CrealityK1 MAX 3D Printer Upgrade with 600mm/s Printing Speed 300°C High-Temperature Nozzle Direct Extruder Hands-Free Auto Leveling Dual Z Axes Stable Cube Frame 11.81x11.81x11.81inch

= What I WantedAs I am new to 3D printing, I wanted something that:- Easy to setup and get going on- Sufficiently capable to avoid quickly "outgrowing" it- Affordable (<$300)= Why I Choose the Ender 3 ProI was torn between the Ender 3 and the Ender 3 Pro. I settled on the Pro, as I figured that the Pro represented the best and most refined version out-of-box. The Ender 3 is a tried and true model with it's strengths and weakness well known. There are numerous howtos available on how to address the various short comings of the Ender 3. However, several of the enhancements offered by the Ender 3 Pro are either more difficult or cost - approaching or exceeding the cost differential between the 3 and 3 Pro. For example, the upgraded (sturdier) Y-axis base is more difficult to do on your own and requires significant disassembly and reassembly. The upgraded PSU is nearly the cost difference alone and results in an unused item in your drawer that you paid for.= Out of the Box ExperienceThe printer was easy to assemble and worked well without any modifications. It is critically important to get the bed "level" - not as in bubble level but as in consistent height from the extruder nozzle (I used the paper method). It is also important to make sure that the wheel/track assembles are straight and true with proper tightness. I found several helpful guide videos online for this specific model that do a good job of walking you through it.My device came with the latest FW at the time of writing (1.1.6.2), so I have no experience in FW flashing yet. I do plan on setting up an OctoPi/OctoPrint solution, but for now the including SDcard and adapter has worked fine. I've printed with both PLA and PETG and both come out surprisingly well in my opinion. I've been using the latest version of Ultimaker Cura at the time of writing (4.5.0) for slicing STL files.= Notes on UsageA note on print times. I have no experience from which to base my expectations on print times however, you do need to be patient as many prints can take 5, 10, 15+ *hours*. I haven't tinkered around much with the print settings to see how much of a reduction in time I can achieve and at what quality tradeoffs. Nor have I experimented much to see how print quality and time stacks up when printing multiple parts simultaneously versus multiple prints of singular parts.You should monitor your prints - initially to make sure it lays down a good first layer that adheres well and then periodically check on it to make sure it doesn't go awry. Also, make sure you have enough filament to finish the print and that you plan for the duration. Things like- Are you comfortable with it printing overnight or while you are away?- Will the printer be free from vibrations/bumps/drafts in it's location (e.g. dining room table) from foot traffic, AC vents, etc for the duration of the print?= Final ThoughtsOverall, I've been very happy with this purchase and foresee a long service given it's performance, upgradability, and available of spares in case of part failure.

The Reality K1 Max is an outstanding 3D printer that delivers speed, precision, and reliability. The Core XY motion system ensures smooth, fast prints, while the AI-assisted features, like auto-bed leveling and a built-in camera, make setup and monitoring effortless. I was up and running in 20 minutes, and the video feed is outstanding. The large print volume (300x300x300mm) is great for big projects, and the enclosed design helps maintain print quality. If you want a hassle-free, high-speed printer with excellent results, the K1 Max is a fantastic choice. At this price, it is probably one of the best printers you can get, if the single filament and large build volume are what you are after.

Creality consistency and build quality is hit and miss, but with this sort of machine you sort of have to be an enthusiast and willing to dive in and take it apart a few times. I've been messing with 3d printers for about 10 years and am actually pleasantly surprised with this one. It shipped almost fully assembled and was easy to set up, frame is reasonably square and all the connectors / cables are well protected and routed out of the way. The setup was slightly marred by Creality's cloud server not being found for the first day or two (ended up being able to connect it the second day).During the initial self test the bed was tilted off by about 1.2mm from diagonal corner to corner and did not have a straightforward manual leveling system. It was reasonably flat despite not being level, although not to the standard of my other printers so I expected bad first layers / prints. The auto-leveling is actually only automatic compensation based on the bed height readings, but it works shockingly well on this machine. I was able to get a nearly perfect benchy print from the built-in model in about 13 minutes. This printer is FAST and the print quality is excellent so far with the Creality Slicer built in profiles. I'm still working on shims / adjustment of the bed mounts to level it better and some minor upgrades (lighting mostly and a textured build plate) but so far there's very little that needs to be done for this to be put into use straight away.

I did get a few nice prints. And I look forward to 3d printing in the future. It just won't be with this unreliable piece of junk.My first issue was that the hot end would regularly clog and kill my prints. I am printing PETG filament at 235c and 70c for the bed. I have tried adjusting the hot end temp with no discernable improvement. Then when that wasn't a problem, the prints would often come unstuck halfway through the job and I would come back to see a pile of spaghetti on my table. So even though I level the bed, and clear the hot end before every print, it didn't seem to matter. So I started using glue stick to help the prints stick, but then I come back to a high pitch alarm indicating thermal runaway protection has been triggered. While I am happy it has this protection, because who wants to burn down their shop, it still results in a failed print. I can't believe this machine is even available for purchase in the US. It has given me extreme highs and lows for a little over a week now, and I have only one recourse now. Return it and put my money towards a legitimate 3d printer. I did a lot of research before buying this. You will see thousands of videos on YouTube showing how popular it is. I thought it was a great value. I was duped. Now I think that those videos were hired by the company marketeers to create positive PR. If you want to get a skeleton 3d printer, and replace a bunch of components because you like to tinker or are into the hobby of printer maintenance, rather than 3d printing and modeling, you might buy this. But if you want a useful tool, I cannot recommend a Creality 3 Pro. Save yourself the AGONY, and a few dollars, so you can afford a printer that is ready for public consumption.So sad.Bryan