(Almost) two years with a 3D printer…

…and counting. I want to share these few words with you because I changed my printer to the new one. The old one was Anycubic Kossel – the delta type. The new one is Creality Ender 5.

I’m using a 3D printer mostly for my home projects – spare parts, missing pieces, joints, helpers – the things that are useful for a handyman like me. Some of the prints ended up in our RV: bolt covers, hole covers, various handles, and small pieces of equipment.

Recently I started printing terrain elements for RPG games for my daughter. The number of ready-made models on Thingiverse is breathtaking. This task also led me to the conclusion that our “old” Kossel is not that precise.

For most of the prints I performed, the printer precision was good enough. I also had no simple way to compare my printouts with others. Once I spent more time on Thingiverse, I noticed that they could look much better. Especially with small details. I also noticed that complicated models have a hard time sticking to the printing bed. Printing them on the raft was the only way for some of them.

The new one

I decided to look for a new printer. The prices are much lower today, and after not-so-long research, I decided to buy a Creality Ender 5. This is also a low-cost printer, but definitely different than my old one.

The delta construction of Kossel is the source of the printing head positioning issues for some prints, and it also causes problems with bed leveling. I was never sure if the bed is leveled correctly or not. Even the “automatic leveling” function was not helping.

In Ender 5, especially with the glass bed I own, the leveling is no longer an issue. My printer has no automatic leveling, but I had no problems with manual operation. The leveled bed stays leveled for multiple prints.

I had a problem with the bed adhesion for the first few times, but once I started to wipe the bed with isopropyl alcohol and a towel, all of my projects hold as they should. It is even easier to take them off once cooled. Thanks to the glass bed, the first layer is perfect, and they pop out easily.

I was also impressed with the change in print quality. The small parts are much more precise, and support is much easier to remove. Straight lines are straight instead of somewhat wobbly. I even tried to print using PETG, which is now my chosen material due to the elasticity.

There is no change in the things I print – they are still helpful pieces to our home and playful elements for RPG games. I learned a lot owning Kossel, and I benefit from changing it to Ender 5 – now when I know what is important to me.