If you anticipate you will be 3D printing large items, you can’t go wrong with the Creality3D CR-10 V2 3D printer. With a 300 x 300 x 400 mm print space, two Z-axes, auto level sensor and more, this is the ultimate large format printer you want.
Creality3D CR-10 V2 3D Printer Review
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Technical Specs
General Specifications
| Technology | FDM |
| Year | 2019 |
| Assembly | Assembled |
| Mechanical arrangement | Cartesian-XZ-head |
| Manufacturer | Creality |
3D Printing Specifications
| Build volume | 300 x 300 x 400 mm |
| Feeder system | Bowden |
| Print head | Single nozzle |
| Nozzle size | 0.4 mm |
| Max. hot end temperature | 260 °C |
| Max. heated bed temperature | 100 °C |
| Print bed material | Carborundum glass platform |
| Frame | Metal |
| Bed leveling | Automatic and manual |
| Connectivity | SD card |
| Print recovery | Yes |
| Filament sensor | Yes |
| Camera | No |
| Filament diameter | 1.75 mm |
| Third-party filament | Yes |
| Filament materials | Consumer materials (PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU) |
Software Requirements
| Recommended Slicer | Cura, Simplify3D |
| Operating system | Windows (XP or higher), MacOSX, Linux |
| File types | STL, OBJ, AMF |
Dimensions & Weight
| Frame dimensions | 420 x 550 x 650 mm |
| Weight | 11.5 kg |
Creality CR-10 V2 3D Printer Highlights
-
- Build space: 300 x 300 x 400 mm
- 1.75 mm filament for 0.4 mm nozzle
- 95% pre-assembled. Setup time: 20-40 minutes
- Extras:
- Filament sensor, TMC2208 stepper driver, 24V / 350W power supply
- two Z-axes, “BLTouch” car level sensor, good component cooling
The Creality3D CR-10 V2 is the successor of the original Creality 3D printer. This new printer features one obvious innovation: the cross struts that improve rigidity.
The CR-10 V2 has been given a baby blue paint and some upgrades under the hood. In this Creality3D CR-10 V2 review, we’ll go through the features, specs, print quality, and price of the 3D printer.
Let’s get started.
Delivery Package
We ordered the Creality3D from Creality. However, you can also find it on other online marketplaces.
The base, the structure, the power supply unit and the accessories arranged in the usual two levels. All parts are protected by a thick layer of foam.
Overall, the accessories are above average. Apart from the usual accessories, such as the “disposable” assembly tool, the filament pliers and filament spatula, there are also replacement nozzles and a PTFE tube. A 250g filament roll is included as well as the BLTouch for auto leveling.
In the package, there is a USB stick that contains the test print files and assembly instructions. The instructions are also available as a printed manual.
Assembling the Printer
It takes a short time to assemble the printer. The assembly instructions are self-explanatory. However, you won’t find the instructions for installing the four rubber feet. However, if you’ve been watching assembly videos, you already know that the unit has to be attached to the base with four screws and the cables plugged in.
With the CR-10 V2, the two cross struts have to be screwed on. This can take you from 20-40 minutes, depending on your experience and skill.
The cross struts should be screwed tightly to effectively reduce vibrations, especially at higher pressure levels. The aluminum profile covers must be removed in order to attach them to the frame below.
As long as they are on the frame, the cables stay hidden in the aluminum profiles, like is the case with the Artillery Sidewinder X1.
The Creality CR-10 V2 has an external power supply box. While many 3D printer manufacturers tend to permanently install the power supply and mainboard under the 3D printer (even Creality3D with e.g. the CR-10S Pro or the CR-X), the CR-10 V2 follows its predecessor.
The best thing about having an external power supply box is that you can position the power supply unit and the display better. Moreover, you have better access to the electronics.
However, there is one disadvantage I see: you don’t have the “one” block look.
The external power supply solution has another advantage: you have a stable filament roll holder!
With other 3D printers, this is often missing or is made of wobbly acrylic. Sometimes, the roll holder is attached to the aluminum profiles above the 3D printer and, therefore, the filament rubs too much when the extruder is drawn in. This is the case with the CR-10 S Pro or CR-X.
We ordered the BLTouch sensor kit and a bracket was included. Installing the hardware is easy: screw it on, plug the cable into the sensor, and plug in the other end of the cable at the extruder stepper (there is a small distributor board under the cover).
Afterwards, you can lay the cable properly with the other cables and PTFE hose. Unfortunately, the cable does not fit into the mesh hose.
What is BLTouch and Auto Leveling?
In 3D printing, every 0.X millimeter is important, especially on the first shift.
If the distance from the printhead to the heating bed is too big, you will print in the air. On the other hand, if the distance is too small, no or not enough filament will flow out of the nozzle. As a result, the nozzle will scratch the heating bed.
To avoid these two problems, the heating bed has to be “leveled” so that only a piece of thin paper fits anywhere between the heating bed and the nozzle.
The leveling can be automated by sensors and, if the heating bed is uneven, compensated for in real-time by means of a previously measured 4×4 grid during printing.
When you screw the metal cover on or off, the positioning should be correct, everything should sit firmly, and the cables should be properly fixed.
The CR-10 V2 has good cable management. The cables were neatly laid and fixed.
Let’s go through some internal parts.
The 350W power supply (LRS-350-24) from Meanwell produces 24V output. As a result, the hotend reaches the required printing temperature much faster than with 12V circuits.
The mainboard is in-house creation by Creality3D and the stepper drivers are permanently installed on it. Therefore, you cannot exchange the stepper drivers.
Since the stepper drivers get relatively warm, they and the board are cooled by an extra fan. The Artillery Sidewinder X1 has a cooling solution for the stepper drivers for a reason.
The feeder stepper looks good. It is made of metal and works perfectly, even after several kilometers of filament have been used.
Introducing new filament into the nozzel is also easy.
Creality3D still uses the Bowden extruder. The extruder has various advantages and disadvantages. For example, due to the long distance between feeder and nozzle, flexible filament does not print properly.
The heated bed also works great. The prints adhere to the bed during printing in a great way, and are easy to remove after cooling.
Interestingly, Creality3D has decided not to use ribbon cables again. The CR-10 V2 has the “good old” mesh hoses. I think this decision is good because the cables are a bit more flexible. Moreover, there are no clamps used, as with the SWX1, which can be problematic with thousands of movements.
Overall, the CR-10 V2 simply comes off really well.
Let’s now look at the print quality.
Print Quality and Reliability
The most important things to consider when choosing a 3D printer are print quality and reliability. Get these two right and you will have fun with your 3D printer as you won’t have to repair, readjust or improve something every time.
At 3DTechValley, we test 3D printers for more than a month before writing our review. We usually print the standard parts (calibration cubes, benchies, etc.) as well as other parts.
Here is our experience of how reliable the CR-10 V2 is.
Operating the CR-10 V2
The Creality CR-10 V2 has no color display, no touchscreen, or no welcome melody. Instead, you simply turn it on by rotating a knob.
The display board is a real classic and very reliable, just like is the case with the old CR-10.
When the display is on, you can start printing. You can also use an external print server, such as Octoprint to print.
The CR-10 touchscreen menu is quite basic. Therefore, if you want more than what is available on the touchscreen menu, get the Raspberry and a small display.
There isn’t much to say about the actual operation. The turning knob works reliably, the English is understandable, the usual functions (homing, deactivating stepper, preheating, etc.) work wonderfully.
You can also use an SD card (instead of microSD) with this printer. That saves you the annoying fiddling. With many 3D printers, the microSD usually disappears between the slot and the housing in the housing..
How does the BLTouch sensor work?
Autoleveling with the BLTouch sensor
First off, depending on where you buy your printer, the auto level sensor may or may not be included.
However, if you know how to properly level the heating bed and which parameters in the slicer ensure a good start to printing, then you don’t need the sensor. Generally, the Creality3D print bed is top notch and the meshbed leveling (grid creation by Marlin) works quite well in theory. So, the BLTouch or its clone is just more of a “treasure trove”.
I have connected the BLTouch, but don’t really take it into account in the GCODE. I leveled the heating bed and the printer has now been running constantly for months. There is simply no need to use the BLTouch.
If your heating bed is curved and the printing area is very large (400 x 400 mm and larger), a BLTouch or similar would come in handy. However, for the CR-10 V2, I just don’t use it.
If you want the BLTouch and it is not included, you can buy it separately. The L-metal bracket is screwed on, the cable plugged in – done.
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3D Prints
Our first 3D prints are usually of the manufacturers, if included in the microSD or USB stick. The CR-10 V2 comes with three GCODES to print: the well-known waving cat, the even better-known dog and a small piggy bank.
Noise
We started the first print. The built-in TMC2208 drivers and hotend fans ensure very quiet printing. So quiet such that the Creality3D CR-10 V2 is the second 3D printer (after the Artillery Sidewinder X1 ) that could print unmodified in our office without annoying people. This is cool!
Most of the new 3D printers come installed with stepper drivers to reduce noise.
However, the Creality3D power supply/mainboard fan is about 3 dB louder than the hotend/stepper. If you want to make it quiet, you can install a really good 24V Fan.
Heating Bed
With the old CR-10, you had to work with glass panes, masking tape, pritt pen and/or hairspray.
However, over time, Buildtak-like (magnetic) foils have come on the market. For example, Anycubic has installed the “Ultrabase” on the I3 MEGA line. This is a pane of glass with a special coating, i.e., a “mix” of various solutions.
The CR-10 V2 also has the Ultrabase. The adhesion is very good, objects “jump” off the plate by themselves after cooling and it can be treated a little more roughly in an emergency.
After more than 400 printing hours, I still didn’t have to use a spatula to remove prints or residues. Moreover, the surface still looks like new.
Another evolution that 3D printing has gone through is the installation of reasonable insulation under the heating plate. This not only ensures a constant heating bed temperature, but also less energy consumption. As a result, you will save money in terms of wattage and printing times.
The CR-10 V2 also has large level wheels and a strain relief for the heating bed cable connection.
Quality of Prints
The Creality3D CR-10 V2 delivers, out of the box..
Here the good heating bed, the stepper driver, and the two-sided component cooling interlock really well.
Component cooling does a really good job, especially with bridges. You don’t need a lot of support anymore.
If you value the underside, you will also have it very easy with the CR-10 V2.
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Conclusion: Is the Creality CR-10 V2 Worth It?
Yes!
The Creality3D CR-10 V2 is really good. If you want a printing space of 300 x 300 x 400mm, a quiet 3D printer, a reliable work machine and have the money, buy the Creality3D CR-10 V2! If you can live with the external power/mainboard box. The printer is ultimately better than the Creality CR-10S Pro , which costs about the same.
However, if you want to print with flexible filaments (e.g. TPU), you would have to retrofit a direct extruder, or get the Artillery Sidewinder X1.
If you need even more precise prints, you should take a look at SLA 3D printers. The Elegoo Mars and the Anycubic Photon S do their job well. However, 3D printing with resin also has its problems.
If you just want to try he 3D printing hobby cheaply, the Ender-3 would be perfect for you.
The Creality CR-10 V2 delivered the best printing results for me, out of the box (even before the Artillery Sidewinder X1). If you want a workhorse that shoots filaments that are easy to care for – the Creality CR-10 V2 is your choice!
In conclusion, Creality3D has brought a really good, simply solid, 3D printer onto the market without new or only half-implemented features or even gimmicks.
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