TL’DR: Creality’s latest Ender 3 combines low cost bedslinger prices with K1 super speed.
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Thought you couldn’t afford a super fast printer? Think again! Creality has come through for makers on a budget with the Ender 3 V3 KE. This machine has everything you need, plus it’s wrapped up in a slim, stylish package. It currently retails at $299 and is on sale for $279 at the Creality website.
The KE is a 3D printer that is cost-effective to maintain and modify. It shares parts with other Creality machines, so parts like hotends and nozzles should be easy to find. Not that you need to modify it — Klipper comes preinstalled, plus it’s pretty slick with linear rails on the X axis, linear rods on the Y axis, and a high flow hot end.
It is extremely easy to use, with advanced auto leveling that sets its own Z height for really nice first layers. If you’ve ever had to use a freakin’ piece of paper to level a printer, you’ll understand the convenience of this function.
The tool head combines the best parts of previous printers: their best extruder — the Sprite — with the blazing fast K1’s high flow hotend.
It has a top speed of 500 mm/s with an acceleration max of 8000 mm/s², and I was able to slice and print a Speed Benchy in 19 minutes and 48 seconds while testing the machine for Tom’s Hardware.
My one big complaint is it that it doesn’t come with (or have built in) an accelerometer for tuning Klipper yourself. That said, the factory presets were pretty accurate on my test printer.
Things I like about the KE:
- KLIPPER speed
- K1 high flow nozzle
- Direct Drive
- Auto bed leveling + Z
- PEI coated flexible build plate
Things I hate about the A1:
- Accelerometer not included
- Creality’s KIipper interface is limited
Why get an KE instead of a Bambu A1?
So why buy Creality KE when Bambu’s bedslinger has a multicolor option? Well…right now the A1 is under a recall and is unavailable. I’m confident that Bambu will fix this issue, but right now…the A1 is off the table.