3D printers are very interesting for creative people who want to build a model at home such as a part of their project or a prototype of their products. There are also plenty to choose from depending on what you want to achieve such as Anet ET4 Vs ET5 filament printer. These machines are ideal for home use and also pretty easy to work with. Price wise they are pretty affordable too but, let’s see below about what they can offer and which will fit you the most.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- How 3D Printer Works
- What are Anet ET4 and ET5
- How are the Design of Anet ET4 and ET5
- How are the Build Volume of Anet ET4 and ET5
- What else Anet ET4 and ET5 can offer
- How are the Performance of Anet ET4 and ET5
- Anet ET4 Vs ET5
3D Printer Mechanism
In modern days our technology is so advanced that you can take advantage of it. There are many devices to use and for most of us, smartphones are the one that we can’t seem to leave at home but for creativity, we also have 3D printers which seem to gain some exposure lately due to their capability to create physical objects that are based on a digital file. Lately amidst this pandemic there is high demand of various personal protective equipment and 3D printers can be the answer.
Because a 3D printer can be used by almost anyone including beginners and even young enthusiasts, many health facilities started relying on them to make the protective equipment needed by their staff. While they may sound fancy, 3D printers are not very new but they are indeed only popular among hobbyists and enthusiasts, especially since we need to be familiar with how they work and the software to load the design as well as slicing them before being sent to the machine.
As most people already know, 3D printing is a part of the additive manufacturing family and is using similar mechanisms like inkjet printers which is why they are called 3D printing. The most complicated part is on the software modeling but after mastering or at least familiar with the software of your choice, the printing process itself is pretty quick and straightforward. Using the model we have sliced using a slicer, the printer will start to work the layer by layer until finished forming the object.
There is a nozzle that can move on almost in any direction depending on the mechanism of your printer for example a Delta model such as FLSUN QQ S Vs Anycubic Predator which can move freely depending on the program because there are three arms supporting the extruder and moving independently at the same time. Either the printing bed or the extruder, one of them usually in fixed level thus, only one will move along the Z axis or up and down.
Essentially, a 3D printer is just like 2D printers but instead of just one layer, there needs to be hundreds or even thousands of 2D layers to finish an object or to form a three-dimensional item. The material is also vary depending on the machine and how they work but in general thermoplastic is the most common since they are more convenient to work with yet, if you need a more detailed result, the liquid printing such as SLA printers are also available. The mechanisms are similar but they use a photosensitive material.
| Anet ET4 | Anet ET5 | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
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| Product Dimensions | 19.1 x 17.6 x 8.7 inches | 21.26 x 20.47 x 25.2 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 20.3 Pounds | 26.5 pounds |
| Best offer | Check price | Check price |
About Anet ET4 and ET5
For those who plan to create a model or product made of plastic or flexible material right at the comfort of their home, 3D printers are very helpful and suitable for this application. They are also getting cheaper depending on the type of features we want from them. If this is your first time buying a 3D printer, there are lots to consider and we do recommend to stick with popular names since chances are they will be more reliable or have better components.
Most of them are coming from Chinese manufacturers such as FLSUN and Anycubic but quality wise they are also very reliable in case you have concern. Another good option still coming from the same country is Anet and for experienced users, this brand rings some bells with their popular machines such as the A8 which is among the best budget choices without compromising the printing quality. This brand also carries plenty to choose from and not all are as affordable so if you want more features, do add more and we can have more advanced models.
The drawback of budget choice like A8 is you need to spend time assembling the machine which not all of us are fond of. If you are the same, the Anet ET4 and ET5 are two new variants from this brand which are much simpler to use and still coming in at a reasonable price point for either beginners and experienced users to consider. In comparison the two are not very far apart from each other with a year gap of release.
This also becomes a consideration when choosing the two since chances are they are will be more identical than different. The only advantage right off the bat by getting the ET5 is you will get a larger build volume which is very crucial to decide before getting any 3D printer machine since we can’t bump them up. With a price difference currently just shy above $100, the ET5 can be a better option if you will make a larger model but otherwise, the ET4 is already a good machine.
Anet ET4 and ET5 Design
Before checking what Anet ET4 and ET5 can offer, let’s see the machine first and first impression is they are packed in a very safe foam in a standard cardboard. The frame is not attached yet so you will find some screws and screwdriver as well in the box to assemble the unit. It needs some time to read and understand which part needs to be connected to each other but after done, you will realize the ET5 is probably at least 30% larger in form factor than ET4 which is very compact.
The overall build quality is really good, all metal and rigid while the main board is already assembled inside the housing. These are Cartesian printers and as you can guess, the bed will stay fixed on its level moving through the Y axis while the extruder is going to move in Z and X direction. They similarly have a small touch-sensitive LCD panel at the front and to print the file we can use the USB port. With ET5, there is a roll of filament in the box, significantly more than what comes with the ET4.
Anet ET4 and ET5 Printing Volume
Now let’s check what Anet ET4 and ET5 can offer and first we want to mention the volume as the ET5 is significantly larger than its brother at 300 by 300 by 400mm tall compared to 220 by 220 by 250. As for the bed, both of them are using glass beds and they do have a scraper to remove the finished product. The glass itself is pretty common for filament printer but you can stick an adhesive surface as well in case not planning to use them with the plain glass only.
As for the bed, the acclaimed temperature is 100 degree Celsius which should be hot enough to help the material stick into the surface and you can adjust them to desirable temperature as well.
Anet ET4 and ET5 Features
Moving to the feature side, what you will get from Anet ET4 and ET5 are first ,the auto bed leveling which is getting more like a standard in affordable 3D printers including these two. The 25 points leveling detects all over the area of your print bed while the probe mounted next to their extruder will compensate for deviations. In practice however, this doesn’t always work so sometimes users will still need to manually adjust the printer. The second is filament sensor which we are surprised is also available in ET4.
Filament sensor is usually found in larger printers to compensate for the larger item we will work with but both Anet ET4 and ET5 are equally coming with one to notify users when they run out of filament so the machines can save the printing progress.
Anet ET4 and ET5 Performance
Lastly we want to talk about the overall performance and for Anet ET4 and ET5 because they are already working really well too. We do recommend to use a good quality filament to achieve a best result and adjust the resolution as well for a more detailed model. The filament sensor works good too but it doesn’t mean you won’t see where the printer stops and starts again. As an affordable option, these two are very well made as well as convenient.
Anet ET4 vs ET5
Both of these printers are good options for those who are creative and want to create their own model at home. You can print with various materials as well using these machines and the prominent difference is only on the volume itself since the ET5 is larger so if you are printing a larger object or prototype, this is the machine you want to have. From the build quality and features, Anet ET4 and ET5 are very similar to each other.
Conclusion
You can go amazing with any of these budget 3D printers. They are working really well depending on the material but also not perfect out of the box. If larger items are what you will make then the ET5 is the one to go for otherwise we can save a lot by choosing ET4.