The Creality Ender 6 is a partially enclosed 3D printer that looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. With a solid all-metal chamber body and solid Acrylic panels, this printer would be right at home in a high-tech lab but comes with a price tag that could see it just as comfortable in a personal workshop.
Aesthetics are all fine and good, but how does the Ender 6 actually perform? Is it suitable for people new to 3D printing or is it for seasoned professionals only?
Does the sleek design translate into its functionality? All these questions and more will be answered in this article.
Print Quality
By far the most important aspect of a 3D printer is the actual print quality. So how does the Ender 6 hold up? Well, this model has superior hardware parts and produces very high-quality prints.
Though many people notice some small imperfections or inconsistencies, these are not particularly noticeable in large-scale prints or small ones.
It’s important to note that whilst this printer does not have multi-color printing capabilities like some other models, however, the Ender 6 is able to consistently produce high-quality models with a large variety of filaments, including silk.
One of the primary features of this model includes the ultra-fast print time, claiming that, compared to most other 3D printers, the Ender 6 can print at 3x the regular speed. The speed is adjustable, which you’d probably want to do with smaller or more intricate designs.
However, even at its fastest speed (150mm/s), you can expect detailed results faster than ever. It is able to do this due to the CoreXY, which, although it can be a little finicky, is incredibly precise once it’s properly aligned.
The Ender 6 is also particularly quiet when printing. Creality has really put the time into making sure that this model is as silent as it could be, especially when compared to a lot of other 3D printers.
However, it should be noted that some people have mentioned that whilst the printer is near silent, the fans still make some noise – but that the Ender 6 still cannot be called a loud or intrusive machine.
Appearance
As mentioned above, the design of the Ender 6 is one area where it really shines. Not just for aesthetic purposes, but they add a lot of functionality to the machine as well.
Its enclosed design allows for better heat regulation, and although it doesn’t come with a top lid, you can now purchase this separately if you think it’s necessary.
There’s also the ability to customize the machine if the blue corners aren’t fitting with your design.
Because the corner pieces are not vital to the construction, you can either leave them out of the build entirely, or you can simply print new ones in whatever color you want or have available.
Although it looks quite bulky, its footprint is no bigger than most machines. But it still boasts a larger print area than its predecessors, with a 250 x 250 x 400 mm printing size. This allows your imagination to really run wild and create practically whatever you want.
Accessibility
This model, like a lot of 3D printers, is partially assembled in the box, and then comes as a kit to be completely put together at home. If this isn’t something you’re comfortable with you will want to really take your time with it – some people have suggested it takes around 2 hours for the task.
Due to the previously mentioned CoreXY, you want to be very careful that everything is squarely and carefully put together, as this core is much more prone to misalignment.
Each of the four aluminum extrusions is mounted with only a single screw, however, after installing the acrylic covers it is safe to say that this model is incredibly sturdy, and can be trusted not to fall apart on you so long as you’ve assembled it correctly.
Some users have mentioned that the Ender 6 is perhaps not great for inexperienced 3D printers, as it can take a while to get everything aligned and properly understood, but they also mention that once you get it working the way you want, there’s not a lot of up-keep.
Features
A 3D printer like this can boast many different features that make it worth the price tag. The Ender 6 makes use of a lot of modern, high-range technology so that no space is wasted.
As well as the previously mentioned ultra-silent printing motion controlling microchip, the Ender 6 also includes a superior hotbed made of Carborundum glass – this heats up much faster than other material and ensures that right from the first layer, the prints adhere to the bed properly so that they’re super smooth even at the beginning.
The Carborundum glass also doesn’t warp, so you shouldn’t have to replace it after a few uses.
This model is equipped with a filament runout sensor that can sense when the filament is about to run out, or if there’s been a breakage. This sensor will indicate what the issue is and will pause the print intelligently, and can even automatically resume printing after the issue has been resolved, or after turning the power back on.
The Ender 6 is controlled via a 4.3in HD touchscreen, operating on the 6th version of this interface. It is easy to use and intuitive to get to grips with, allowing you to adjust your printing parameters and also giving you a large variety of visual capabilities.
It’s particularly responsive but admittedly doesn’t have any particularly fancy features that make it stand out – one drawback people have mentioned is the large speaker used for audible feedback when using the touchscreen.
This is a feature that can help make it more accessible for some users, but frustrating for others – not a dealbreaker for most people but something to bear in mind.
Finally, this machine comes with large rotary knobs underneath to make leveling easier, as there’s no fiddling around with tiny bolts. Unlike a lot of machines at this price range, the Ender 6 does not feature automatic bed leveling, so that is something that you’ll have to do yourself.
Final Thoughts
In case none of this speaks for itself, the Ender 6 is a particularly high-tech bit of machinery that practically guarantees you a sleek, high-quality print every time, with only minor imperfections which can be buffed out – which is to be expected from any 3D printer.
Although there are definitely some areas for improvement – perhaps adding more features to the HD touchscreen, or including a top lid in the initial purchase.
However, it is clear to me that the Ender 6 is vastly superior to its predecessors and more than makes up for its shortcomings with its super-fast print time, and ultra-quiet printing technology.
Its only major downside is the fact that it is particularly high-tech, and probably needs an experienced user at the helm in order to ensure that the prints are as high in quality as the printer promises.
So if you’re a seasoned 3D printer user and you have the budget for this model, then you will find a good machine here worthy of your consideration and time.
That said, if you’re just starting your journey into the world of 3D printing then you may want to seek out a more intuitive pre-built machine for your first try – or at least have a veteran with you whilst you assemble and set up the Ender 6.
In the end, this is a quality machine with only minor shortcomings and is certainly worth it if you’re looking for something to really step-up your 3D printing capabilities.
Through Love and Robots, I hope to share my knowledge with others, and provide advice about everything 3D printer related.
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