Creality Ender 5 Plus 3D Printer – Review

Introduction

With the extremely popular Ender series, the Chinese manufacturer Creality showed the world they can not only build big low-cost 3D printers (like the CR-10S ), but also know how to make cheap, yet reliable and beginner-friendly 3D printers like the Ender 5.

Now they have released the Creality Ender-5 Plus. It is meant to be the top-level machine of their popular Ender series. Let’s review its specs to get a better impression of its capability.

The design and Build

While the build volume of the smaller Ender 5 (220 x 220 x 300 mm) is enough for most prints, it is always convenient to have extra space for bigger tasks. The Ender 5 Plus offers precisely that. Its glass bed boasts an area of 350 x 350 mm, while the Z-axis stretches to 400 mm. That‘s bigger than the print volume on a Creality’s CR-10S, which sat at 300 x 300 x 400 mm.

The outside measurements are 632 x 666 x 619 mm, so be prepared to free up some space in your workshop. Thankfully, no components are stored outside of the printer itself; the filament spool and the power supply sit within the frame.

Other Features

Updated Motherboard & BLTouch Sensor

As some of you hardcore Creality fans will know, the Ender Series 3D Printers in the past would typically always come with a simpler V1.X version of their motherboards, while the CR-Series would be equipped with the more complex V2.X motherboard, so as to offer more capabilities to the higher end range. However, with the Ender 5 Plus, Creality have chosen to equip this machine with the more complex V2.2 Motherboard, and this is more exciting than it sounds, as it means the Ender 5 Plus will be able to handle far more advanced levels of functionality. As such, if you’re the ambitious type who is always looking for improvements and upgrades, this new V2.2 motherboard is awesome, as it will allow for upgrades like dual-extruder setups, so that you can take your 3D Printing to the extreme, and really show the world what a good blend of creativity and engineering can do!

Extra Large 350x350mm Z-Bed

After enjoying such success with the widely popular original Ender 5, we’re glad to see that Creality are pursuing this relatively unique design further, with enhanced features that bring it more inline with the ever-famous CR-Series. And with a fantastically large 350x350mm bed, as well as an impressive 400mm height, the new Creality Ender 5 Plus is set to not just compete, but rather rival the impressive characteristics of the CR-Series.

What we love most about this is that users now have a choice between which design is best for them, but without having to sacrifice build size or other important traits. Now, however, instead of having to choose a CR-Series printer just for the build size, or perhaps an Ender 5 just for the easily-enclosable box design, Makers can choose the same basic features on multiple different designs, allowing each of us to get the ideal 3D Printers that perfectly cater to our unique needs and nuances.

Extreme Z-Axis Stability

While it’s certainly no secret that Creality make mistakes as they continue to innovate and push the hobbyist 3D Printing industry forward, it’s incredible how good they are at using these mistakes to make future 3D Printers even better.

Such is the case with the new Z-Axis support and stability on the Ender 5 Plus, which is comprised of not just two simultaneously driven leadscrews, but also four guiderails on the corners. This design ensures perfect stability at all heights, completely removes the problem of the drooping bed from previous models, and helps to maintain that perfect bed level from the BLTouch throughout numerous prints.