Creality Ender 3 Max 3D Printer Review: Specs, Features, and more

Hello and welcome to Top 3D Blog, a place where 3D printing enthusiasts and makers can sate their hunger for quality additive manufacturing knowledge. In this addition, we are going to talk about the Creality Ender 3 Max — a powerful yet cheap 3D printer kit that offers reliable performance, extra-large build volume, state-of-the-art heated bed, and a plethora of other quality of life features for smooth and hassle-free 3D printing experience. Throughout the article, we will be highlighting the features, pros, and cons of the Ender 3 Max, as well as showing you some of the models printed with it. Let’s dive right in.

About Creality

Creality is a Shenzhen-based additive manufacturing company that was founded in June of 2014 and is currently regarded as one of the largest and most popular international Chinese 3D printer manufacturers in the world. The company’s main goal is to make 3D printing affordable for everyone and make some technical innovations along the way, hence the budget-friendly prices for their quality machines. The lineup they offer is a diversified one to say the least, which, topped up by consistent performance and affordable price tags, pretty much explains why it's so demandable in more than 80 countries worldwide. 

Click here to read a full-fledged review about Creality and its lineup.

Creality Ender 3 Max Overview

The Creality Ender 3 Max is a desktop FDM 3D printer kit designed for makers that want to print big without investing too much. To say the least, the machine offers an impressive build volume of 300 x 300 x 340 mm (11.8 x 11.8 x 13.4 in) that allows you to print just about anything. For instance, you could print a single large model or make several smaller ones in one go. Besides, the device boasts its sturdy all-metal frame with a modular design that guarantees stability during printing as well as effortless and intuitive assembly. The Ender 3 Max is a classic Cartesian-style 3D printer kit with a precise linear pulley motion system that comes with a pre-assembled gantry and has to be leveled manually, which will provide entry-level makers with the essential knowledge of how FDM 3D printers operate. This is a highly upgradable machine that can be equipped with a BLTouch probe for automatic bed leveling, LED lights, and other noteworthy upgrades to take your 3D printing experience to a whole new level. 

Its open-frame structure provides quick and easy access to print jobs, allowing you to always stay on top of the printing process. It can print at a minimum layer thickness of 100 microns, which is typical for an FDM 3D printer and is more than enough for prototyping and household use. Compared with its predecessors, namely the Ender 3 and its upgraded V2 iteration, the Ender 3 Max offers a larger build volume and a handful of improved components, such as dual heating fans for top-notch heat dissipation, an all-metal extruder with a heat-resistant copper nozzle for smooth filament extrusion, and a reliable 350W power supply. It is a mid-sized 3D printer with dimensions of 513 x 563 x 590 mm (20 x 22 x 23 in) and a weight of 9.5kg (21 lb), making it a perfect fit for almost any desk. 

The machine is equipped with Creality's magnetic Carborundum glass heat bed renowned for being one of the best FDM printing platforms due to its efficiency. It is fast to heat up, offers great thermal conductivity and first layer adhesion, prevents warping, facilitates print removal, and provides you with outstandingly smooth first layers. Featuring an all-metal extruder and such a powerful heated bed, the Ender 3 Max is compatible with a plethora of printable materials, including PLA, TPU, ABS, and other plastics. However, we recommend equipping it with an enclosure in case of printing with ABS-type materials to guarantee optimal heat distribution and keep noxious fumes at bay.

For more quality of life features, the Ender 3 Max offers the resume printing function that always goes hand in hand with large-format 3D printing. It ensures that your current print job progress won’t be lost even if a sudden blackout occurs, allowing the machine to carry on printing precisely from where it left off. Imagine losing a 48 hours print due to a power outage. As frustrating as it sounds, it won’t be the issue with the Ender 3 Max.

The Ender 3 Max can be controlled via a rotary knob for effortless standalone operation. The logic behind menu options is crystal clear and is highly unlikely to cause any trouble. In our opinion, a touchscreen would've been a neater analog to its current control system, but this unique rotary knob design is pretty easy to get used to. Apart from SD card connectivity, the device can be controlled via a PC using a tethered USB cable.

Specifications

• Technology: FDM
• Assembly: DIY (semi-assembled)
• Bed leveling: Manual
• Manufacturer: Creality
• Manufacturer country: China
• Outer dimensions: 513 x 563 x 590 mm (20 x 22 x 23 in)
• Build volume: 300 x 300 x 340 mm (11.8 x 11.8 x 13.4 in)
• Weight: 9.5kg (21 lb)
• Compatible with 3rd party filaments?: Yes, an open material system
• Print precision: ±0.2mm
• Print speed: 30-60mm/s (recommended), ≤180mm/s
• Layer thickness from: 100 microns
• Connectivity: USB, SD card
• Motherboard: 32bit motherboard
• Software: Creality Slicer/Cura/Repetier-Host/Simplify3D
• Compatible file formats: STL/OBJ/AMF
• Operating systems: WindowXP/7/8/10/MAC/Linux
• Nominal voltage: 100V-240V  AC50/60HZ  DC24V
• Nominal power: 350W
• Leveling method: BL-Touch(Optional)
• Printable materials: PLA/TPU/PETG/ABS/Wood
• Built-in camera for monitoring: No
• Price: $344.99

What’s in the box

• Creality Ender-3 Max 3D Printer main units
• Filament runout sensor
• Power supply
• USB cable
• Spool holder
• SD card
• Toolbox
• Scraper
• Pliers
• Spare parts
• Test filament
• User manual

For some items, package content may change. In case of any questions, please get in touch.

Setting Up the Printer

The Creality Ender 3 Max comes in a semi-assembled state, meaning it has to be assembled and leveled manually. The self-assembly process provides a steep but enjoyable learning curve that will prove to be particularly useful in case of later troubleshooting, making the device a particularly good choice for inexperienced makers and hobbyists that want to understand how FDM 3D printers really work.

The printer is supplied with a user manual that goes over the above-mentioned procedures in-depth, so it won’t be hard to assemble the device. There is also an official step-by-step video guide if you prefer these. 

To give you a brief overview of what to expect, we’ve reviewed some of the main steps. 

First of all, you’ll have to install the pre-assembled gantry frame and a power supply.

Then, install the control screen and spool holder.

Connect the Z-axis limit switch and X- and Y-axes control ports to the corresponding sockets.

Then, you’ll have to connect the screen and power supply cables, plug the device in and turn it on. Select “Prepare”—”Auto Home” to initiate the calibration process.

Proceed with the calibration by placing a piece of A4 paper between the platform and the nozzle, and level the bed by using the rotary knobs located beneath the platform.

After completing the calibration, run a couple of test prints to see how it goes and re-calibrate if necessary. Happy printing!

Slicing Software

The Creality Ender 3 Max is compatible with Ultimaker Cura, Creality Slicer, Repetier-Host, and Simplify3D. These slicing software solutions are easy to use, regularly updated, and have a constantly growing community of users. Besides, they offer an effective workflow with CAD plugin integration and a plethora of compatible file types.

Source: youtube.com

Along with some of the essential features such as creating, reshaping, and editing your models and supports for them, you can tinker with more than 400 advanced options. As a rule, the latter is not needed in case you are a beginner.

Use Cases

One maker employed the Creality Ender 3 Max to create this neatly-looking heart-shaped box. As you can see, both the surface finish and level of details are quite on point.

Source: instagram.com

Here’s another one from the same maker. This time, he decided to 3D print this beautiful vase. Look how splendid it looks.

Source: instagram.com

All in all, the Creality Ender 3 Max is perfect for the production of uniquely designed household items, prototypes, tabletop models, props, and more. It can be successfully used in some professional applications as well. For instance, it would be good in continuous batch production of rare-to-find items like mount drill templates for airplanes.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Large build volume
• Reliable and consistent performance
• Affordable
• Easy to use
• State-of-the-art heated bed

Cons

• No enclosure
• No touchscreen

Bottom Line

The Creality Ender 3 Max is an FDM 3D printer kit that offers impressive build volume, resume printing function, sturdy design, powerful heated bed, and an all-metal extruder for wider material compatibility. Aside from not having an enclosure and a touchscreen, it is a perfect 3D printer that will definitely come in handy in case you’d like to create uniquely-designed household items, props, accessories, prototypes, and other items. The machine is suitable for both entry-level and more experienced makers and can also be employed in batch production and other professional applications.

You can purchase the Creality Ender 3 Max from Top 3D Shop. This outstanding large-format 3D printer comes with the manufacturer’s warranty. Our team will make sure to provide the best service possible, just like we always do.