VOXELAB AQUILA VS Ender 3 V2 - Which Budget 3D Printer Should You Buy?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this video I assemble a Voxelab Aquila and compare it to a stock Ender 3 V2.
Edit: the Aquila has a GAP between the nozzle and the PTFE tube from the factory as pointed out by CHEP. I checked and noticed I had the same issue, but my prints still came out fine. This can be fixed in 10 minutes by the end user but is something Voxelab needs to address as it can lead to nozzle clogs!
Amazon Affiliate Links to the Products Reviewed:
Voxelab Aquila:
amzn.to/3CsCXFe (best price)
amzn.to/2QbF1hw (The one I ordered)
amzn.to/3d7TEeI (alternate link)
Ender 3 V2:
amzn.to/3g2fZMF
amzn.to/3a3xYP1 (alternate link)
Voxelab Aquila Build: (0:00)
Voxelab Aquila Electronics: (2:58)
Voxelab Aquila First Prints: (4:52)
Ender 3 V2 Build and Comparison: (8:06)
Print-Off!: (15:45)
Ender 3 V2 Failures: (17:16)
Print Quality Comparison: (19:18)
Conclusion: (21:27) - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
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Great video, thanks for doing this
Props for making the Ender 3 an open source platform so it's more accessible!
"Okay so that glass.is pretty strong turns out" love it
Thank you for a great video. It's good to see a review that covers more than the unboxing and a single benchy. I was glad to see that you addressed the stepper motor heat. I just built my first Aquila (we re-sell printers as kits) and noticed how hot the steppers were. I settled on 0.97 VREF for XYZ, and 1.3 for the Extruder. They run a lot cooler and I have printed reliably up to 100mm/s.
I settled on 0.93 V
I don't know how long it takes to actually burn up a stepper motor or driver but its good to play on the safe side.
What do you do just test while machine is on?
If you think the x2 steppers run hot - check out an x3 - they practically glow.
Greasing the threaded rod will cause dirt and grime to stick even more , also going up and down by hand on any axis can send current back to your motherboard / lcd panel if motors are not turned off.
Well I'm glad I went with voxelab I've had it printing for the past 48 hours as soon as I got it with no 3D printer experience what so ever and I have to admit I'm happy with the results
I've got about 100hrs on mine already and am already modding it.
With how cheap it is its a great beginner printer, but also a good 2nd printer to do crazy mods on.
I'm gonna buy it now thanks for your comment
How long did it take for your printer to arrive
@@wyatte3806 I got mine on Amazon Prime with free 2-day delivery.
Very true of X2! DO NOT EXPECT THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH an X3
Great video and some great viewers comments as well, thanks for one of the best side by side reviews 👍 👍💪💪
Thank you so much for this video it is exactly what I was looking for. I was looking for a budget printer that will help me whip out some parts for customers, and I am glad I went with the VOXELAB it will be here Tuesday! Nice video BTW.
Glad it helped!
Heh... I got one coming Tuesday too!
Nathan you did a very good comparison of the two. You pointed the finer points of the Aquila! Your video cemented my choice on voxlab. Thanks
Glad it was helpful! You should check out CHEP's video on the Aquila as well, he pointed out a flaw that I didnt notice until I watched his video. There is a gap between the nozzle and PTFE tube which can cause clogging and other issues.
You can fix it pretty easily by disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling the hotend, hopefully the newer units are shipping without that issue.
I've yet to run my first 3d printer. Before buying, I have watched countless hours of videos on printers from various users to compare. I can say without a Doubt two things. One, your video has been the most helpful and insightful of all those I have watched. I believe it's helped me finally come to a decision. Secondly, I can also say do NOT mess with this man's screws! But in all seriousness, with the high video quality and meticulous attention to detail, I will likely be going with Voxelabs moving forward. I simply agree that the amount of thought and detail they have put into their machines has resulted in a higher end product coming out. It looks as though this may be a very good step into exploring 3d printers for me.
The print quality and comparison of issues out of the box between the two manufacturers is impressive. From what i could see from your video, Voxelabs just seems to manage a better print quality than the Ender 3 v2 as well as a better user experience and a reduction in waste. I appreciate the time and involvement you put into making this video and just want to say thanks again for taking the time.
I assembled them back to back and pointed out literally every small difference I could notice. It ended up being a lot of small wins for voxelab on an otherwise nearly identical product.
I think the Aquila makes sense for a lot of people just based on price alone. It is still a $100 price difference, which is shocking!
I now have 3 Voxlab printers and love them! Here are 2 upgrades for less then $40 that will make all the difference. Upgrade the extruder to an all aluminum! Replace the hot end, mother board and power supply fans. They are noisy and 2 went out within a couple of months. If I have the need for another printer, it will always be a Voxlab. With 3 printers, I have spare parts on hand for almost every component. Not saying you have to do the same, but the reason is, when my first went down because of a broken wire on the x Axis plug. I was left for 3 days and not printing. $100 is spare parts gives me that piece of mind.
Also, checkout "3dprintsos" TH-cam channel. He has done a ton of work with these and shows all the possible upgrades. Not are all necessary, but it's nice to know. Best of luck.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SY745CF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
@@123masteryoda123 Those are some good upgrades, I would add stiffer "yellow" bed springs to that list of cheap and useful upgrades.
I have been happy with my haldis BMG clone extruders (I bought 3), but almost anything is better than the stock extruder. amzn.to/2ZwhyN2
Nathan, that's an excellent review. Congrats man!
this was extremely helpful, you deserve more subs
Good detailed review thanks. Mine will be here tomorrow from amazon
Very detailed evaluation, thank you!
thanks for the video I ordered a VOXELAB AQUILA two days ago for my first printer it seams I made the right choice
Thank you very much for the comparison between the apple (Ender 3) and the orange (Voxlab), a most informative performance comparison. I am looking for an inexpensive starter printer and have made my choice...a fantastic video indeed, please keep you the good work that you do.....
This is a very useful report. Thanks.
Insanely thorough and well done review! I've been keeping my eye on this printer after purchasing an Ender 3 Pro back in the beginning of February, and I had a hard time finding multiple thorough reviews on this product. Bravo sir, take my sub!
Yeah, this video took longer to produce than normal since I had to fully assemble and test 2 printers out of the box, but it's exactly the kind of video I would like to see when making a buying decision.
I kind of lucked out that my boss had just bought an Ender 3 V2 that I could assemble and compare against in this video, but it was great to be able to see both side by side.
I’m a big fan of your nitpicking nature throughout this video thank you so much
There is too much "Oh, the printer is good, you should buy one." on YT.
Im a Pre beginner, very new to this, and have to make a choice for a good starter 3d printer. I found your video exiting and interesting, and im very pleased with helpfull videos like this. Many thanks, wish you success for next projects.👍
I have 2 voxlabs and sold my ender 3. Pretty much identical and most ender parts works with the voxelab. Even 3d printed parts fits the voxelab. Very high quality. Been using mine for nearly a year.
I'm considering the Aquila, any significant parts or mods that didn't line up?
@@VastCNC most ender 3 printed parts will fit. It doesn't have a place for a cpu fan cover its located in a different place on the voxelab. It prints great in pla, pla+ petg abs vinyl. Need a bigger nozzle for cf petg and wood. But it does print everything you can through at it. Just upgrade your tube and and nozzle to a hardened steel. This thing will run anything. The voxelmaker slicer that comes with it is good but you can use cura for your slicing. I think for the money its better than the v2. Its nearly identical. I just printed a petg project that took the full height of the printer and pulled it nicely. I don't think you can say that with a v2
How often do you print? Had anything failed in that year?
Nice comparison, I'll probably be going with this one
Thanks for doing this. It's a fair comparison side by side with pros and cons for both printers... As a consumer I am definitely getting the Aquila...simply value for the purchase
Save that money for 5 kgs of filament, or a hotend/extruder upgrade!
I just got the aquila c2 today, so far Im astounded by the print quality
thanks, just ordered mine, also subscribed, cheers
The spool holder screws on my ender 3 v2 wasn't too long. Got it for xmas! And all of my gantry pieces where the same color. They both look like great printers!
Thanks for spending the time to compare them. The quality is rather low with the Ender but I'm wondering if it's due to that crappy nozzle. In any case, great review!
Bought the aquila a few weeks ago as my first printer. Love the machine just wished anyone told me to tighten the bed's concentric nuts. Had so many prints fail, fucked up my hotend by overtightening the nozzle and snapping off the thread.
Upgraded my voxelab with bltouch and all that jazz and I fricking LOVE it!
I tried to focus on differences I had in the assembly process, wheel tightening was the same on both printers. I used CHEP's assembly guide for my first Ender 3, he's better at covering all the details than I am:
th-cam.com/video/X6cqQZTc-4Q/w-d-xo.html
I do have one special step when setting up the z-axis wheels. Since there are 6 wheels it's overconstained. So I will loosen the screws holding the x-axis extrusion, then properly tension the wheels wheels on both z axis extrusions, then re-tighten the screws holding the x-axis existing.
Otherwise you can get in a situation where the x axis is pushing the two vertical supports apart. It probably doesn't matter that much but I do it just to be thorough. The larger screws used on the voxelab aquila's x axis are better for this because they will hold up better to multiple rounds of loosening/tightening.
I bought mine at pretty much the same time. Did your printer come with a $20 rebate card? Just curious if that's a normal thing they send out. You can see it on the print bed at 0:35
Thanks, I'm a student on a budget and my wallet thanks you. Subscribed for sure
That test print on the Aquila is honestly one of the best I’ve ever seen. The boat was pretty good as well with exception of the banding. I’m really surprised with the quality of the Aquila. It really seems to be one of the best bang for your buck printers out there. Thanks a lot for this video. The information was well payed and and clearly stated complete with camera angles showing what you were talking about. It really helped me make a buying decision.
Thanks David, and happy printing!
Edit: I should point out that my new print profile does not have the same hull line issue so my prints are looking much better. If I reprinted it on the aquila I think it would min even better, except for some defects in overhanging features that can only be addressed by installing better a better part cooling fan.
So basically the Voxelab Aquila is built better with higher quality parts and has easier assembly, has better quality control and PRINTS BETTER over an ender out of box.
Voxelab wins.
voxelab is flashforges budget run of printers. i was blown away by how well the build qaulity was for the voxelab proxima for the price so when they come out with the aquila i wanted one but never bit the bullet just cause i didn'tt really have room for another printer but i just got one for 100 bux so was hard to pass up plus ive recently made room and couldn't pass up the deal so i got. ive done the 230 when it should have been at 115. i dont it on my anet e10 printer when i first got it a couple yrs ago. it actually worked fine until it started trying to print an even then it was able to pull it off, it just took forever for the bed an hotend to get up to temp. i had put a silicon sock on the hotend so i feel like it wouldn't have been able to get up to temp if i hadn't done the silicon sock but i figured it out when googling the slow heating times but by that point it had already started the test print an was actually looking ok but i stopped it an changed the settings. now from my understanding if u do it in the opposite way. 115 when it should be 230 then ur sending more power to it then it expects an should pop a fuse if it has one or could do damage if not. ive always wanted to make videos on my printers but my work space isn't the cleanest so ive never went through with it but if i ever manage to get a tidy work space i may try to share my work space. i have 10 fdm printers now an 2 resin so im by far no print farm but i have been able to make them pay for them selves an then some. also i love my creality machines, ender 3 an ender 5 but ive always looked at them all the same, they are budget printers an even with the most expensive "budget" printer $500 US for a sapphire plus vs the cheapest $150 US kingroon kp3 they all worked perfect after a little tinkering, some with less but they all worked out of the box and all the tinkering just made them better.
I was really leaning towards an Ender 3 V2 until I saw this and now, for much less, I'm planning on going with the Aquila. Great review, thanks.
Me too!
Best look at these great printers I've witnessed. Thanks mate!
Just ordered an Aquila X2 as my 1st 3d printer. Would it be fine if I didn't mess with the stepper with the multimeter and left it stock, or would it be best if I'd check it just to be safe?
Yes, it is well within normal operating temps. Steppers can run over 70C-80C without issue. I was just going the extra mile with tuning and efficiency.
I have an ender 3 pro and an Aquila. I like the pro better. My Aquila had the same y-axis issue you had on the ender as well as many more problems that I’m pretty sure stem from a bad main board. The ender just works. But like you said these are small sample sizes and I think this is the kind of variation to expect at this price.
this is really useful!
17:30 I had the same problem, caused by too many retractions. Flattened/weakened the filament and it broke. Lowered the retractions down and fixed it.
Yeah, direct drive and dual gear extruders also help address this issue.
I found this very informative. I'm looking at getting a first 3d printer, and had almost settled on the Ender 3v2... one of the things I like about it is the upgradability, in particular the ability to put in a metal hot end in order to print in ABS or nylon. Is the Voxelab a close enough clone that the same upgrade parts would fit?
EDIT: I went to Voxelab's website, and I see that they say you can print ABS. Does it already come with an all metal hotend, or is it still PTFE?
I just took mine apart to check it: The PTFE/bowden tube goes all the way to the brass nozzle inside of the heater block, so it is not an all-metal hotend. The cheapest way to get the capabilities of an all metal hotend is to get a metal heatbreak, which moves the end point of your bowden tube further up inside of the heatsink, so it stays much cooler than the heater block amzn.to/3sJvKuB at (50C instead of 240C)
Heres a couple things to keep in mind if you want to switch to all metal hotend:
1) You can keep most of your slicer settings the same, but you will need to turn your retractions down to keep it from pulling molten plastic back up into the cold area of the hotend, which can resolidify and cause a jam.
Normal bowden setups require ~5mm retraction
Bowden+all metal hotend requires ~2mm retraction
All metal+direct drive requires ~1mm retraction
2) ABS releases toxic fumes that you should plan on venting out of your workspace.
In terms of upgradability:
The only real difference between the ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2, and Voxelab Aquila is how the fan shroud is attached.
The rest is similar enough that most mods will be work between all 3 of them.
I'll give an example, I just put one of these on my Voxelab, which is actually the topic of my next video (I am editing it now, it should be out next week):
store.micro-swiss.com/products/micro-swiss-direct-drive-extruder
There were a couple parts that didn't fit perfectly. It needed some modification, but nothing too crazy. That particular kit was designed for the Ender 3/Ender 3 Pro/CR-10, and is not 100% compatible with the Ender 3 V2 or the Voxelab Aquila. It was more like 90% compatible, since I had to move the X-Axis limit switch and use a different fan shroud. But I would have run into some of the same issues with the Ender 3 V2. Pretty much any 3D printer will require a little bit of hacking things together to get it to work.
Thanks for watching and let me know if you have any other questions!
no sabia que esta impresora existia, la verdad mucho que esperar....ademas la actualizacion d la placa fue genial, quiero una!!
Great review. The mother board you compared, was it from the V2? Its looks like it has V1.1. My two week old V2 has the V2.2 and has plug and play BL touch port. I also had problems on first layer. Thought it was me being new to printing. I upgraded springs no change. Tried glue same outcome. If I wash the bed with hot water and dish soap before every print it works perfectly every time. But the bed is not staying level. I heat the bed to set level run a print and check it after it has completed also with everything hot and it will be off level usually tight on the right.? Installed The BLtouch and tighten the bed down no more problems.
Yeah, bltouch works wonders, thanks for the update, I was comparing it to a board I had on hand and assumed it was the same as the one inside the V2, guess that was a bad assumption.
The more you touch the bed, the easier it is for your bed to get knocked out of alignment, so having to wash it or apply glue stick makes it harder to keep the bed level. The upgraded springs make it more difficult to knock the bed out of alignment, so instead of having to level every 5 prints maybe you only have to do it every 20 prints instead. So it kind of helps with bed adhesion, but only in the sense that your machine is maintaining its bed leveling. Still a good upgrade in my book. I also saw some silicone bushings that you can use instead of springs if using a bltouch that act like almost sold springs, wondering how good those are.
I just got one of these off Facebook market place can't wait to learn how to use it.
Good luck! Join a discord or Facebook if you need help, lots of people out
I'm getting the Voxelab Aquila soon
Nice, it's still one of the best deals. Super cheap, moddable, and it works great!
SUBBED! Very thorough
Very well done, thank you. What do you think about the Aquila H32 fiasco and all the firmware issues ?
I haven't been keeping up with it too much but it's always a stain on a company's reputation when they cut safety in an effort to save time or money. They also had no thermal runaway control for quite some time, which is also bad.
Honestly I'm so cheap and lazy that I would probably still buy the Aquila and run it without themal protection if I were in the market for a cheap as dirt printer :p
Or better yet buy a Lergde X replacement board with that $120 savings between the Aquila and Ender3 V2.
Just bought the Voxlab and am amazed at how easy it was to assemble and how well it prints! Now if I could just get Cura to connect to it for direct USB prints, it would be even better!
Yeah it's a great buy. I didn't really know what to expect but I was pleasantly suprised by its quality.
I plan on getting octoprint working soon. I think it will be super nice to add octolapse footage to my videos, but it looks kind of hard to set up.
on mine it was the tools that were shotty. i used my t handel hex driver no wobble or hard time inserting.
Thanks for this great review and comparison. Can the Marlin software be flashed to the Voxelab machine?
Also, does the extruder have metal gears or plastic? How noisy is the Voxelab compared to the E3V2?
Thank you!
I'd also like to know since I'm considering Aquila over Ender 3. Hopefully someone will answer
The link worked for me just now. Here is the product title in case you want to look it up another way.
SPEED TIGER ISE Carbide Square End Mill - Micro Grain Carbide End Mill for Alloy Steels/Hardened Steels - 4 Flute - ISE3/32"4T - Made in Taiwan (5 Pieces, 3/32")
I really think you're going to pick up dust like crazy by using grease on your z screw. I would higly recommend using synthetic ptfe lube, and just a drop or 2 for the entire screw.
The stuff I'm using is Finish Line synthetic PTFE grease for bicycles. I spent about an hour with the Ender 3 trying to get the grinding noise to die down and the only thing that seemed to help was adding a ton of grease. I wiped up some of the excess already but yeah I've probably got to much on there.
Don't forget the most important part: Customer Support, Creality is terrible at it. Not issuing refund is one thing, being rude to your customers is another. I have two creality machines, and will never buy another.
Sounds like you have a bad story to share?
Great content. Thank you.
Cool thanks I was going to get a voxelab
Did you use the same software for both when making the white house designs? what is your preferred software for design and then for converting them into 3d prints? i have the Aquila but have yet to print.
Can the VoxLab use the same software has the creality?
I like the Jyers mesh leveling on the ended 3 V2 and it would be legit if you could use it on the voxlab.
I recently purchased a Ender3 V2 and I found all the same issues. Also many functions on the display dont work and over all it runs louder than my Ender3 pro. For a supposedly upgraded version 2 I'm not impressed.
I'm thinking that the screw issues with Voxelab could be sizing?
The Aquila probably offers more value where it matters and for less than the ender 3 v2.
I have a original ender 3 with BLtouch running on klipper, with that screw tilt adjust guide the layers are perfect every time. The glass bed seems to be a hit or miss for me, PEI spring steel sheets FTW.
Hey, I've got the original ender 3 as well. What do you mean by "that screw tilt adjust guide" ?
It's interesting - on my Wanhao i3 Plus from 2017, the SD Card goes in upside down. This was something a lot of people commented about at the time. Today, the (micro) SD card on this printer STILL goes in upside down. Maybe that's just the way things are, the slot solders onto the motherboard, the motherboard goes in a certain way, the slot always has to be upside down. I'll bet it's the same on a lot of other printers, too.
It's one of those things that used to bother me at first, but now if I got a printer that takes the SD card right side up it would throw me off. So now we're stuck with upside down SD cards for the rest of time.
If you think about it, the boards are all installed upside down too (attached to the "ceiling" of the enclosure)
If you have 230 volt’s when you are in a 115 voltage area if will take forever for the hot end and the heated bead it will take like 20 minutes instead of 5
230 on a 110 circuit, nothing, printer won't work but it will cause no damage. IF 110 on a 230 mains, by by printer, that is why they are generally set to 230
I have been eyeing the Aquila. I have an Ender 3 V2 that no matter what I did, I was never able to get it to print a single successful print, which made me give up on FDM printing all together. I may pick up the Voxelab and give FDM printing another go.
What's was going on with your prints on the V2? If you still have it I can help you troubleshoot.
Interesting considering how much the ender models costs.
I have a low hours flashforge adventurer 3 refurb only thing i am waiting on is a 265c high heat nozzle assembly so i can print in pet-g etc because 240 wont do petg and just jams and doesnt melt propely the extruder locks up and causes stepper to knock and miss steps banging.
I always print petg at 240, you might have a jammed nozzle or something.
Regarding my experience with layer lines. I bought a used Ender 3 V2 on eBay. The unit was described as a refurbished return unit. The eBay store had many of these in stock so returns must be a fairly common event. After receiving the printer everything went well for the first week, with almost constant usage. I gradually started seeing layer lines in my parts. Occasionally at first, but after awhile almost every other part would have at least one line, sometimes two or three. The parts with layer lines were often able to break along the lines fairly easily by inserting a utility knife into the line and prying. Some lines were more or less along the surface but many were all the way through the part. I also noticed that I began to have prints that would finish prematurely even though the Ender status bar would say the print was 100% complete. I would also look at a print that was in progress and see that the status was for example 60%, when the print was obviously much less, maybe 10%. These prints would later end prematurely. I googled this and found someone who said it was related to corrupted memory cards. I changed memory cards but the problem persisted. At this point I suspected the micro SD socket was having problems. I inspected the slot as well as I could but didn't see anything obvious. I had a can of Deoxit D5 and sprayed inside the slot of the socket. The problem of lines and prematurely finishing prints went away. After another week I started seeing occasional lines on my print again. I sprayed the socket again and the problem went away again. I have ordered a new micro SD connector and if the problem returns I plan to replace the connector.
Wow what a journey. It may need a new mainboard, and/or you are getting occasional underextrusion from nozzle clogs or extruder slippage.
Hello, please tell me some video tutorial on how to install Marlin on Voxelab Aquila
if you plug it in and turn it on with the wrong setting it just explodes and the fuse blows i believe
I also had a ton of issues with getting prints to stick consistently on the Ender 3 v2.
My current best method is to flip the glass plate over and use the non textured side, level before every print and know that some filament colors need glue stick and some can adhere without it. Also I use 55C on the bed to get as close as possible to the glass transition point without passing it.
Another possible issue is that on my original machine the z limit switch was a dud and would sometimes trigger early or late and I had to replace it.
Keep up the good work and never lose that skeptical approach I appreciate the honest reviews!
It's good to know I'm not the only one having an issue with the new Creality print bed coating. It's totally different from my older Ender 3 V2.
I'll look into some cheap options for improving bed adhesion, it may be a good topic for another video. I have a spray can of plastidip that I want to try out, but could also test glue stick, hair spray, tape, and a bunch of other stuff side by side.
The best solution I have used for bed adhesion is BLTOUCH + spring steel PEI sheet. I have that combo on one of my printers and I don't even have to think about bed adhesion anymore, it just works. But it's pretty expensive and complicated to set up, since it requires you to flash firmware, mount, and tune it.
@@NathanBuildsRobots Not having to worry about bed adhesion sounds like a dream. I have had a BLTouch in a box for a while, but there was a lot of conflicting information about how it should be set up for the Ender 3v2. Recently I saw people making more videos about it so if I get it working and it helps the adhesion I’ll let you know.
Just installed the BL on my V2. Definitely a game changer. It was easy to install on mine. 30 minutes tops and I pushed the wire through the loom. From what I am seeing people are getting different motherboards. If you have the 2.2 or 2.7 it's easy plug it in update firm and done. Or I was really lucky.
@@stephentt If you try the BLTOUCH and are all having issues don't forget the PEI sheet too! It's about $25, but it's the ideal print surface for PLA.
But just a heads up if you print with PETG: I printed PETG on the smooth PEI build plate of a PRUSA I3 MK3 and it got torn it up. Now I use textured PEI for PETG, and smooth PEI for PLA.
@@johnrogowski358 I'm glad Creality added this. I have the old rev of mainboard on my older Ender 3s. You can still install a bltouch on there, it just needs a breakout board that steals power from the display cable port and plugs into the z-axis limit switch, and maybe a different version of the firmware. Just makes it a little more complicated but I'm sure there's guide on TH-cam to walk you through it either way.
I just viewed your informative/technical video. Do you this machine can print a regulation size Ping Pong Racket 10.6 inches by 6.6inches by 1.5 inches high if it is sliced diagonally on the bed? Thank You
I think it might barely fit
When you move the bed like that pretty fast, you create voltage back to the system, so you better unplug the cables just in case.
Good call, or write some gcode to do it for you while you go get lunch!
All stock Ender 3 V2 boards have dedicated bltouch sockets. This includes 4.2.2 and 4.2.7. But my experience with the V2 was very similar to yours. My first layers didn't become more consistent until I installed solid bed mounts and a bltouch. I think I'm going to return my new second Ender 3 v2 for the Aguila. They have an Aguila X2 that looks a lot more like the V2, and I'm wondering what the difference is.
The difference are really small, not really worth the extra cost for the x2 IMO.
Lately there has been some drama about lack of thermal runaway protection and microcontroller types on the Aquila. I still think the aquila is the better buy though.
@@NathanBuildsRobots I saw that. Isn't it fixable with hacked/upgraded firmware?
@@MakerMeraki yeah, you just need to make sure the firmware is up to date.
very helpful thx
good video, all of the issues you had though with the e3v2 ive never run into and i have 2 of them. i do quite like the display orientation with the VA and think its funny that when they sent out the x2 they directly copied the e3v2 which will go against your positive mounting point :)
This is the second Ender 3 v2 I've built. The he first one didn't have any of the problems, except for the bed wheels being overtightened. Can't say if the extruder was good or bad since I put a metal one one without trying the plastic stock one.
I'm not sure why they released that second aquila, it's pretty much the same thing.
@@NathanBuildsRobots oh yea, its identical besides a handle and filament sensor. i think haha.. and I'm the same, I never once used the plastic extruder and always find it amusing to see the amount of posts about them breaking and people being surprised by that haha.
When people make these models do they also have to design the make up of the inside of the prints, the parts you don't see, all of the cross hatching the fillament filling has to do?
No, that is taken care of by the slicer program. It is called "infill".
Most people use 15% infill, so the parts are much lighter and print faster, but you can't tell from the outside
I have a Voxelab Aquila I bought after you made this video and I have analysis paralysis looking for the ideal extruder/hot end combo for .4 nozzle and below printing. Until now I print a lot of smaller detail parts and structural stuff for scale models. I plan to print PETG/ABS/ASA/CF Nylon and get an ender extender kit and enclosure for it soon.
If price was no object, what are the main upgrades you would recommend going from stock for print quality and reliability? I've had two thermistors go bad in the last weeks giving thermal runaway errors on long PETG prints. I think it is my Aquila's way of telling me she's ready for some enhancements.
My favorite upgrades in any machine are
All metal heatbreak
Dual gear direct drive extruder
I go with cheap BMG clones 90% of the time, but if price is no object I would try out the LGX from Bondtech.
It really depends on what you're goal is. I find most printers to be too slow, so I usually also put a 0.6mm nozzle on too so u can run .4mm-0.6mm layer heights. I could recommend a CHT bozos if you want more speed
Also I really like textures PEI build surfaces
If you want a bigger printer, I'm reviewing the LONGER LK5 PRO, i went in with low expectations, but it's got fantastic print quality.
Here is an affiliate link to the LK5 printer, it can be found 80-100 cheaper on other sites though
amzn.to/3pIRbgS
I have a recent Ender 3 V2 and I just purchased the Voxelab Aquila. I have the V2 hooked up to Octoprint so I can do do prototyping work and then for doing production runs, I put the gcode on the Aquila memory card and just let it crank while I continue working on the V2. So far, I would say the print quality is pretty much the same. The only drawback with the Aquila are the fasteners which you note in the video. The other difference is that the V2 comes with a nice extruder wheel nut that helps feed filament into the hot end. Voxelab gave us a printable wheel but I don't find it useful. However, it isn't totally necessary since the Aquila firmware has an auto load and unload feature so the need for the nut isn't the same as for the V2. So far, I'm very pleased with both.
Over on reddit most Aquila owners said their fasteners were fine, it must have been a bad batch that we both got.
I always just pinch the extruder arm to open it up and pull the filament out since its faster, but I'm also the guy that opens the pickle jar when other people can't get it open.
One of my next videos will be setting up octoprint. Octolapse will be awesome so I can get good time-lapses to add to my videos. I have no experience with so it might be challenging to set up. Did you find any good guides while setting up Octoprint?
@@NathanBuildsRobots My suggestion would be just to download and install OctoPi which has a version of Raspian and Octoprint preinstalled. Understanding which gcode commands are available in the Aquila software would also be useful especially if there is a difference between the stock Aquila and the V2. The stock Ender 3 V2 software doesn't have commands available for filament change. I use Octoprint to work around this. The preferred method of running OctoPrint is one Raspberry Pi per printer. There are people that try and use Docker etc... for multiple printers but given the eventual number of printers that I might end up with (I might buy another Voxelab) , I'm not sure dealing with Docker is worth it. Here is a video link I consulted which walks through the OctoPi process: th-cam.com/video/7JDWHatFENQ/w-d-xo.html , There are a lot of Octoprint plug ins available and I also like the control it gives me over sending gcode to the printer remotely. For example, I don't have the BLTouch involved but I did design and print out a holder for a digital dial indicator for my Ender 3V2 that I use to measure the profile of my bed. I then use gcode to put that into Marlin. I'm still working on my SOP for checking bed level before each print. I need to do the same thing for the Aquila. I have a flexible bed on the Ender and I'm thinking I may go back to glass. I think there is a little movement in the thermal cycling on my flexible bed. I'll probably stick to the stock bed on the Voxelab since I'm using this for long prints anyway. I'll probably go to an all metal hot end on the Voxelab and add thermal cutout sensors tied directly to the AC as an extra safety feature on the bed and the hotend. Defense in depth is a proven strategy and I want a thermal cutout that is separate from the printer's controller board to eliminate common mode failure. Unfortunately, I'm printing projects every day now so I need the printers up.
@@jpgquintana Thanks, I copied your comment into a word document that I will consult when i'm setting up Octopi -hopefully by the end of May.
I will be flashing firmware to Marlin prior to getting Octopi because most of the hotend upgrades I want to do use a cartridge style thermistor so I have to reconfigure them in firmware.
IMO Bed leveling + flexible bed are 2 upgrades that should be done in tandem because you give up stability when taking the glass bed off and need to correct it with auto bed leveling.
@@NathanBuildsRobots I would agree that a bed leveling strategy + flexible need to go together. This is why I'm thinking of going back to glass. I would rather have the stability. and flatness. The Bed Leveling can't compensate for flatness . BTW, I just blew out my hot end. I replaced the original nozzle due to clogging after about 30 hours of printing but I didn't reposition the PTFE tube. I was getting huge blobs on my prints after than. I opened up the fan housing to find polymer working its way around the threads of the nozzle as well and
up around the heat break. Given the mess and the price of a new wired hot end, I figured this was a good time to get into the box. I ordered a replacement from Amazon and have already dug into the belly of the printer to get to the controller board. Good thing I can still print with the Ender while the Voxelab is down. I have PlatformIO running on my Windows Box and have tweaked Marlin for the Ender 3. Several of my projects require changing filaments since I'm putting lettering and QR Codes on the prints. I'm still using an Octoprint technique for that but I'll eventually just try
and use Marlin.
@@jpgquintana In my next video I'm installing a Phaetus Dragonfly HF hotend. It's pretty interesting, the heatbreak tube and nozzle are 1 piece so there's no way to have a blowout. I broke it within 10 seconds of unboxing it, but I figured out how to fix/improve it.
I'd recommend getting a direct drive setup for frequent filament changes.
Lol! Aquila with MOONS stepper motors these are pretty good, well known brand. where did they cheap out? PSU? is it a meanwell or crapbrand?
But i noticed the Ender-3 V2 is also a bit bad with quality control, i had a big a$$ scratch on the X gantry bracket
I had another viewer ask about the power supply so I just checked, mine has a Meanwell and so did the other commenter. But they don't claim to use Meanwells on any of their spec sheets, so that could change.
@@NathanBuildsRobots I received mine few days ago, got it for ~90 euro's it was on sale at theri aliexpress store. compared it with my Ender-3 V2, and construction seemed better....... Also a MeanWell PSU, Moons Stepper motors, GATES Timing Belts and no stupid hotglue dabs everywhere. What I do like over the Ender-3 V2 is that they just put in a cosmetic cover where the drawer supposed to be sitting. and that cosmetic cover gives you plenty of room for upgrades. SSR, Rapsi4 and so on!
@@Underp4ntz_Gaming_Channel good point, I should start filling that space up. That's a crazy good deal at 90€
CHEP just did a video on the aquila and noticed that they didn't fully tighten the nozzle/bowden tube so there was a gap that got filled with plastic there.
But I do like that they test run the hotend before shipping, nice bit of quality control.
@@Underp4ntz_Gaming_Channel Hi there, would you mind sharing the link to the store/product? I've checked all "VOXELAB AQUILA" and could find any that has been down to 90€ in the last 3 month.
I would really appreciate it as the price has been the only barrier for me getting into buying my own 3d printer, but have used lots of them.
You must have a pretty old version of the Ender 3 v2, the board rev you showed as 4.1.1 but even me got an Ender 3 v2 in january of this year with a 4.2.2 board which already has sockets for BL touch and filament sensor on board. Meanhwhile it includes the 4.2.7 board I assume.
Thanks for bringing this up. I was comparing it to a silent motherboard that I bought for my Ender 3 Pro about 5 months ago and incorrectly assumed the new Ender 3 V2 had the same board. I'll take a look at the V2 tonight and see what if it has the updated board.
You're very welcome, still a pretty informative video, and if you bethink that this printer is almost a 1:1 copy and cheaper whci you can easier spend on modding it its an interesting option.
Ok, I just took a look at the Ender 3 V2 board. It looks it has a 4.2.2 board.
It is identical to the voxelab board, except the voxelab has 1 additional 3 pin JST connector.
So you can add a bltouch and Filament runout sensor to both, but you would still have room for 1 more sensor on the voxelab. Not sure what you'd use it for but it's there if you need it.
I have one ender 3 v2 bought this month and still 4.2.2 board and it sucks
With a ender 3 v2 the best thing you can do is upgrading to a 4.2.7 board ( stay cooler on the drivers ) I also had some Quality problems, same bed v rols problems(best to replace them and give a little down push on the front of y t-bar ) nics and tends on the t bars. The Quality is not high. If Would buy again then I would buy the voxelab or buy the ender 5 pro.. I would say buy the ender 5 pro ( changed the 4.2.2 Mainboard to a MKS 3EP ) , but this one cost more.
Going to voxelab as my first 3d printer. I don't have a temp scanning device so what happens if I leave those stepper motors running hot?
Nothing, they are just fine running at higher temperatures. I just brought it up because it was a difference I noticed.
You'll be able to feel the difference though. 65 degrees C is too hot to leave your hands on for long
About the bl touch newer versions of the Ender 3 v2 have a plug for it so you don’t need the extra board. ;)
The ender bed is probably warped I’m new to this but it seems to be a big issue for creality
I have an ender 3 s1 pro sitting idle with extruder issues while the Voxelab Aquila x2 is running laps on it
I have an X2 to review, I should try it out
Nathan,
have the minor issues with the voxel(assembly hardware/nozzle gap) been addressed, to your knowledge?
I don't know, I would repost on www.reddit.com/r/VoxelabAquila/
I bought mine on March 25th, which was a while ago, but it had been out for a couple months by that point so I would have hoped they would have ironed out those issues by then.
It only takes about 20 mins to fix. The most difficult part is you have to hot loosen/tighten the nozzle to clear up the issue.
Ender 3 V2 board do have you plug for bl-touch. Please do your research!
Thanks for the video im going to order a voxelab aquila for my 1st 3d printer as it's nearly £100 cheaper then the ender 3 v2 and looks just as good if not a bit better as the aquila is priced at £150 where the ender 3 v2 is nearly £250 for me in england
There are a lot of good options out there. I also like the artillery sidewinder X2
The Power supply voltage selector is most important to power outlets supplying 240v, if set to 115v it will blow up Anywhere in the world which supplies 115v, set to 240v it will probably not supply the proper voltage to the printer, it may still work, but its going through a different part of the transformer which handles 240v, point of this is you can make the mistake of not switching it, if the supply voltage is 115v but here in the UK it would damage it if not set.
Here in the US I've worked with electrical equipment and wiring for about 6 years, and most things I've used, 240v on a 120v receptacle will usually trip a breaker, but 240v, to a 110/115v equipment will usually fry it
@@Omalleyus yup it makes pretty sparks and magic smoke 😅 i used to work in a PC recycling centre where we would take old Office equipment to be refurbed for 3rd world countrys, Its how we used to destroy the Psu's that didnt PAT Test because parts scavangers used to raid the skips. 😅
With the wrong setting on the power supply the printer wont start right away. It will take an unknown amount of time tell it may or may not charge its capacitors to the right voltage to start. however you will have power failure during the print do to loss of power to high components "hotend".
one thing im curious about that i thought you would have mentioned, not sure if its cause it might be obvious but just not to me, does the mainboard on the voxelab have a 32bit chip
Yes, it's a 32 bit chip. They are pretty much the standard even among cheaper machines now.
The Voxelab Aquila is not listed in Simplify 3D. Could I select Ender 3 instead?
Yes, They are identical for all purposes related to a slicer.
MY bed hits the Y axis motor, what can i dot to fix it?
did you short something at 7:15? which one should i get btw?
ender 3 v2 and aquilla are at same price
I don't think I shorted anything, there was a cut from my editing.
I would probably get the Ender 3 v2 if they are the same price, but when I checked on Amazon just now the aquila is $159 and the Ender is $279. At that price split I would definitely go for the Aquila.
im not rlly sure how you adjust the steppers, howdo i change it and what can i use
look up "vref adjustment" the procedure is pretty much the same for all 3D printers. You'll need a digital multimeter and a screwdriver
hey dude so i just brought one and it will not print properly after i ran out of the filament that came with it iv tried every thing other videos suggested but it will not stick or will fail all to gather iv leveled it and even max temp it what can i do
Could be the filament you're using. Also I wrote the bed with alcohol wipes to make sure it's clean off dust and oil. Could be a lot of things though
Where can I get an SD card with cool printing designs for my son. Not a computer guy. He has the voxelab aquila c2 printer. Thanks
You have to use a slicer to generate the printable files.
Look on thingiverse to find STL files, which you can open in PrusaSlicer or Cura.
I like Prusaslicer, there are tutorials out there to help guide you through the process. For all intents and purposes your Aquila c2 is pretty much an ender 3 v2, so look for Ender 3 v2 guides. Good luck!
It seems the Ender 3 line that Creality now has, has become the "Red-Headed Stepchild in the Corner"!!! Just not too long ago I purchased Creality's Ender 6 CoreXY machine which seemed to be very good build quality!!! Prior to purchasing the Ender 6, I thought about getting another Ender 3 v2 or Pro to complement the original Ender 3 I already have. Seeing this most excellent vidya, I think I'll have to "Circle Back" (LOL!) and pick up this Voxelab Aquila machine!!! My original Ender 3 is running a bit ragged...X-Axis running misaligned and catching on the groove of the aluminum extrusion...Original Ender 3 has noisy drive which directly coupled to the frame "sings" which I tried to mitigate by adding stepper motor dampers to....and I also added X & Y belt tensioners that I 3D Printed. Original Ender 3 had issues with banding & microstepping which the Defpom TH-cam channel helped overcome with a circuit board solder jumper mod...so yeah...Creality did make some improvements with their silent boards (Ender 6 is Awesome) but apparently a few things are still lacking...my biggest gripe is the shitty plastic extruder for the Ender 3 series that Creality INSISTS upon using!!!...instead of the dual gear hobbed style which comes on the Ender 6!!! I added the dual gear hobbed style to my Ender 3 for about $14 from Amazon!!! Extruder Is Everything!...Like Seriously Creality, Get Your Shite Together!!! I usually print tethered from Simplify3D so I would think this Voxelab should work just fine in like manner!
There are more companies trying to copy their product and most are coming with some pretty great improvements. I have 2 more similar machines to review which have a lot of good upgrades. But it seems like every machine has its own quirks. The nice thing about the Ender 3 is it has a ton of aftermarket parts support so you can always upgrade the things you don't like.
Have you looked at the Aquila X2? Wondering it it’s worth the $30-$40 premium.
All they added was a $2 filament runout detection sensor. So I'd stick with the original.
There is a well known marketing tactic where you sell the same thing at 2 different prices. Just call the more expensive one "premium" and even if 95% people pick the cheap one, you will still be making more money by offering a second more expensive choice.
Excellent review. Just fired my Aquila up and am running the first print. Holy hell this thing is loud. Significantly louder than my FLsun Q5. Looking forward to some fan mod videos for suggestions on fans and other ways of quieting this thing down.
I have a video coming out today (in about 3 hrs) where I upgraded the hotend fans and it is a lot quieter. The hotend heatsink fan is one of the loudest on the machine, but the rest are not far behind.
Check out my other video where I took quiet printing TO THE EXTREME on my Ender 3 (You could hear a pin drop next to this thing while its running).
th-cam.com/video/uqCntWdLIvA/w-d-xo.html
@@NathanBuildsRobots Yes, thanks, I watched several of those videos last night. You did a great job. The hot end fan is certainly loud but the fan cooling the mainboard is ridiculous when it comes on. I've got fans for both on order. My FLsun Q5, unmodified, can sit on my desk right next to me printing away and it's only moderately annoying due to the extruder stepper motor driver needing an upgrade to silent. The Aquila on the other hand, has to go into another room! lol
@@baxrok2. I'll try to get a FLsun to review. Seems like a good budget delta printer. I've used their filament before and they have some very nice colors.
I think half of the engineers working on these printers must be deaf because of I was designing them the noise is the first thing I'd fix!
they have on offer, an upgraded machine. it is still under $200. they have added a filament detection sensor, carrying handle and vertical command panel. looks like free shipping as well offer good until 7/15...or so says their website...i found it odd that the customer service chat person didn't know the weight of the filament on the pools...shrugs.
I saw that. It looks like a very minor update.
If you're looking for the best "comes with the printer" filament you should check out the video I just did on the Fokoos Odin - it comes with a nice little spool of filament. I had to put $130 worth of upgrades into it to make it print well, but it's an excellent frame to build/mod off of and it is currently my best printer (at least in its upgraded state).
My recent Ender3v2 has the same "weird pixels around the text" as if they were using heavily compressed monochrome .jpgs instead of text...
Yeah I think they found it easier to support multiple languages by using images for text instead of having ASCII fonts for each language.
Would you recommend the Aquila over the Ender Pro? The v2 just seems to have a lot of problems from my research.
I would reccomend the Voxelab, but CHEP pointed out an issue with it. They test run the nozzles before shipping, but they don't tighten the bowden tube down all the way, so theres a gap that lets filament stagnate and cook. It can cause a jam, so its something that they need to fix. I'm going to make a short video about how to fix that specific issue.
@@NathanBuildsRobots appreciate the response and information, definitely looking forward to that video. Almost seems better to replace the PTFE tube with a Capricorn one off the bat.
Will the Micro-Swiss upgrades work for the Voxelab?
I did a video on that very topic th-cam.com/video/pn7ApEZ-6HY/w-d-xo.html
The all metal hotend is a drop-in replacement, same as on the ender 3.
The direct drive system from microswiss required 20-30 minutes of tinkering to get it to work, just had to adjust the x-axis limit switch location since that is slightly different on the Aquila. There are many work-arounds for this so I wouldn't be discouraged from doing it.
I just had my Aquila die on me after about 2 1/2 months of use. It keeps freezing when I start a print/ preheat bed and hot end. I still haven't been able to find a fix :(
Sounds like a problem with the main board so you might want to try reflashing the firmware or replacing the mainboard.
I saw similar problem with another printer. It was solved with formatting sd card with 32kb.
@@Gorodni4ij good point, I'd try a new SD card first if you have one. Sometimes they get corrupted.
I turned on the Ender3 v2 with the switch set to 230, nothing happens, doesn't turn on. I almost thought I got a dud before I happened to see that switch and did some googling.
Good to know!
Maybe use different print settings?
Haha yeah, I heard the first thing we should do when buying Ender 3 v2 was to get new nozzles. :p I guess we know why now