Creality CR-6 SE Review

Creality3D pushes an extremely large number of new models onto the market without any clear added value.

The manufacturer produces a model 123, 124, 125, an “SE”, a “Pro” or a ” Model 126 SE PRO Version 2 ” at ever shorter intervals . So why should you buy the Creality3D CR-6 SE of all things when changing devices or getting started ? (Spoiler: Because it really brings changes with it again!)

Creality3D CR-6 SE Review

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Creality CR-6 SE Highlights

• • Print space: 235 x 235 x 250 mm
  • Nozzle diameter: 0.4mm, filament diameter: 1.75mm
  • Setup time: a maximum of 10-15 minutes
  • Lots of features: car level sensor, toothed belt tensioner, heated bed clamps, etc.

When it comes to Chinese manufacturers, there are always the usual suspects with 3D printers that deliver well. For me, Creality3D is one of the top manufacturers.

But why not buy the very good Creality3D CR-10 V2 now, as an example ? One thing is certain even before the test: it does some things completely differently. Creality3D has already been able to provide great impulses a few times – this time too? And why did I actually have a super fail?

Buckle up : My Creality3D CR-6 SE test .

Creality3D CR-6 Specs

General Specifications

3D Printer Properties

Software Requirements

Dimensions & Weight

Packaging, shipping and accessories

First of all: We got the brand new 3D printer from Amazon. The well-packed package arrived quickly

The look inside is also promising. The individual components are precisely packed in thick foam and are located on many levels. At Creality3D the packaging has always been good, but some smaller manufacturers have damaged parts. This is completely unnecessary and, above all, annoying when you spend so much money and frustrated you cannot start the construction immediately.

The heating bed is still covered with a film, an EU cold device power cable is included – that’s how it should be.

After removing the packaging you have the individual parts in front of you. Generally only the superstructure has to be attached to the substructure with four screws.

With the enclosed operating instructions (English and easy to understand) the assembly was done in 10-15 minutes.

Important: You can find the tool and the screws in the toolbox in the printer . At the beginning I looked for myself in the box stupid and stupid ;-).

The individual components were already properly screwed (tightly and at right angles), making a good first impression, which I would now like to go into further.

In general, the CR-6 SE is very stable, but to be honest, I am a bit annoyed by the plastic pulleys for the toothed belts. Of course, these are easier and cheaper to produce, in general I think the implementation (you can re-tension the belts quickly and easily) is great, but the pulleys are also constantly under load.

So far this has not affected the print quality, but I would be happy to see an all-metal solution here in the future ;-). I find z. B. the filament roll holder. Often the filament is placed above the frame, which leads to vibrations. Or it can be placed “somewhere” next to the 3D printer with tilting brackets.

The Creality3D comes with a bracket that can be removed at any time, the angle of which can also be adjusted or completely folded in for transport. Actually unspectacular, but somehow also clever.

Speaking of transport: there is now a handle on the top of the frame for this ;-). I had to smile a bit because you don’t carry the 3D printer that often (and then you can just grab the frame), but then I used the handle for the video review. And hey: The material expenditure should be a few cents ;-).

I find the cable management to be “well thought out”. The cables are labeled for assembly and are simply plugged in. This looks particularly “tidy” on the print head.

The cables that are exposed to a lot of movements (print bed, Z-axis and print head) are additionally protected / sheathed by net hoses.

I would like to pay special attention to the print bed. Not because it is really well coated again (prints hold up very well during printing and jump off when cooling down), or unfortunately it is not thermally insulated from the bottom …

… but because there are no level wheels . I repeat: There are no four level wheels on the underside for manually aligning the heating bed. That means we have to rely completely on the car level, but we can’t break anything. Will that work?

Quality of 3D prints and reliability

Since the 3D printer is still so new, there are no (good) profiles for the usual slicers (Cura, Slicer, Simplify3D, etc.) to be found. In Cura (version 4.7.1 tested again on October 1st, 2020) there is also no corresponding profile to be found. That means I had to put together my profile in Cura myself, but that wasn’t a problem.

I then snatched the GCODE from the SD card and started the first print “boat.GCODE”. Before that, of course, the car level has to be carried out. The printhead scans a 4 × 4 grid on the heating bed (which is heated beforehand) and detects / saves any unevenness in the firmware’s memory. This means you no longer have to turn the heating bed manually using the four level wheels on the underside of the heating bed. You can’t do that with the CR-6 SE either – they don’t exist. ;-).

The auto level runs within two minutes without any problems. The white, enclosed filament (1kg!) Lies securely on the filament holder, which was placed sensibly in front of the filament sensor or feeder (with many 3D printers the angle is poor and this leads to great tension / abrasion).

Unfortunately, the feeder is not made entirely of metal (“all metal” in marketing language), which is no big deal, but is always nice in terms of durability. What is really cool: The feeder attachment can be detached, ie the filament can be inserted very easily without being pressed through the gears. Then you clip the feeder attachment or the second gear back again.

That was the preparations. The (unfortunately not thermally insulated) heating bed and hotend heats up (6 minutes for 60 ° degrees (and 200 ° degrees nozzle temperature)) and printing starts. The branded power supply delivers 350W at 24V.

The auto leveling apparently worked very well , because the filament sticks 1A, but could also be easily removed from the print bed after the print was finished. The glass heating bed (with a special coating) looks like new to this day. Cool!

Overall, I would rate the print quality with a “good 2”. There are always a lot of parameters (filament, temperature, speed, slicer selection, etc.) that have a significant impact on the print image. However, there is now a really big “nogo” at the end: I had to throw the enclosed filament, at least a whole kilo, directly into the trash.

At first I was surprised about the bad, Creality3D-untypical, print image and after about five prints I changed the filament and lo and behold: The print result then fits! The problem, however, is: Beginners probably suspect the problem with the 3D printer itself – that can’t be good for Creality3D. So hopefully you will get a good batch of filament or (unfortunately) throw the filament straight into the trash like me!

Apart from this frustrating experience, the CR-6 is so I can recommend the CR-6!

Conclusion: buy Creality CR-6 SE?

The Creality CR-6 SE is definitely not a revolution in 3D printing, but due to many small to larger newly implemented features or the combination thereof , it can and will certainly be a model for other 3D printer models, not only from Creality3D .

The consistent omission of the level wheels as an example: I was skeptical because in over 4 years of 3D printing I always quickly readjusted by 0.123mm. Since the auto level is really very reliable, this is no longer necessary. This will save a lot of stress, especially for beginners, because it was often one, if not the  source of error.

The list of features can be quickly updated here: Touchscreen (ok, actually the standard now), cool filament roll holder, toothed belt tensioner, two Z-axes (synchronized with toothed belts), inductive end stops, quiet stepper drivers, nice, feeder, good Cable management, etc.

If you already have a good 3D printer, such as B. the Creality3D CR-10 V2 or Artillery Sindewinder X1 needs and will not change. Anyone who is new to the game and / or feels addressed by these features and feels that the current (still?) Sporty price is appropriate.

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