Dwarfed only by the CR-10 Max, the Ender 5 Plus commands respect with an absolutely enormous print volume. Have you been considering this hulking machine, dreaming of the huge models you could print? Find out of this printer is everything it’s cracked up to be in today’s Creality Ender 5 Plus review.
In-DepthCreality Ender 5 Plus Review
Creality Ender 5 Plus Basics
First thing’s first, the Ender 5 Plus’s build volume is near unmatched in its enormity, measuring 13.7”W x 13.7”D x 15.7”H. Also of note, the Ender 5 Plus shares the Ender 5’s four-corner design. This is an interesting new choice for such a large printer. The added stability of this design helps the end of your prints stay as crisp as the beginning of your prints, no matter how large.
Moving on, the Ender 5 Plus prints in resolutions from 100 to 400microns onto a heated, tempered glass print bed. This textured bed helps models stick more firmly to the surface for a better foundation. This is even more important with large models, since you don’t want to finish 75% of print just to have it unstick from the bed and be ruined. That could mean a huge waste of time and plastic, so we love this addition.
As is a Creality staple by now, the touchscreen is attached to a separate box which holds the power supply unit and other electronics. With this model the box can be stored underneath the machine, giving it a tidier look than other Creality printers. Also rather predictably, the Ender 5 Plus offers tethered USB or SD card connectivity options.
Creality Ender 5 Plus Pros
Moddable Design
The Ender 5 Plus comes to you as it is- a blank slate of a 3D printer. The benefit of starting with a printer like the Ender 5 Plus is that it gives you good, strong bones on which to build your perfect machine. This printer’s four-corner design, dual Z-rods, all-metal construction and easy adjustability provide an unshakable foundation for any future upgrades. After some TLC, you’ll be amazed to get stellar results that rival much more expensive printers.
Extreme Large Scale Printing
We mentioned it already but really, it’s the Ender 5 Plus’s most impressive feature. The only printer we’ve reviewed that’s bigger is the CR-10 Max, which is twice as expensive as the Ender 5 Plus! We even prefer this style of printing, with more stability and less print bed movement, for such a large scale printer.
Creality Ender 5 Plus Cons
Cheap Bowden Extruder
Cheap extruders are a common sight among bare-bones budget machines like the Ender 5 Plus. This printer is TWICE the size of most printers in this price range. Corners needed to be cut, and in the Ender 5 Plus’s case, cuts were made in hardware.
This isn’t as big an issue as you’d think, since most Creality customers expect to make upgrades over time. The ideal Ender 5 Plus customer loves to customize their machines and tinker to perfection. This extruder will work fine for PLA but a better extruder will produce more precise models and expand your filament range considerably.
PSU Issues
Despite sending the Ender 5 Plus with a Meanwell PSU, customers experience common issues with it. After continuous, heavy use (as you’d expect when using a large 3D printer!), the PSU simply can’t keep up with the power demands of this enormous machine. Since this is a potentially dangerous issue, we take a lot of points off for this problem. We highly suggest replacing the PSU shortly after or even before purchasing the Ender 5 Plus.
Creality Ender 5 Plus Verdict
Creality were obviously desperate to make a “budget” grand-scale 3D printer. It’s understandable, considering the jaw-dropping CR-10 Max’s $1000+ pricetag. In our opinion, Creality fell a bit short in their attempt.
We expected the cheap extruder and maybe some troubleshooting during assembly. Most Creality printers require tweaking before they work correctly, after all. The Ender 5 Plus’s issues are overwhelming, however. Pre-assembled pieces commonly need to be rebuilt, for example, as they were sent unaligned or even missing parts. Many customers also struggle leveling the bed, even with the BLTouch assisted leveling. And, perhaps most egregious, the included PSU is under-powered for such a large print bed. At best, it’ll give out on you mid-print. At worst, it can overheat and cause a fire. This is irresponsible and frankly Creality should know better.
We understand that part of Creality’s appeal is how easy their printers are to mod and upgrade. Some things, however, should just work. The PSU is one of those things. If you insist upon purchasing the Ender 5 Plus for its unbeatable price and endless print volume, be sure to pick up a 600W PSU as well.
