After its legendary budget printer CR-10(s), that is still a viable 3d printer choice in 2019, Creality3D now targets the top range budget machines with its brand new CR-10S PRO ultra quiet and high precision printer. But is it an improved CR-10 or a totally new 3d printer? It seems that similarities end at the overall design and print volume of 300x300x400 mm. It is very much like comparing the OriginalPrusa MK2 and MK3 – they look the same but they are not. This ultimate review will walk you through the new features – from unboxing and set-up to the best video reviews.
Almost everything has been redesigned in the CR-10S PRO:
- New power supply 24V
- New hotend
- Proximity sensor for automatic bed leveling
- New all aluminum extruder
- New filament run out sensor
- New electronics
Unboxing Creality CR-10S PRO
The new Creality CR-10s Pro 3d printer comes well packaged in a box. Although it is sold as DIY kit, the DIY part consists in screwing the gantry frame to the base frame and plug few connectors. Everything else comes preassembled. The base frame contains all the electronics, the power supply, the display and the heated bed. The gantry frame of the CR-10s Pro has the same proven construction as CR-10 – 2 x 2040 extrusions for the sides and on 2020 extrusion on top.
Inside the Tool Box you will find all parts needed to assemble, connect and maintain the Creality CR-10s Pro printer:
Creality CR-10s Pro assembly
Here ara some side views of the 3d printer with all its components when fully assembled:
- X limit switch
- Nozzle kit
- Hot bed
- Touch screen
- TF slot & USB port
- Z-axis motor (Z2)
- Z-axis coupler (Z2)
- Power switch & Power socket
9. Filament holder
10. Y Limit switch
11. Z-axis motor (Z1)
12. Coupler (Z1)
13. XL bed-leveling nut
14. Extruder (E) motor
15. Filament detector
16. X-axis motor
The assembly takes 10 to 20 minutes and consists in:
Then there are only few error free connections to make and your brand new Creality CR-10s Pro printer will be ready to power up. First connect the two steppers for the Z-axis with their connectors Z1 and Z2. Then plug the black ribbon cable to the connector next to the filament run-out detector. Finally use the power cord to supply the 3d printer from your socket.
The new features of the CR-10s PRO
The most obvious change compared to the other CR-10 3d printers is that the power and control block is now integrated in the build. It is certainly improving the compactness, however those of you who intend to build an enclosure won’t have the possibility to control the printer from the display during print, without opening the enclosure. Easy workaround in this case is to connect a Raspberry Pi with Octoprint server for remote control via wifi.
New touchscreen
The screen is now tactile with fast access to the SD card, the temperature setting and the printer settings. On the welcome screen are visible the bed and hotend temperatures (current / set). The most important functional change however is the bed levelling.
Automatic and assisted manual bed levelling
Creality CR-10s PRO offers assistance if you want to manually level the bed. No more need of special gcode files – you can do it from the touchscreen. Just press on each of the five buttons and the hotend will position in the selected corner (2, 3, 4 or 5) or in the center of the bed (1). For each position use an A4 paper sheet to determine the clearance to the nozzle and adjust the bed height by turning the knob underneath.
Creality CR-10s PRO is equipped with capacitive proximity sensor for automatic bed levelling. With a single press of the button “Check level” the hotend will position at 16 different points of the bed and perform automatic level adjustments.
Improved extruder
The bowden extruder on CR-10s Pro is all aluminum now, with double gears and adjustable tensioner. Its action is similar to the pricy Bondtech BMG extruder and now it handles better more filaments, including flex.
The bowden tube is high quality Capricorn PTFE, which withstands 300 ºC. It means the CR-10s Pro is capable of printing Carbon, Nylon, PC ABS and other composite filaments requiring more than 250 ºC.
Quality power supply and new control electronics
The powers supply (1) is 24 V and not 12 V like the previous models. It improves the heating of the heated bed and the hotend. It is made by Mean Well, a high quality Chinese brand for power supplies. All the connections are solid and well isolated.
The heated bed MOSFET (2) is 40 A and assures reliable control with good margin if you decide to upgrade to more powerful hot bed.
The control board (3) is also new design – version 2.4. It integrated new stepper drivers that provide better stepper control – low noise level and higher accuracy.
The power and control box has now plenty of room for user added options. For example it is possible to install power relays to automatically shut down or power on the printer from Octoprint.
Is Creality CR-10s Pro for you?
Yes it is. This printer provides superior printing quality and unrivalled printing volume for its price tag – less than 630 EUR. It is easy to assemble and perfect for beginners, however its ease of use will also please to the more advanced hobbyists.
Even if you love to fine tune your 3d printer and install mods and 3rd party products, Creality CR-10S Pro offers most probably many of the upgrades you would install – 24 V premium power supply ($90 value), Bondtech type dual extruder ($50+ value), decent motherboard and motor drivers ($70 value), auto levelling, double heated bed support, etc.
Best buy options for Creality CR-10s PRO
Although Creality3D has their direct online shop, it sells on public recommended prices. If you are in Europe or USA, you will find better price, after sales service and delivery lead time at Amazon.
Check also on Aliexpress
If you are a bargain hunter check the current deals for CR10s Pro
