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4.5
UPDATE: 3-4-2023The Glass Coated Print Bed no longer adheres to the part. The coating will not work. I have cleaned it. Washed it, used IPA, and nothing works except using some glue stick. I would recommend getting a PEI Spring Steel Sheet with magnetic bed kit. That is what I am going to do.Okay, let me start off by saying that this is not a BASH on the Ender 3 Pro, it is a Good 3D Printer, but it is way over priced at $236.00 compared to the Aquila C2 at $165.00 for basically the same machine.Aquila C2 Price: $165.00The Good: (What I like)It Comes with the following,Glass print Bed Which has a coating on one side and plain glass on the other. I put a PEI Sheet on the glass side for when I really need good bed adhesion.X Belt TensionerY Belt TensionerSolid Power Supply4040 Beam Construction for the base.2040 for the Z Axis Uprights202 Top BeamGood selection of tools included, especially side cutters.Hundreds of upgrade parts available on several sites.Very easy to upgrade the mainboard case to something easier to open and use. And the Micro SD card will be right side up. The case opens from the top. Far easier to work on. I also added a Creality v4.2.7 with customized firmware.The Bad: (What I do Not Like)Did Not Like the Limited firmware upgrades. (Fixed when I upgraded the Control board case and added a v4.2.7 board)Did not like the Non Silent Stepper Drivers (Very Noisy When Printing, hence the control board case and main board upgrade to a Creality v4.2.7 Silent Board)Did not like Loud Fans (Stupidly loud) (Fixed when I upgraded mine to RGB WINSINN 40mm fans, much quieter)Did not like the Flimsy Z Axis motor mounts (Fixed when I upgraded mine to CNC Machined Motor Mounts)I also do NOT like single Z Axis Lead Screw (Fixed when I upgraded mine to Dual Z Axis Kit with top bearing blocks)The print head stops right on the glass bed edge, making it hard to purge. (Fixed when I Upgraded to a shorted 3D Printed X Motor Cover and now the Nozzle is past the edge of the bed)Did not like the poor wire management. (Fixed when I added 3D Printed clips to clean things up)Did not like the issue with elephant footing on prints. (Fixed with a set of Backlash, Spring Loaded Nuts)Did not like the fact it had no handle on top. (Fixed when I 3D Printed an excellent one)Did not like the short feet it had. (Fixed when I 3D printed a set of 36mm High Feet)Conclusion: Yes this is less money than the Ender 3 Pro, a nearly $71.00 difference in price.If you like to tinker, and want to modify your 3D Printer, then this is a way better starting option. The Ender 3 Pro does not even come with a glass bed, or Y Belt tensioner, or an X Belt Tensioner, the Aquila C2 comes with these 3 important features. Yes, I spent some money on a Dual Z Axis Kit, a v4.2.7 Silent board, a Light Bar Kit, a Dual Gear Extruder, and lots of Yellow filament. My Aquila C2 runs circles around my friend's Ender 3 Pro in so many ways now that I have done some modifications. It is a good quality 3D Printer, and it has been so much fun modifying it. If you want to get into this hobby, and want to learn as you go, and you can, there are tons of videos online on how to modify it. The Aquila C2 is basically an Ender 3 Clone, but $71.00cheaper for the base model. I spent roughly an additional $125+ dollars to get the Aquila C2 to where I wanted it. It is very close to what a Ender 3 S1 Pro would be, except the touch screen.I recommend this 3D Printer because it was $71.00 less than the Ender 3 Pro, and it is a very solid platform to start you 3D Printer adventure, and you education in how to improve and modify it.
