Creator Pro Dual Head

I have NOT received my 3D printer and there have been no updates or information about shipping, not even a tracking number. Tried calling their phone number and the number doesn't work. Not happy with the service.

Great

The creator pro is a great unit. It can handle multiple filament types and multiple colours. This is my first 3D printer and I am very impressed with it. The only downside is that the instructions are too simplistic. Not having used a 3D printer before I didn't know what I had to do when the print finished. I deformed my first few prints because I didn't know I had to wait for the print to cool down. But apart from that I would definitely recommend this as a great unit to start with.

Now I have both 3D printers I can really say I am a fan.
I feel the creator pro digital display is not as easy to follow as the dreamer. The external reel holders make the creator cumbersome in comparison and I find it difficult to have to move it to change the reels, plug in and turn on. Both dual heads are the same. They need a better attachment system not tiny screws on a ball head non magnetic hex key. I would suggest a snap on clip set up - on the turbofan as you have to remove it anyway to add the baffle. Reaching underneath to do up those screws, without being able to get your head in the space, is a pain. Everything else? what is not to love?

I bought this 3D printer, got it set up (the user manual was a little daunting at first as this is my first 3D printer, but I got there in the end…), and managed to do a few really complicated prints (first a 1cm test cube, then a Ford logo key-ring, then a Baby Yoda figurine, using support materials). I was really surprised how easy it was to get started.

The software that came with the printer, Flashprint, is clunky, and pretty much didn’t work at all (on my Mac); it froze repeatedly, and when it did work, the interface was poorly labelled and made no sense whatsoever. It managed to slice the 1cm test cube, but I couldn’t get it to slice the other prints I managed (listed above). I instead bought a licence for Simplify3D and (after a bit of research, because this 3D printer doesn’t have a predefined profile in Simplify3D*), managed to get the other designs sliced and printing.

*Side-note for anyone wondering, you can use the "Flashforge Creator Pro” profile in Simplify3D instead (there is no "Flashforge Creator Pro Dual Head” profile… because literally nowhere on the internet does the "Flashforge Creator Pro Dual Head” exist except for on the 3D Printer Superstore website! It’s not even mentioned on the Flashforge website! This caused quite a bit of confusion, especially when trying to get help from others (discussed later in this review).

I managed all the above prints in the first 24hrs of ownership. I was really chuffed and impressed.

Then things got busy with work, so I put the 3D printer into my shed (where I was/am planning to use it in the long-term), and left the printer for about a month.

When I finally got back to printing, I had no end of trouble getting the filament to stick to the print bed. I contacted both 3D Printer Superstore and Flashforge for assistance, but nobody responded. I was very lucky to have found a Facebook group where I could get support, and after about two weeks of stuffing about trying to get the printer to work, we realised I hadn’t properly levelled the print bed, and this was (presumably) the cause of the issue. It was at this time I also started using 3DLAC adhesive spray and using rafts (a feature of the Simplify3D software), and between these three solutions (adhesive spray, rafts, and a properly levelled print bed), I was up and running and printing all sorts of complicated models again.

The print bed levelling instructions were rather unclear to me. I understand the process of levelling the bed, turning the knobs to change the height of the bed, etc. What I didn’t appreciate was how close the bed needed to be to the printing nozzles/extruders. Specifically, you are directed to place a sheet of paper on the print bed, and “slide it under the extruder and tighten/loosen the screw on the print bed until the paper just slides under the nozzle”. That is pretty vague; does it mean the paper has significant drag on it (caused by the nozzle being too close) (i.e. it “only just slides/moves under the nozzle”), or does it mean the paper should only have a barely perceptible amount of drag on it from the nozzle holding the paper onto the print bed?

In any case, I eventually figured out the correct distance and got things working (the nozzles need to be very, very close to the print bed, e.g. less than a tenth of a millimetre!).

I guess I must have fluked the print bed levelling procedure when I first set it up (before moving it into my shed).

Some quick thoughts:

1. I am really impressed with the quality of the prints, although this seemed to only be possible with Simplify3D software, not the Flashprint software that came with the printer. I highly recommend getting Simplify3D software, even if you don’t use this specific 3D printer, because they provide really detailed troubleshooting guides that apply to any brand of 3D printer. They also provide better support construction for the 3D prints.

2. The printer hardware itself is good. It has a reasonable range of temperatures and - therefore - can support many materials.

3. Technical support provided by Flashforge and 3D Printer Superstore was precisely zero. Absolutely useless.

4. I was disappointed to learn (after purchase, my fault for not researching it further) that this 3D printer cannot be controlled by a computer. You have to slice your models on your computer, copy the slice files onto an SD card, and insert that card into the 3D printer. Many 3D printers instead can be plugged into your computer (e.g. via USB cable) and so you can transfer slice files directly to the printer without the hassle of the memory card, or (particularly with Simplify3D) you can actually control the printer itself from your computer, which opens up options for monitoring prints (see the OctoPrint system, for example).

Summary:

It’s a great 3D printer. Support from the retailer and manufacturer is non-existent. The software that comes with the printer is borderline useless. Buy Simplify3D software and network with experie...