The Creator 2 Pro is a dual extruder 3D printer that comes from the Shenzhen-based manufacturer Flashforge. This company has been consistent in making affordable, high-quality, and reliable 3D printers over the course of its 10 years of experience.
The machine that I’m about to review is no different from what Flashforge is all about. With a sub $800 price tag, the Creator Pro 2 is a premium-class 3D printer that looks and feels outright exquisite.
One of the most noticeable features of this printer is that it boasts two extruders, each with a direct drive print head of its own. This opens up an array of exciting possibilities of how you could print your parts with this 3D printer.
With Flashforge’s excellent customer service support, the Creator Pro 2 could be one of the best mid-range Independent Dual Extruder (IDEX) printers out there with all its list of features.
In this review article, I’ll be taking this promising FDM machine for a spin to find out if it’s truly worth the time and money.
I’ll discuss its features, major strengths, and weaknesses, and also write down what customers think of it so you can come to a definite conclusion.
Without any further ado then, let’s jump straight into the features of the Flashforge Creator 2 Pro (Amazon).
Table of Contents
Features of the Flashforge Creator 2 Pro
Independent Dual Extruder Design
Heated Build Plate
FlashPrint Slicer Software
Anti-Scrape Design
Robust Build Quality
Full Manufacturer’s Warranty
Multi-Color Printing
Mirror Printing
Duplicate Printing
Third-Party Filaments Compatible
2D Print Photos
Professional Customer Support Service
Fully Enclosed Print Chamber
3.5″ Touch Screen Interface
Handles for Carrying
Independent Dual Extruder (IDEX) Design
The Creator Pro 2 has an IDEX 3D printer that brings many benefits to the user. With two independent extruders at your disposal, the possibilities are seemingly endless.
Whether you’d like to make multi-color prints and duplicate them in the process, or would rather prefer to mirror your prints simultaneously, this terrific machine can do what many can’t.
You can also print soluble support structures that can allow you to print complicated overhangs and be easily removed later. This will definitely make it possible to print objects of higher quality.
One of the key examples is of a shape which requires supports on the inside of the model which couldn’t be removed manually. All you have to do is let your print sit in a solution of liquid that dissolves the supports, which could be water for HIPS filament.
Heated Build Plate
The Creator Pro 2 uses a textured build plate that can be heated to a maximum of 120°C. It grips filaments strongly and makes sure the first layer adheres appropriately. This quality heated bed sets you up for a streak of successful prints.
You can definitely print advanced level materials with this key feature, such as Polycarbonate, ABS, and Nylon.
FlashPrint Slicer Software
The FlashPrint slicer software is what Flashforge pre-loads in their FDM 3D printers. It’s a useful slicer that has its fair share of features and can be used to make high-quality prints.
This slicer has the right configurations to print your objects, either using a single extruder or both.
A nifty new feature of the FlashPrint slicer software is that it allows you to print 2D photos which you can definitely have fun with.
Anti-Scrape Design
Unnecessary oozing is a common yet frustrating problem in dual extruder 3D printers. To make sure it doesn’t happen as frequently in the Creator Pro 2, the printer uses an effective anti-scrape design.
This feature makes the inactive extruder that may potentially ooze out filament wipe itself by moving across the build plate. This can happen in both print heads, depending on the situation.
As a result, parts come out looking exceptionally clean and crisp – something that you’re going to get used to with the Creator Pro 2.
Robust Build Quality
As mentioned earlier, the Creator Pro 2 (Amazon) is no slouch when it boils down to its design. Its boxy, stylish construction indicates its luxury-grade build quality and makes it stay that way for the years to come.
The printer houses a metal frame structure to keep stability at its peak when you’re working with it. Every part of this machine looking nothing less than high-quality.
Full Manufacturer’s Warranty
Flashforge offers a 12-month warranty with the Creator Pro 2. If in the unlikely case anything goes wrong with your 3D printer, you can simply send in an email and ask for a replacement under that period.
This gives you that extra sense of security when purchasing the Creator Pro 2. They are very well known for their top customer service so you are in good hands.
Multi-Color Printing
You can use one of the multiple print modes of the Creator Pro 2 to create top-quality multi-color prints. This is a whole niche that many people are into and therefore, look for a suitable 3D printer to fill their requirements.
You can use two different colored filament spools to make multi-color prints without breaking a sweat.
Mirror Printing
The Mirror Printing mode allows you to print two symmetrical models and get them mirrored to each other. It’s just one of the many capabilities of the Creator Pro 2’s dual extruder.
Duplicate Printing
Duplicate Printing is for all those looking to print a whole bunch of the same 3D object. This mode makes it possible to print two identical objects at once, thereby forming a duplicate of the original model.
This can really increase your efficiency, especially if you are selling 3D prints and need to up your production.
Third-Party Filaments Compatible
Thanks to the Creator Pro 2’s effective heat bed and fully enclosed design, you can print using a wide variety of filaments rather than a limited number of basic filaments.
PLA, Pearl PLA, ABS, ABS Pro, PVA, and HIPS are just to name some of the filaments that this printer can support. Flashforge also doesn’t restrict you to buy from its own catalog of filaments. You can use filaments from any third-party supplier.
Professional Customer Support Service
Flashforge enjoys the reputation of having one of the best customer support services in the 3D printing industry. Its team always goes above and beyond to help customers in need and quite rarely takes long to reply.
The community, help, and support around a 3D printer is also a significant factor that you have to weigh in when buying one. With Flashforge, quite fortunately, you’ll never feel solo.
Fully Enclosed Print Chamber
This Flashforge consists of a fully enclosed print chamber. This is the sign of a quality 3D printer as enclosures are quite beneficial when it comes down to it.
First off, you’re much safer with an enclosure over your 3D printer as it can prevent kids from touching the heated build plate. Secondly, an enclosure helps retain the temperature inside and keeps the influence of external factors at bay.
Last but not least, it also enables you to print more types of filaments, such as ABS. The Creator Pro 2’s combination of the enclosure and heated build plate has the pleasure of making this possible for you.
3.5″ Touch Screen Interface
The Creator Pro 2 has a 3.5-inch touch screen interface that makes navigation smooth and painless. Once you have the printer set up and beeping about, the touch screen quickly comes into play and shows you how easy it is to control the machine.
Handles for Carrying
The Creator 2 Pro has dedicated handles mounted on either side so you can easily carry the machine, or perhaps, take it out to dinner.
Consists of side-handles to easily carry it around
The customer support service will go to any length to resolve your issue
Low maintenance required
Easy-to-understand operation
Optimal for multi-color 3D prints
Supports several filaments for versatile prints
Can be used for rapid prototyping with Mirror Mode
Downsides of the Flashforge Creator 2 Pro
The Creator Pro 2 does not have any deal-breaking downsides to its name. It’s a great machine overall, but it’s not perfect and does have some cons that I’d like to put out here.
For starters, you do not get the filament detector nor the power resume function with the Creator Pro 2. This can surely turn some people off.
Next, the Creator Pro 2 has a relatively small build volume, even smaller than its predecessor. 27mm has been cut back on the X-axis, compelling you to make do with its 200 x 148 x 150 mm print space.
Furthermore, some users have said that sometimes the build plate makes parts adhere to it with an exceptionally strong grip. This has often ruined their print since the bed isn’t removable either.
Moreover, the printer lacks Wi-Fi connectivity, so your only options are an SD card and a USB. I haven’t heard many good things about the FlashPrint software either.
It can be rather complex and hard to use, especially at an advanced level. It’s not the most suitable for beginners, and such people are better off with something like Cura or Simplify3D.
Another con with the Creator Pro 2 is that its filament spool holders are practically useless. They do not fit filament spools from other manufacturers, so you best be feeding the filament on your own.
All that said, it’s easy to get that these downsides aren’t too drastic. You’re getting tons of value in other, more important areas of the Creator Pro 2.
Customer Reviews of the Flashforge Creator 2 Pro
At the time of writing, the Flashforge Creator Pro 2 has a decent 4.2/5.0 overall rating on Amazon. 69% of the people who bought it have left a 5-star review with many praises.
The 3D printer ships to your doorstep in quality packaging, making users appreciate their purchase right from the get-go.
It’s fairly easy and quick to put together and is surely termed “plug-and-play” by many of its customers.
With the initial set-up out of the way, you’ll be getting straight to printing and this is where the Creator Pro 2 takes the cake. After leveling your bed and minimal calibration, parts come out looking highly detailed and accurate.
The majority of its users agree that the Creator Pro 2 is phenomenal when the quality of prints is in question. Costing about $800, it does a lot more than merely justify its price tag.
Users have admired the dual extruder design of this printer that allows them to create multi-color prints, among other possibilities. Its ease of operation makes the printer a great fit for those who have just started out with 3D printing.
Some printers cost less and have good performance as well, but they’ll need upgrades and improvements to get near the same level.
With the Creator Pro 2, it’s the opposite as this machine is already skillfully built and has everything you need to start printing with minimal effort.
To top everything off, Flashforge’s customer support service has always left customers utterly satisfied with this company.
Whatever the issue at hand, they always respond on time and do their level best to sort out the issues of their consumers.
Conclusion – Is the Flashforge Creator 2 Pro Worth Buying?
The Creator Pro 2 has plenty of positives and not many cons, leading to my recommendation that it is a 3D printer worth buying. Flashforge is a well-respected company who knows how to manufacturer top range 3D printers.
It’s a very capable machine.
The top-end build quality, worthwhile dual extruder design, affordable price, and user-friendly operation all contribute to a terrific 3D printing experience that you do not want to miss out on.
The build volume isn’t the largest, but you could always split your parts up into different sections to tackle that problem.
With all its substantial ups and trivial downs, the Creator Pro 2 will set you up for the years to come, offering you the addition of its extra extruder that can be used for an extensive range of 3D printing applications.
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