Today we delve a little deeper to uncover whether the CR-10's enormous build space and claims of pinpoint accuracy justify its price in a flooded market of cheap DIY 3D printer kits.
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Printing Speed
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Build Size
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Precision
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Value
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Design
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User Experience
HICTOP Creality CR-10 3D Printer Review Basics
By far, the HICTOP CR-10’s most impressive feature is its extra large build space. Measuring 11.8”x11.8”x15.7”, this 3D printer gives you over 2100 cubic inches of build space and 19” diagonal clearance.
That’s HUGE, with little else in the consumer market to top it. The printer itself is not overlarge, however, weighing just over 25lbs and measuring 19.2”x23.6”x24.2”. Despite ourselves we find the CR-10’s blue racing stripes charming, though the rest of the design is pretty standard.
Technically the .4mm nozzle safely reaches temperatures up to 250C. And technically, the HICTOP CR-10 comes with a glass-top heated aluminum print bed. This means that technically this 3D printer can use almost any 1.75mm filament.
That said, you may need some upgrades for all filaments to print equally well. Print resolutions range from 50-400 microns at swift speeds around 50-80mm/s. Connectivity options include tethered USB or SD card.
HICTOP Creality CR-10 3D Printer Review Pros
Easy Set-Up
Don’t be fooled by this 3D printer’s DIY tag. It comes to your door in essentially three pieces that need to be plugged/screwed together. If you’ve ever assembled so much as a chair from IKEA you’ll have 3D printer ready within 20 minutes of opening the box.
If you were looking forward to tinkering with your new toy, don’t worry. There’s plenty to mod and upgrade on the CR-10 to make it really shine.
Great Hi-Res Prints
Printing in 50 micron resolutions may take forever but the results are often worth the extra time. The HICTOP CR-10 prints remarkably well at any setting but especially between 50-100 microns. Round edges, sharp points, and even layers seem to be this 3D printer’s strong suit.
Excellent Customer Service
3D printers aren’t like other electronics. Even if you’re experienced with other printers, problems happen. To HICTOP’s credit, they’re happy to help with any problem whether it be a shipping or troubleshooting issue.
One thing we really like about this company is that they don’t wait for people to contact them. Instead, HICTOP monitors their reviews and reach out to people without ever being asked. That shows true integrity and means you can feel secure in a happy resolution should something go wrong.
HICTOP Creality CR-10 3D Printer Review Cons
PLA or Upgrade
Remember when we said the CR-10 technically prints in a wide variety of filaments? The catch is that the stock build plate doesn’t retain heat well or evenly. That means filaments like ABS, which require a heated print bed between 80-100C and an enclosed, temperature-controlled environment, will struggle to have the same phenomenal print success as PLA.
Sure, building or buying an enclosure for this 3D printer is easy enough, and upgrading the print bed is a no brainer. Still, beginners should know not to use filaments like nylon without modifying the CR-10 first.
HICTOP Creality CR-10 3D Printer Review Verdict
This is the perfect 3D printer for those who’ve outgrown their first machine and are looking to make bigger and better models. With print quality well above its class, you’ll be hard pressed to find a larger print space among the CR-10’s competitors, either.
That makes this 3D printer an excellent value along with its awesome potential. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, the CR-10 could compete with printers twice as expensive.
The HICTOP CR-10 is also a solid choice if you’re a beginner without experience modding, since it’s so easy to assemble and prints well with stock components. The freedom to build such large models outweighs the small learning curve this 3D printer presents.
