REVIEW - Ender 5 Plus (Creality) - Large Format FDM Printing on a Budget

In this video, I discuss the pros and cons of the Ender 5 Plus, a large format 3D Printer from Creality.
If you've seen one of my reviews before, you can expect the same honest evaluation of the printer and its performance. I explain what has stood out to me - the pros and cons - over the past 2 months of use.
Do you have this machine, has your experience been different to mine? If you don't have this machine are you tempted to buy it? I'm interested to hear people's views, so do let me know in the comments down below.
Please note I purchased this printer at full price, £480 via Amazon UK. I am aware you can get it cheaper from sites such as GearBest, but personally, I prefer the extra warranty assurances.
Did you like the video? Then like it:D (& Subscribe so you don't miss out on future videos).
Here's a list of the pros and cons. The video tells a fuller picture than the list does...
Pros:
- Vertically Moving Bed (Reduced artefacts vs i3 style)
- Large Build Volume
- Price (particularly in view of the above two points)
- Fine Z Adjustments, levelling feature
Cons:
- CABLE MANAGEMENT or rather lack of! (In caps because I forgot to mention in the video)
- Unit Size: 632 x 666 x 619mm
- Awkward Access, use is not convenient unless on an open table
- Restricted Small Spool Holder
- Part Wear
- Extruder Drive Gear (must replace)
- Dodgy Endstops & BLTouch
- X-Axis off 16mm
Here is a link to the dual drive gear extruder: www.amazon.co.uk/3Dman-Extrud...
If you enjoyed this video and want to support me here's the link to buy me a coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/callumcoles or paypal.me/callumcoles
0:00 Let's go
0:28 CONS
5:47 Final (fixable) CON
7:00 PROS
9:54 Example Prints
10:47 MY VERDICT
11:35 Your Thoughts?
12:10 3DTomorrow Filament Plug
13:04 UP NEXT
#creality #3dprinting #review

[@jasonreich3217]

First 3d printer. I waited for the larger print area. Can't wait to put it into production. Ty for review.

[@NatalieColesChannel]

Fantastic review I really feel like you cover every aspect of this printer. Thank you

[@kensmapleleafretirement]

Thank you for the 5 Plus chat... I order one today to help my 5 Pro keep up with printing... Looks like a great machine for the money... Be well... Oh, I pushed all the buttons... Howdy from Eastern Canada... TTYL...

[@CallumColes]

You're welcome, glad you liked it! Let me know how you get on with the printer:D

[@gabbymadsen7260]

I got mine in Nov23 and so far like it. I've only done some basic prints before I started to do some upgrades. But I can't wait to start doing some large prints in PTEG.

[@MLGInfidel1]

I just ordered this yesterday, after upgrading my Ender 3 V2 with all the goodies. That and the fact that I'm still on a sharp learning curve I felt that I could get this to run pretty well. Since I already have some spare parts, I'm looking forward to upgrading this unit as well. Thanks for sharing

[@CallumColes]

Awesome, good luck! Let me know how it goes and what upgrades you go for🙌🏼

[@peterkinnear01]

Brilliant thanks mate. Excellent review. I reckon I will order one now.

[@CallumColes]

Glad you liked it! Appreciate the comment, let me know how you get on with the printer🙌🏼

[@pauljinadu]

Thank you for the Phenomenal and Indepth information I appreciate it.

[@CallumColes]

My pleasure! Thank you for the comment:)

[@johanteekens4456]

I've got mine a month ago and upgraded from Ender 3 Pro. Quality is indeed phenomenal. I've put klipper firmware on it as well and upgraded to a silent board. Yesterday I ordered the extruder. So far I'm very impressed by this machine and as you mentioned maybe the biggest con is it's size. I wish I could fold it up or something.

[@CallumColes]

That's great, always love to hear when people are getting on well with there machine! See a lot of people struggling on forums, so it's nice to hear about the good stories too. Yes it is quite a big unit! Folding would be really cool, or some sort of telescope design.

[@cayrex]

Nice work,.... just continue with awsome videos

[@CallumColes]

Thank you! Really appreciate the comment:)

[@Poesghost]

I got mine from Tiny Machines and it's been good. I've made some additional modifications to it and I just needed something to print larger parts. My first printer was the Prusa Mini and love it, just needed something bigger. Like this video, subscribed!

[@CallumColes]

Sounds great! What modifications did you make? Thanks for the sub :D

[@Poesghost]

@@CallumColes first of the updates and modifications was using capricorn tubing and printing supports for it, printed stops, replacing the plastic extruder with the all metal one, mount for the raspberry pi for octoprint and camera mount. I did end up buying the Microswiss all metal hotend and extruder for it however couldn't swap it out because of the stepper motor gear was press fitted on. I'll eventually swap it out when I run through all the generic nozzles I have since I ordered a new stepper motor. Would I recommend the Ender 5 Plus? Yes, but like you said get it from Amazon or like from where I did.

[@duicenasty1078]

I have had this printer for a few years. Only things i have changed was the plastic feed drive for the same but a metal one. Changed the board for a quiet stepper driver ( this is a must in my opinion) 3d printed a new cooling duct so it cools the print from all angles. The hot end cooling fan failed out of the box so i found a better quality one. It's been good as gold since . yep a bit slow so might have a look at your extruder drive upgrade for a bit more ummmph (:

[@pauljinadu]

Very Knowledgeable 👍

[@CallumColes]

Haha, I have been printing since 2014!

[@sylvander4972]

AWSOME content man =) really nice work.

[@CallumColes]

Thank you! Appreciate the comment:D

[@sylvander4972]

@@CallumColes I placed a order for that printer and that extruder =)

[@CallumColes]

@@sylvander4972 nice one, let me know how you get on with it! Also made a video on installing the extruder drive gear

[@sylvander4972]

@@CallumColes coool! I have getting back to fdm. Used resin for 12 months :) thanks for everything

[@YippeePlopFork]

Great video! I’m watching this review having recently bought an Ender 5 plus. I have to say that although I’m a relative 3d printing newbie (my experience is in metalworking and machining) I think you’re absolutely spot-on with your assessment and observations. I bought the “standard 5” Creality upgrade pack (metal filament feeder, Capricorn tube, Bowden fittings, stronger bed springs and aluminium bed adjustment knobs) and they helped somewhat, because I had unreliable extrusion and one of the Bowden fittings that came with the printer was defective, so I had to hold the PTFE tube in place in order to print anything…🤦‍♂️ There are other niggles too, like the fact that it’s limited to lower temp filaments and as a first time Ender owner (and especially coming from machining) I have to say that I *hate* the rubber wheel movement system. Out of the box, the wheels had flat spots from being over tightened and left in storage for however long it was stored in a warehouse (it had version 1.1 firmware when I got it…) and the X and Y axis movement was extremely bumpy, regardless of how I adjusted the eccentric nuts. So I replaced all the wheels with the best I could find from 3djake and the new wheels are very smooth. However, I don’t see them as long term solution and intend to upgrade the motion system to linear rails and ball screws on all axis. At the moment I’m trying to plan an upgrade path for the extruder, the filament feed (BMG is my #1 candidate so far), switch to a 3 x Z axis kinematic bed system and enclose the thing with heated chamber, the end goal being printing with high temp engineering filaments. I don’t want to go the mosquito route, so I’m looking at the dragonfly and the Creality Spider right now. Also looking at printer mods modular direct drive and X-change systems. Where possible, I’m aiming to go for machined metal adapters rather than 3d printed mount plates… Are you intending upgrading your Ender 5 plus? If so, what will you upgrade to?

[@CallumColes]

Thanks for the comment! Glad you agree with the sentiment of the video. Yes, it's a great foundation printer for upgrades. As I mentioned in the video, the extruder upgrade is a must, I also did a follow up video on that upgrade. BMG is probably a better drive gear of course than the one I used, but a fair bit cheaper also. The linear rails is a good shout, I believe someone else in the comments had done that. If I were to upgrade further, that would be my choice too. The wheels aren't great and definitely a source of print defects. Personally, I'd stick with the bowden option and keep the head nice and light. The 3 x Z axis would be nice, just bear in mind this will also require a new controller board to control these individually, so quite an expensive upgrade. Again, enclosing could be good, just be mindful of what electronics you are enclosing and their respective operating temperature. Good luck! Feel free to keep me posted on your journey:D

[@YippeePlopFork]

@@CallumColes sorry, I should have mentioned: I have bought the BTT Octopus and 2209 stepper drivers. I am running Octoprint on an industrial single board computer (not a bloody raspberry pi!) and will be switching over to klipper when I assemble the remaining parts. It’s my intention to build an extension on the right hand side of the printer, to house the electronics and another extension on the left to house the filament spools. I’m not a fan of reaching through the printer to the rear, to change spools (what were they thinking?!) Things I don’t know/haven’t decided yet: hotend. Love the idea of a water-cooled hotend (I think that’s the only sensible choice if a heated chamber is used) but to start with and to ease me into printing with eng filaments, I think an air cooled dragonfly may be wiser; I don’t have another printer to print parts on, so this ended 5 plus will literally be upgrading itself at first… As a starting point, the Ender 5 plus has been a faithful servant. It has printed really well, right out of the box. No jams and spaghetti. It’s third print was a 57 hour skull vase which it completed perfectly. But only the frame will be the original part that I keep out of the entire printer and in those terms, it’s weird to think of paying £500 for some aluminium extrusion! 🤦😆

[@_Fluffy]

I was looking into this or a Tronxy X5SA. Then I learned about the Tronxy’s slicer and firmware. I’m glad you pointed out the extruder issues. I plan on getting the Ender 5 and swapping out the print head and extruder for a BIQU H2.

[@CallumColes]

Sounds like a good plan! Let me know how you get on. I intend to get a Tronxy on the channel soon

[@_Fluffy]

@@CallumColes I got a 5 Plus over the weekend and set it up. I did some test prints and a corner mount for a Wyze cam. It looked like a spider made a home in it. I used my tweaked profiles for my Ender 2 with a DD. Forgot to increase the retracts. lol

[@raspberrypiploy771]

Have had this machine for 18 months and not printed a single item. Initially it was purchased purely because of the build size but my CR10 smart has more than met my needs and contrary to many bad reviews on the levelling etc I have it tuned perfectly and it just works. I recently started to re implement the ender 5 but had issues straight away with the bltouch so I purchased a cr touch and did a clean install with the silent mother board install. That was 6 months ago after lots of emails to Creality they eventually understood I simply needed to know what firmware was required from the downloads on their website. The firmware did not work !!! Another support agent advised me totally differently so I downloaded again and have yet to install the firmware. So I have a massive machine that has been sat in the corner as new with protective dust on everything lol. Seeing your video though Callum you have indirectly given me a bit of enthusiasm to get this thing working. Haven’t placed an order for some time as I am trying to use up all the ***** filament I have sitting around as I hate to waste it but it can’t go quick enough as it’s a total nightmare especially when I had got used to your products which as you know I am a huge fan of. Anyway hope your doing well and your business is growing.

[@CallumColes]

Hey! Always nice to hear I've installed an extra bit of 3D printing enthusiasm, it is a decent machine when it is running, so well worth a bit of hand holding to get it working well. I also have done a video of an extruder drive gear upgrade which might be worth a look at for you. Business capacity is a bit limited at the moment as in the middle of moving to a new space, but by the end of the year will be there and sorted! The extra space should make it possible to also do some KZbin videos on my business side of things, which I know a lot of people have been keen for me to do. Hope all is good with you too:D

[@9erfanatic1]

Tried both this and the longer LK5 pro and I kept the longer. No issues out of the box and have been building helmets non stop for a month now with zero issues that were not issues I created. Love my longer printer and thinking of buying another. Touch screen and single Z it is a bit of time to manually level but it’s what I’m used to.

[@CallumColes]

That's not a printer I've actually heard of, but glad you're getting on well with it. Personally I'm a fan of the manual level, done properly it rarely needs adjusting, whereas BLTouch just gives constant headaches lol

[@9erfanatic1]

@@CallumColes keep thinking of getting a bltouch for my longer and a dual z axis but it’s been printing amazing out of the box I don’t want to tempt fate. Would it be nice to have auto level? Hell yes but not if you have to work at it. Lol but yes the longer lk5 pro has a huge build plate area makes it so easy to make whole helmets or half and not have to break it into so many pieces.

[@CallumColes]

Sounds good! Personally I wouldn't bother with the auto level, but feel free to go for it if you're getting fed up with the manual levelling

[@Cusulozz]

Hey I have a problem when I don’t use the supported it’s not printing good at all and when I don’t use it the print is perfect so can you help me?

[@Lobesanft]

To make this printer a reasonably working horse I changed the extruder as well - mine is an original bondtech but this is a question of price in the end. I fully covered the printer with acrylic plates on all sides and changed the mainboard by a "silent" type board. The bowden is also replaced by a Capricorn. So finally if investing some 250 bucks additionally it´s a really fine machine to work with - but definitely not out of the box.

[@hayk9069]

I got my Ender 5 plus and started printing, my first benchy I noticed I'm getting these annoying blobs/ zits and can't do anything to fix them, l've used brand new filament, used a good quality San disk micro sd and played around with settings, is my printer defective and should I return it?

[@andreirafael5582]

Do you have a video where you swap the extruder?

[@theradiostation3023]

Where did u buy the nozzle 1 inch size?

[@PaganWizard]

This is an amazing printer out of the box, but, I also upgraded the extruder as you did. I also replaced the BLTouch, with an EZABL Pro from TH3D, and replaced the leveling springs with solid bed mounts, also from TH3D. My printer was shipped with a crappy power supply, not a Meanwell, and I upgraded that to a 600w Meanwell. Kersey Fabrications did a great video that explains what to look for and how to do it. The improvements made by these upgrades is very noticeable, and well worth the money. Where can I find the STL files you used in this video???

[@CallumColes]

Thanks for the comment, glad you're liking your printer. It is a great foundation, perfect for upgrades. What type of sensor is the EZABL? Not heard of that one. Which STL files do you mean, made this a while back so can't remember which files I used in this video!

[@billchambers45]

Good video been using this printer for over a year now my biggest upgrade was the silent board as it noisy really noisy Extruder was changed 3 months in

[@CallumColes]

Thank you! Yeah these cheap printers are often pretty loud, but I'm so used to the noises now that it's not something I normally pick up on unless it's particularly bad, some are horrifically loud. What extruder did you go for?

[@CallumColes]

Yes, that is certainly an issue with that style of hot end, particularly if you print a lot at the higher temperatures, e.g. 240˚C. I also upgraded one of the machines to a Micro Swiss, a great choice since it just uses the same screw holes as the stock hot end. 80mm/s is quite fast for this machine, are you seeing a lot of print artefacts? Ghosting, etc.

[@alaingrignon]

Hi there, thanks so much for this great video, as a true newbie I agree that it is completely overwhelming. I thought I was set on getting an Ender 5 +, but now I've also been thinking of the FLsun 400 as an option. I know this is an old video, but I'm hoping you might enlighten me further with a response. This is going to be my first ever 3D printer, that said, I'm not intimidated by swapping out mainboards or tinkering with firmware (I'm a quick study). That said, I'm using this to build prototype products from 3D models I build in Shapr3D, so I kind of need something reliable with high-quality prints (especially for printing gear assemblies). I can easily skimp on detail if I get quality in return, and though speed would be wonderful, it's not a deal breaker either. Print area however is more important. The product design I'm working on now needs at least 320 mm diameter build volume (z axis shouldn't be a problem), but if the FLsun 400 is THAT much better in all other respects, I could compromise that to design it to 300 mm, but it wouldn't be ideal. Since this is my first printer, and it's for prototyping, I'm trying to keep costs down but I'm willing to pay for quality and reliability. At the moment I've been oscillating between the CR-10 Max and the Ender 5 +, but the FLsun 400 has piqued my interest. Yeah, I'm just a jumble of confusion and need someone with more experience to advise me on what would be best for my needs. Hoping you can help???

[@CallumColes]

Hi Alain, apologies for the slow reply, always busy! I have not had any personal experience with the FLSun 400. I would recommend the Ender 5+ over the CR-10 Max, the large bed slingers from Creality really are not great... I have another video on the Ender 5+ where I upgrade the extruder drive gear, would recommend this. The FLSun 400 is a 300ø, so you would have to reduce your design to be smaller than this,

[@workingTchr]

Was thinking of buying a used one and this has convinced me that would be a bad idea.

[@CallumColes]

Yeah, I am never a huge fan of second hand printers, tricky to know what is going to go wrong!

[@inductedcoffee]

Cool video. The one part that shocked that it’s not actually 350mm on the x axis!? Meaning if I do a large print, I can’t do like 348mm on the x axis when it starts to print??

[@homiethreshy5059]

Is the one u linked bondtech?

[@AndrewAHayes]

I bought my first Ender 5 + from Amazon and am so glad I did as it was a mess, all smooth rods were bent and both leadscrews so I could not print anything higher than 150mm, the BL Touch had a crack in the circuit board and the cooling fan for the board packed in mid print and the board overheated, that one went back and the replacement just had a bent leadscrew which was replaced no quibble and arrived in 3 days, my second Ender 5 Plus I bought from Technology Outlet UK for a much cheaper price (£150 cheaper) and their customer service is outstanding I had a min temp error and had forgotton to replace the sock, Miles helped me solve that issue, and replied to my email within a couple of hours, I have heard of people who needed to have their printer replaced and this was done quickly with no quibble also, so if you want to buy with the security of customer service buying from Technology Outlet is a no brainer!

[@CallumColes]

Always worth buying from a reputable dealer, especially for these overseas brands where the QC testing is virtually non-existent. Glad you've had a better experience with the second purchase.

[@biglouie69]

I have owned this printer for a while (maybe 22 months - right after Naomi Wu reviewed them) and have had excellent results. That being said, I did upgrade extruder, bowden tubing, power supply, and some cable management. Next will be an upgrade to the board and the change to a MicroSwiss all metal direct drive extruder. Could I have bought a printer with all of this? Well, sort of, but for the price and a chance to learn about 3D printing the decision was easy. I have not needed any customer service, but I understand that Creality is very very weak in that area. Probably my biggest frustration was getting the bed clean enough for prints to adhere. Now, a quick wipe with isopropyl alcohol is all it needs.

[@CallumColes]

Nice! Sounds like you have upgraded quite a lot... As I mentioned in the review, it's a great frame and like you have proved can be upgraded as needed. Yep, the cable management (LACK OF) leaves a lot to be desired

[@patchtechuk]

Great Video Callum! Anyone had issues with the bltouch crashing into the side rail when starting the print?

[@CallumColes]

Thank you! And yes, the BLTouch probe has a habit of catching the printer where the z axis rods are secured into place, not ideal...

[@matthewmillard688]

Hi. Thanks for the review. Im currently using an Anet E16 which I've had for about 3 years and its getting pretty worn out now. Im keen to buy the Creality 5 Plus as it seems like you get the most bang for your buck. Can you do a video on upgrading the drive gear as mentioned in your video please?

[@CallumColes]

Already made it :) here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-lqoWDi6qloLc

[@HowToSandAFloor]

great video, I just bought one. And I’m ordering the extruder you recommend. Do you recall what sort of print speeds you were achieving, before and after buying the new extruder?

[@CallumColes]

Thanks for the comment :) here's the link to the installation video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-lqoWDi6qloLc I didn't do a specific test before and after unfortunately, but I've done the upgrade from the plastic single extruder drive gear to the one mentioned in this video, on many printers and it's always worth it! At the end of the day, you won't see a monstrous increase in print speed, because lots of factors contribute, but having a drive gear that can properly grip filament and push with a reliable force is very important. If you want to continue to increase the max extrusion rate, the next bottleneck will be the hotend. Adding a CHT nozzle is a good place to start.

[@HowToSandAFloor]

@@CallumColes I’ve finally got round to building it and giving it a go. I can’t get it right. The pla won’t stick to the bed, it seems that the height is either too high or two low. After changing the level and testing with paper, the print failed again and it seemed too far away, I went to adjust it again and it was pressed against the bed. I’m very new but could that be a shitty BL touch?

[@CallumColes]

Have you done a manual level first too? That should help. I’ve never been overly impressed with the repeatability of BLTouch clones, but should still be able to get it to the point where you don’t need to change much from a levelling perspective. This might help too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH_cpZl9o8x8itU

[@stevehancocks8064]

hi ...enjoyed the video. just looking at the duel drive extruder. would i be correct in thinking this is geared to make printing faster as well as 2 geared wheels ? ... cheers

[@CallumColes]

Glad to hear it, thanks for the comment. Geared extruders are generally intended to increase torque, so you can push the filament with increased force. Naturally though, this does mean you should be able to print with a higher extrusion rate, which depending on your setup can indeed make for a faster print.

[@sagedaniel5776]

Video on the bondtech extruder for the E5+ please.

[@CallumColes]

Already done, thanks for the comment. Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-lqoWDi6qloLc

[@JmboDesign]

hey sorry my late question. Have you the name of the extruder ? bondtech style dual extruder. but i am not sure i have find the right one.

[@CallumColes]

This is the one I used: amzn.to/3yl1vzw Some commenters have suggested installing it the other way up than I showed in the follow up video to save having to change any wires. So this could be worth a try too!

[@reimakallio5416]

Great video! Been strugling few time with the original filament drive gears... What was the exact model of bond tech style dual extruded drive you have installed?

[@CallumColes]

I used this one: amzn.to/3yl1vzw Some commenters on the follow up video have suggested installing the other way up to save changing any wires around, so that might be worth a try too!

[@ryanmitchell4148]

So I got an ender 5 plus frome my brother, and he got it from someone else it is all upgraded and it even has a different mother board and interface I was able to figure out where most wires go but have a few Lose is there any way you can help me figure this out?

[@CallumColes]

Sorry for the slow reply, busy busy... You need to verify that you have cables going to: 5 Stepper Motors: X,Y,Z,Z and Extruder 2 Endstops: X,Y The BLTouch The Filament runout sensor The number of pins at each of the above, should help you identify what goes where.

[@DonnyDonnMendoza]

I'm curious about something like this but I'm looking at something bigger (since everything I want to build/print requires something 450 x 450mm or larger). I assume that there would be a way to extend the size of something like the ender 5 plus? Also, what other alternatives would there be out there? I'd also assume better hot end, nozzle and extruder would also make a difference to the quality and speed of a print as well?

[@CallumColes]

The Ender 5 Plus is certainly a good base for upgrades, but if you were looking to make it much bigger you'd end up replacing a hell of a lot. There aren't many reasonably priced big printers out there, the ones that are reasonably priced all seem to have a bed slinger design, which isn't the smartest thing but can be okay. The most affordable large printer that I know of that has a similar design to this Ender 5 Plus is the Tronxy X5SA-500 Pro (I've never tested this printer, well yet anyway...) In the bed slinger space, there's CR-10 Max which isn't too bad, but I'd recommend adding a glass bed.

[@worldsgreatestride]

Can you give the link for the metal extruder gear you are recommending?

[@CallumColes]

Either the BondTech BMG or any of the clones if you’re looking to save money: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275408780494?

[@AndrewAHayes]

I went to order some of your changeover spools and when choosing colour you dont get a colour choice but there is an Astro choice, what is Astro?

[@CallumColes]

Thank you! Yes the standard changeover spools are as they come, this is because it would be too time consuming to list all the different spools. They can be quite unique. However, there are also the 'almost' rolls where you can choose the colour. The with Astro, means that one side of the transition will be an Astro colour, e.g. contain glitter / aluminium flake. Hope that makes sense?

[@davekosiek9288]

Clicking the link for the upgraded extruder someone asked if this would work on the 5 and they said without firmware? Is that true or would I be able to plug n play. I'm kind of new to this so I been trying to find a nice 3d printer. Thanks

[@CallumColes]

It is still a perfectly functioning printer without the extruder upgrade, so you don't have to do it straight away! For the extruder upgrade I suggested you do not need to update the firmware, but you do need to change the E-Steps value. This can be set via your PC using software like PronterFace or you can even use a gcode file as explained in the video. Hope that helps:)

[@ZhuJo99]

Well my Ender 5 Plus came just yesterday. Z offset wasn’t set but that did not matter to me, as I immediately replaced crappy Marlin with Klipper. Oh, my extruder gear is metal. Brass and steel for smooth gear. I though I’m going to change it for BMG clone (whole metal) but no need for now. Crappy filament sensor was disconnected right after I broke filament inside few times there. Have to tune the Klipper a little bit for input shaping and pressure advance but this seems to be promising printer. SKR 2 with TMC2209 is on the way and titanium heat break as well. I don’t care about PLA at all, only ABS and CF Nylon. Will let cut the metal sheets soon to completely enclose the printer and add some fireproof insulation to reduce internal space. Later will add some heater to get to 60-70 °C. Also, never had a problem with BL Touch. It always worked great

[@CallumColes]

Awesome! Glad you didn’t have to change the extruder drive gear. Creality do often slowly tweak machines after releasing so they tend to improve slightly, the only trouble is you never know if you’re going to get a new one or an old one, depends how fast resellers sell them… I’ve never used Klipper, but know it has quite a fan base, I’ll have to look into it! The enclosure and improved setup sounds great, would love to see it when it’s finished:)

[@ZhuJo99]

@@CallumColes Heatbreaks are not a problem, mellow and triangle labs sells them. Maybe will replace the heatblock too for a one which accepts 3 mm thermistors as in the past, I broke those small glass ones (or their cables likes to be burned after some time). SKR 2 is definitely going to be first, enlosing whole frame next. I have to think what material to use for a top in a style of Stratasys “harmonica” like cover. It has to be fireproof as well. Actually I bought Ender 5 because JGAUrora A5 almost caused me a fire last week when thermistor cable broke and whole hotend just went stuck on the frame and ABS flowed. Luckily Klipper stopped the heater but it had to be really violent as Y axis driver went off (bed tried to move when it couldn't because of plastic gunk on head), camera was completely ripped from USB port and some other funny things. So aside from having more heat inside of printer, having metal sheets around a frame would serve main purpose - fire protection. If something really fucks up, it will be kept inside . I can live with burned printer, but if my workshop starts to fire, well, with all that powder and primers I use for reloading ammo it would be disaster.

[@NorthernAnts24]

Iv just ordered this as my second printer, it arrives on Thursday, did you make a video on the extruder drive gear from amazon?

[@CallumColes]

I did indeed: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-lqoWDi6qloLc

[@SunsetWingman]

For something with this print volume thats a CoreXY, what are the options for more money? I can't find much but I just started looking.

[@CallumColes]

There’s the ratrig printers and voron2.4 350 (both are kits) For a lot lot more there’s Ultimaker. In a similar price range Tronyx have one I think.

[@OnePotMeals]

I’d like to see the install of the extruder

[@CallumColes]

Here you go🙌🏼 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-lqoWDi6qloLc

[@stephanfree250]

Quick question can I use 1.75 mm filament on any unit including filet or abs

[@CallumColes]

Most 3D print manufacturers use 1.75mm, there are a few exceptions that still use 2.85mm e.g. Ultimaker

[@Drivingsideway]

Very useful review! The box you printed looks like an ebike battery box?

[@CallumColes]

Thank you for the comment and yes it was indeed an ebike battery box:)

[@Drivingsideway]

@@CallumColes Nice! Did it work out for you? I own ebike workshop and also plan to experiment with similar boxes some day, but would probably compare polyurethane cast to 3d print strength.

[@t3gg526]

Could you please do a video about replacing the extruder drive gear or is pretty simple to do. Also is there any settings I need to change when is is replaced?

[@CallumColes]

Sure I’ll add that to the list, it’s not too time consuming, but it’s not easy if you’ve never done something like it before since there a few steps involved. Very worthwhile though! Check back in a few weeks and I’ll have done the video:)

[@t3gg526]

@@CallumColes thanks can’t wait keep making amazing content.

[@CallumColes]

Upgrade video done - just gone live - have a watch :)

[@t3gg526]

@@CallumColes will do

[@jdarnone]

I've learned that Bondtech is a high quality upgrade for almost any 3D printer

[@CallumColes]

Good products, not the cheapest, but you get what you pay for!

[@coachkd3d]

Are you available to FaceTime or screen mirror? I recently upgraded my plus to the Exact dual drive extruder and have had nothing but problems. Id pay for your time if you could help me get this thing dialed in or just printing decently.

[@CallumColes]

Hi Kendal, that's not a service I offer I'm afraid. Have you seen my follow up video where I show how I upgraded this printer to dual drive, that might even answer your questions for free!? Alternatively, your best bet would be to contact a local printer reseller and offer to pay them for help, or even a local print service, since the guys that run them are often knowledgeable and also probably more affordable than I would be!

[@NicholasCarn]

Thanks for the review, I've been having problems with PLA sticking to the bed with my E5+ on the initial layers and then warping. It seems much more reliable when using rafts though. Do you know how I might fix this? Did you find this with your E5?

[@CallumColes]

Hey Nicholas If you're not using any adhesive, just relying on the Ultrabase glass bed that comes with the printer, then you'll want to have the bed quite hot for PLA 55-60C. It has pretty poor adhesion at low temps. Personally, I always use 3DLAC spray. I'm not a big fan of rafts, they're wasteful, but you could use the same concept and just print with a thicker first layer. Just slow the first layer down a bit and increase the height. I actually have a full video on bed adhesion which might be helpful for you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH_cpZl9o8x8itU

[@NicholasCarn]

@@CallumColes Thanks Callum! I will try the 3DLAC and a thicker first layer is a good idea :)....Yeah I've found that with the PLA I've bought it needs really high temp to stick usually 70-75C (when they state to use 50C on their manufacturer recommendations) Then I use a cooler temp after the initial layers but warping can still happen. With using a brim it's much worse and it's more likely to fail which is why I often use a raft. I will check out your adhesive video. It's this part which is frustrating me so far (first 3D printer) :)

[@CallumColes]

If you're getting stuck with the brim, then it is also possible your nozzle is too close to the bed and or bed not very level. If so, I also have a bed levelling video too, so that may help also :D kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXKvmIyJZ9p8iNU

[@NicholasCarn]

@@CallumColes Thanks, another useful video. I've spent a long time with the levelling and it's pretty level, but I've just tried with some prittstick and immediately have got a decent result, so some kind of adhesive looks like the way to go, hopefully the spray will be even better.

[@ChrisWMF]

im here because im shopping for a 3d printer for making cosplay stuff. it seems to be the largest printer for the money. did you do the video for the extruder upgrade?

[@CallumColes]

It’s good value for the print volume for sure! Here’s the upgrade video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-lqoWDi6qloLc Someone also suggested using the dual extruder that has Bowden mounts both sides, that way it could be mounted upside down and you wouldn’t need to adjust the stepper wiring, so that could be considered as an option too.

[@sreed3819]

Would it be reasonable or possible to increase the "Z" height from 400mm to 600 or 900? New wire extensions, new 20x40 verticals, new linear bearing rods, new screw rods and new bowden tube. How about adding new controller board, "Z" motor, screw rod and modifying the bed support for 3 support points?

[@CallumColes]

Yes increasing the z height would definitely be possible! Just off the top of my head, you would need: -> New Alum Extrusion for the Z -> New Leadscrews x 2 -> New Rods x 4 -> Extend Cables -> Update dimensions in firmware So not even that much really! Let me know if you try it. You could also use a new controller board and do a 3 Z setup, but at this point, you're basically rebuilding the whole printer! Personally, I don't think it would be worth it.

[@sreed3819]

I think the 3 point bed supports would be beyond my skill level. Thanks for the response.

[@jessygayosso149]

How would you compare this printer to the qidi max

[@CallumColes]

That's not a printer I've ever used, but just had a quick google, it looks as though it would probably provide better out of the box printing, with more scope for printing with other materials thanks to the full enclosure. In comparison to the Ender 5 plus, the Qidi Max has a smaller building and costs twice the price, although you do get more for your money with the Qidi Max in some other respects. On the Qidi Max it looks like the extruder drive gear and hot end on the printer is fairly basic and those sort of closed off printers can be very difficult to upgrade, whereas at least with the Ender 5 Plus you have more scope to upgrade.

[@krysisn]

Bigger than it could be? what does that even mean?

[@Matt-dk3wl]

I picked up an Ender 5 Plus a few weeks ago and that dodgy Y Stop caused my print head to ram into the front of the printer and make some horrible noises. I caught it in time but it's happened 3 or 4 times now (not the crash, I power off fast enough now when I see it happening)... Definitely probably the biggest CON of the whole machine (for me). Also, the bed does not stay level for very long (not even a day in my observation). I'm like you, always having to baby sit the first few layers. Also the nozzles that come with the printer wore out after about 30 hrs of printing. All that said though, it does print nicely for the price and I'm happy to have it. Just be alert for its machine wrecking cons of a dodgy Y stop and a print head that has no qualms of smashing into the bed from time to time.

[@CallumColes]

Yes, it's definitely a printer you have to watch the first layer go down on! Although once it is going I have found fairly reliable. In terms of the bed level, I've got a tip that should help. First completely tighten all the nuts, then level from there. The tighter you can keep the nuts, the longer the bed stays level, so it's always good to start them off completely tightened. The extra pressure from the spring makes the bolt more resistant to the vibrations and less likely to unwind. 30 hours, wow not long, were you printing an abrasive material? E.g. Carbon fibre or wood? Even some silk filaments can be quite abrasive.

[@Matt-dk3wl]

@@CallumColes Thanks for the tip! I'll try that. I'm not sure why the nozzle failed to soon but I swapped it out for an Aluminum one. I read that the stock Creality nozzles aren't very good.

[@panagiotisbalagiannis999]

I bought it because of you and it's absolutely amazing ..... I would like to change the extruder like you said ... would you like to make a video of it?

[@CallumColes]

Thank you for the comment, really pleased to hear you have been happy with your purchase :D I did make the extruder drive gear upgrade video, is this the one you mean?: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-lqoWDi6qloLc

[@panagiotisbalagiannis999]

@@CallumColes oh damn that was fast haha. yeahhh ty !!!!!!!!

[@ChefDansHookah]

Good afternoon. I just got my Ender 5 Plus yesterday. You mentioned that there is some X axis width loss, is there any loss on the Z axis? I mean, do you actually get 400mm of build height - or is there any loss because of the XY gantry? I hope all is well.

[@CallumColes]

Nice, happy printing! Yes, I believe it does pretty well get the full 400mm. Although if you're planning on trying to get a 400mm tall print out of it, you may want to just double check your exact machine has that much movement. To do this, simply home the printer and then go to the manual movement section of the menu and set the Z to 400. So long as the bed reaches 400 without getting stuck, then you'll be good to go:)

[@ChefDansHookah]

@@CallumColes Thank you very kindly. A helmet fin I am making has a z height of just over 380mm. just wanted to be sure before I tried.

[@YourLocalRaccoon]

Isn't h-bot less stable than CoreXY? And less accurate? And harder to keep square over long periods of printing? You should, if you haven't already, try converting this printer to CoreXY with some real linear rails.

[@CallumColes]

CoreXY does have a number of improvements over H-Bot, because it uses two belts rather than one. It probably wouldn’t be too difficult to convert this to CoreXY, might make for an interesting project in the future. Thanks for the suggestion:)

[@Rzymek85]

Whats the recommended upgrades ? for that print head?

[@CallumColes]

I switched out the extruder drive gear for a bondtech style one, just to give a more reliable push force. You might also consider changing the print head, I have one which I installed a micro swiss hot end on. Some Ender 5 Plus users have also switched out the XY motion system for linear rails, but this is not something I have done *yet*.

[@Rzymek85]

@@CallumColes much obliged :)

[@mbrown5930]

got one of these printers and the display screen bad went after a month and display was white. creality is working on the problem. the 1st screen they sent was missing the connector for the cable. now i am waiting for another one from china. Oh boy..

[@CallumColes]

Yep, the electronics could definitely do with some improvement! At least it sounds like Creality have been responsive in your particular case. I always recommend buying cheaper machines from a national reseller, as that generally guarantees faster support when things go wrong, although the allure of the cheaper price means a lot of people still buy direct.

[@NavySturmGewehr]

I'm thinking about getting the ender 5 plus. What upgrades have you done to it now?

[@CallumColes]

Personally, I have upgraded the extruder drive gear (video on this) and also the hot end to a micro Swiss. It does what I need now, but if I were to do anything else it would probably be to the XY motion system, but that would be a lot more work to do!

[@NavySturmGewehr]

@@CallumColes Did you change any acceleration curves or anything with the micro swiss? I'm thinking of ordering it with mine. I don't mind giving up a bit of speed to ensure print quality.

[@CallumColes]

@@NavySturmGewehr was literally just the hot end I replaced so didn’t change the acceleration as it’s virtually the same weight as the Mark8 hot end. However, these printers do often ship with quite high jerk values, so that can sometimes be worth lowering a little if you’re having noticeable ghosting.

[@winandd8649]

@7:35 This is NOT a H-bot design. It clearly has a motor exclusively for the X-axis, and another for the Y-axis.. On a H-bot (or core-xy) no motor has to be moved around (exept the extruder motor if it's a direct drive) Note; An H-bot is more like a core-XY belt system, but has a potential "racking" problem, which the core-XY hasn't.

[@CallumColes]

Thanks for the comment! You are indeed correct here, my apologies

[@SqualidsargeStudios]

I am planning a direct drive upgrade

[@CallumColes]

Fair play, let me know how you get on

[@ReGZ0089]

Would you recommend this 3d printer for a beginner?

[@CallumColes]

It depends what you want from your printer really. In terms of ease of use, it’s sort of middle of the road for a beginner, not too difficult but equally not the easiest printer to use when you’re starting out. I’d normally say go for something smaller, but if you need the big build volume then it could be a good option for you. I’ve also recently reviewed the Longer LK5 Pro, have a look at that as well, for an alternative big build volume printer. LK5 Pro is probably easier to use and cheaper, but less potential to upgrade.

[@ReGZ0089]

@@CallumColes Thank you for the quick reply, I'm still looking for my first machine and am not really sold on having a Cartesian style printer and the mechanical inaccuracies that can introduce. I've been looking for a FDM non Cartesian that can fill the void and it seems that this is likely it.

[@CallumColes]

@@ReGZ0089 go for it then! In fairness, just about every problem you run into for this printer will have an answer on google, so from that perspective it’s good for a beginner. I’ve got 2 of them🙌🏼

[@adamfilip]

Not h bot btw, it’s just Cartesian with joined Y belts

[@CallumColes]

It is indeed, my mistake

[@kuman64]

I AM PLANNING TO BUY THIS PRINTER TO PRINT FURNITURE PARTS, WOULD YOU RECOMAND IT?

[@CallumColes]

Yes I think it would be a good choice for that purpose, although furniture might require an even bigger build volume unless you are planning to combine multiple pieces. I always recommend purchasing printers from a reliable source, with a warranty, since it is not uncommon for there to be manufacturing defects.

[@kuman64]

@@CallumColes yes absolutely right i am planning for 1mtrx11mtrx1mtr printer. But its my starting so I thought I must have to learn the things before investment thats why i am planning. By the way thanks to reply and if you have any better option for bigger print area please suggest.

[@CallumColes]

I think you have the right idea, start small and then expand if your concept works out. Rome wasn't built in a day as they say. Plus it's always handy to have a smaller printer as well. On the subject of large format printers, the other day I saw a very reasonably priced large format printer, 'Tronxy X5SA-600'. I have not tried this printer, but may well do so in the future, if interested, don't forget to subscribe:)

[@aqkhana2002]

can be cheap for you but in Australia its start from 800$

[@CallumColes]

I expect all of the printers in Australia are a fair bit more, but at least that also means you can charge more for 3D prints!

[@joegonzalez6241]

What about the tube melting

[@CallumColes]

The PTFE tube you mean? As long as nozzle temperatures don’t exceed 240C, the tube takes quite a long time before it needs to be trimmed back / replaced. Alternatively you could upgrade the hot end to an all metal hot end and not have to worry about the tube melting.

[@CreativeName574]

​@CallumColes personally I find it saves the hassle if you just replace the bowden with some Capricorn tubing

[@Kibz32]

You get a like and follow for hating the bl touch like myself. I had a glass bed that was warped in one area(where the bl touch probed) and I couldn’t figure out why my prints would fail for quite some time. If the bl Touch would do as it states I would have known this was stage issue but instead I learned that it is SNAKE OIL.

[@CallumColes]

Hahah, they seem to have a cult like following, but have no idea why! More love than they deserve...

[@Kibz32]

@@CallumColes awesome reviews and great channel!

[@andreaspoulsen8017]

Love this review. Agree with all your points. Have one at work. It's very cheap and alot of volume for the money. But, It has been a real hassle with the BL touch not working as expected, having to restart the machine, "printing in mid air" or not printing at all many many times. Also alot of jams whenever trying to switch between ASA and PLA even though a metal nozzle is being used and trying to stick around 245-250 max temp. There is fixes to this, but it's more money wasted and time consuming, especially having to research all these problems if your not an experienced 3d printer already. The bugs in the software with the BL touch, having to microcontroller the z-axis ever so often when starting new prints is very, very annoying. Sometimes it even lower and lower the bed, having to restart the machine, even though it's looking for the BLtouch above it - so weird and annoying, why would it look for the BL touch "down" when the probe is always above it... just an example of bugs that is present. Not a pleasant experience having to baby sit it for reasons that should not be there so long time after launch. Big warnings if you value time. Not shure if there are any alternatives in this pricerange, with the specs it actually have... Gonna try your suggestion with 3dman dual gear extruder. Not Shure what to do with the BL Touch bugs and what hot end to get if I still want to stay with a Bowden type. Suggestions how to solve the problems? and maybe a printer we should check out?

[@CallumColes]

Thank you, means a lot:) Yes the BLTouch is a pain, well actually I’ve got two units and on one it works more reliably, the other is dodgy. That’s sort of the story for a lot of these cheaper units, so hit and miss because QC checks are non existent… it’s definitely a machine that you need to watch it start. On the whole, I’m not a fan of BLTouch, they’re not accurate enough, I prefer to self level even at this size of print bed. In terms of the metal nozzle, that alone isn’t enough to allow you to print at those temps. The stock hot end is only suitable up to 240C. Above this temp the Bowden tube starts to break down and you’ll get no end of problems. The easiest replacement is a micro Swiss all metal hot end, which is mostly drop in, although a spacer is needed to lower the BLTouch slightly. You can keep the Bowden setup with this too and wont have to worry about your max nozzle temp (within the range of materials compatible with open printers). Yes, definitely recommend the drive gear upgrade, I’ve done a video showing this upgrade. In terms of the BLTouch, for now, I’m yet to decide a replacement. You could change the bed levelling sensor, but they all have pros and cons. Generally for prints on these cheaper units you need to watch the first layer go down anyway, it’s the most important layer by far! So with that in mind, the BLTouch problems can mostly be caught. Hope that helps and thanks for watching🙌🏼

[@andreaspoulsen8017]

​@@CallumColes Many thanks for your response and ideas. I will look into the drive gear upgrade or/and Micro Swiss all metal hot end. Otherwise it's alot of 3d printing machine for the pricepoint. I hope they will make an upgraded ender 5 like they have done with ender 3-series.

[@CallumColes]

@@andreaspoulsen8017 they do seem to iterate on their machines a lot, so I wouldn’t be surprised!

[@Joso997]

When you buy this printer before you start printing replace half the parts. Got it lol

[@CallumColes]

😂 pretty much ahah! That’s the trouble with the competitive consumer market, people drive the price down and then manufacturers skimp out. But with a few upgrades it’s a brilliant machine, with large capacity and still good value.

[@TommiHonkonen]

I have background in manufacturing and 3 printers all have bl. I would not drive a printer without one. (bl or something proper similar). Just no worth fiddling over saving a tonne of time.

[@CallumColes]

Genuine BLTouch, or these knock offs? I've never been a fan personally, I find them unreliable. In my experience, a good manual level can last for 100's hours, with no fiddling required.

[@TommiHonkonen]

@@CallumColes Genuine of course. I get better than 0.01 repeatability out of them even at high speed. Probe every time. On an ender i need it because independent dual z, ratrig v core has 3 point kinematic bed, and ratrig minion well it just probes. Even the copies are plenty good for what they are for. If you have problems then I'd look at either software of hardware problems.

[@CallumColes]

@@TommiHonkonen yes definitely see the appeal when using independent Z axis. The genuine ones are good, I’ve probably just been put off because had too many printers turn up with dodgy knock offs!

[@TommiHonkonen]

@@CallumColes I never get a copy just because of the fact they are not good. No point in lying to myself that I saved money and then I fiddle with cheap stuffs and then end up buying the proper one anyway.

[@CallumColes]

Yep, the phrase ‘buy cheap buy twice’ often applies!

[@RideTheGamer]

Wassup

[@Mr-Axe-Tv]

Cheap printer good joke mate