Creality CR-6 SE 3D Printer

Although we often see upgrades and new models coming out in 3D Printing, which each add on to previous models with new improvements and sometimes experimental new features, the Creality CR-6 SE is certainly in a league of its own, bringing new designs and variations for almost every component on the machine, to completely overhaul the classic design and offer a 3D Printer that is built to premium specifications – but without the premium price tag. This has been achieved through the clever use of crowdfunding, as Creality decided to take a community-focused approach this time, allowing passionate Makers to contribute towards development, which of course has drastically reduced the end price and resulted in a machine that is going to be nearly impossible for competitors to beat.

While many Makers may look at the Creality CR-6 SE and consider it to simply be a competitor to the Ender 3 Pro and Ender 3 V2, the truth is that, despite being a similar size and priced only slightly higher, this model is way ahead of its time, and without the Kickstarter campaign to help fund it, it would definitely be somewhere around the price of the Ender 5 Plus. This is because this machine is PACKED FULL of incredible features that we would’ve never thought would be included on 3D Printers priced within this range. From fresh new features like integrated automatic bed levelling within the hotend design, to modern quality-of-life improvements like the little toolbox and easy-release extruder system, there is absolutely nothing boring about the Creality CR-6 SE, with each feature being carefully planned and optimised specifically for modern Makers and end-users.

Compared to many of the other 3D Printers on the market, we’ve been quite surprised by the fact that, despite having so many new features and upgrades, this machine is actually extremely easy to use, not only offering a quick 5-minute installation, but also a very user-friendly interface that is easy to understand even for absolute beginners. These user-centric features, along with the incredible extras that focus on user experience and print quality, are far more valuable than the price tag suggests, and whether you are just getting into 3D Printing, or are looking for another machine to add to your collection, it’s going to be tough for us to recommend any other models over the Creality CR-6 SE.

The Incredible Features of the Crowdfunded Creality CR-6 SE?

With most new models that we receive to review and potentially stock, we usually see one or two major upgrades along with a few minor details being refined, and that’s great, because good things take time, and we’ve personally seen how a model that’s been rushed onto the market is typically just not as good, with small upgrades and refinements usually leading to more success. However, with the Creality CR-6 SE, this 3D Printer has been packed full of amazing new features and a whole range of refinements, although instead of being a rushed job, this model has been carefully designed with the help of passionate Makers throughout the world. And let us tell you, the results have been astounding, producing an incredible machine with way more features than the price tag would suggest.

So let’s take a close look at some of these key features, and you can expect to benefit from each when you get your own new Creality CR-6 SE:

• Automatic Bed Levelling via a Built-in Force Sensitive Resistor – Over the years, we’ve experimented with a lot of different 3D Printers, and we’ve seen a lot of different attempts at automatic bed levelling, each with their own distinct benefits and drawbacks. However, with the Creality CR-6 SE, Creality have taken a very simple but extremely clever approach to bed levelling, and instead of having the bed levelling sensor be a separate unit, it has been intelligently integrated into the hotend assembly. This is done by using a specialised strain gauge, or Force Sensitive Resistor plate, and mounting the hotend directly onto that sensor plate. With this method, the machine can easily detect precisely when the nozzle touches down on the bed, completely eliminating the need for special probes, sonar or infrared detectors, or any other external sensors, as the actual hotend does all the sensing it needs to in order to ensure a perfect bed height each and every time. In fact, this system is actually so good that Creality have even chosen to have a fixed-place bed, which doesn’t have any adjustment screws on the bottom. And while we were originally quite disgruntled by that idea, after just a few tests, we were blown away at just how effective this seemingly simple but incredibly clever design really is.
  
  
• 32-bit Motherboard with Integrated TMC2209 Drivers – As you will have probably seen, there has recently been a lot of hype around silent printing, with TMC Stepper Drivers taking front and centre stage for delivering high performance with near-silent operations. This is why it’s certainly no surprise that the impressive Creality CR-6 SE comes fully equipped with TMC2209 drivers, which are not only silent, but also offer a good range of extra features as well, for advanced Makers who really like to get the most out of every component they use. This of course is complemented with a powerful 32-bit motherboard, and these drivers have actually been integrated directly into the motherboard to ensure seamless compatibility and even further improved performance and heat management. These two upgrades translate to quieter, better quality 3D Printing with substantially fewer printing artefacts, as well as more precision and smoothness in the quick and complex motions that 3D Printers need to do.
  
  
• All of the Best User Upgrades from Around the World – Although we often say it, it’s not always easy to see, but Creality really does listen to feedback from users, and this machine is a prime example of exactly that, as Makers from all over the world all helped take part in the Creality CR-6 SE Kickstarter campaign, sharing their opinions and results to help Creality make “The Perfect 3D Printer” that includes all of the aftermarket parts and modifications that so many Makers throughout the world love. These upgrades, which of course have been added to the Creality CR-6 SE throughout the design process, include: Dual-Z Belted Leadscrews to reduce sag and improve accuracy over the whole gantry; a handy little Built-in Toolbox for keeping important tools out of sight, but well within reach; Integrated Belt Tensioners so you don’t have to unscrew anything to fix up the tension; a Versatile Spool Holder that can swivel out of the way if necessary; Cable Protection & Strain Relief for all of the cables, with particular focus on the hotbed connector; Clever Hotbed Fixators to keep the bed in place with simple swivel-mechanisms to lock and unlock it; a reasonably Rugged Optional Carry-Handle that can be installed onto the top aluminium extrusion; and Pre-installed Fan Guards to keep those pesky filament flakes out of the electronics box. This incredible number of cool new features is enough to cause any Maker to start salivating on the spot, and they also mean that you don’t need to add anything to get all of the best upgrades and modifications that you’ve used, read about and planned to print in the past.
  
  
• The Quickest and Easiest Setup Yet – When comparing the Creality CR-6 SE to the many other “DIY 3D Printer Kits” on the market, which typically require the user to setup and install many of the components from separate parts, the Creality CR-6 SE takes all of that complicated mess and simplifies it into just two major parts, with a few minor extras to fit into place and screw in tight. Coming as a separated Gantry Assembly and Base Assembly, you simply need to line up the right places, screw in 6 screws in total, clip in the spoolholder in and plug in some cables. After that, you’re ready to start 3D Printing, with the included 200g of 3D Filament ensuring that you’ve got no excuse not to have immediately start having fun and experimenting with your fresh new machine. This setup process should take between 5 and 15 minutes depending on your mechanical prowess, and the only vital check you need to do to ensure nothing goes wrong is to check that the PSU is safely switched to 230V to match SA power. And of course, just to emphasise this factor even further, the Creality CR-6 SE even includes a 200g spool of free filament, which means you don’t even need to get separate materials to print with, and can instead just dive straight into the fun once your machine is set up.

Although we were originally quite scared at the massive number of changes and modifications to the classic Creality CR-10 and Ender design, we’ve been pleasantly impressed by just how carefully planned and well thought out each and every feature is. From basic enhancements to parts like the extruder and belt tensioners, to features that purely focus on the user experience, we can see the Creality CR-6 SE being the new favourite amongst 3D Makers of all skill levels, whether they are just getting into 3D Printing for the first time, or have been in the 3D Printing game for years already.

Our Final Verdict on the Creality CR-6 SE Printer:

Despite the low price of the Creality CR-6 SE, this beautiful 3D Printer is rich in features and functionality, and it’s this odd mix of high quality and low cost that makes it quite difficult to pinpoint its primary position in the market. On one hand, it is affordable and definitely easy enough to use even for beginners who are just getting into 3D Printing, whereas at the same time it could also be an awesome extra addition or upgrade for Makers who already know what they want from a 3D Printer. This really makes it a great choice for pretty much anyone and everyone who doesn’t need the full 300x300mm of a larger format model, with extra bells and whistles to make 3D Printing both easy and fun, while ensuring repeatably great quality results with very little tweaking required.

So, as a final verdict, we believe that the Creality CR-6 SE is hands-down the best value-for-money 3D Printer that is currently on the market, and this is mostly thanks to the incredible support and “pre-funding” of the model that Makers contributed towards from the Kickstarter campaign. Unfortunately, this means that we likely won’t see another model in the near future that will be quite as impressive at the CR-6 SE is for the price, although we can certainly be thankful that we have this model to really take advantage of, enjoying some professional-grade features while only having to pay the price of a typical hobbyist model.

Additional Resources:

• If you’re eager to take a look at the User Manual, check out the Creality Resources Page, where they feature the Creality CR-6 SE User Manual, as well as other handy documents.
  
  
• Next up, if you want to see where it all started, be sure to take a look through the Creality CR-6 SE Kickstarter Campaign, where Makers from all over the world contributed towards the development, reaching the important stretch goals and ensuring a truly awesome (and affordable) feature-rich 3D Printer.
  
  
• Of course, while we do strive to provide the most accurate information we can for you, it’s always important to get a second opinion before investing your hard-earned money. So be sure to take a quick look through this Creality CR-6 SE Build & Review from Teaching Tech, in which he takes an objective look at all of the key features, comparing the CR-6 SE to other models in the same price range, and providing some great print examples so you can get a good idea of what kind of quality you can expect.

To finish it all off, we feel like there’s nobody more knowledgeable or fun than Joel, the 3D Printing Nerd, when it comes to reviewing fresh new models on the market, so we’ve decided to include this great Creality CR-6 SE Unboxing & Review, which takes a look at all of the new features, discusses how they differ from previous models, and completes the first very basic (but objectively beautiful) first print:

Although Creality 3D have been working within the industry since 2014, their addition of the Creality CR-10 series is what really catapulted them to the front line of competition, as it offered substantially better quality compared to other 3D printers – while simultaneously reducing the cost and complexities of the machines.

The quality of Creality’s 3D Printers and accessories shows through in their market history, with the brand selling around 3000 printers in their first year on the market, followed by about 10,000 sales over the next year. Now, Creality easily sells around 30,000 or more 3D printers each year, with sales continuously rising as they bring out more models. These are impressive numbers when considering the fact that they entered the industry as unknown competitors, quickly rising through the ranks and now even competing with Wanhao and similar top brands.

If you are looking for excellent 3D Printers that offer affordability without compromising on quality, Creality 3D is certainly a brand that you should take note of. From the basic Creality Ender 2 all the way up to the large build volume Creality CR-10 S5, there are few other brands who are capable of offering such a refined package while still maintaining some of the most enticing prices in the industry.