CREALITY 3D PRINTER CR-5 PRO HIGH-TEMP

Brent Bohannon

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I think it's time to join the big leagues. Can anyone give me a review on the CR-5 Pro High-temp 3d printer. Want to be able to print off all accessories needed for reefing nowadays. Not worried about price, just ability to get the job done. I also want it enclosed. I primarily use Mac but I have a pc if the compatibility program is a problem. I also have an iPad and won't be doing much designing anyway if at all.
Here is the link to the printer:
https://creality3d.shop/collections/3d-printer/products/cr-5-pro-h-3d-printer

Appreciate the input.
 

DeepintheReef

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If you’re willing to assemble the unit, I’d recommend a Prusa and get a basic enclosure (you can buy it assembled also for an extra $250). Most reef items will be printed in PETG which doesn’t require super high temps and is relatively easy to use (also no fumes unlike ABS). I’ve had my Prusa for about a year and a half and only ever replaced extrusion nozzles
 
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Brent Bohannon

Brent Bohannon

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There are some things I prefer over the Prusa. The bed is higher quality and it's already assembled. The ability to use abs is also better due to its strength.
 

shwareefer

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I'm sure it will be awesome. I have the ender 3 and love it. Btw, I do everything on Mac too and it doesn't matter because you just use the sdcard and USB adapter that they give you. As much as it seems cool to go direct from PC/Mac it'll quickly seem more cool to do prints from the sdcard without a computer running at all...
 
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Brent Bohannon

Brent Bohannon

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I appreciate the responses. Malcontent gives me some pause. I'll poke around a bit more. I'm looking for an enclosed model that's easy to use.
 

Malcontent

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I appreciate the responses. Malcontent gives me some pause. I'll poke around a bit more. I'm looking for an enclosed model that's easy to use.

What size objects do you see yourself printing? Enclosures don't seem to be that popular these days and may be due to people moving away from ABS (which was difficult to print unenclosed) over the years with the introduction of new materials.

For aquarium stuff, PETG and a Prusa i3 is probably the best bet as already mentioned.

Check some of the filter boxes to narrow down the options:

 
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Brent Bohannon

Brent Bohannon

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What want to avoid is all the difficulties. I'd certainly pay to have it built. My brother bought one and hated it because he always had issues getting it off the plate. I want it to work easy and consistently. If this purse thing is the way to go then I will likely get it.

**Update. A guy who prints great stuff actually recommended the Prusa just now so I will go ahead and get it.
 

DeepintheReef

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What want to avoid is all the difficulties. I'd certainly pay to have it built. My brother bought one and hated it because he always had issues getting it off the plate. I want it to work easy and consistently. If this purse thing is the way to go then I will likely get it.

**Update. A guy who prints great stuff actually recommended the Prusa just now so I will go ahead and get it.
The plates are removable and flexible for easy removal of items. It may just be a case of not using the correct plate for the correct filament type. I use the smooth plate for PLA and the textured plate for PETG.
 

dantimdad

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There was a long thread here about filament safety. IIRC the general consensus what that PETG and PLA as long as they weren't silks, glow, or metallics were good to go. Although PLA can break down after a while. I have a frag rack that is 3 years old and hasn't changed at all.
 

dantimdad

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BTW, I have had sunlu s8s, artillery sidewinder x1s and a tevo tarantula. All are sold or not being used.

I currently use 2 ender 3 that have newer boards and CR touch installed. And I have and ender 3 max with CR touch. I love all three and am getting the best prints yet. One of me ender 3 is 3 years old.
 

robsworld78

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I think it's time to join the big leagues. Can anyone give me a review on the CR-5 Pro High-temp 3d printer. Want to be able to print off all accessories needed for reefing nowadays. Not worried about price, just ability to get the job done. I also want it enclosed. I primarily use Mac but I have a pc if the compatibility program is a problem. I also have an iPad and won't be doing much designing anyway if at all.
Here is the link to the printer:
https://creality3d.shop/collections/3d-printer/products/cr-5-pro-h-3d-printer

Appreciate the input.
I've been printing regularly for a few years now, 6 months ago it was time for a 2nd printer so I got a Creality CR-10s Pro V2. I liked the large Creality user base, what I read seemed ok and thought it looked pretty nice. I really like the CR-5 look but it was more than I wanted to spend, in hind sight I'm happy I didn't get it.

So I was very close to returning this thing, with lots of experience it wasn't possible to get a print to stick, quickly discovered the bed was a soup bowl, after leveling corners the center was 2-3mm space, not even close. After doing some reading I discovered this was a thing so it quickly clicked in that's why the printer comes with a BL touch, impossible to print without. Even with that and doing the calibration process it just wouldn't work.

Then I came across Tiny Machines who updated the firmware and had a different process for calibration, I ripped it apart, uploaded the firmware, uploading new touch screen images and finally I was able to calibrate and print. It's crazy, if I look close enough I can see the Z axis moving up down as it prints the level.

When I found that firmware I discovered the printer had no thermal runaway protection, not good, thankfully their firmware addressed this. It seems the manufacture wasn't able or didn't care and a reseller had to address themselves. I know based on my other printer this is very good, wires breakdown on heaters and temp probe where they enter in time from the heat and that will catch it every time. The Creality as I got it would heat forever so with any printer verify this is a feature, most it is and I took for granted this was.

Then I discover no directories are allowed on SD card and I think only 20 files or something, so I need many SD cards for it and sometimes names read jibberish... Then I discover for some reason Creality tweaked the threads on the nozzle so the standard ones don't fit like their other printers... Then I discover because it's a touch screen the 100's of settings you can tweak are non existent, you need to update firmware or send command that may or may not work, don't ask how I know... Because of this it's nearly impossible to fine tune, need to print at a crawl to get square corners. Other than this I like it, it's very quiet. ;)

Another thing I don't like but not the fault of the printer is the bowden extruder, my other printer is direct extruder and you have much better control on flow, with a bowden there's a lot of pressure when the motor stops so it continues to extrude and is very stringy. As an example I have something like a 7-9 mm retraction when the extruder stops and it's still could use more, on the direct extruder I think I have 0.6mm or so, when the motor stops so does the flow. I would never buy another printer with a bowden, at some point I'll upgrade the CR-10 with a direct. I do print as fast as possible so with slow prints maybe bowden isn't so bad.

Downside with direct extruder is the weight which causes small vibrations. The CR-10 definitely prints smoother side walls vs the Tevo and I think that's due to small vibrations.

The CR-5 is bowden and I think because it's touch screen you'll have no advances settings, probably SD card issues and maybe no thermal runaway, it's likely the same firmware tweaked to match printer size.

I almost got the Prusa i3 that @Malcontent suggested but it was a little to small for me, does look good though.

My other printer is a Tevo Black Widow, I love it, was going to buy another but wanted something with a more rugged bed, this balances on a beam so it's easy to mess up leveling but I can level way quicker than the CR-10 without a BL touch. It also needed a few minor mods to get it assembled so wasn't perfect. It's a work horse though, I did need to get a real power supply for it but other than that just wires break internally. The Tevo is very noisy, I could solve but don't want to touch it, I was hoping to use the CR-10 as primary for this reason and Tevo as overflow but I haven't turned on CR-10 for over a month now. I only use it when I really need to, kind of sad as I was so excited to get it. With all that said the CR-10 does print really nice and they look better than the Tevo, minus cleaning the strings, but it needs to run really slow, like a 2 hour print taking 4+ hours, not for me.

Anyways sorry for the long rant. Please let us know what you settle on and how it works out.
 

Waboss

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I just purchased the Prusa with three spools of PETG. Thanks for all the help everyone. We shall see if it lives up to the hype.
I think you'll dig the Prusa, I've heard a lot of good things about it and seen many prints done on them. I would have gotten one myself if it wasn't just so darn tiny (most of what I print is larger items). Enjoy!!
 

Wyvern

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I am partial to direct drive cube machines, I have a small Qidi Xone-2 and that thing will print anything you want reliably, the company is also really good with support and sending parts fast.

I built a massive Folgertech and fitted it with a duet, aluminum bed and silicone heat mat- but it's overkill for simple parts.

Depends on the scale you want to print.
 
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Brent Bohannon

Brent Bohannon

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Had my first bad print today. Not sure what happened so I turned it off and am letting it take a break. It was right at the end so definitely a bummer.
 

Wyvern

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Had my first bad print today. Not sure what happened so I turned it off and am letting it take a break. It was right at the end so definitely a bummer.
It happens.
I once lost a print on last 2% of a 3 day long print and nearly 2 rolls of material.

Usually it is a risky/bad move from a slice, it then collides and either shifts it's position or knocks the print loose.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

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