Flashforge Adventurer 4?

[Chrisv]

Hello All,
I'm considering purchasing a Flashforge Adventurer 4 and I was wondering if anyone has any opinions about this printer. It would be my first 3d printer.

I'm drawn to the model because it is completely enclosed with a HEPA filter and has a hotter tip than some.

I'd really like a printer that doesn't need lots of upgrades. My goal is to use a 3d printer to engineer things for my other hobbies. I know that 3d printing itself becomes a hobby, but at this point I'm sort of hoping for a printer that "just works"

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

[irvshapiro]

I have no experience with the Flashforge Adventurer 4, but I have done a review of the Creator Pro 2. Based on that experience, it is clear that Flashforge builds solid devices with good but not outstanding specifications. The Creator Pro 2 is an IDEX (dual print head) 3d printer. Flashforge did an excellent job of simplifying the complex calibration requirements inherent in this architecture. My primary concern about Flashforge is that they do not use Marlin in their devices, they use a variation of Sailfish. With the Flashforge variation of Sailfish, their print files consist of gcode with a binary header. This limits the slicer you can use with Flashforge printers. Historically if you did not like Flashprint, the Flashforge proprietary slicer, you could use Simplify3d. Unfortunately, it seems Simplify3d, which is a paid slicer, is struggling to keep its software up to date. Using Cura may be possible but I have not gotten this to work yet.

The latest version of Flashprint is quite nice, but the print quality of fine details does not seem to match the quality you get from Cura or PrusaSlicer.

The specifications of the Adventurer 4 look pretty good, and I think it is likely that it will be a plug and play 3d printer which meets one of your requirements. If your prints do not require very print details -- for example, text that is close to the nozzle size in dimensions, then I expect, sight unseen, you would be pleased with this printer.

[Chrisv]

Thanks so much! Is there an alternative that you prefer that I might not have considered?

[Ender5r]

Unfortunately, from what I've seen and read, the only real alternatives are relatively expensive. For example, the Ultimaker printers. The S5 is around $7,000.

[Alan]

The proprietary nozzles and slicer are big turn offs for me. However, someone is working on integrating Flashforge printers into Cura: https://marketplace.ultimaker.com/ap...derIntegration.

If you haven't seen it, 3D Printer General has a review of a prototype (so caveat emptor): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJNv-Plyiq8

Have you thought about enclosing a Prusa I3 Mk3S+ or even an Ender 3?

Good luck!

P.S. -- The S5 is a two color printer. But, yes, the Adventurer 4 is at a good price point.

[Chrisv]

The proprietary nozzles and slicer are big turn offs for me. However, someone is working on integrating Flashforge printers into Cura: https://marketplace.ultimaker.com/ap...derIntegration.

If you haven't seen it, 3D Printer General has a review of a prototype (so caveat emptor): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJNv-Plyiq8

Have you thought about enclosing a Prusa I3 Mk3S+ or even an Ender 3?

Good luck!

P.S. -- The S5 is a two color printer. But, yes, the Adventurer 4 is at a good price point.

I did see the 3d printer general review, but it seems like almost all of the YouTube reviews are sponsored and call me skeptical but...I don't know.

I did think about building my own enclosure but acrylic is actually pretty expensive and the prusa is also a little bit more expensive. Realistically I think a decent DIY enclosure with a HEPA filter might cost $250, and a pre-made mk3s+ is $1k. So almost double the A4.

I also like the idea of it being factory enclosed just for the sake of it being a little more tidy. It will be in my living space and to be blunt, I'm trying to keep the spouse happy.

I AM concerned about the proprietary software issue, but since I have zero 3d printer experience I just e know how big of a problem this is.

[irvshapiro]

Chrisv I view Flashforge printers as appliances. If you want to add your own upgrades I would not buy a Flashforge printer. However, if you are looking for an appliance they will do what they are designed to do -- as long as you like using Flashprint.

[JSLillpopp]

because If you mean that reviews are compensated on YouTube because the companies send a free printer to the reviewer, I would just say that I have seen both good and bad reviews with “free” items. The companies are taking a chance. Most of my experience is viewing woodworking tool reviews, however I don’t feel like I received bad info. And I get a deep sense Irv is a very honest reviewer. That’s why I checked out this forum. I also agree that a hepa system is awesome. I haven’t seen info on the printer you asked about. I hear great things about Prusa, from every corner of YouTube.

[JSLillpopp]

Weird… it cut off my beginning sentence. Lol…

[Chrisv]

Oh I completely agree that Irv is an honest reviewer, but I think that many YouTube channels (not Irv) count on long term relationships with companies that make printers in order to be able to make new review based content and are therefore eager to please the people who gave them the printers. I've just seen that model go sour in other fields so it always make me raise an eyebrow.

[Ender5r]

I do believe most people can tell when a reviewer is being honest and when they're sucking up to the 'benefactor'.

[Chrisv]

I have a hard time finding reviews without benefactors. Some of them at least explicitly say that they got the printer for free.

[Ender5r]

Sorry, I wasn't saying "reviews without benefactors". I was only saying I think people can tell whether a reviewer is giving an honest review, even if they got the printer for free. 1 way, of course, is if they say negative things about the printer. No printer is perfect. If the reviewer skips over the less-than-ideal parts about the printer, move on to another reviewer.

[Alan]

I did see the 3d printer general review, but it seems like almost all of the YouTube reviews are sponsored and call me skeptical but...I don't know. ...

Yup, there are a couple reviewers that I don't watch for that reason. I've watched many of many of the General's reviews and have confidence in them; hence, why I bothered to link to it. He did note some negative things, for example. It's always good to watch several reviews as what is important to one reviewer may or may not be important to you.

Cheers

P.S. -- I read someplace that the HEPA filter should be replaced every two months "according to the manual." That might be an operating expense worth factoring in.

[Ender5r]

P.S. -- I read someplace that the HEPA filter should be replaced every two months "according to the manual." That might be an operating expense worth factoring in.

Yeah. In general, HEPA filters are not cheap.

[Chrisv]

Thanks for all of your replies! My other hobby, keeping reef aquaria, is heavily developed in the online forum space. I'm thrilled to find that there is a welcoming online community for 3d printing.

I think that Irv may have hit the nail on the head when he said that these printers are like appliances. That sounds like exactly what I'm looking for: a printer that I don't need to modify and tinker with too much in order to get reasonable quality prints. In the long term, who knows! I may become a tinkerer some day.

Could you guys please comment on the limitations of using flash print? I have seen here and other places that these printers will take me to flash print, but I don't actually know what that means

[irvshapiro]

Flashprint is a competitive slicer but has more limited features for fine-tuning the quality of prints. For most standard prints it will work well. The primary limitation I have seen is that very find features (unlikely to occur in reefs) are not as clear as a finely tuned Cura print using a custom-tuned Cura profile. You may want to look up my Flashforge Creator Pro 2 review to see some examples of Flashprint. In that video, I used Flashprint v4. V5 is now out and it is very competitive without some of the Cura or PrusaSlicer bells and whistles but probably consistent with the appliance theme easier to use.