Creality LD-002r Review

The Creality LD-002r 3D printer is a cheap resin printer recommended for beginners. Find out its specs, features, price and performance in our review.

The Creality LD-002R resin 3D printer is a fairly popular printer for beginners. While it’s not the quietest nor fastest 3D printer available, it is the most complete package you need to start printing right out of the box.
Let’s see if this 3D printer is worth buying.

Creality LD-002r Review

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Packaging

To begin, the budget resin 3D printer is packaged in cardboard box that is well-insulated to ensure it is safe during transportation.

Accessories

Unlike other cheap 3D printers we’ve tested before, the Creality LD-002R is shipped with a lot of accessories. Therefore, it will be easy to get started with it.

Check the image below for some of the accessories that came in our package:

The printer comes with the following:

• 2 pairs of gloves
• 2 face masks
• 2 resin filters
• 1 English user manual in English language
• 1 spare FEP film
• 1 16GB USB drive (with troubleshooting guide, software slicer, and helpful video for first launch)
• 1 metal spatula for removing the print from the platform
• 1 brush for cleaning the model
• 1 plastic spatula for bath cleaning

It’s nice to see that the printer is shipped with the FEP-film. While this accessory is not expensive, it is a nice addition since it is consumable. However, we recommend ordering additional film when buying the 3D printer, just in case the one available gets finished during your printing.

Initial Setup

Creality3D, the company that manufactures the Creality LD-002r, has created videos on how to install the printer for the first time. You’ll also find the video on the USB stick shipped with the printer. You can also see the video below:

 

Creality LD-00@r Specs

Here is an overview of the technical specs of the Creality LD-002r:

Design

The Creality LD-002r 3D printer looks quite attractive. The design reminded us of the Prusa SL1.

The LD-002r has an orange lid made from high quality material. This lid protects the resin from getting damaged by UV light.

The resin 3D printer for beginners also comes with a a 3.5-inch touch screen at the front and an ON/OFF button. On the side, there is a fan for drawing air into the printer, while the back houses a large fan and power connector. Other features of the printer include a USB connector and a removable ventilated panel.

Fan

At the bottom, the Creality LD-002R has a cooling fan that turns on during printing. This fan is noisier than we would like. Therefore, if you are planning to buy this printer, keep in mind that it won’t be suitable for use in a quiet environment, e.g., an office.

The printer’s stepper motor is quieter than that of the Sonic Mini or Photon Zero. However, the quietness is canceled out when the fan is turned on.

We think that the printer should have been installed fan that has a lower RPM to reduce the noise.

Metal Bathtub

The LD-002R also has a metal bathtub. This bathtub is made of aluminum.

Unfortunately, the bathtub has non-standard installation mountings and is incompatible with bathtubs from other manufacturers.

Markings are very helpful when filling the tub. These lines make it easy to monitor the level of resin remaining in the tank.

Assembly Plate

The print bed is tapered to prevent resin build-up on the top. The bottom is flat, with a slight texture for better adhesion.

The platform is designed to print models measuring 120 x 65 mm in XY axes. This is enough space to get started with resin 3D printing.

Limit Switch

The Creality LD-002R uses an optical limit switch with a metal flag to determine the minimum Z position. Unfortunately, the mount was loose and unaligned. We think that the screws used are probably not suitable.

To fix this, get 2 M3 10mm screws and use them to secure the switch.

Make sure you confirm that the mount is secure before using the printer for the first time. It is very important to correctly determine the end position to ensure the prints stick well.

2 K LCD Matrix

The matrix used in the LD-002R 3D printer has a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels, similar to the Elegoo Mars.

We also think that the printer uses the same display as that used on the Elegoo Mars. From discussions online, we found users who bought replacement Elegoo Mars’ LCDs and installed them on Creality LD-002R.

Apart from the display, you can also use the anti-aliasing function (the setting is available in the slicer).

Unfortunately, the display isn’t monochrome like is the case with the Sonic Mini. This display does not last long, and may need to be replaced after several hundred hours of use.

Compared to the monochrome display of the Sonic Mini, which can last up to 2000 hours, this figure is much lower.

In addition to the shorter lifespan, conventional LCD takes longer to cure layers. The LD-002R takes 6 to 8 seconds for each coat. Compare the time to that of a monochrome matrix, which can cure layers in about 2-3 seconds.

Robust Linear Guide

The Creality LD-002R uses a sturdier Z-rail, similar to the MGN15. The rail guide provides precise movement and maintains the stability of the print bed.

Unfortunately, the brass nut has a slight deflection, which leads to a small amount of Z-track play. This results in subtle lines on the models.

The good news is that the problem is not so serious. You can solve the problem by replacing the current nut with a 2mm caprolon nut.

Inefficient Air Purification Function

The Creality LD-002R is often marketed as having an Air Purification function. This feature is supposed to remove the unpleasant smell of resin during printing.

However, the feature is simply a fan that pulls air out of the print section and pushes it through the carbon filter to the bottom of the printer.

In theory, the air purification function should remove odors. However, during our test prints, we found the function largely useless. In fact, it only generated additional noise. Although the fan is not as loud as the bottom fan, it draws odor out of the print chamber and blows it out.

You can reduce the noise by removing the fan and making a cover for the remaining hole. This will keep air inside and the printer will be quieter.

Test Prints on Creality LD-002R

Does the Creality LD-002R produce quality prints? Here are our results.

Minotaur

The first model is a bust of the Minotaur from MyMiniFactory. The model took almost 10 hours to print and it turned out great.

Print details:

• Material: Phrozen Aqua Green Resin
• Layer height: 0.05mm
• Hollow: yes
• Supports: yes

The quality of the model clearly shows why the Creality LD-002R is the best resin 3D printer for miniatures.

Medieval Castle

We also printed an enlarged version of a medieval castle from Thingiverse that fits exactly the size of the print bed. In general, the model printed well. However, there are some weak layers on the walls caused by the backlash mentioned above. In addition, some white particles appeared during curing.

Print details:

• Material: Anycubic Gray resin
• Layer height: 0.05mm
• Hollow: no
• Support: no

Orc Barbarian

The Orc Barbarian from Thingiverse was enlarged to a maximum size that could fit into the build area and printed on a flat base. The model turned out very well. As you can see, the “elephant’s leg” effect (when uneven layers thickening in the lower part of the model) is minimal.

Print details:

• Material: Phrozen Aqua Green Resin
• Layer height: 0.05mm
• Hollow: no
• Support: no

Keyboard by Shenron

Keycaps for mechanical keyboard buttons.

Print details:

• Material: SirayaTech BLU resin (80%) and Liqcreate Resin (20%)
• Layer height: 0.05mm
• Hollow: no
• Supports: yes

Direct Drive Update for Ender 5 Plus

The Ender 5 Plus needs a direct drive. So why not print it on LD-002R?

The print is not ready to be installed on the printer yet. However, the print results are great. A coating was also used to keep the clarity of the SirayaTech BLU resin.

Print details:

• Material: SirayaTech BLU resin (80%) and Liqcreate Resin (20%)
• Layer height: 0.05mm
• Supports: yes

Is the Creality LD-002R Worth Buying?

Creality LD-002R

is an excellent 3D printer for beginners in resin 3D printing, mainly because it comes with all the accessories you need to get you started right away. The printer is also easy to use and well built, despite the small flaws that you can easily fix on your own.

We love how clear the Getting Started manual and video instructions are.

When it comes to support, there are thousands of Creality users on Facebook groups that can help you whenever you are stuck.

While the Creality LD-002R is noisy, a little bit slow, and lets in unpleasant odors it is a good budget resin 3D printer. The printer is cheaper than the Sonic Mini and also outpaces it in high Z-height. However, if you want to print faster and change the LCD display less often, then the Phrozen Sonic Mini would be a better option for you.

We did not end up with any unsuccessful prints during the tests. All our prints were of good quality.

The Creality LD-002R is perfect for beginners. The printer is easy to work with it, even if you are new to resin 3D printing. For this reason, it makes it on our list of the best resin 3D printers for beginners.