Two excellent 3D printer kits offered are the Sovol SV03 and the Creality Ender 5 Plus. Both printers offer a multitude of great features, but we are going to break them down based on extruder and safety. We will base our recommendation on project needs as well as user skill level.
Sovol SV03
The Sovol SV03 is an FDM 3D printer. It is a Cartesian-XY printer. It features automatic bed leveling, a Meanwell power supply, and direct drive extrusion.
The Sovol SV03 boasts a 350 x 350 x 400 mm build volume. It works with materials like PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG, HIPS, and Wood. It comes partially assembled and is easy to put together.
This printer comes with BLTouch preinstalled. BLTouch is an automatic leveling sensor. It is usually applied to 3D printers as an upgrade, not preinstalled. With this important sensor installed, the height variance is detected across a mesh of points on the bed. This information is fed back to the printer so it can make the necessary adjustments as it prints.
The printer also offers direct drive extrusion. One of the benefits of this is that it makes the printing of flexible filaments easier. The second benefit is that the printer can exercise greater control over the filament’s retraction.
To protect prints that are in progress, the Sovol SV03 comes equipped with a filament run-out sensor. If something happens to the filament or if it runs out, printing will pause, allowing the user time to correct the issue. Printing will then resume where it left off.
Additionally, it has a print resume function. In the event of a power loss, the printer will pause printing. When power is restored, it will resume printing where it left off.
The Sovol SV03 has a 350V Meanwell power supply. This protects against unexpected power surges. It also heats the print bed quickly and provides a stable flow of power.
The printer has X and Y-axis belt tensioners. Tightening them occasionally should keep the printhead on track and reduce the chance of wobbly, messy prints. It also features dual Z-axis stepper motors on the frame. This distributes the weight evenly and lowers the center of gravity, decreasing any wobble-based imperfections.
Creality Ender 5 Plus
The Ender 5 Plus is an FDM 3D printer. It features auto-leveling, thermal runaway protection, and a Bowden extruder.
Like the Sovol SV03, the Ender 5 Plus features a build volume of 350 x 350 x 400 mm. Both printers come partially assembled.
The Ender 5 Plus works with filaments like PLA, ABS, wood, copper-containing filaments, soft glue, gradient filaments, and more. It features a Bowden extruder, moving in filament from a remote location.
The printer features a BLTouch auto-leveling sensor. The sensor begins working as soon as the printer is plugged in. It measures the print bed surface’s inclination, ensuring the compensation of the Z-axis in case the platform is uneven. It plays an active role in preventing errors caused by print surface unevenness.
The Ender 5 Plus comes equipped with thermal runaway protection. This function will automatically cut off the heating element if irregularities in the heating process are detected. This protection prevents fires from starting due to the printer overheating.
The printer offers a 4.3-inch touchscreen UI. Users can easily adjust settings and look up prints from the screen. Controlling and interacting with the printer is easy.
Equipped with a glass plate, the Ender 5 offers a smooth bottom surface finish for models as well as ease of removal of finished models. It is a very flat surface to work with and reduces the instances of prints not getting proper adhesion due to warping.
Our Recommendation
While both printers offer great features, we must delineate the differences between the two before users make a purchase decision. The Sovol SV03 offers a Meanwell power supply and a direct drive extruder. It is great for beginners. However, to accommodate the large build volume, the printer itself is large so if users need to print large projects, this may not be the printer for them.
On the other hand, the Ender 5 Plus offers thermal runaway protection and a Bowden extruder. This printer is also great for beginners. Again, due to the size, if the users do not need to print large-scale projects, they may consider other printers.