There are plenty of 3D printers out there depending on what you want to achieve and how many we can spend for this equipment. For hobbyists, FDM models like Ender 3 V2 Vs Ender 5 Pro are two ideal options to consider because they are relatively inexpensive and you can find many aftermarket parts to improve the machine. For those who are also eyeing these machines, go check what they can offer below before deciding to choose one.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- What is 3D Printing
- What are Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro
- What Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro Look Like
- How are the Mainboard in Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro
- How are the Build Plate in Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro
- How are the Performance of Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro
- Ender 3 V2 Vs Ender 5 Pro
3D Printing
Our computers are getting smarter and there are new improvements every year that will make our life more convenient or revolutionize how we used to create items and overall deal with lots of different tasks. One of the most popular new pieces of tech today is a 3D printer and as the name suggests, this is an equipment meant to transform your digital design into something we can access physically. It is however, not something that everyone can take an advantage of.
| Ender 3 V2 | Ender 5 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
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| Product Dimensions | 22 x 16 x 9 inches | 8.66 x 8.66 x 11.81 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 1.35 Pounds | 28.66 Pounds |
| Best offer | Check price | Check price |
The term 3D printing itself is actually a manufacturing process where the material is being laid down, layer by layer to build a three-dimensional object. Since the process is made from scratch, many are also calling this as an additive process as opposed to a subtractive process in which an item is created by removing a part or more from the material such as cutting, drilling, milling, or machined off. While the technology they may use are different, in general 3D printers will be able to turn digital files from various sources into physical objects.
As we can imagine, the process of 3D printing is far different from the traditional “printing” we have been familiar with for decades and it probably doesn’t seem like a printing process at all. Based on the actual translation and meaning of “printing”, 3D printer don’t fit any of them but it makes sense when seen from a technological perspective. This is an advance of traditional printing where layer of material is applied on top of something but now it is extended in terms of height until forming the desired design.
Similar to our traditional printers that use different technologies such as inkjet and laser, 3D printers are also the same. But, for these new machines, we often have to choose between Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA) sometimes called as DLP printer, and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). The FDM printers are the most popular and if you see a machine printing by ejecting plastic filament, this is how an FDM technology is working. The machine examples are ANYCUBIC Mega S Vs Ender 5.
For stereolithography, instead of solid filament the material is liquid, mostly photosensitive liquid resin that is hardened by being exposed to ultraviolet light. The source of light or what used to project an image is what set the technology apart as you can find few of them such as DLP or LCD. On the other hand SLS is using powder as the material and high-powered-laser to fuse particles like plastic, metal, or ceramic into an object. Similar to SLA, the remaining materials are going to be reused.
About Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro
3D printers are a very useful technology and the machine itself is very convenient to have around but not everyone will want to use it or know and have a use of them. Of course only those who are either interested in the additive process or need something to transform their digital file into a physical object will benefit from the machine. If you are here then we assume that a 3D printer is in your wish list or probably you need a new machine to upgrade the older one.
In the past there are very limited options when it comes to 3D printing and we can only choose from a few brands or models made for the end-consumer but today, you can find plenty of them out there in which many are starting at a very low-cost as well. The manufacturers are also growing rapidly to compete in the market and among them, the name we always hear here and there is Creality. Their name is probably a summary of Creation and Reality which describe what the machines can do.
This brand is one of the best brands out there when you want to start low because their machines are well-known to work very well, cheap, easy to upgrade, and have various models to choose from. For those who want to get a machine that is working great right out of the box and doesn’t require much upgrade or any upgrade at all, Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro are going to be two amazing models to consider.
Both of them are popular FDM machines and for good reason because they just work well and for a machine in this price range, we do think there is very little to miss for Creality to make what many of us are aiming for. The Ender 5 Pro is what is seen as the better upgrade among Ender series and this is probably because Creality decided to use a different mechanism for this machine compared to the rest of the line yet, whether it actually improves the print quality is something we will see later.
Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro Design
First, let’s see the machine and as you can see from the sample picture above, Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro are already very different from each other. The rest of the Ender line uses two pillars that move the hot head up and down while the bed does the rest but the latter is using 4 pillars to hold the hot head and instead of moving down while printing, this model only moving forward or backward as well as left or right.
What moves down as each layer is being placed is the hot bed itself and this is what sets Ender 5 or Ender 5 Pro apart from the previous machines. However, when it comes to build quality, they are still made of metal and very robust but the 4 pillars design does make the latter look sturdier and have a sense of being more stable. From the outside, the Ender 5 Pro also uses a new blue Capricorn Bowden tube instead of the white, transparent one which has a narrower, and more consistent diameter on the inside.
If you have the older models of Ender, some of them have a plastic extruder just like the original Ender 5 but now these Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro are using metal extruder which means it has more tension and able to put more pressure for the gears in the filament in order to improve the consistency of how the machine pulling out your filament.
Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro Mainboard
Moving further, let’s see one of the most important parts of these printers and it is about the board they are using. They use a new mainboard and combine it with silent stepper drivers or the TMC2208 which makes both of them very quiet in comparison to the older Ender machines. Ender 5 Pro was released last year and the Ender 3 V2 launched this year so it is understandable that they are aiming to work better than your older Enders. This upgrade does make these machines not as noisy as their predecessors.
Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro Build Plate
The next difference we want to talk about is their hot bed and this is because your Ender3 V2 will comes with a glass printing bed which means we don’t have to buy a glass bed anymore for upgrade and it means we can use higher heat as well while the Ender 5 Pro is using the magnetic board. It is a good option however, but for those whose printing requires high temperature may want to use glass as it damages the magnetic quality.
Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro Performance
The last part we want to mention is their print quality and in this part, we do think Ender 3 V2 and Ender 5 Pro are just as good as many other Ender series when printing items right out of the box. The objects for example a plastic owl that have been printed numerous times for testing come out great from both machines and they look alike so much including the details and everything. We are sure tweaking and expensive filament will do much later but for first time printing, they are identical.
What you will get from the Ender 5 Pro that is not possible in Ender 3 V2 is probably the build volume because while they are equally 220 by 220mm, the latter is building a taller model up to 300mm instead of 250mm.
Ender 3 V2 Vs Ender 5 Pro
Both of these machines are amazing for the price point and they are quite different from each other as well. The biggest difference is on the mechanism as now the Ender 5 Pro is more stable with a four pillars system. Another difference is Ender 5 Pro will be more robust yet the build plate is magnetic instead of glass and in addition, the latter also have a taller build volume while when it is about performance, both are giving good print qualities as well as quiet operation.
Conclusion
Since there is no bad option between the two, we do think you can go well with just any of them but, comparing the price point, unless you will need the extra build volume, Ender 3 V2 is a cheaper option for the same print quality.