Which Ender to get?

cruizer101

So thinking about taking the plunge on a 3d printer and from the limited research I've done ender 3 seems to be the way to go as a good intro to the hobby as you should be able to print on it with less tweaking than many other printers.

So my main question is around which one to get there is the 3 €145, 3 pro €185 and 3 v2 € 275, or there is alsot he ender 5 for €209.

I'm thinking of going for the 3 pro as the upgrades on it potentially seem worth the extra.
It has a better power supply which seems to be recommended as upgrade on the base model, meant to be quieter and better quality.
It has bigger y-axis beam for more stability.
Also has a magnetic print bed which opinions are bit more divided on.

The v2 is then a big jump for what don't seem like major upgrade.
Glass bed, better but easy upgrade.
Silent Mainboard, can get this as upgrade for €34 anyway.
Touchscreen interface, not too bothered by as will look at octoprint
Better tensioners, again seem to be able to pick up or even print these yourself for cheap enough.

So it seems to me the pro is the one to go for as V2 not worth the big increase.

Then there is also the ender 5, it potentially seems better in that is has bigger print area and more structure so more stable but is it worth it.

Just wanted to get advice of anyone here to see if they had any opinion on it, its quite confusing trying to compare them.

NomadicGray

Have a look at your pricing there because you've over priced the v2, its $262 on Creality which is about €222. Its what I'd recommend but you seem to have done plenty of homework

machalla

I'm not sure if this is of any help?

https://all3dp.com/2/creality-ender-5-vs-ender-3-3d-printer-shootout/

I have an Ender 5 pro but I've never worked with the Ender 3. Its been reasonably ok once you can get the bloody thing levelled properly.

The 5 pro is the same as the 5 except for some improved components. I think aso the silent 8 bit motherboard. Its really not that silent though, loud fan noises similar to a pc or server fan.

machalla

machalla wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is of any help?

https://all3dp.com/2/creality-ender-5-vs-ender-3-3d-printer-shootout/

I have an Ender 5 pro but I've never worked with the Ender 3. Its been reasonably ok once you can get the bloody thing levelled properly.

The 5 pro is the same as the 5 except for some improved components. I think aso the silent 8 bit motherboard. Its really not that silent though, loud fan noises similar to a pc or server fan.

Is the silent motor MainBoard not the 32-Bit board?
Ver: 4.2.7

Yeah you are not getting rid of the fan noise but the motors were always the worst part of it and they are almost completely quiet afterwards

machalla

Deleted User wrote: »

Is the silent motor MainBoard not the 32-Bit board?
Ver: 4.2.7

V1.15 in the Ender Pro 5 I received.

Some details below

https://3dprinterly.com/ender-5-pro-review-worth-buying-or-not/#Enhanced_Silent_Mainboard

"Enhanced Silent Mainboard

One of the key selling points of the Ender 5 Pro is the V1.15 ultra-mute mainboard along with TMC2208 drivers ensuring that the printer stays very quiet. Users have reported to like this feature very well.

Moreover, this handy upgrade also has both Marlin 1.1.8 and Bootloader pre-installed so you can have more capabilities tweaking around with the software.

The mainboard also has thermal runaway protection enabled by default so even if your Ender 5 Pro reaches abnormally high temperatures, there’s an extra layer of protection that this problem will have to go up against."

machalla

machalla wrote: »

V1.15 in the Ender Pro 5 I received.

Some details below

https://3dprinterly.com/ender-5-pro-review-worth-buying-or-not/#Enhanced_Silent_Mainboard

"Enhanced Silent Mainboard

One of the key selling points of the Ender 5 Pro is the V1.15 ultra-mute mainboard along with TMC2208 drivers ensuring that the printer stays very quiet. Users have reported to like this feature very well.

Moreover, this handy upgrade also has both Marlin 1.1.8 and Bootloader pre-installed so you can have more capabilities tweaking around with the software.

The mainboard also has thermal runaway protection enabled by default so even if your Ender 5 Pro reaches abnormally high temperatures, there’s an extra layer of protection that this problem will have to go up against."

Fair enough, I upgraded my Ender 5 Pro to the 4.2.7 as I had one of the OG boards.
Trust me that there is a world of difference between silent and non silent motors. The fans, while noticeable, are at a constant enough pitch.
The motors were constantly changing volume and tone every time they engaged.


I think that there are quieter fans available too but could not be arsed, to be honest, now that the motor noise is gone

oscarBravo

Silent motors are purely a function of the stepper drivers. Trinamic drivers like the TMC2208 will be silent, while the slightly cheaper A4988 or the likes will not. Trinamics will work with 8- or 32-bit boards.

oscarBravo

oscarBravo wrote: »

Silent motors are purely a function of the stepper drivers. Trinamic drivers like the TMC2208 will be silent, while the slightly cheaper A4988 or the likes will not. Trinamics will work with 8- or 32-bit boards.

I did the mainboard swap-out to 32ibit more for the increased capacity than anything but the quietening of the motors has been the biggest benefit.


But do all new Ender 3/5/ Pro come with these as standard?

johnkelsey

Here are some specifics.

"Superior Silent Mainboard

The Ender 5 Pro's V1.15 ultra-mute mainboard and TMC2208 drivers, which keep the printer incredibly quiet, are two of its strong selling factors. Users appear to really enjoy this function.

Additionally, this useful upgrade comes with Bootloader and Marlin 1.1.8 already loaded, giving you additional flexibility when playing with the programme.

Thermal runaway protection is also set by default on the mainboard, so even if your Ender 5 Pro experiences unusually high temperatures, this issue will still have to contend with an additional layer of security."

mcsean2163

So still unsure, is an ender 3 pro good enough for beginners?