3D printers are getting more common and people are starting to get interested in the hobby too. Besides the entry-level machines like Ender 3, there are more to choose from if you want a more capable machine and overall more reliable too such as with the Creality Ender 5 Pro Vs Ender 6. These box printers are suitable for experienced users who want to get a faster and more accurate machine but the two are not identical as well so let’s see below about the differences.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- What are FDM Printer Types
- What are Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6
- How are the Design of Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6
- How are the Capacity of Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6
- How are the System of Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6
- How are the Building Bed in Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6
- How are the Extruder in Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6
- Creality Ender 5 Pro Vs Ender 6
FDM Printer Types
There are so many different types of 3D printers in the market that are sold to end consumers or makers to create their own products or print objects based on the digital design. Based on the material used, we have fused deposition modeling and stereolithography and each machine that works with the materials is also separated based on the mechanism of how they work. In the most common type we have FDM in Cartesian style as well as MSLA on the resin printer side.
Today we are going to talk about the FDM machine types which can get very confusing and we personally are not familiar with all of them but the more common Cartesian style like the Sovol SV01 Vs Ender 3 V2. At the basic the most common FDM printers available are Rectilinear and Delta in which the latter are very distinguishable from the rest. Rectilinear can be differentiated into the Cartesian style with two arms, H-bot, CoreXY, and Belt style but the most similar are CoreXY and H-Bot.
Both of them are essentially a sub-type from the Cartesian family as the two use the coordinates for operation, and since they are using the same box style, it can be confusing to tell them apart from each other. Starting from H-Bot, this type of printer uses belts to move the printhead within XY plane and usually their printhead is running across X axis with belt motion while the gantry itself runs in Y axis with another belt. The bed is what moves in the Z axis so it starts close to the nozzle and slowly descends further.
On the other hand, CoreXY is also using a belts system to pull the printhead to the spot it needs to be, similarly also in both X and Y plane. This printer specifically uses two stepper motors to move one belt in order to position the printhead. Since in a glance the H-bot and CoreXY are very similar, it can be difficult to tell them apart yet you can check them out from the above. You will notice that an H-bot will have a belt mechanism that shapes like an “H” while CoreXY is shaped like a boxy “A”.
In comparison, the CoreXY mechanism is allowing for less torque and even fewer vibrations during the application or performance so it is probably better and if you want this advantage, do make sure to check the system first because there are some H-bot that are labeled as CoreXY or falsely advertised as one. Additionally, what makes them different from typical Cartesian is due to the belts and pulleys to move the printhead on two axes at once.
| Creality Ender 5 Pro | Ender 6 | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
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| Product Dimensions | 21 x 21 x 9.5 inches | 23.62 x 18.9 x 16.14 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 29.25 Pounds | 58.42 Pounds |
| Best offer | Check price | Check price |
About Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6
3D printing is simple yet complicated but having the machine can help a lot to understand the mechanism as well as the typical issues that may surface over the usage, especially on the more affordable machines. If this is your first machine, we do recommend getting an entry-level and those that have a huge community because this is where we can learn a lot about the machine whether to fix the necessary parts or upgrade the printer later.
For those with more experience and want something better or different than typical affordable FDM machines, the Creality as a brand carries more than enough to consider. Most makers are familiar with their Ender 3 machine and as beginner friendly printers, they are very reliable as a tool and as a learning method to get on your skill and improve it. Besides the typical Cartesian machines, they also have lots of the boxy style printers which may attract your attention.
Some of the most popular options are Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6 that may look similar in a glance but quite different in mechanism. First you may want to know what mechanism is used by these machines and it may be surprising but the Ender 5 Pro is not a CoreXY machine in which the latter is one. It seems the Ender 6 is borrowing the Ender 5 mechanism and improving it into a true CoreXY. On the other hand the previous machine is best described as Cartesian.
These are among the favorite machines from Creality and it is not surprising to see what they can offer. Even without being a CoreXY, the Ender 5 Pro is already a very reliable machine as it comes with various upgrades that we want on an affordable printer besides the lack of automatic leveling. Ender 6 is a massive upgrade to Ender 5 line and besides the mechanism, this machine being semi-enclosed is also making it very attractive.
Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6 Design
Before checking what they can offer, let’s see the machine first and as you can expect, the two come in parts. You will need quite the time to assemble them because in general it is more complicated than Cartesian that only uses two steel frames to support the printhead. We have to put all 4 pillars together and in comparison, the Ender 6 will require more effort and time to work with because there is an enclosure here and it also has protections that we need to remove.
There will be some cable management too just to keep them away from your working space and to be safe while the machine is operating. The build quality is unquestionably great just like most Ender machines from other variants and if you are bored of the old Ender UI, the Ender 6 is already coming with the more modern touch-screen control panel, which is quite wide too at 4.3 inches to let you choose and operate the machine conveniently.
Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6 Capacity
Now let’s see what Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6 can offer starting from the build volume or capacity that you can work on these machines. For those with Ender 5, the Pro variant doesn’t mean larger capacity because it is still 220 x 220 x 300mm but it sure does have more room for the Z axis as each of the axes has a dedicated stepper motor. The machine’s dimension itself is pretty large for this moderate size at 440 x 410 x 465 mm.
For the Ender 6, this is also quite the massive machine from the outside which looks very similar to the Ender 5 line. It is measured about 460 x 440 x 550 mm so it is slightly bigger than the previous machine but, it also gives you more on the capacity as now all axes are added into 250 x 250 x 400 mm, putting this printer in the middle of Ender 5 and CR-10 machines.
Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6 Mechanism
The next important upgrade is addition of acrylic plates into the four sides of the Ender 6 which makes this a semi-enclosed machine. If you don’t have an issue with typical open printers or don’t use as many types of material, this may not be as useful but enclosure in general is needed when you will want to work with materials that require an enclosure to print. However, the top is not covered to provide room for the printhead and connect it to the filament holder outside the housing.
Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6 Building Bed
Moving to the building bed, these printers are also quite different because Ender 5 Pro is choosing a magnetic bed as its building surface while Ender 6 is choosing carborundum glass which is known to provide a smooth surface. In performance both surfaces are working really well in terms or adhesion so we have no issue about what type being used but some people may prefer one of them better than the other, such as the rather flimsy magnetic surface and how it is difficult to clean.
Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6 Extruder
Lastly we want to talk about the extruder in Creality Ender 5 Pro and Ender 6 because the latter is also impressive here. Ender 5 Pro was already amazing enough to use Capricorn tube and metal casing for the extruder but the new machine upgraded it into a dual-gear metal extruder which is better than what Creality used in their older budget machines. It is very reliable for gripping the filament as well as helpful to allow for a more accurate printing process.
Creality Ender 5 Pro vs Ender 6
These printers are very reliable and pleasant to work with but they are also different. From the design and mechanism Ender 6 is a semi-enclosed machine and a true CoreXY in movement and system. It has the larger build volume as well if you want to work on the larger items and the surface is made of glass for the smooth and ease of maintenance. The extruder is upgraded into dual gear metal extruder for a more reliable printing process and filament handling.
Conclusion
The choice is all yours because there is no bad option here and if you want a machine that is versatile but also reliable and easy to use, Ender 6 is the option to go. However, if you want the budget friendly, we do think Ender 5 Pro is still a nice choice.