When it comes to 3D printers, there will be tons of options out there based on what you want to achieve. The most popular is probably the FDM or FFF filament printers as they are more convenient. More machines are entering the market with lower price tags as well such as the Biqu B1 Vs Ender 3 V2 that are like an alternative to each other. If you are eyeing to buy one of them, let’s see the comparison below so then we can shop wiser.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- What is an FDM Printer
- What are Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2
- How are the Built of Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2
- How are the Capacity of Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2
- How are the Print Bed of Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2
- What else Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2 can offer
- How are the Performance of Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2
- Biqu B1 Vs Ender 3 V2
Fused Deposition Modeling Printer
3D printers are getting more common and many people are familiar with them as well despite not having used or own one. For three dimensional printing, there are actually various technologies being used and implemented on a wide array of machines but comparing all, FDM or FFF printers are still dominating the market and what most people choose to start with. For those who are just starting, FDM is Fused Deposition Modeling means the material is stacked layer by layer in a pattern.
The most common material is a type of plastic that can be melted and hardened on its own as they cool down. Depending on the setting, this material has to be melted before reaching the glass transition temperature and then there is an extruder that puts the layer above to each other or above the previous extrusions, in order to create the full object. The term FDM and FFF are the same but FDM but this name and abbreviation was trademarked by Stratasys in 1991 hence the need for a new name.
While all FDM machines are using the thermoplastic material and work in the same essential mechanism, there are two types of machines out there called Cartesian and Delta. Cartesian is the most popular mechanism and the typical square machines you must be familiar with while the Delta type is typically taller and narrower with round building beds. Some of the options are FLUSN QQ S Vs Anycubic Predator so if you would like to build a taller object, this type of printer will be suitable.
The differences between Cartesian and Delta printers is the way they move because in Cartesian require the bed or extruder to move in Y or Z axis while a Delta printer keeps the printing bed fixed and all movement is done by the extruder. There are three separate arms holding the extruder and moving along the Z axis. Because these arms can move independently, the extruder can move freely while putting the layer and slowly moving up after each layer.
For FDM printers, the biggest advantage is probably the scalability because this machine can print large items, depending on the capacity you have chosen, compared to typical SLA or MSLA printers. This is because the only limitation is the printing bed and gantry rails so if they are made to be larger, our printing area will be larger as well. The common drawbacks is about details due to the nature of those layers which mean resolution is decided by the nozzle size.
Biqu B1 | Ender 3 v2 | |
---|---|---|
Product Dimensions | 9.25 x 9.25 x 10.63 inches | 22.4 x 15 x 8 inches |
Shipping Weight | 20.81 Pounds | 1.35 Pounds |
Best offer | Check price | Check price |
About Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2
When comparing scalability and price, FDM printers are sure sitting at the top, moreover with the increasing amount of affordable options. Cheaper printers are often already good enough for starters and while they may not be that feature rich or convenient, many can serve the function really well. But, if this is your first machine and there is no specific concern, we do recommend to look for the popular machines since there are many other users so it is easier to find more information about the machine such as troubleshooting.
With how 3D printers are getting more accepted and how they can benefit lots of users whether it is just for a hobby or for a professional purposes, there is no worry about lack of options out there. When talking about 3D printers, there are few names that come to mind and some of them are Biqu and Creality. We are sure you are already familiar with Creality with its huge collection of famous printers but, what about the other. Biqu is a subsidiary of Big Tree Tech or BTT which is pretty well-known for their aftermarket parts.
Both of them already have their own reputation and for those just starting, the Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2 are two amazing options to consider. As you would expect, these two are budget options and while not being the cheapest machines as well, they are among the best when it comes to performance and ease of use. The Ender 3 V2 is an older favorite, being the next iteration of Ender 3, the original budget machine, now it is upgraded a little bit to justify the price.
Biqu B1 on the other hand is pretty new, they are quite fresh even today in 2021 where you can find tons of machines in this price range. Coming to challenge the older machines, this printer is fascinating because not only it is already advanced, it also offers a huge possibilities for upgrades in case you plan to do so. Overall the Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2 are comparable to each other and you can definitely go amazing with any of them.\
Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2 Design
Before seeing what the machines can offer, let’s check the unit first and as you have guessed, both of them will need an assembly first that may take some time but this is the case with many other machines in this price range. If you have seen the B1 come in a pink fashion, chances are they will come in the box looking like many other printers, black. We are not sure where to get the pink version but the color sure is attractive among the basic machines out there.
There is no problem with build quality and while Ender 3 has a build volume of 220mm, the building bed and how far the extruder can move from each corner is actually larger than what’s written on the specs. As you can see, these printers are pretty clean when it comes to construction, no longer installing the board out of the housing, now they are more streamlined and look neat. We also like the monitor or control panel on both machines because they are large enough to see the information clearly.
Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2 Capacity
Now for the most important part, let’s see how large you can build something with these machines and from the specs, they are about the same actually at 235 by 235 by 270 mm for the height compared to 220 by 220 by 250 mm. But, as it has been mentioned above and just like the original Ender 3, the latter has a wider print bed which if measured is 235 mm as well along with how far the extrusion can travel to the edge of the surface.
Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2 Print Bed
On the print bed, the Ender 3 V2 is already coming with new glass bed and this is quite interesting as well because the surface is coated with silicon carbide to have a certain texture to it and is probably preferred by many users compared to removable magnetic surface like what you can find on the B1. The glass bed is also removable and mounted on the aluminum plate which should improve the material adhesion as it makes the surface flatter.
Moving below, we can see the Y axis rail as well and both of them are quite wide actually to improve the stability. The difference is that B1 has smaller rail but it also has two of them which are placed a bit further from each other in comparison to Ender 3 V2 which uses a single rail at 40 mm wide like those in Ender Pro. The wider B1 seems better to make sure the bed can travel while being stable but performance wise, it should be a minor improvement.
Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2 Features
We also want to talk about the feature which is interesting as Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2 are also different here. One of them is carrying a filament runout sensor and the other is offering a power resume feature. Both are useful and we do like to find such features in affordable machines like them but performance wise the power cut resume function in Ender is not that reliable since the print starts at different points as well as somehow doesn’t stick to the previous layers.
Biqu B1 and Ender 3 V2 Performance
Lastly we want to talk about the performance of these printers and they are actually working really well. Some users may get a machine that doesn’t have the proper alignment which causes the elephant foot with Ender 3 V2 but there is always a tweak we can try. Another problem with this machine that is not showing up in B1 is the adhesion issues. We thought the new coating would help the material stick well but it is not always the case. If you experienced the same thing then we suggest using glue or hair spray.
After some tweaks on the Ender 3 V2, the machine is running smoothly and delivering a good result. It is very comparable with Biqu B1 but the other machine is capable of printing taller objects so your prototypes will be taller as well if printed at full capacity.
Biqu B1 vs Ender 3 v2
Both of these printers are suitable for hobbyists or users who want to print their products. In comparison they are pretty similar as well with B1 easier to work with since the machine has no issues out of the box. Some of the parts are not familiar so we are not sure about the aftermarket replacements but performance wise they are pleasing. We did see some issues with Ender 3 V2 but they can be fixed with some effort like by applying adhesion.
On the feature side the B1 has a filament runout sensor while the Ender 3 V2 has a print resume function after power cut. The B1 also has a slightly larger built volume both in width and height along with a wider Y axis rail.
Conclusion
You can go amazing with any of them but based on the comparison we will recommend to get the Biqu B1 because this machine is faster to start with and there has been no issue as well as offering a larger build volume with a wide touch screen that is already multi-color too.