The Creality Hi Combo is generating excitement in the 3D printing world as an innovative multi-color CoreXY printer. Designed with user-friendliness and affordability in mind, it’s a compelling option for families and hobbyists alike. This review delves into the Creality Hi Combo’s key features, advantages, and disadvantages while also providing insights into Creality as a company.
Creality: A Company Overview
Creality is a prominent player in the 3D printing industry, known for producing affordable and user-friendly printers. Founded in 2014 by Adun Ao, Creality’s mission is to make 3D printing technology accessible to everyone. The company has a diverse range of printers catering to various needs and budgets. Creality has established itself as a leading manufacturer of consumer 3D printers, particularly in the entry-level market 1. The company emphasizes providing a comprehensive ecosystem of products and services, offering resources and support to help users maximize their 3D printing experience 1.
While Creality has earned a reputation for its accessible and innovative printers, its customer service has received mixed feedback. Some users have reported positive experiences, while others have expressed concerns about response times and warranty claims. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) gives Creality a rating of 1.16 out of 5 stars based on an average of 19 customer reviews. Over the past three years, the BBB has received 65 complaints about Creality, with 25 complaints closed in the last 12 months. These complaints include issues related to service or repair, product problems, and difficulties with returns and refunds.
Creality Hi Combo: Key Features
The Creality Hi Combo is packed with features that aim to simplify and enhance multi-color 3D printing. Here’s a closer look at what it offers:
- Intelligent CFS: The Creality Filament System (CFS) revolutionizes multi-filament management, allowing you to print with up to 16 colors by connecting up to four CFS units. This system also enables snap-away supports for easier removal of support structures.
- Hands-off Calibrations: Say goodbye to manual adjustments! The Creality Hi Combo automates filament reading, leveling, and PA tuning, streamlining the printing process.
- Effortless Start: With 95% pre-assembly and a clear boot-up guide, setting up the Creality Hi Combo is a breeze. The printer has a shipping weight of 11.58 kg, while the combo has a shipping weight of 19.14 kg.
- Advanced Extruder: The integrated direct drive extruder is designed to prevent clogs and simplify maintenance.
- Robust Construction: The all-metal body, crafted from die-cast aluminum alloy, ensures rigidity and durability.
- High-Speed Printing: Experience rapid printing with a maximum speed of 500 mm/s and an acceleration of ≤ 12000 mm/s²
- Convenient Touch Screen: The 3.2″ touch screen provides intuitive control and can be folded away to save space.
- Monitoring and Privacy: The built-in camera with a privacy cap allows you to monitor prints and create time-lapse videos while ensuring privacy when not in use.
- Active Input Shaping: This innovative technology analyzes and counteracts vibrations, resulting in smoother, higher-quality prints
- Quiet and Smooth Motion: Step-servo motors with FOC algorithms drive the X and Y axes, ensuring quiet and precise movements even at high speeds . Step-servo motors offer improved torque and responsiveness compared to traditional stepper motors, resulting in more accurate and efficient printing 9.
- Built-in Filament Sensor: The Creality Hi Combo features a sensor that automatically reads filament information, simplifying filament management and ensuring compatibility with your print settings.
- Sound Alerts: Stay informed about your print jobs with distinct sound notifications for print completion or unexpected pauses
- Versatile Software: The printer utilizes Creality OS, offering smart multi-filament management and compatibility with Fluidd WebUI for advanced users. Creality Print 5.1 and newer versions are supported for slicing. You can also connect to CrealityCloud for remote monitoring and control 11.
- Connectivity Options: Connect to the printer via USB drive or WiFi for convenient file transfer and control.
- Tilt Reduction: Dual lead screws on the X-axis work together to minimize tilt, contributing to improved print accuracy and quality
- Rapid Heating: The 1000W AC heatbed heats up quickly, reaching 60°C in 30 seconds and 100°C in 90 seconds, reducing waiting time.
- Durable Nozzle: The printer features a durable tri-metal nozzle with a 0.4 mm diameter, compatible with 0.6 mm and 0.8 mm nozzles for different printing needs.
- Generous Build Volume: The Creality Hi Combo offers a build volume of 260 x 260 x 300 mm, providing ample space for a variety of projects.
To summarize the technical specifications:
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Printing Technology | Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) |
| Build Volume | 260 x 260 x 300 mm |
| Max Print Speed | 500 mm/s |
| Acceleration | ≤ 12000 mm/s² |
| Filament Diameter | 1.75 mm |
| Nozzle Diameter | 0.4 mm (compatible with 0.6/0.8 mm) |
| Connectivity | USB drive, WiFi |
| Display Screen | 3.2″ color touch screen |
| Filament System | Creality Filament System (CFS) |
| Max Number of Filaments | 16 (with four CFS units) |
| Software | Creality Print 5.1 and newer versions, Creality Cloud, Fluidd WebUI |
| Features | Auto bed leveling, X-axis tilt reduction, filament run-out sensor, filament tangle detection, active input shaping, camera with privacy cap |
Creality Hi Combo: Pros and Cons
Here’s a breakdown of the Creality Hi Combo’s strengths and weaknesses:
Pros:
- Beginner-friendly: The Creality Hi Combo is designed with beginners in mind, featuring a user-friendly interface, 95% pre-assembly, and a helpful quick start guide.
- Multi-color Printing: The CFS enables printing with up to 16 colors, a unique feature in this price range
- Fast Print Speed: Achieve quick printing with a maximum speed of 500 mm/s .
- Durable Design: The all-metal body and linear rail system ensure stability and high-quality prints.
- Quiet Operation: The printer operates at a low noise level of ~48 dB
- Affordable: The Creality Hi Combo offers competitive pricing compared to other multi-color 3D printers .
Cons:
- Open Design: The open-frame design may make prints susceptible to drafts.
- Limited Material Compatibility: While compatible with PLA, PETG, and ABS, the printer may not support all filament types
- Mixed Customer Service Reviews: Some users have reported issues with Creality’s customer service .
Creality Hi Combo: Price
The Creality Hi Combo is priced at USD 469, while the Creality Hi (without the CFS) is USD 299.
Availability
You can purchase the Creality Hi Combo from the official Creality online store.
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Reviews
The Creality Hi Combo has garnered positive initial feedback from users. On Amazon, customers have praised its multi-color printing capabilities and ease of use. Reddit users have also expressed interest in the printer, mainly because of its potential in multi-material printing and attractive price points.
Creality Hi Combo: Is it Good for Beginners or Professionals?
The Creality Hi Combo caters to both beginners and professionals. Its pre-assembled design, user-friendly interface, and helpful boot-up guide make it an excellent choice for those new to 3D printing. At the same time, its advanced features, such as active input shaping, FOC step-servo motors, and fast print speed, make it suitable for professionals who need to produce high-quality prints quickly.
Conclusion,
The Creality Hi Combo is an impressive 3D printer that offers a compelling blend of features and affordability. Its user-friendly design, multi-color printing capabilities, and fast print speed make it a versatile option for both beginners and professionals. While the open design and mixed customer service reviews are factors to consider, the Creality Hi Combo presents excellent value for money, especially for those interested in exploring multi-color 3D printing 8.
Creality’s dedication to innovation is evident in the Hi Combo, which embodies the company’s vision for making 3D printing more accessible and versatile 19. If you’re looking to dive into the world of multi-color 3D printing, the Creality Hi Combo is definitely worth considering. To explore its full potential and learn more, visit the official Creality website or check out reviews from other users.
This review provides a comprehensive look at the Creality Hi Combo, highlighting both its innovative features and areas for improvement. One question that comes to mind is: How well does the Creality Hi Combo handle complex multi-color projects compared to other printers in the same price range? It’s also interesting to see how Creality has made strides in user-friendliness, especially with features like the Creality Filament System and hands-off calibration. However, the mixed customer service reviews raise some concerns. Has anyone here had personal experience with Creality’s support team? I’d love to hear how those issues were handled!
Thank you for your insightful comment, Herman! You pose a very pertinent question regarding the Creality Hi Combo’s effectiveness with multi-color projects. Based on my observations, it seems to perform adequately; however, I have noticed that the filament switching can be somewhat slower in comparison to other printers within its price category. Have you had the opportunity to experiment with it yourself? It’s worth mentioning that user-friendliness is a notable feature of Creality’s latest models, and the automated calibration process is a definite plus. I do share your sentiments about the variability of customer service experiences, which can indeed be a mixed bag. I would be very interested to hear from others about their experiences with Creality’s support team. If anyone has thoughts or insights to contribute, please feel free to share!