Intro to the Ender 3 Pro

Posted byGeoffrey Schaller

In March of 2020, my wife bought me an Ender 3 Pro 3D printer. Over the past 4 months, I have learned a lot about this specific printer, and 3D printing as a hobby. I am writing this post as a way to document (or really, link) everything I have learned into one convenient place to share with my friends who are beginning their own journies.

About the Ender 3 Pro

The Ender 3 series of printers includes the base Ender 3, the Ender 3 Pro, and the Ender 3 V2. The Ender series of printers are inexpensive, and bare-bones – this is not to say they are “cheap,” but they lack some of the features that a printer that costs several hundred dollars more may have. They also are designed to be Open Source and are very modular – this allows you to replace a lot of the components that come with the printer with newer / better ones down the line. The parts that come with the printer are not the best, but they work. They also require a lot of tinkering and manual effort to get working optimally, which is great for learning how they work, but this also means the owner needs to invest time and effort into the printer instead of “just working.”

The expectation that should be that after buying an Ender 3, there will very likely be a series of upgrades needed to help optimize and keep the printer running, and possibly use it to its fullest potential.

The difference between the models can be summarized in this link. In short – the basic Ender 3 “basic” is the least advanced, and needs the most work to be upgraded to match the other variants. Because it has a lighter weight frame which cannot be upgraded, it will never be as stable as the Pro or v2. The Pro has a sturdier frame, which is a massive benefit that cannot be easily upgraded. The V2 has many minor upgrades included that make it better than the Pro, but these upgrades are not worth it (over the Pro) if you plan on replacing components yourself – just get the Pro and skip paying more for features you are going to replace anyways.

Setup

Before you begin – before you even take it out of the box – read up on what you are doing. Making a mistake early on could cost you in time, and parts if you break something you need to replace to get it working. The setup process is not hard, but it can be confusing if you are just trying to follow a sheet of paper. There is an excellent YouTube video that walks through the process – watch it once before you unbox the printer, then follow it on a Laptop, Phone, or Tablet as you assemble the printer.

Filaments

In order to print, you’ll need filament. You’ll want to order some to have it on hand to get started, so that you don’t have your new toy all set up, and can’t use it. This is a quick summary of what’s out there so you can order one or two rolls ahead of time, and be ready to print when your Ender is set up.

Filaments come in different materials:

  • PLA – Simple, easy to use, low-temperature plastic that is easy to work with. Great for toys, hobby use, gaming minis, etc.
  • PETG – A more durable plastic, PETG uses higher temperatures to print and work with. The end result that is printed will be tougher, more resistant to heat, and can be sterilized without damaging the plastic, but is much trickier to work with on the printer. It is suggested you work and become comfortable with PLA first before you pick up PETG.
  • ABS – similar to PETG, ABS is a more durable, higher temperature material. It is known to off-gas noxious fumes while being printed, making it less desirable than PETG.

Vendors & Spools

There are many vendors that make 3d Printing filaments. At the time of this writing (during the COVID-19 Pandemic), there has been both an explosion in the hobby due to people being at home, and scarcity in materials (both filaments and upgrades) because things coming from China are backordered (Creality, the company that makes the Ender 3, is Chinese, as are a lot of filament manufacturers).

Most spools are universal. The Ender 3 series uses 1.75mm sized filament, instead of 3.0mm or other sizes. Spools usually come in 1kg amounts, although some places sell 750g or larger (2.5kg) spools as well, so you don’t have to change them out as often.

Most filaments do not do well in humid environments, and will absorb moisture from the air if left out in the open. You will want to look into a storage setup that is airtight, and has a way of removing moisture (such as a vacuum seal, or desiccants) to keep your moisture dry and happy when not in use. Large Zip-Lock bags and a batch of dessicants off Amazon should work in a pinch, with weathertight totes being a good upgrade. (Links will follow when I can revise this article).

Some vendors sell re-useable spools, called “Master Spools,” that can be refilled. You can then buy filament refills cheaper by not paying for the spool as well. (You can also print your own Master Spools, which is pretty neat. That’s one of the joys of this hobby is the printer printing its own upgrades to improve itself.)

Popular vendors include:

  • Amazon Basics
  • Hatchbox
  • eSUN
  • SunLu
  • Filastruder

I have a personal preference for Filastruder, as they are based in the USA, ship quickly when other vendors were out of stock or closed, and have re-useable spools and sell refills that cost $5 less than a normal spool.

Upgrades for your Ender 3

The following are upgrades you can either purchase (with links), or print yourself, with links to the item / STL files. They’ve been broken down into Important, Recommended, and Cosmetic groups.

List of Important Upgrades to Buy:

List of Important Upgrades to Print:

List of Upgrades that are recommended to buy:

List of Upgrades that are recommended to Print:

Purely Cosmetic Prints:

Board / Case Replacements:

YouTube Channels to watch

To be filled in later

Where to get files to print

To be filled in later