So we brought out the classic speed test tower. In this test, the printer starts printing this model at a low speed and gradually increases print speed as it goes higher up the tower. For every 12.5 mm increase in height, the print speed increases by 20 mm/s. Another small improvement is the design of the coupler which holds the PTFE tube - the Ender 3 V2 Neo uses a new design that no longer relies on small metal teeth to hold the tube, making it less prone to failing over time. We also found that it holds the tube very firmly as long as the blue clip is present, which will help prevent jamming due to a gap forming between the PTFE and the top of the nozzle. A built-in tool box allows you to keep important tools close at hand! A button-type tensioner ensures tightness and prevents layer shifting. If you are looking for the most affordable Ender 3 that still has most modern features, these two 3D printers are worth considering. In this article, we’ll compare these two lower-end models, the Ender 3 Neo and Ender 3 V2 Neo, with each other to help you figure out if the latter is worth the extra price. With the Ender 3 V2 Neo, there should be no reason to use a Raft or Brim with the standard filaments. Fortunately, with the correct temperature setting and the excellent adhesion of the print bed, such auxiliary constructions are not necessary.

Like a lot of the extrusion-type printers today, the Ender-3 V2 Neo’s default filament is PLA. But it’s also compatible with PETG and ABS. If you’ve used Cura before, you’ll notice that the Creality slicer software has a striking resemblance to Cura, and it’s basically exactly the same to use.The Ender-3 V2 includes a user manual, which is mostly a setup guide. Text is duplicated in English and Chinese throughout. It starts with front and rear diagrams of the printer, with the parts numbered. Also included are a spec sheet and a comprehensive parts list (erroneously titled "Spare Parts"), with illustrations and names for each part. One of the biggest problems is that ABS shrinks when it cools, which can cause objects to warp. To prevent this, it is important to keep the ambient temperature even and high. The Ender 3 Neo is an update to the Ender 3 Pro 3D printer. It retains much of the form, function, and philosophy of the Ender 3 Pro, while making some notable updates without steeply pushing the price upward. Users get everything they loved about the Ender 3 Pro, along with some great new features, without having to pay much more. If you still want to try printing with TPU, you need to calibrate the retraction well. Flexible filaments are sensitive to incorrect retraction settings. Stringing is difficult to control with a Bowden extruder for flexible filaments. Thanks to the good adhesion of the PC-coated print bed, the adjustment of the print bed temperature is not quite as critical for the Ender 3 V2 Neo. The above values should provide sufficient adhesion for the respective filaments.

The slicer supports several 3D file formats, such as STL, 3MF, AMF, and OBJ files that you can drag and drop into a neat user interface. Material Compatibility Speed is important when it comes to 3D printing. It affects print quality and how much power and material you use.There are a few other minor differences between the Ender 3 Neo and Ender 3 V2 Neo, which are not dealmakers or dealbreakers in themselves. Still, they are some nice-to-haves for the more premium model. These include an integrated toolbox and belt tensioners, which add to the improved usability and polish of the Ender 3 V2 Neo. The V2 comes with all the tools you should need for assembly—although, as mentioned, I also needed to use one of my own wrenches to resolve an issue. This is not the model to get if you are looking to simply plug and print. Many closed-frame printers, as well as the pre-assembled Prusa i3 MK3S+, fit that profile, though the latter costs about three times as much as the V2. An important thing to realize about the Ender-3 V2 is that it comes as a kit. Creality doesn't sell a pre-assembled version. During setup, you bolt together or otherwise connect the parts mentioned above. Building the V2 is more involved than constructing the Original Prusa Mini—for which you bolt the Y-axis assembly to the base, attach the LCD screen and spool holder, and connect some cables, and then you're good to go. Assembling the V2 was akin to the build process for the AnyCubic Vyper, taking several hours for the basic construction and a few more in troubleshooting.

The Ender-3 V2 Neo has a 220 x 220 x 250 mm build volume – the same as the original Ender 3s. It can 3D print pretty much any size of object you expect from a desktop printer. But that wasn’t enough, we wanted to know what happens when you crank up the print speed on the Ender-3 V2 Neo right to the top. For best results, you might want to use Creality filaments on their printers. A good example is this roll of 1.75 mm PLA that came with our printer. The full metal Bowden extruder enables higher extrusion force. Thanks to an integrated rotary knob, feeding and removing the filament is much smoother. Therefore, if you want the highest level of definition in your prints, try printing at the minimum layer height. The Ender-3 V2 Neo has a minimum layer height of 0.1 mm with the default being 0.2 mm, same as the original Ender range.Plastic Bowden extruders are okay. But if you’re constantly using your printer, you’ll need an extruder that will last. Model Preview Unfortunately, PETG is extremely prone to stringing, which is why it is more difficult to print than PLA, for example. So calibrating the settings is a must. However, the values given above should provide a good starting point. For some PETG filaments, the settings might already be ideal.

Creality says that the Ender 3 Neo and Ender 3 V2 Neo both feature a v4.2.7 32-bit silent mainboard. However, the v4.2.7 appears functionally identical to the v4.2.2 on older models, albeit with some minor tweaks in stepper motor wiring to suppress noise production. So, don’t expect any performance enhancements over the v4.2.2 mainboard on the older machines.That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get good prints from TPU with the Ender 3 V2 Neo. It just takes a little more trial and error and calibration than with inflexible filament.