use.
Printing on the Heated bed is easy and the filament sticks well. Just wait for it to cool down after printing is completed to remove from the flexible bed.
I have read some horror stories about support from some sellers, however I had to contact them about a small issue which Creality EU HYD customer service were really very helpful. They are located in Asia, but were prompt in replying, in my opinion good customer service.
There is so much support from groups and lots of free STL files out there.
The only issue I see is loading and uploading the filament is not as automated as on the Weedoo.
So to sum up a good choice and many happy models printed.
Didn’t expect much for such an affordable printer however the print quality is amazing for the price. I previously used makerbot printers that were 10x the price and feel that I prefer the quality of print that comes off this machine even at 100% print speed. Very very happy.
The Creality 3D Printer Ender-3 V2 Neo has surpassed my expectations and continues to impress even after several months of use. Not only does it deliver outstanding print quality, but it also offers incredible value considering its affordability. From the moment I received the package, everything was included, and no essential components were missing.
Setting up the printer was a breeze, and the level of enjoyment it has brought me is unparalleled. Whether you’re a hobbyist, a maker, or a professional, this printer offers endless possibilities for bringing your ideas to life. I highly recommend the Creality Ender-3 V2 Neo to anyone looking for a reliable, cost-effective, and exhilarating 3D printing experience.
I’m still not happy with the levelling and Auto levelling is just something you can do to fine tune, after you have manually levelled, so I just need to keep gradually tweaking using the nozzle clear lines as a guide.
But I have since printed a few things and once off the bed, none have failed yet.
Quality is very good and that’s just on normal settings.
It was simple enough to put together by following a Youtube video. I would say I’m a complete beginner and I was up printing within hours. The only tip I wish I knew before was to let the hotbed cool first, it’s much easier to remove the printed parts. I just wanted to print something else and didn’t know at the time how much easier it would have been if I had let it cool down. The new plate was about 20. Using websites like Thingiverse (look at other people’s 3D prints and download them) and Tinkercad (Edit 3D or create your own 3D projects) should help you get started if you are new to 3D printing. And I use Ultimaker Cura as the slicer.
I don’t really have anything to compare it with but I think it prints quite well and for my first printer, I’m happy with it.
First things first… well packaged and simple enough to assemble. this isn’t my first 3D printer but I wish it had been as this is a lot more user friendly than several of the others I have had previously. it’s modular design means that this machine functions as a stand alone unit but is also very easy to upgrade with almost no specialist tools or know how. I have added the CR-touch to mine so it’s now self leveling… this isn’t essential at all but like most geeks I’m lazy and like a machine to do the work for me.
This machine has taken the community by storm and because of that its a great first time machine with mountains of videos online exploring its full list of features.
unlike machines 10 years ago this runs almost silently other than the fans running… which is means you can use it without deafening everyone around you.
it’s also worth mentioning that this machine is fully supported by CURA and most other mainstream slicing software so you can expect reasonable results pretty much out of the box.
I’ve added a light on to mine that enables me to see exactly what’s going on while I’m printing the link to it is below.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07FCKKVW9?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
This item is exactly what it is as described by the seller. I had received the item before its’ delivery due date and it came well packaged. Once I opened the printer’s box, the components was packed within a foam and the critical parts was packed in an electrostatic bag. The hardware was packed in its’ own baggie with part numbers. The main parts was shrinked wrapped. The assembly was a little tricky as the instructions was not completely clear even though they gave a video and a basic guide on a TF Card. I also relied on YouTube to help me out. The TF card also contained a useful piece of software and print examples. I had spent a great deal of time to adjust the bed and now I am finding that I have to re-adjust the bed fewer times as I do more prints. It also came with the required tools and a handy cutter to cut the included filament. The only complaint that I have so far is that the filament did not come on a spool. As I was using the included filament, it had jammed and stopped the printer. The menu control on the printer is easy to use and allows you to adjust the many variables that goes into a print. It is a great piece of kit and I look forward to many more prints.
Originally I was looking at a Prusa but really couldn’t justify the price of it, especially as prices had fallen rapidly on competing products over the years.
When deciding to set my budget, I ended at 400 max – so was originally considering the Ender CR-6 SE.
After watching multiple youtube videos on the subject, the ender 3 v2 was clearly the better choice for quality and flexibility though (which was nice, as it was even cheaper than the 6!)
One of the deciding points for me about the ender 3 v2 was how much it can be modified. I’m sure this is also the case for other printers, but the ender 3 series definitely seemed to have more available models on 3d sites than other printers. There are so many mods and addons for this model that you can print out., it’s almost overwhelming – think I have about 200 models bookmarked so far :/ It does really amuse me that the printer can produce it’s own parts too – it’s almost having like a perpetual engine!
So at this point I’ve added a BLtouch auto-leveller (essential purchase!), changed the hotend for an all-metal microswiss one, made it virtually silent with noctua fan and hotend mods, changed the extruder to a dual-gear, etc. Quality-wise it’s now superb, silent, and all-in still much cheaper than any off the shelf Prusa, etc. Oh, the other essential addon imo is a pi running octoprint – you won’t regret it!
Regardless of any mods though, the printer is really solid and well thought out, and works well out of the box.
I didn’t have any issues assembling the printer at all – the instructions included aren’t amazing perhaps, but there are plenty of great videos on the topic online, from beginner to more complex topics on calibration and tweaking.
I’ve now printed with PLA, PETG, TPU and all have come out just as hoped. PETG is probably my material of choice currently. PLA does have less stringing and comes in more finishes, but PETG is really tough! The all-metal hotend means that I can print in ABS, but the fumes it gives off sound horrific so I won’t be going there…
Negatives? Well perhaps the included instructions could be better, and the default fans they fit can only be described as ‘industrial’ – they work but are really quite loud… Apart from that though, nothing awful to say about the machine at all thus far, regardless of the price.
For the last few years I have been struggling with a cheap i3 clone printer, I have had no end of problems and finally I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the new Ender 3 V2.
From the moment you open the box this feels like a slick professional product, it is well packed and includes everything you need to get started, even a small amount of filament (PLA I assume). The instructions are readable and simple to follow.
The printer requires some assemble but nothing like by last one, all the cabling is done and just needs to be plugged in the right holes, the most fiddly part is the hot end belt but even that just needs patience, to be fair I have bought children’s toys that were more difficult to assemble so just take your time and make sure everything is lined up and tight, check every screw even the ones fitted in the factory (30minutes to an hour should see you ready to print).
As soon as I had it assembled I levelled the bed with a piece of paper and loaded the supplied SD card, and set it printing the first model, I was amazed to see that it worked immediately, the filament stuck to the bed and the entire model printed without a problem, in fact the print quality was soo much better than I could have imagined, this really shows up the failings of my other cheap printer.
Setting up Octoprint was very easy on my Raspberry Pi, although I did have to purchase a Pi Camera but it only cost about 10 delivered so was well worth it. Octoprint displays an error with the V2 but it is simply fixed by using the recommended plugin to ensure that temperatures are reported correctly.
So my first impression of this printer is that it seems to be a great printer for the price, but would I recommend it to others? The answer is a resounding Yes, if you want to get into 3D printing then this is a great place to start and at under 300 it gives impressive results and won’t break the bank.
If like me you are tempted to spend less and buy a self build cheap clone kit then please learn from my mistakes and don’t waste your money. My old printer will now be stripped for parts to be used in other projects.
Out of the box you need to assemble the unit, yes you will read reviews citing how bad the instructions are, but to be fair they’re not that bad. My recommendation would be to fire up YouTube, there’s plenty of great walk throughs on building these, just follow along pausing as you complete each step, and you’ll be setup in no time.
Other reviews you may read concern poor print quality. Ignore them. All of them. If you take the time to set the printer up correctly, you’ll get amazing quality prints repeatedly. The key here is that out of the box you need to tweak and tune it to achieve the best results. “You get out what you put in” may be a cliche, but it applies here. Again, if you’re new, YouTube is your friend here. Lots of great videos on setting up and calibrating Ender 3’s. My overriding advice is to tighten every screw, all of them! There’s some hidden behind plastic covers, take the covers off and tighten them. Also, the belts need to be tensioned correctly, if you’re not sure a little too tight is better than a little too loose. So these, start off printing a calibration cube rather than an enormous intricate model for your first prints, and you’ll get super quality results in no time.
There’s an active community for these too. Don’t like the cable bring cable-tied together? Download and print off cable chains instead! Want somewhere to hold the larger tools? Download and print off a tool holder than clips on the side of the machine! What else have you ever known where you can browse internet, create a “thing”, and use that to upgrade the machine you’ve just used to make it?! Put the time in, and you can upgrade your printer yourself, meaning a budget printer suddenly rivals some much more expensive machines.
In summary, it’s a budget 3D printer, you won’t be running off any commercial grade print runs anytime soon, but for home and hobbiest users, this thing is fantastic. Take the time to get the setup right, learn the ropes of 3D printing, and you’ll be set.
I was torn between this and a reain printer, and decided to go for this one due to all the faff that comes with resin printing, smell, mess, cleaning, curing. Having run this printer for a while now, I’ll say I’m pleased I did. It does good detail, enough for the sort of thing I am after, its quiet, apart from the hot end fan, and it looks sturdy.
If you want to be printing miniatures then first choice is always resin, but I have recently tested out printing a mini on my Ender 3 and I have to say, I was impressed with the results.
The glass bed heats up quickly and the prints stick to it well without any additional agents like gluestick or tape but they were a pain to get off until I realised I just had to wait until the bed had cooled down to 25 degrees or below, then they came straight off with ease.
If I had any complaints, it would be that I found the assembly instructions s difficult to follow (and this isnt my first printer assembly) and ended up following a youtube video.
Another complaint would be the fan noise. Now, I’m not saying it’s bad, just that it’s the loudest thing about the printer and it couldn’t cost more than a few bucks to add a quiet one in. I’ve looked into doi g it myself but it requires messing with the power board and a few other mods that I’m not prepared to do at the moment.
The machine is easy to put together and I would recommend watching any of the excellent Youtube tutorials covering these steps. Once constructed the printer is very sturdy and feels strong. All the tools you need are included and with care should take no more than an hour to complete.
The filaments for creating the prints are easily purchased on Amazon and are available in many colours.
Starting out with 3D printing does require patience; bed levelling, slicing, temperatures and settings are all part of the process. Anybody who is entering the fascinating process should be prepared to learn about this but it is not difficult, just part of 3D printing.
The Ender 3 V2 makes all this particularly easy and once setup will quite happily go about its job producing quality prints. The support page by the manufacturer, Creatality, has plenty of information and software updates are produced timely.
So, in summary, a great machine to get into the world of 3D printing; sturdy and well supported in the 3D printing community. The V2 tweaks designed from previous build versions of the machine certainly make it worth buying this version of the previous designs.
1) does your base frame sit flat? – mine didn’t. Loosen the four bolts holding the side pieces (and remove two bolts holding the enclosure front plate) to allow you to readjust this.
2) Bed wobble. – mine wobbled side to side/tipping not good. This is easily fixed by adjusting the eccentric nuts. Turn the nut/washer thing with the supplied small spanner until there is no wobble. – this is also the ‘trick’ to solving loose play in other parts of the printer.
3) hot end carriage – also had wobble, also fixed by adjusting the eccentric nut.
4) bed leveling. – no instructions provided but this is fairly generic. Screw down the springs so they’re fully compressed. Set the z axis endstop so the printer zeros a couple of mm above the heatbed (for me this was at the lowest if could be). Move the head to the centre of the board (you should disable steppers in the menu or at least move the head very slowly to avoid generating too much current and frying your electronics), lift the bed until it just catches a piece of paper. Next repeat this step at each four corners & keep repeating all corners until your happy.
After this the printer just works for me. Hassle free printing – so far. For slicing software (stl -> gcode) I downloaded the free CURA which does now support the Ender 3 model (no need to adapt from a CR10).
I’ll be ordering or printing belt tensioners in the future though it’s not needed right now. Out of the box this printer is miles better than the DIY 3d printer I’ve spent the last 2 years working on (great learning process but pain in the neck).
Am I glad I didn’t spend 3 times as much for a Prusa i3 Mk3? yes. Manual bed leveling is not a big deal. – though the option is there to stick on a BL touch sensor.
Boy what a fantastic printer … the first prints came out better than I expected … very smooth and better than some of the YouTube channels efforts …
This is a no brainer 3D Printer, at this price … it’s the best bit of Tech I’ve bought in years … I am now making the classic ‘LACK Enclosure’ for it …
The filament I bought, at the same time, was the SUNLU 3D Printer Filament (Twin Pack) PLA+ 2KG (Black-White), 1.75mm … this filament went out of stock for quite some time but I just checked again (April 2019) and it’s back in stock …
MY ENDER 3 NOTES:
The Sunlu filament:
With the above Filament, I used 60Deg ‘C’ for the Bed Temp … and 212 Deg ‘C’ for the Hot End … I used this setup for all my prints and seems to work great …
THE ORIGINAL ENDER 3 FIBERGLASS BED:
The removable (not genuine) “Buildtak” bed plate (with fiberglass bottom) was a bit of a devil to get a proper bonded print evenly … it worked OK after a few tries … it still didn’t seem to want to bond on certain parts of the bed … there were spots it didn’t like to stick to … I even tried Pritt Stick … that seemed to work but what a mess! …
NEW BED:
After watching a few more videos, I noticed that a lot of people were printing on GLASS … so I investigated and found a great supplier, on the Bay (seller: gcc-systems) … this type of bed was a ‘Mirrored Glass Tile’ but cut to Ender 3 bed size, 220x220mm (they cope for other printers too) … it cost about 14 and damn was it worth it … the official Ender 3 glass base is 28 (ish) … this new glass bed just clips on as before, with 4 small bulldog clips …
You do not need to prime the base with hair spray, Pritt stick or any other product, in order to get good adhesion … the glass just needs to be cleaned properly … after it cools down you start to hear little noises as the print starts to release itself … so much easier to get prints off glass … you get a nice silky smooth underside too …
Glass Bed Pre-Print Washing Tip:
The thing I was doing wrong, with cleaning the glass bed, was using de-greasing agents like Isopropyl (alcohol), etc … no, no ,no, and no! … these agents actually leave a ‘very fine’ film of ‘something’ and so prevents the filament adhering to the glass … even if they say smear free there is still a deposit left behind …
I discovered that you only have to wash the glass thoroughly with washing up liquid and dry it off with a kitchen paper towel … do not touch the clean surface afterwards (use the corners) … but to see if it is clean enough you need to rub your fingers over the glass while washing it, so you get that squeaky feeling/noise … then you know you’re done … that’s all you need to do … and BAM! with the first print the filament stuck like glue, everywhere it printed … success! …
After I had done all of the above, I recently watched CHEP’s video (Older ENDER 3 vs New ENDER 3 – 3D Printer Review/Comparison) … he experimented with 2 x Ender 3 printers (from different suppliers) and he had the same issue with the Buildtak fiberglass plate … he said it was actually the fiberglass base that had blind spots … so it’s possible it’s not as level as the glass bed …
GENERAL TIPS:
1. To get the bed just right and level and without any slack (the main issue for wobbly prints) watch Just Vlad’s ‘Creality Ender 3 Pro – 3D printer – Unbox & Setup’ as he is the only one, that I noticed, who shows you how to set the slack up on the slotted ‘V’ runners …
2. To make the printer even quieter I cut a few thick square blocks, from the grey packing material and put them at each end, under the base supports … damn if this doesn’t reduce the noise by a ton! …
I have attached some photos of the first set of prints I did … all downloaded from Thingiverse …
If you’re just starting out or thinking of getting a 3D printer then this puppy will do you proud …