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New 3d Printer, New 3d Prints!

I was lucky to get a new 3d printer for Xmas! It's a Creatlity Ender 3.
Creality Ender 3

I had asked for this when I saw the Ender 3 was on sale on Black Friday. I wasn't planning on putting it together on Xmas (3 meals to cook and Legos to build), but my wife encouraged me and I'm glad she did. It took 1 hour and 45 minutes to put together. That included looking at an assembly video by Fat Dragon Games on YouTube https://youtu.be/me8Qrwh907Q and doing basic calibration.

My previous printer took 2 nights (6 hours?) to assemble the first time, half that time the second. The Ender 3 comes with lots of pre-assembled parts and it very solid. Easy to put together, probably even for a first timer, though the video is very helpful.

The quality has been great. The features on the printer are great. Looking forward to doing more with this new printer. I'm especially excited by the number of hobbyist 3d mini and terrain printers that use the Ender 3 and share their profiles (printer settings) online! It's opening up a whole level of collaboration and practice I've not experienced before!

Side by side print comparison. New Ender 3 model on left, old A8 on right. Both are quick prints with stock settings.

My previous printer is an Anet A8. This is an OK printer that taught me a LOT. I've actually had 2 A8s and each has had the same problem- poor electrical connections that lead to plastic being melted and destroying connections. This isn't necessarily an ending problem, but with the first I spent $75 in new parts before it got really dangerous. With the second, I passed. The new printer is well rated and recommended by lots of hobbyists. On sale, it cost $7 more than the A8.

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