Creality, the brand behind the ever popular Ender-3 and CR-10 series, recently introduced a budget SLA model to their line. How does the LD-001 stand up to Creality’s reputation for good, cheap printers, and how does it compare to other SLA printers in its price range? We find out in today’s Creality LD-001 3D printer review.
Creality LD-001 3D Printer Review Basics
So, what kind of SLA printer do you get for under $450? The Creality LD-001 offers a pretty sturdy aluminum chassis with a large viewing window which also acts as a door to access the print area. Below the print are you’ll find the 3.5” touchscreen with easy, helpful interface, as well as the power button. Overall, the LD-001 looks great works smoothly, even if it’s not the most practical design.
Onto the important stuff, the Creality LD-001 includes a 2k, 1440p masking screen for high-resolution prints to within 20 microns of precision. Build volume measures 4.7”W x 2.7”D x 4.7”L, which is average if not a bit shorter when compared to other SLA printers in this price range. We expected something a little more impressive from Creality, who have a reputation for making BIG, affordable FDM printers.
Finally, the LD-001 comes with great connectivity options. Connect offline via USB, or use online printing with Ethernet or WiFi. Either way, the LD-001 has 10GB of on-board storage, meaning you can keep a ton of prints for later use.
Creality LD-001 3D Printer Review Pros
Good Print Quality
There’s no denying it: the Creality LD-001’s print quality is impressive. It’s exciting to see sub-$500 SLA printers performing with such accuracy and reliability. Compared to its largest competitor, the Anycubic Photon, the LD-001 matches toe-to-toe on minute details, tricky areas like overhangs, and overall model finish.
Easy Setup
Although easy setup is becoming a prerequisite for 3D printers of all kinds, there’s no denying how easy it is to get started with the LD-001. Even with Creality’s notoriously poorly translated documentation, most people have no problem following the simple instructions to level the print platform, load the vat, and upload a model for printing. It’s that easy to get started and, despite the extra safety precautions needed for SLA printing, takes about as much time as setting up an FDM printer.
Great Connectivity
It may not be the most important spec to consider when buying a 3D printer, but connectivity options definitely offer better versatility and utility to a machine. While other SLA printers feature ONLY SD card or USB connection, the Creality LD-001 offers Ethernet, WiFi, and USB connection. Moreover, the 10GB storage means you can print without any connectivity at all.
Creality LD-001 3D Printer Review Cons
Customer Service and QC
Creality are known for many things, including making some of the best budget 3D printers around. Unfortunately, they’re also known for poor quality control and lacking customer service. This is true whether you look at technical support or product support, meaning whether you want the answer to a troubleshooting question, or if your printer came without a key component, you’re equally likely to receive questionable customer service.
Quality control is also an issue with this model. Quite a few people complain that their LD-001’s were dead on arrival, missing parts, or broken after a few weeks of use. While that’s not the case with the majority of customers, it’s common enough to think twice.
Creality LD-001 3D Printer Review Verdict
As many in the 3D printing community have pointed out, the Creality LD-001 appears to be in direct competition with the Anycubic Photon. From the design, to the print resolution, to the price, these SLA printers are extremely similar. So which deserves your hard-earned patronage?
At the end of the day, the LD-001 is a good printer but a bit of a time bomb. It could last you 5 years without trouble, or you could struggle with it and Creality from day one. On the other hand, Anycubic are known for their exceptional customer service. The build quality and basic quality control from Anycubic are also better than with Creality. So, the simple answer is: buy an Anycubic Photon. If for some reason you don’t want to buy an Anycubic, the Creality is an okay second choice.
