i actually LOVE the power brick idea because it makes enclosing this printer SUPER EASY. with the MK3 you have to manually unplug it and put it outside and it's a mess, it's easy enough to print an adapter and velctro or push it behind the printer
Chuck, I know you are a fan of having the tightest belts possible on your printers. I didn't discover until 6 months later that I could tighten the belts on my Prusa Mini. Once I tightened them, the prints were then better than my CR-10. Made a big difference for me. I'm only mentioning this because none of the reviews I have seen for the Prusa Mini have ever mentioned tightening the belts to get better prints than the printer they were comparing the Mini to. For people who don't know, it's the two tiny allen head screws on the front of the printer and the two allen screws on the left end of the X axis.
The mini+ is my first printer. I love it, and frustration levels have been fairly low over the last 5-ish months of ownership - what little has occurred was just learning curve stuff. Your channel has really helped with that, thanks for putting this content out there!
I entered to 3D world with an Ender 3 V2 3 months ago. Ender is a great machine for learning the 3D printer basics. A lot of problems must be solved. After BL Touch upgrade and Jyers firmwire this machine become a beast. I can find a lot 3rd party cheap parts and also works great. Community support is huge. You can build your unique Ender with tiny budget. Im happy with Ender 3 V2 but not vanilla version.
Just wanted to say that Prusa MK3S+ was probably my best investment in my entire life. I can't be happier than having that machine after all troubles with Ender 3 Max.
I haven't got a printer yet, but a few days ago I ordered the Mini + as a kit. Earlier I was looking at the Ender 3 V2, but I saw exactly the same reports that you've made here--get the Ender if you don't mind a lot of tinkering around, adding extra parts and adjusting it. If you want a machine that'll do its best work quickly, get the Mini +. It's interesting that you say the Ender gives better results--but you need to work on it to achieve that. I've decided that spending some extra money and living with less print volume is worth it to me! And anyway, I appreciate the idea that less print volume means less bench space and a machine that I can move around easily. Plus, several of the comments say, "I own multiple printers but the Mini + is the one I use the most". It seems like the right one for me.
I'm hearing the exact opposite. That the Mini Plus has a ton of issues. I barely had any issues with my Ender 3v2. I really want a small printer but I'm not convinced yet about this.
I always thought it was really stupid to buy the Mini kit! All those hours of assembly to save $30??? I would consider the mK4 kit, however because it's like $150 less than the assembled version.
Chep,well done video. Have several Ender 3's and now a complete farm of Mini+'s. I do agree, both are great printers. What I have learned is that to me Prusa is like Apple. They make the printer, firmware for the printer, AND the slicer. In other words they control the entire experience (good or bad). This to me is very important in that any one of these factors can lead to a bad print. When you extend that concept to support, it means even more. Prusa support doesn't have to deal with different variables AND their support is really good. I can't say the same for the Enders. With all of this said, when someone asks, I direct them to the Prusa Mini+. Just my 2 cents...
I’ve had 2 bl touchs on my ender 3 just die each after about 5 months. Motherboard broke after a year as well. Able to replace them though but annoying and expensive. I also have a Prusa i3MK3S+ which has the same bltouch type sensor as the mini in this review. That printer and sensor has never broken or glitched out once (printing basically non stop for 6 months). It’s super accurate and just works. There’s a reason why they use Prusa printers on print farms.
Your timing is uncanny, Chuck! My Mini + is due to arrive on Monday! I’ve had my OG Ender 3 over 3 years now (since June 2018) and it served its purpose well as my 1st 3D printer. I did some of the mods in your very helpful videos (Capricorn Bowden, spool holder, borosilicate glass bed) and used your various Cura profiles/tips. I don’t mind doing upgrades, but I’m tired of having to constantly diagnose issues and tinker with the printer just to get somewhat consistent prints due to its dubious quality. So going with the tool and ecosystem (hopefully) now and focus my tinkering on my Fusion360 designs. Looking forward to your Mini + profile and hope you do more more videos on the Mini +.
Pre-ordered the Mini and got one from the second production batch. Interesting to see the Prusa still doesn't ship them with hot end set up right. I got a BondTech heat break kit, and I installed it by loosening the screws (which I replaced with SS cap screws so they are easier to handle) and using a soft-jaw clamp to press it up -- and then tightened it. My other printer is a Creality 10S Pro V2 so I end up with a much bigger build surface with I need it...But for smaller stuff the Mini is so much easier. If a friend asked what to buy as a starter, I'd recommend the Mini 99% of the time. Prusa has good support, there is a large community out there, and the Mini is a darn good printer.
I've purchased 5 original Ender 3's over the last 4 years. I have a particular upgrade package I install on all of them before they get installed into the print room. That upgrade package costs me about $145 per unit and it includes an all metal extruder, all metal Hotend and a belt driven dual z screw and a textured glass surface. I didn't just happen upon those items as upgrades, they came about because those were issues I had to resolve on the first unit i bought and the second and the third, so now they just happen before turning it on. So with the Original Ender 3 at $180 retail, sale prices are lower, I am into each Ender for at least $325. I recently bought a Mini+ with a filament runout sensor and ABL for $400. I didn't have to do anything other than assembly, it printed perfectly from the start using PLA, PETG, TPU and ABS. I haven't tried any other materials yet, but I will. One thing that stands out with the Mini+ is there was absolutely no tinkering to be done to make it print high quality prints, I've never had that with an Ender 3. It has over 150 error free print hours on it in just over 7 days. Ender 3's, at least for me required many hours each to get the settings right and the constant bed leveling drove me nuts. I finally installed BLTouch on every one and locked the bed in place with standoffs. so add another $60 to each Ender's cost. So $385 and issues to resolve or $400 and worry free high quality prints out of the box. This is really the comparison for me. If you need the larger print area then you have a case for the Ender, but I think they are a wash in cost and the Prusa is ready from the start. Unless Chinese printers receive a boost in build quality and get better firmware, I think I I'll be replacing my Ender 3's with Prusa Mini+ units as the Enders wear out and die
TPU really? I've really wanted to try on mine but the Prusa manual and website specifically state not to on this printer. I heard the same in other places because the bowden tube design causes issues with TPU.
All metal hot end, metal extruder (not even dual gear) Capricorn tube, CR touch and my Ender 3v2 prints everything perfectly. There is better firmware for Chinese printers. Jyers and Klipper to name two. I really like my Ender but I want to build a farm and was looking for a smaller footprint, that's really the only thing that leads me to the mini. If I had issues like you I'd be put off Ender as well. When I decide on what printer I am going with I'm going to turn my Ender into a switchwire.
if i may ask, for your prusa mini+ what is the degree of overhang that you are able to get to before it starts to look ugly on an overhang test? the reason why i ask is because I am looking to buy one to print lithos.. not sure if the fan can cool the bottom side fast enough
Really nice, thoughtful comparison. Great review of pro’s and con’s for each. One other item I often mention is that Prusa offers very useful vendor support. If vendor support is worth something to the user - it is worth taking into consideration.
Chep, your videos are a life-saver. I have an Ender 3 pro, and I have two mini's coming to the door in a couple days - You probably saved my rear, just covering this issue, but glad I bought the printers, and I've heard a lot of good things...Granted, you can't really go wrong with an Ender, so definitely see what you are saying there...Good stuff, and thank you sir!
Had an Ender 3 for about a year and a half now, upgraded the extruder (bondtech), added a EZABL, changed to the 4.2.7 Creality board and Marlin firmware, rebuilt it about 25 times, and I still have issues with it every single day. Every time I turn it on, it needs a different Z-offset. From one day to another nothing seems to be the same. I finally got tired of it and just ordered a Prusa Mini. Great review, hopefully I don't have to tinker with the Mini too much.
You should stop working on 3d printers then because its obvious you are not very good at it. My Ender is nearly 3 years old now and its rock solid, I never get failed prints and print quality is right up there.
I'm new to 3D printing, just started like 2 months ago, my printer is the Ender 2 V2, it's been a "rough" road but I've really enjoyed the ride, I have a computer science background so I can move easily around technical issues, but I've seen that it can be sometimes overwhelming to someone who doesn't really knows too much about that, it's funny how Creality really passes all the design flaws on to us to fix, it's really a great printer if you want to know how to "handle" yourself around 3d printers, and being that there are a lot of look alikes, it's really a great printer to start with, if you're into tinkering with them, plus, the community is great!
Hi Chep, I have both Ender3 and Prusa Mini. The Ender is ideal as a first printer. I have rebuilt a lot, titanium extruder, quiet board, quiet fan, Bl Touch, etc. and learned a lot. I just assemble the Mini and it works. If I count the money I spent on the Ender in total, it wasn't cheaper. The Mini just works more consistently. I start a print and come back when it's done. With the Ender I wait at least the first 2 layers. Another point that is important to me was security. I trust Prusa a lot more than a Chinese manufacturer. A Prusa Mini profile of yours would be great. Preferably with the Prusa Slicer ;-)
Got the mini and mini+ and both gave me the same extrusion problem at first, it was really frustrating but thankfully I fixed them and now they run beautifully! wish you made this video a year ago lol 👍👍
My first printer was the Prusa Mini+. My second was the Ender 5 Plus. I needed something for bigger prints and less welding of my models. I got my Prusa Mini+ partially assembled and had no issues out of the box. All my prints came out perfect. I did have a few questions for support. Can't recall what those were. But the fact of the matter is, there is support and they have anyways have been great, fast, friendly, and helpful. I bought my Ender 5 Plus from Tiny Machines, just because I wanted support in the event I needed it. Not sure how support works if you buy it direct. That support only goes on 30 days and one year on parts. I have had a ton of issues with the printer. From bed leveling, to nozzle clogs, to extruder issues such as slipping and bed adhesion problems. Some of which they helped me resolve and others I'm dependent on the help of the community (mainly reddit and Kersey). Bottom line I did a wealth of research before I even bought my first printer and anyone who wants to buy one should too. I spent months before taking the dive. Make a list of your goals. Would I buy another Ender 5 Plus? Yes. I learned a lot from it. So I'm getting another one soon. From Tiny Machines again? More than likely since they do check it and do some additional upgrades before sending it out. But would I buy from Prusa again? Yes, there's something about their printers. You can feel it in the parts. You can feel the sense of pride they put into everything about their printers and it shows. The Mini is a workhorse. I am very confident when I start a print I can walk away and not have to check in on it that often.
Excellent video, as someone just getting started and who doesn't really mind the print volume difference, I'll be getting a Prusa mini, your video helped me come to this decision. Thank you!
I just got the Ender 3 v1 a couple weeks ago and besides a few headaches (solved by a couple of your videos and a touch of common sense), I've been impressed with how easy it is. Compared to other out of the box "cheap" 2 and 3 axis devices from even a few years back, it has been a light year of difference in quality and ease of use. Only problem I have now is I want more more more.
I've that CHEP hotend fix on my Ender3V2. I'm looking into buying this Mini+, I saw the coggled nozzle issue and installing a Capricorn tube is the first upgrade I'm gonna do.
Ender 3 is the winner in my book. Parts from third parties are everywhere to get. If not "print yourself" it's readily available in various 3D printer stores. And on top of that most parts for the whole Ender 3 series fit across them all. Some might need minor tweaking. The Ender 3 can grow with my needs for quite a while before needing another "better" printer.
I put a Bondtech heatbrake and extruder from new on both of mini's having read about those issues. Thousands of hours printing both PETGCF and PLA with zero issues! :)
I cannot compare as i have only Prusa experience but that was great one with my Prusa Mini+. I do work as IT analytic and spent quite a lot of time on various support so I have some comparison in general. Prusa support was very well technically equipped. We shared a lot of photos and videos and we methodically checked every part that should cause problem. Resolved successfully by identifying of faulty extruder motor and they sent free replacement. All very polite. Only thing agains was the time spent with support. As every operation takes a lot of time (disassembling parts and assembling again, photos, etc) and support is multitasking between various support tickets. Overall experience was very good, one of the best I experienced so far in over 20 years of IT works. Edit: I was so surprised I also asked how many languages they support (7) and if they work 24/7 (yes). In case you are also interested in that.
I think Prusa’s support is better in general. However, I’m not sure if they are worth the extra cost. Here’s my experience: They supposedly have very good initial QC, but there are always outliers. I got the Ender 3 Pro for $100 on sale at Microcenter about a month ago. I got it to learn about 3D printing since my son was getting a Prusa Mini+ from Santa (he didn’t know what model; he just wanted a 3D printer). The Ender 3 has been printing great, and took about an hour to assemble. The Prusa “experience” was not as hassle free as I thought it would be. Long story short, I ordered the preassembled Prusa Mini+ with the filament sensor for about $470 shipped. I got really busy and couldn’t unbox the Prusa to set it up until Christmas Eve. Sadly, the extruder gears were jammed/gummed up from the factory. “24/7 support” was closed, so I had to abandon the Prusa and give my son the Ender 3 (luckily he hadn’t seen it since I’ve been using it when he’s at my ex-wife’s and hiding it when he’s home). There’s no point in taking apart the extruder and cleaning the gear/pulley since Christmas is already over. I got a return authorization for the Prusa, but I’m going to be out shipping costs (about $50) and will only getting about a $420 refund.
Great points For a beginner the Prusa is the save bed As a thinker I love the Ender3, but the Prusa just prints out of the box. I know some one would complain over the buildsize, but 180x180 is enough for most of the prints I have made. Thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us :-)
It doesn't print out of the box for everyone, in fact if you research the prusa mini you will find thousands of people complaining about it failing to print out of the box, it sounds like you got lucky.
The Prusa comes at almost 590$ here in Canada, while I can have the Ender 3 V2 for 340$ on Amazon, free shipping. For that amount of money, I'll build a Voron V0.
Ender 3 v2 can be a greater bargain from official suppliers/resellers. Buy direct, ships from Vancouver. Prusa Mini is impossibly expensive in Canada, though. It's a real shame.
Fantastic machine with minimal fuss with the some(LOTS) assembly required. Dialing in and upgrading an ender 3 can be a lot of trouble. Especially for someone just starting out.
We replaced our six ender 3 units with four prusa mini+. Best desicion ever, they run and run without tinkering. 68 days /1636 hours of runtime until today and not a single adjustment. Now THAT'S a cheap printer!!
The Mini is pretty awesome compared to most of the other printers on the market. I bought a Bambu Labs A1 and I still like my Prusa Mini a lot better! (the A1 doesn't print to exact specs very well). I've had some parts made on the Mini that looked like molded parts they were so smooth!
Hi Chuck, thanks for another informative and imho, very concise review. You summary is spot on, ‘it depends what you want’. The amount of used Ender 3 x’s on a well known auction site indicates to me that a lot of people are users first and tinkerers second. Prusa every time for me thanks.
I wouldn't go by that. Lots of people aren't mechanically inclined and think they can just buy printers and press a button, when they realize they can't they give up on 3D printing entirely, if they have any doubt in their skills they're going to buy the cheaper tool every time. Another reason you see more ender 3's is because more ender 3's are sold. Especially to these people who aren't mechanically inclined since they aren't going to invest in something they're not sure they can do. On top of that, many people are selling their Ender 3's to get the Ender 3v2. They're all going to need tinkering, even the prusa. Having said that I have an Ender 3v2 and I've barely had to tinker with it. I get joy in making things just as good or better on lower end tools, than others buying top of the line. That's why I went with the Ender 3 v2. Having said that I would consider this mini if I can fit it into a backpack, since I ride a motorcycle.
The mini has a printable leg option that holds the power supply under it! Super rad! I printed the upgrade for mine in black PETG with clear PETG inserts ;) I ran into the extrusion issue two times now. It seems a lot of units have the same extrusion issue.
Well, I'm still running my original E3. The firmware could be described as a bit janky but it never really got in my way. I quickly switched my two machines to Octoprint (I also have an Anycubic Delta linear) and I control both from my PC. The E3 did'nt really require any mods other than capricorn tubing. I've replaced the nozzel a few times because of blackages but you kind of expect that. I still haven't installed self levelling, I've found that once levelled it maintains that level for months. The trick was using a removable print surface so that you don't yank on the bed and disturb the settings. The thing I really appreciate about the E3 is that it is all open source so all the parts are generic. Don't get me wrong, I've modded the hell out of my E3 but only because it was fun to do. It wasn't actually neccisary but I thought it looked cool. I've still got a new quieter controller to install but I just haven't got round to it. The E3 is a brilliant reliable printer.
The nice thing about the Mini is that Prusa supports it...I had a problem early on in December 2019 and Prusa sent me parts FedEx to fix it, no questions asked.
Great review and i am definitely thinking about a Prusa for my next printer but i love my Ender 3v2, i have learnt so much from it and really enjoyed upgrading it so it is more personalised to me. Plus it prints brilliantly. Like you said i really think it depends on what sort of person you are and as i work in IT and always messing about with computers etc i love the whole upgrading and tinkering thing.
Thanks for the video Chuck! I hope this fixes my problem as I've had the same issue on both of my minis. Now I just have to figure out how to safely chamfer PTFE tubing lol
Had a similar problem with a Geeetech a10m, filament stopping before the hot end and not extruding. used the Creality fix and now working fine. I may get a new hot end but it's working ok for now.
If you like to fix and repair rather than print, insert random i3 clone, if you want to just print, prusa. And @chep , be honest, if you account for parts alone you've spent more on the creality than the prusa, how much is the bltouch? How many other parts have you added?
Nothing more. My Cura profiles do most of the work. In fact I don’t even need the BLTouch to print better, it’s just an option. I actually prefer manual bed level so even less than $300 to print well. As I show in my videos, put it together correctly (free), install better firmware (free), properly adjust bed level (free), adjust e-steps (free), use my profiles (free).
@@FilamentFriday back before I got my mk3, I had a wanhao duplicator i3, it cost $400 and I made it much better with an all metal hot end, mosfet for the bed heater, noctua fans for the hot end and case, toolssteel nozzle, a hardened aluminum bed frame, updated screw in heater block thermistor, updated 1.4 board, and on and on. Then I got a mk3 (now Mk3s+) and the most I've added to the printer is a silicone sock for the heater block. I can't recall leveling a bed since 2017. It just works, I print everything from tpu to pc, and it just works. Coupled with my einscan se I can make almost anything. No drama, just reliable, safe printing. The mini is related to that. The creality isn't bad it's just not as overall good. It's also had plenty of safety issues with xt connectors iirc and firmware. I wouldn't trust most people to be able to do all of the things you've done to make the creality work. And you have to know that most ender owners haven't done all of those things.
I just built my mini+ last week, the kit-version. No problems with the hotend. Just printed fine when I was done building. I really like the simplicity of it, combined with prusaslicer. Print quality is fine. I also have a somewhat modified tevo tarantula pro and it prints fine too, and is half the price of the mini+. The prusa machine feels like a much better and more complete product tho.
As an ender 3 and prusa mini owner, gotta say when I need to print something properly I always go to my mini. Never failed me but with ender 3 sometimes its hit and miss.
Thank you for a good down to earth review! After owning only two tiny printers for a time, I don't think I'd ever want another one personally so 200x200 would be my minimum, but for people who need the small footprint it seems pretty good.
I have recently purchased the Prusa Mini, preassembled and had the same exact issue. I ended up just pushing the hotend up into the heatsink. Problem solved.
Prusa has published plans for a free set of legs for it with some other upgrades Including a spool holder (now underneath), Joel has printed it and it looks like it is a fix to a lot of the problems you have. I know his has the handle on it and the legs still fit well.
I'm sorry but this is simply not true. The Prusa Mini Base does not 'fix' anything. It's literally a set of legs so you can store a spool of filament underneath, thus saving space. Mind you, my Mini's are printing around the clock and worked perfectly fine straight out of the box with zero tinkering or tuning.
@@DennisVris A mini is definitely on list of upcoming purchases (along with a lazy-susan filament holder I have seen)... Nice to get a one sentence review though.....
I agree with Chuck on the Creality is a machine to tweak and the Prusa is a machine to pull out and use. My only comment is it would be nice if aftermarket support, or lack of it, was mentioned. That is something Angus brought up recently and is a point worth making. The community can be a great source of info BUT when companies use that as a copout for actually putting in work, that is not cool.
I have mini since Feb 2020. After rough start I like it very much. The only annoying thing is that on textured plate PLA is unprintable without adhesives. But for flex and PET-G that one works great. I also had issues with extruder gear but in fact I just had to tighten it a bit and no issues since then.
i was going back and forth between these same 2 printers and went with the V2 due to the $235 price tag at the time. i've had an Ender 3 pro for a bit so the V2 was easy for me to set up and set profiles for, e-step calibration, etc. If i do get another printer, it just might be a prusa. my V2 prints are beyond great, but part of me still longs for a prusa.....
@@FilamentFriday Thanks. This looks like it chamfers the inside of the tube but I have seen chamfering on the outer edge of the tube. Isn't that is what necessary for the heat break tubing between the hot end and filament feed?
I have both, the mini is my favorite. Maybe I need to do the auto leveling for the ender, but because I have it set up in my kitchen the noise is just annoying from the ender..
Was gonna order a genius, but after reading about the fire hazard issues went for a mini+ still waiting for it to arrive. Had an E3V2 but sent it back, good machine, I just got a dud refurb, was too big for my space so the mini should do.
Great Video!, How did you take the control knob of the ender 3 V2? I've printed a new screen casing but struggling to take the control knob off to fit the new casing? any suggestions? Please. Thanks
For guitars I've heard you can slide a duster or shoelace behind and pull. Or use two spoons as a pivoting lever with a napkin beneath to protect from damage.
Well i have both machines and i have upgraded the ender 3 v2 with micro swiss ng and bl touch and a carbon fiber build plate and flashed with jyres firmware and i have to say that the Prusa mini does just as good as the totally modded ender 3 v2 and even better quality prints most of the time my recommendation is the Prusa mini as you dont need to upgrade it and its much easier to use and is a work horse but just like any printer you need to do regular maintenance to keep it running and yes you can get dud with any brand of printer just like a car or any machine, The Prusa is a better printer all around.
I don't know if this works on the Ender but what I really like about the Mini is that I can power a Raspberry Pi Zero W Mini from the Mini's USB-Port. Though it is not officially supported by Octoprint it works quite well. Startup is quite slow and the webinterface has a little lag but I don't mind. And I mounted the PI to the Mini's vertical extrusion - so the Mini is still portable.
I have the FYSETC. Upgraded the heat break / block and the extruder to a BMG clone. All in I spent around $275. I got the kit with some coupons so save a little money. An actual PRUSA kit stock would be around $450 and I would have to wait 3-4 months. You have print your own parts (or buy them separate) for the clones. If you enjoy this sort of thing (as I do) it’s worth it. If not, then get the original. End result is a great printer either way.
Great and helpful review as always. You can also import gcode into cura and see the 3d object in preview menu. It's handy especially if you use cura octoprint plugin.
I have 2 Prusas and 2 Prusa clones. Only have zip ties on the Bowden tube going to hot end from extruder. The wire bundle is zip tied to extruder with cable ties (holes built into extruder case.) Same as my Ender 3, except it uses a clip. Nothing is held together with zip ties on a Prusa.
My Prusa Mini has an issue withe the PTFE tube coming out of the compression fitting. I woke up to spaghetti behind the machine and a clogged nozzle. According to Prusa they included two brass ferrites but I can not locate them. Ordered some from Amazon. I wish I had a quick release on the tube like the Ender 3 has between extruder and hot end. I too had nothing but issues printing so I'll have to try a longer PTFE tube down in the hot end. I have the Capricorn tube laying around. I have to look into that handle and filament holder. Thanks for your tips.
How is your experience now with it? I have had the PrusaMini+ for months and it has had a few issues. 1) That PTFE issues crops up all the time. Make yourself a fixture so you can accurately cut them and keep a few on hand. 2) For me, the other plate that comes with it isn't as good as the one you're using. Glue is required for the prints to stick to that one. 3) Also, beware of the sh*tty extruder design. I completely rebuilt mine: re-printed the case and moved the hole, changed the gear, and changed a few things on it to make it work better. F*ck that thing! It would either skip or grind on the filament. Requires constant checking. 4) My USB drive crap-outed within a few months. 5) Finally, the small bed is not well heated. Larger prints will detach unless you use glue even with the textured bed.
@@tomsko863 The main problem is finding the correct size for the compression ring. I find 5he correct ID but not the overall length. Prusa claims I should have two spares in the accessories, but I don't see them. Not saying that I didn't lose them during assembly or storing the spare parts. I two compression rings compressed but it squeezed the tube so with the variation in filament thickness it will be an issue.
The mini seems like a cool option for a mobile rig. I wonder if it will fit in a large back pack. I ride my motorcycle everyday and if I could take it to my shop that would be awesome.
Do you share your print profiles anywhere? I've got the 3v2 and while I've got it doing pretty well I feel like I'm cheating with using painter's tape on the bed and want to try and get to being able to use the glass bed as it's intended.
Hi Chuck, You mentioned it being a quiet printer. How quiet it it he compared to a CR10-v3 which i have? The CR10v3 sounds like a jet engine with the control box fans. I live in an apt. so the quieter the better. Thanks, Randy
Hey, thanks for making this video! I am facing the same problem with my Prusa Mini. I bought the Capricorn tubing but the problem I’m having is in making the exact 120 degree external chamfer on it. The box cutter + cutting jig I’d use with PTFE tubing isnt enough to cut this type of tubing… does anyone have any advice on how to properly chamfer it?
The Ender 3 needs dual screws and a direct drive to make it a really nice printer, I did the Microswiss upgrades and the new silent mainboard and BLTouch kit.
Looking to upgrade my stepper from stock wondering if a 1.5 amp vs 1.0 amp would make a difference in the stepper straining to push filament. it would make for a great video
Great fix. Thanks for sharing it. When will manufactures learn to fix this issue for penniesso customers don't have this unavoidable problem in the future because of poor design. Amazing.
Hey chuck do you have any of your printers with the fixed height bed spacers made by creality. Buy some for a stock ender and then see the difference they cost about $20aud and they put the yellow upgraded bed springs to shame. I have been getting phenomenal prints from my ender 3s since changing
Do glass bed wear out? Sounds kinda silly to ask. New hot end on Ender 3 Pro. Used your tech/gcode to level the bed while bed at 60°. Applied some stick glue and began a 17hr print job. About 35 mins into it , the print came unstuck. First layer looked good. Any ideas
Depends on what kind of glass bed you have, if it is just straight glass then no but if it has a coating on it then yes the coating will wear off eventually, both straight and coated glass need maintenance. With regards the the print coming unstuck don't use glue, find a proper build surface that works for your printer and setup.
@@backyardbasher it’s an Ender glass bed. Maybe $25-$30 I paid for it. Don’t remember if coated. I’m running on hunch that bed works best if I clean every 1-3 jobs
So i went with an ender 3v2 a few months back. I did look at these but couldn’t justify the extra cost for me. The thing I’m stuck on is, do I need to add a BL touch? Will it help me out? From what I see I still have to level the bed manually myself before then running the BL touch. So I guess my question is if I’ve got the bed levelled ok manually what does the BL touch add? Ive watched videos about it but still can’t see what its simplifying if I’ve got to level the bed myself to start with. Sorry if this is a naive question, only just got into this recently. Thanks
With BL touch you only need to roughly level the bed manually once and properly tune the z offset for the sensor. Then you can run the Auto leveling procedure, even after moving the printer or changing the bed surface there is no need for further manual leveling
@@MorkP ok. I hadn’t understood that from what I’ve seen so thank you. Must have just not taken it in 😂. So effectively if I manually level my bed then run the BL touch, sort the z offset. Then from that point onwards the BL touch is adjusting the print head in relation to that? If I’ve understood correctly that is! That was where I was getting stuck was how the BL touch was levelling the head itself. I’d understood it was merely telling me where the bed wasn’t level so I could then go adjust it myself. Thanks for the reply, very much appreciated
Have you watched CHEP's video about adding mesh bed leveling to your e3v2? It essentially achieves the same goal as a BL touch, but it's a firmware upgrade not hardware, so it's free.
I just found out about the Cura setting "infill layer thickness". Sounds really great. You can print fine walls for better optic while printing thicker infill for better speed. @CHEP Do you have experience with this setting? A Video about this could be great. :)
With the myriad of Creality printer choices, is there a sweet spot that needs the least amount of mods? I want direct drive, all-metal hot end, dual screws. all the basics for longevity and reliability and some type of semi-auto bed leveling, like the BLTouch.
i actually LOVE the power brick idea because it makes enclosing this printer SUPER EASY. with the MK3 you have to manually unplug it and put it outside and it's a mess, it's easy enough to print an adapter and velctro or push it behind the printer
Chuck, I know you are a fan of having the tightest belts possible on your printers. I didn't discover until 6 months later that I could tighten the belts on my Prusa Mini. Once I tightened them, the prints were then better than my CR-10. Made a big difference for me.
I'm only mentioning this because none of the reviews I have seen for the Prusa Mini have ever mentioned tightening the belts to get better prints than the printer they were comparing the Mini to. For people who don't know, it's the two tiny allen head screws on the front of the printer and the two allen screws on the left end of the X axis.
Thanks, I’ll give it a try though mine are very tight.
The mini+ is my first printer. I love it, and frustration levels have been fairly low over the last 5-ish months of ownership - what little has occurred was just learning curve stuff. Your channel has really helped with that, thanks for putting this content out there!
I entered to 3D world with an Ender 3 V2 3 months ago. Ender is a great machine for learning the 3D printer basics. A lot of problems must be solved. After BL Touch upgrade and Jyers firmwire this machine become a beast. I can find a lot 3rd party cheap parts and also works great. Community support is huge. You can build your unique Ender with tiny budget. Im happy with Ender 3 V2 but not vanilla version.
Just wanted to say that Prusa MK3S+ was probably my best investment in my entire life. I can't be happier than having that machine after all troubles with Ender 3 Max.
I haven't got a printer yet, but a few days ago I ordered the Mini + as a kit. Earlier I was looking at the Ender 3 V2, but I saw exactly the same reports that you've made here--get the Ender if you don't mind a lot of tinkering around, adding extra parts and adjusting it. If you want a machine that'll do its best work quickly, get the Mini +. It's interesting that you say the Ender gives better results--but you need to work on it to achieve that. I've decided that spending some extra money and living with less print volume is worth it to me! And anyway, I appreciate the idea that less print volume means less bench space and a machine that I can move around easily.
Plus, several of the comments say, "I own multiple printers but the Mini + is the one I use the most". It seems like the right one for me.
Just check that PTFE so you don’t have the same blockage issues I had.
I'm hearing the exact opposite. That the Mini Plus has a ton of issues. I barely had any issues with my Ender 3v2.
I really want a small printer but I'm not convinced yet about this.
I always thought it was really stupid to buy the Mini kit! All those hours of assembly to save $30??? I would consider the mK4 kit, however because it's like $150 less than the assembled version.
Chep,well done video. Have several Ender 3's and now a complete farm of Mini+'s. I do agree, both are great printers. What I have learned is that to me Prusa is like Apple. They make the printer, firmware for the printer, AND the slicer. In other words they control the entire experience (good or bad). This to me is very important in that any one of these factors can lead to a bad print. When you extend that concept to support, it means even more. Prusa support doesn't have to deal with different variables AND their support is really good. I can't say the same for the Enders. With all of this said, when someone asks, I direct them to the Prusa Mini+. Just my 2 cents...
I’ve had 2 bl touchs on my ender 3 just die each after about 5 months. Motherboard broke after a year as well. Able to replace them though but annoying and expensive. I also have a Prusa i3MK3S+ which has the same bltouch type sensor as the mini in this review. That printer and sensor has never broken or glitched out once (printing basically non stop for 6 months). It’s super accurate and just works. There’s a reason why they use Prusa printers on print farms.
@@BlondieHappyGuy I had a short on my thermistor that fried the entire board, it would boot once every 10 times but still just crash when printing
Your timing is uncanny, Chuck! My Mini + is due to arrive on Monday! I’ve had my OG Ender 3 over 3 years now (since June 2018) and it served its purpose well as my 1st 3D printer. I did some of the mods in your very helpful videos (Capricorn Bowden, spool holder, borosilicate glass bed) and used your various Cura profiles/tips. I don’t mind doing upgrades, but I’m tired of having to constantly diagnose issues and tinker with the printer just to get somewhat consistent prints due to its dubious quality. So going with the tool and ecosystem (hopefully) now and focus my tinkering on my Fusion360 designs. Looking forward to your Mini + profile and hope you do more more videos on the Mini +.
Pre-ordered the Mini and got one from the second production batch. Interesting to see the Prusa still doesn't ship them with hot end set up right. I got a BondTech heat break kit, and I installed it by loosening the screws (which I replaced with SS cap screws so they are easier to handle) and using a soft-jaw clamp to press it up -- and then tightened it.
My other printer is a Creality 10S Pro V2 so I end up with a much bigger build surface with I need it...But for smaller stuff the Mini is so much easier. If a friend asked what to buy as a starter, I'd recommend the Mini 99% of the time. Prusa has good support, there is a large community out there, and the Mini is a darn good printer.
I've purchased 5 original Ender 3's over the last 4 years. I have a particular upgrade package I install on all of them before they get installed into the print room. That upgrade package costs me about $145 per unit and it includes an all metal extruder, all metal Hotend and a belt driven dual z screw and a textured glass surface. I didn't just happen upon those items as upgrades, they came about because those were issues I had to resolve on the first unit i bought and the second and the third, so now they just happen before turning it on. So with the Original Ender 3 at $180 retail, sale prices are lower, I am into each Ender for at least $325. I recently bought a Mini+ with a filament runout sensor and ABL for $400. I didn't have to do anything other than assembly, it printed perfectly from the start using PLA, PETG, TPU and ABS. I haven't tried any other materials yet, but I will. One thing that stands out with the Mini+ is there was absolutely no tinkering to be done to make it print high quality prints, I've never had that with an Ender 3. It has over 150 error free print hours on it in just over 7 days. Ender 3's, at least for me required many hours each to get the settings right and the constant bed leveling drove me nuts. I finally installed BLTouch on every one and locked the bed in place with standoffs. so add another $60 to each Ender's cost. So $385 and issues to resolve or $400 and worry free high quality prints out of the box. This is really the comparison for me. If you need the larger print area then you have a case for the Ender, but I think they are a wash in cost and the Prusa is ready from the start. Unless Chinese printers receive a boost in build quality and get better firmware, I think I I'll be replacing my Ender 3's with Prusa Mini+ units as the Enders wear out and die
You make good points, but there are better printers out there for the same price or cheaper than the E3. Creality's quality control is not good.
TPU really? I've really wanted to try on mine but the Prusa manual and website specifically state not to on this printer. I heard the same in other places because the bowden tube design causes issues with TPU.
All metal hot end, metal extruder (not even dual gear) Capricorn tube, CR touch and my Ender 3v2 prints everything perfectly.
There is better firmware for Chinese printers. Jyers and Klipper to name two.
I really like my Ender but I want to build a farm and was looking for a smaller footprint, that's really the only thing that leads me to the mini. If I had issues like you I'd be put off Ender as well. When I decide on what printer I am going with I'm going to turn my Ender into a switchwire.
if i may ask, for your prusa mini+ what is the degree of overhang that you are able to get to before it starts to look ugly on an overhang test? the reason why i ask is because I am looking to buy one to print lithos.. not sure if the fan can cool the bottom side fast enough
Bingo!
Glad you got the under extrusion issue resolved.
Really nice, thoughtful comparison. Great review of pro’s and con’s for each. One other item I often mention is that Prusa offers very useful vendor support. If vendor support is worth something to the user - it is worth taking into consideration.
That was the exact fix I did on my Mini and it's been printing great ever since. Glad yours is working well now too.
Chep, your videos are a life-saver. I have an Ender 3 pro, and I have two mini's coming to the door in a couple days - You probably saved my rear, just covering this issue, but glad I bought the printers, and I've heard a lot of good things...Granted, you can't really go wrong with an Ender, so definitely see what you are saying there...Good stuff, and thank you sir!
Had an Ender 3 for about a year and a half now, upgraded the extruder (bondtech), added a EZABL, changed to the 4.2.7 Creality board and Marlin firmware, rebuilt it about 25 times, and I still have issues with it every single day. Every time I turn it on, it needs a different Z-offset. From one day to another nothing seems to be the same. I finally got tired of it and just ordered a Prusa Mini. Great review, hopefully I don't have to tinker with the Mini too much.
You should stop working on 3d printers then because its obvious you are not very good at it. My Ender is nearly 3 years old now and its rock solid, I never get failed prints and print quality is right up there.
I'm new to 3D printing, just started like 2 months ago, my printer is the Ender 2 V2, it's been a "rough" road but I've really enjoyed the ride, I have a computer science background so I can move easily around technical issues, but I've seen that it can be sometimes overwhelming to someone who doesn't really knows too much about that, it's funny how Creality really passes all the design flaws on to us to fix, it's really a great printer if you want to know how to "handle" yourself around 3d printers, and being that there are a lot of look alikes, it's really a great printer to start with, if you're into tinkering with them, plus, the community is great!
Hi Chep, I have both Ender3 and Prusa Mini.
The Ender is ideal as a first printer. I have rebuilt a lot, titanium extruder, quiet board, quiet fan, Bl Touch, etc. and learned a lot.
I just assemble the Mini and it works.
If I count the money I spent on the Ender in total, it wasn't cheaper.
The Mini just works more consistently. I start a print and come back when it's done. With the Ender I wait at least the first 2 layers.
Another point that is important to me was security. I trust Prusa a lot more than a Chinese manufacturer.
A Prusa Mini profile of yours would be great.
Preferably with the Prusa Slicer ;-)
Got the mini and mini+ and both gave me the same extrusion problem at first, it was really frustrating but thankfully I fixed them and now they run beautifully! wish you made this video a year ago lol 👍👍
My first printer was the Prusa Mini+. My second was the Ender 5 Plus. I needed something for bigger prints and less welding of my models.
I got my Prusa Mini+ partially assembled and had no issues out of the box. All my prints came out perfect. I did have a few questions for support. Can't recall what those were. But the fact of the matter is, there is support and they have anyways have been great, fast, friendly, and helpful.
I bought my Ender 5 Plus from Tiny Machines, just because I wanted support in the event I needed it. Not sure how support works if you buy it direct. That support only goes on 30 days and one year on parts. I have had a ton of issues with the printer. From bed leveling, to nozzle clogs, to extruder issues such as slipping and bed adhesion problems. Some of which they helped me resolve and others I'm dependent on the help of the community (mainly reddit and Kersey).
Bottom line I did a wealth of research before I even bought my first printer and anyone who wants to buy one should too. I spent months before taking the dive. Make a list of your goals.
Would I buy another Ender 5 Plus? Yes. I learned a lot from it. So I'm getting another one soon. From Tiny Machines again? More than likely since they do check it and do some additional upgrades before sending it out.
But would I buy from Prusa again? Yes, there's something about their printers. You can feel it in the parts. You can feel the sense of pride they put into everything about their printers and it shows. The Mini is a workhorse. I am very confident when I start a print I can walk away and not have to check in on it that often.
Excellent video, as someone just getting started and who doesn't really mind the print volume difference, I'll be getting a Prusa mini, your video helped me come to this decision. Thank you!
Did you get the Mini? Awesome, isn't it!
I just got the Ender 3 v1 a couple weeks ago and besides a few headaches (solved by a couple of your videos and a touch of common sense), I've been impressed with how easy it is. Compared to other out of the box "cheap" 2 and 3 axis devices from even a few years back, it has been a light year of difference in quality and ease of use. Only problem I have now is I want more more more.
I've that CHEP hotend fix on my Ender3V2. I'm looking into buying this Mini+, I saw the coggled nozzle issue and installing a Capricorn tube is the first upgrade I'm gonna do.
Ender 3 is the winner in my book.
Parts from third parties are everywhere to get. If not "print yourself" it's readily available in various 3D printer stores. And on top of that most parts for the whole Ender 3 series fit across them all. Some might need minor tweaking. The Ender 3 can grow with my needs for quite a while before needing another "better" printer.
The fact is that enders are workhorses and indeed parts are cheap and easy to find either original or from third party manufacturers.
I put a Bondtech heatbrake and extruder from new on both of mini's having read about those issues. Thousands of hours printing both PETGCF and PLA with zero issues! :)
I just run the Mini stock for years and never had an issue.
I would love to see someone compare Creality and Prusa aftersale support.
I cannot compare as i have only Prusa experience but that was great one with my Prusa Mini+.
I do work as IT analytic and spent quite a lot of time on various support so I have some comparison in general. Prusa support was very well technically equipped. We shared a lot of photos and videos and we methodically checked every part that should cause problem. Resolved successfully by identifying of faulty extruder motor and they sent free replacement. All very polite. Only thing agains was the time spent with support. As every operation takes a lot of time (disassembling parts and assembling again, photos, etc) and support is multitasking between various support tickets. Overall experience was very good, one of the best I experienced so far in over 20 years of IT works.
Edit: I was so surprised I also asked how many languages they support (7) and if they work 24/7 (yes). In case you are also interested in that.
I think Prusa’s support is better in general. However, I’m not sure if they are worth the extra cost. Here’s my experience: They supposedly have very good initial QC, but there are always outliers. I got the Ender 3 Pro for $100 on sale at Microcenter about a month ago. I got it to learn about 3D printing since my son was getting a Prusa Mini+ from Santa (he didn’t know what model; he just wanted a 3D printer). The Ender 3 has been printing great, and took about an hour to assemble. The Prusa “experience” was not as hassle free as I thought it would be. Long story short, I ordered the preassembled Prusa Mini+ with the filament sensor for about $470 shipped. I got really busy and couldn’t unbox the Prusa to set it up until Christmas Eve. Sadly, the extruder gears were jammed/gummed up from the factory. “24/7 support” was closed, so I had to abandon the Prusa and give my son the Ender 3 (luckily he hadn’t seen it since I’ve been using it when he’s at my ex-wife’s and hiding it when he’s home). There’s no point in taking apart the extruder and cleaning the gear/pulley since Christmas is already over. I got a return authorization for the Prusa, but I’m going to be out shipping costs (about $50) and will only getting about a $420 refund.
What Creality support? ;)
Just ordered a mini, thanks for posting about it.
Great points
For a beginner the Prusa is the save bed
As a thinker I love the Ender3, but the Prusa just prints out of the box.
I know some one would complain over the buildsize, but 180x180 is enough for most of the prints I have made.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us :-)
It doesn't print out of the box for everyone, in fact if you research the prusa mini you will find thousands of people complaining about it failing to print out of the box, it sounds like you got lucky.
The Prusa comes at almost 590$ here in Canada, while I can have the Ender 3 V2 for 340$ on Amazon, free shipping. For that amount of money, I'll build a Voron V0.
Ender 3 v2 can be a greater bargain from official suppliers/resellers. Buy direct, ships from Vancouver.
Prusa Mini is impossibly expensive in Canada, though. It's a real shame.
Buy from comgrow in Canada 313$cad free shipping no tax
Hell yeah voron v0 for the win!
Fantastic machine with minimal fuss with the some(LOTS) assembly required. Dialing in and upgrading an ender 3 can be a lot of trouble. Especially for someone just starting out.
We replaced our six ender 3 units with four prusa mini+. Best desicion ever, they run and run without tinkering. 68 days /1636 hours of runtime until today and not a single adjustment. Now THAT'S a cheap printer!!
The Mini is pretty awesome compared to most of the other printers on the market. I bought a Bambu Labs A1 and I still like my Prusa Mini a lot better! (the A1 doesn't print to exact specs very well). I've had some parts made on the Mini that looked like molded parts they were so smooth!
Hi Chuck, thanks for another informative and imho, very concise review. You summary is spot on, ‘it depends what you want’. The amount of used Ender 3 x’s on a well known auction site indicates to me that a lot of people are users first and tinkerers second. Prusa every time for me thanks.
I wouldn't go by that. Lots of people aren't mechanically inclined and think they can just buy printers and press a button, when they realize they can't they give up on 3D printing entirely, if they have any doubt in their skills they're going to buy the cheaper tool every time. Another reason you see more ender 3's is because more ender 3's are sold. Especially to these people who aren't mechanically inclined since they aren't going to invest in something they're not sure they can do. On top of that, many people are selling their Ender 3's to get the Ender 3v2.
They're all going to need tinkering, even the prusa. Having said that I have an Ender 3v2 and I've barely had to tinker with it.
I get joy in making things just as good or better on lower end tools, than others buying top of the line. That's why I went with the Ender 3 v2.
Having said that I would consider this mini if I can fit it into a backpack, since I ride a motorcycle.
The mini has a printable leg option that holds the power supply under it! Super rad! I printed the upgrade for mine in black PETG with clear PETG inserts ;) I ran into the extrusion issue two times now. It seems a lot of units have the same extrusion issue.
Well, I'm still running my original E3. The firmware could be described as a bit janky but it never really got in my way. I quickly switched my two machines to Octoprint (I also have an Anycubic Delta linear) and I control both from my PC. The E3 did'nt really require any mods other than capricorn tubing. I've replaced the nozzel a few times because of blackages but you kind of expect that. I still haven't installed self levelling, I've found that once levelled it maintains that level for months. The trick was using a removable print surface so that you don't yank on the bed and disturb the settings.
The thing I really appreciate about the E3 is that it is all open source so all the parts are generic. Don't get me wrong, I've modded the hell out of my E3 but only because it was fun to do. It wasn't actually neccisary but I thought it looked cool. I've still got a new quieter controller to install but I just haven't got round to it. The E3 is a brilliant reliable printer.
The nice thing about the Mini is that Prusa supports it...I had a problem early on in December 2019 and Prusa sent me parts FedEx to fix it, no questions asked.
Great review and i am definitely thinking about a Prusa for my next printer but i love my Ender 3v2, i have learnt so much from it and really enjoyed upgrading it so it is more personalised to me. Plus it prints brilliantly. Like you said i really think it depends on what sort of person you are and as i work in IT and always messing about with computers etc i love the whole upgrading and tinkering thing.
9:05
Well said, it's so much easier to get into 3D printing.
Great video Chuck, great upgrades
I think you just solved my mini jambing..... Thank you thank you thank you
Thanks for the video Chuck! I hope this fixes my problem as I've had the same issue on both of my minis. Now I just have to figure out how to safely chamfer PTFE tubing lol
Had a similar problem with a Geeetech a10m, filament stopping before the hot end and not extruding. used the Creality fix and now working fine.
I may get a new hot end but it's working ok for now.
If you like to fix and repair rather than print, insert random i3 clone, if you want to just print, prusa. And @chep , be honest, if you account for parts alone you've spent more on the creality than the prusa, how much is the bltouch? How many other parts have you added?
I was honest. You can get an Ender 3 V2 for $262 right now from creality and their BLTouch kit for $45. $307 or like I said about $300.
@@FilamentFriday how much more to get it printing as it is now?
Nothing more. My Cura profiles do most of the work. In fact I don’t even need the BLTouch to print better, it’s just an option. I actually prefer manual bed level so even less than $300 to print well. As I show in my videos, put it together correctly (free), install better firmware (free), properly adjust bed level (free), adjust e-steps (free), use my profiles (free).
@@FilamentFriday back before I got my mk3, I had a wanhao duplicator i3, it cost $400 and I made it much better with an all metal hot end, mosfet for the bed heater, noctua fans for the hot end and case, toolssteel nozzle, a hardened aluminum bed frame, updated screw in heater block thermistor, updated 1.4 board, and on and on. Then I got a mk3 (now Mk3s+) and the most I've added to the printer is a silicone sock for the heater block. I can't recall leveling a bed since 2017. It just works, I print everything from tpu to pc, and it just works. Coupled with my einscan se I can make almost anything. No drama, just reliable, safe printing. The mini is related to that. The creality isn't bad it's just not as overall good. It's also had plenty of safety issues with xt connectors iirc and firmware. I wouldn't trust most people to be able to do all of the things you've done to make the creality work. And you have to know that most ender owners haven't done all of those things.
I just built my mini+ last week, the kit-version. No problems with the hotend. Just printed fine when I was done building. I really like the simplicity of it, combined with prusaslicer. Print quality is fine. I also have a somewhat modified tevo tarantula pro and it prints fine too, and is half the price of the mini+. The prusa machine feels like a much better and more complete product tho.
As an ender 3 and prusa mini owner, gotta say when I need to print something properly I always go to my mini. Never failed me but with ender 3 sometimes its hit and miss.
Thank you for a good down to earth review! After owning only two tiny printers for a time, I don't think I'd ever want another one personally so 200x200 would be my minimum, but for people who need the small footprint it seems pretty good.
Have these issues with the extruder been fixed for the mini+?
Thank you for using the Capricorn tubing, it has a much higher melting point and will last a lot longer.
Awesome review and comparison, Chuck! 😃
Thanks a lot!
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
I have recently purchased the Prusa Mini, preassembled and had the same exact issue. I ended up just pushing the hotend up into the heatsink. Problem solved.
Prusa has published plans for a free set of legs for it with some other upgrades Including a spool holder (now underneath), Joel has printed it and it looks like it is a fix to a lot of the problems you have. I know his has the handle on it and the legs still fit well.
I'm sorry but this is simply not true. The Prusa Mini Base does not 'fix' anything. It's literally a set of legs so you can store a spool of filament underneath, thus saving space. Mind you, my Mini's are printing around the clock and worked perfectly fine straight out of the box with zero tinkering or tuning.
@@DennisVris A mini is definitely on list of upcoming purchases (along with a lazy-susan filament holder I have seen)... Nice to get a one sentence review though.....
I agree with Chuck on the Creality is a machine to tweak and the Prusa is a machine to pull out and use. My only comment is it would be nice if aftermarket support, or lack of it, was mentioned. That is something Angus brought up recently and is a point worth making. The community can be a great source of info BUT when companies use that as a copout for actually putting in work, that is not cool.
I have mini since Feb 2020. After rough start I like it very much. The only annoying thing is that on textured plate PLA is unprintable without adhesives. But for flex and PET-G that one works great. I also had issues with extruder gear but in fact I just had to tighten it a bit and no issues since then.
I preorder on 2020 got in march2021 and still in the box 📦 😳 😃
When the shipping on the Prusa Mini + kit came up at $49, I removed it from my cart! (USA - MidWest state)
Have u thought about printing some feet and a case to raise the mini up and then u could store the power supply in the case underneath
i was going back and forth between these same 2 printers and went with the V2 due to the $235 price tag at the time. i've had an Ender 3 pro for a bit so the V2 was easy for me to set up and set profiles for, e-step calibration, etc. If i do get another printer, it just might be a prusa. my V2 prints are beyond great, but part of me still longs for a prusa.....
Ive got the ender 5 plus for 499€ and im absolutley a fan of it.. cant imagine a smaller one now
Nice presentation CHEP ...as usual of course- (almost forgot) 👍
You don't show how you chamfer the tubing. I would love to see that. Do you have any recommendations or examples? Thanks!
This will help.
th-cam.com/users/shortsyrtQcS-be-k?feature=share
@@FilamentFriday Thanks. This looks like it chamfers the inside of the tube but I have seen chamfering on the outer edge of the tube. Isn't that is what necessary for the heat break tubing between the hot end and filament feed?
I have both, the mini is my favorite. Maybe I need to do the auto leveling for the ender, but because I have it set up in my kitchen the noise is just annoying from the ender..
Please we want comparison between Ender 3 V2 and artillery Genus ...
Was gonna order a genius, but after reading about the fire hazard issues went for a mini+ still waiting for it to arrive. Had an E3V2 but sent it back, good machine, I just got a dud refurb, was too big for my space so the mini should do.
Great Video!, How did you take the control knob of the ender 3 V2? I've printed a new screen casing but struggling to take the control knob off to fit the new casing? any suggestions? Please. Thanks
For guitars I've heard you can slide a duster or shoelace behind and pull. Or use two spoons as a pivoting lever with a napkin beneath to protect from damage.
Mine pulled right off with my fingers.
Got Ender3 with silence board and a Prusa mk3s I like them both. Are hooked on a mini, seem to be a nice printer for quick prints.
Well i have both machines and i have upgraded the ender 3 v2 with micro swiss ng and bl touch and a carbon fiber build plate and flashed with jyres firmware and i have to say that
the Prusa mini does just as good as the totally modded ender 3 v2 and even better quality prints most of the time my recommendation is the Prusa mini as you dont need to upgrade it and its much easier to use and is a work horse but just like any printer you need to do regular maintenance to keep it running and yes you can get dud with any brand of printer just like a car or any machine, The Prusa is a better printer all around.
Bingo! The Mini was my first printer and it spoiled me. Even my Bambu A1 doesn't put out as good of parts reliably as the Mini!
I don't know if this works on the Ender but what I really like about the Mini is that I can power a Raspberry Pi Zero W Mini from the Mini's USB-Port. Though it is not officially supported by Octoprint it works quite well. Startup is quite slow and the webinterface has a little lag but I don't mind. And I mounted the PI to the Mini's vertical extrusion - so the Mini is still portable.
what do you think of the Prusa Clones, Fysetc, Blurolls, TriangleLab, etc.
I have the FYSETC. Upgraded the heat break / block and the extruder to a BMG clone. All in I spent around $275. I got the kit with some coupons so save a little money. An actual PRUSA kit stock would be around $450 and I would have to wait 3-4 months. You have print your own parts (or buy them separate) for the clones. If you enjoy this sort of thing (as I do) it’s worth it. If not, then get the original. End result is a great printer either way.
Great and helpful review as always. You can also import gcode into cura and see the 3d object in preview menu. It's handy especially if you use cura octoprint plugin.
prusa slicer also works well with the ender 3, in their stock profiles that have on there now.
Never had a problem with my Prusa Mini.
Where can you find the PRUSA documentation link you mentioned @1:40, to push the heat block up? Thanks for the great video!
Prusa still use all those zip ties to hold them together?
I have 2 Prusas and 2 Prusa clones. Only have zip ties on the Bowden tube going to hot end from extruder. The wire bundle is zip tied to extruder with cable ties (holes built into extruder case.) Same as my Ender 3, except it uses a clip. Nothing is held together with zip ties on a Prusa.
keep up the good work chep
My Prusa Mini has an issue withe the PTFE tube coming out of the compression fitting. I woke up to spaghetti behind the machine and a clogged nozzle. According to Prusa they included two brass ferrites but I can not locate them. Ordered some from Amazon.
I wish I had a quick release on the tube like the Ender 3 has between extruder and hot end.
I too had nothing but issues printing so I'll have to try a longer PTFE tube down in the hot end. I have the Capricorn tube laying around.
I have to look into that handle and filament holder.
Thanks for your tips.
How is your experience now with it? I have had the PrusaMini+ for months and it has had a few issues.
1) That PTFE issues crops up all the time. Make yourself a fixture so you can accurately cut them and keep a few on hand.
2) For me, the other plate that comes with it isn't as good as the one you're using. Glue is required for the prints to stick to that one.
3) Also, beware of the sh*tty extruder design. I completely rebuilt mine: re-printed the case and moved the hole, changed the gear, and changed a few things on it to make it work better. F*ck that thing! It would either skip or grind on the filament. Requires constant checking.
4) My USB drive crap-outed within a few months.
5) Finally, the small bed is not well heated. Larger prints will detach unless you use glue even with the textured bed.
@@tomsko863 The main problem is finding the correct size for the compression ring. I find 5he correct ID but not the overall length. Prusa claims I should have two spares in the accessories, but I don't see them.
Not saying that I didn't lose them during assembly or storing the spare parts. I two compression rings compressed but it squeezed the tube so with the variation in filament thickness it will be an issue.
That's really rare. The UPS guy must have bounced your package.
Well still an issue, I ordered Bowden connectors from Amazon and will use those instead of the compression ferrites
The mini seems like a cool option for a mobile rig. I wonder if it will fit in a large back pack. I ride my motorcycle everyday and if I could take it to my shop that would be awesome.
The Mini checks a lot of boxes except for the small build area. If they bumped that up it would take a huge bite out of the Creality market.
got both and the MINI is my go to. Set and forget
You'd think that this would be settled science by now. How are any 3D printer manufactures these days still having this as an issue? Especially Prusa.
Agree totally! (Prusa fan)
Awesome! Spool Holder & Handle!! Thanks👍✨
I LOVE my Ender 3 V2.. Yup.. takes time to get her printing well.... but man I've learnt a lot :-)
I feel the same way about my Ender 3 pro.
That's like saying, "yeah, it wasn't fun having my leg broken but I learned a lot"! LOL!
The 24/7 support offered by Prusa is the biggest plus here and you didn't even mention it. Forget the Ender and get a Prusa.
Yeah, Ender is dead.
Hi,
Greate video!
Can you share you profiles for prusa mini plus, prusaslicer? Im using your profiles for Ender 3. Greate profiles!
i wish you tested tolerances/print speeds and showed a better view of the layer consistency.
Do you share your print profiles anywhere? I've got the 3v2 and while I've got it doing pretty well I feel like I'm cheating with using painter's tape on the bed and want to try and get to being able to use the glass bed as it's intended.
Hi Chuck, You mentioned it being a quiet printer. How quiet it it he compared to a CR10-v3 which i have? The CR10v3 sounds like a jet engine with the control box fans. I live in an apt. so the quieter the better.
Thanks,
Randy
A lot quieter than V3. It uses no Tu’s fans so it’s quieter. And fans automatically shutoff below50°C I believe.
@@FilamentFriday Thanks for reply...
I run my Prusa Mini on the slow setting with no fan and it's completely quiet.
Anyone know the proper length of that tube he replaced? I´m currently waiting for my mini+ to ship, so I want to be prepared. :o
Same here!
I've been using my Mini for two years and it has always put out exceptional prints without having to mod or tinker with it. I wouldn't worry about it.
i do won any Prusa machines but do own several Ender 3's but prefer my Anycubic Vyper or Voxelab Aquila more.
Thanks Chep.
Hey, thanks for making this video! I am facing the same problem with my Prusa Mini. I bought the Capricorn tubing but the problem I’m having is in making the exact 120 degree external chamfer on it. The box cutter + cutting jig I’d use with PTFE tubing isnt enough to cut this type of tubing… does anyone have any advice on how to properly chamfer it?
The Ender 3 needs dual screws and a direct drive to make it a really nice printer, I did the Microswiss upgrades and the new silent mainboard and BLTouch kit.
Looking to upgrade my stepper from stock wondering if a 1.5 amp vs 1.0 amp would make a difference in the stepper straining to push filament. it would make for a great video
Great fix. Thanks for sharing it.
When will manufactures learn to fix this issue for penniesso customers don't have this unavoidable problem in the future because of poor design. Amazing.
Hey chuck do you have any of your printers with the fixed height bed spacers made by creality. Buy some for a stock ender and then see the difference they cost about $20aud and they put the yellow upgraded bed springs to shame. I have been getting phenomenal prints from my ender 3s since changing
Do glass bed wear out? Sounds kinda silly to ask. New hot end on Ender 3 Pro. Used your tech/gcode to level the bed while bed at 60°. Applied some stick glue and began a 17hr print job. About 35 mins into it , the print came unstuck. First layer looked good. Any ideas
Depends on what kind of glass bed you have, if it is just straight glass then no but if it has a coating on it then yes the coating will wear off eventually, both straight and coated glass need maintenance. With regards the the print coming unstuck don't use glue, find a proper build surface that works for your printer and setup.
@@backyardbasher it’s an Ender glass bed. Maybe $25-$30 I paid for it. Don’t remember if coated. I’m running on hunch that bed works best if I clean every 1-3 jobs
So i went with an ender 3v2 a few months back. I did look at these but couldn’t justify the extra cost for me.
The thing I’m stuck on is, do I need to add a BL touch? Will it help me out? From what I see I still have to level the bed manually myself before then running the BL touch. So I guess my question is if I’ve got the bed levelled ok manually what does the BL touch add? Ive watched videos about it but still can’t see what its simplifying if I’ve got to level the bed myself to start with.
Sorry if this is a naive question, only just got into this recently.
Thanks
With BL touch you only need to roughly level the bed manually once and properly tune the z offset for the sensor. Then you can run the Auto leveling procedure, even after moving the printer or changing the bed surface there is no need for further manual leveling
For me it was totally worth it, especially because BL touch can probe up to 25 points and compensate for not completely even surfaces
@@MorkP ok. I hadn’t understood that from what I’ve seen so thank you. Must have just not taken it in 😂. So effectively if I manually level my bed then run the BL touch, sort the z offset. Then from that point onwards the BL touch is adjusting the print head in relation to that? If I’ve understood correctly that is! That was where I was getting stuck was how the BL touch was levelling the head itself. I’d understood it was merely telling me where the bed wasn’t level so I could then go adjust it myself.
Thanks for the reply, very much appreciated
Have you watched CHEP's video about adding mesh bed leveling to your e3v2? It essentially achieves the same goal as a BL touch, but it's a firmware upgrade not hardware, so it's free.
I just found out about the Cura setting "infill layer thickness". Sounds really great.
You can print fine walls for better optic while printing thicker infill for better speed.
@CHEP
Do you have experience with this setting?
A Video about this could be great. :)
th-cam.com/video/yskFuq8VjtA/w-d-xo.html
Sovol Sv03 or 4
Thx Chep, you rock🤘🏻👍🏻
So the pfte tube is not 1 continues tube? Couldn't I just push it further in if it was? I dont want to buy 5' of tubing to just use 2"
could you share the files for the spool holder?
does anyone know the spool holder stl file? though he didn't ercoment it all that much I kinda want it for my mini.
With the myriad of Creality printer choices, is there a sweet spot that needs the least amount of mods? I want direct drive, all-metal hot end, dual screws. all the basics for longevity and reliability and some type of semi-auto bed leveling, like the BLTouch.
I don’t know of a Creality all metal hotend.
@@FilamentFriday Huh?