Flashforge Adventurer 5M Review!
This is the Flashforge Adventurer 5M or as I like to call it Flashforge’s response to Bambu Lab.
It’s their first real high speed 3d printer with some fantastic features such as;
A small form factor of 363×376×413mm
220mm cubed build size
auto bed levelling
auto z offset
vibration compensation or (input shaping)
280 degree hot swappable nozzle
and an outstandingly low price point!
Is this printer going to be your next printer? Let's talk about it.
Now for the record I purchased this printer from Flashforge myself, they did not send this printer to me for a review, these are just my thoughts and experiences with the printer.
Unboxing & Setup
Unboxing this machine was very simple, all you have to do is take the printer out of the box, remove the accessories and foam inside, then unlock the bed by removing a few screws.
Once powered on the printer will run you through an initial setup and calibration including bed levelling, vibration compensation and a test print.
Compatible Slicers
The Adventurer 5M is compatible with two slicers;
FlashPrint which is Flashforge's own slicing software
Orca Slicer which is my prefered slicer and also their recommended slicer for the 5M.
Both slicers are great with Flashprint offering Wi-Fi printing and slighly faster print times than files sliced through Orca Slicer. The only thing really laking in FlashPrint is organic supports.
There is a big downside with Orca Slicer though which I will touch on later.
Print Quality
The prints I have been getting of the machine are fantastic, I've had no real printing failures or issues whatsoever.
I've had a few comments on my YouTube videos asking if the quality is as good as the Bambu Lab range of printers and in my opinion yes it is. For some prints I even think it does a better job. I personally print silk filament primarily on my Adventurer 5M as I continue to get better results than on my X1 Carbon.
Compatible Materials
If you primarily print with PLA and TPU then this printer is definitely a great option for you. I've printed quite a bit of both filaments and I've had no issues so far. The printer is capable of printing PLA-CF, PETG-CF and PETG however I couldn't get PETG to stick to the bed without upping the bed temp to 95 degrees and even then I still had some edges lifting.
I've also seen some comments about ABS printing, and I can confirm that yes you can print ABS and ASA on this printer.... with an enclosure. Flashforge have just announced a DIY enclosure kit in which you print the frame for the enclosure and purchase acrylic panels and screws in a DIY kit on their website (which I will order and make a video on when it's available) or you can use a simple cardboard box or even foam mats.
These two Benchy’s on the screen are printed in ABS and ASA on the 5M with simply a towel hanging over the top of the printer (which I do not recommend at all!), but I wanted to test how enclosed this machine had to be to print ABS and ASA.
If you’re looking at getting into 3d printing or are after another printer to add to you collection and you mainly print PLA, TPU and PETG then I’d highly recommend the Adventurer 5M. At the price point of $499 AUD your essentially getting the same quality and features as a Bambu Lab P1P which is $420 AUD more expensive.
Dislikes
Calibration Fail
Now there are a couple things with this printer that I am not a fan off or have mixed feelings on.
For my machine during the calibrations everything went fine until the test print, which is where I had my first and really my only main issue with this printer. While attempting the test print the nozzle height was set too low and dug the nozzle into my build plate damaging one side.
Luckily it's a double sided build plate and only a small test print so I didn't have to get a replacement plate. I then restarted the printer, reran all the calibrations and reprinted the test print. This time it completed with no issues.
I have also been informed by Flashforge that the new firmware updates have solved this issue, so If you purchase a new printer you should be fine.
Pre-Loaded Files
All 5 of the pre-loaded files are sliced with a bed temp of 35 degrees and for my machine that just was not hot enough for the PLA to adhere to the bed properly. I have however recently been informed that the new Adventurer 5M's will come with a new and improved Gold PEI build plate as well as 7 new pre-loaded files which have bed temps of 45 degrees and up. Good on you Flashforge for listening to the community and making these changes.
No Unload Function
I have mixed feelings on this one. When you initially set up your printer and go through the calibration, it will walk you through how to load your filament. However what surprised me was when I went to change the filament, it didn't retract? Instead it started feeding the filament through. At first I thought I may have selected load instead of change filament, however on closer inspection the change filament instructions it tells you to cut the filament with the provided snippers and then purge the rest through.
Now I can understand why they have done this, as for beginners it will stop any clogging issues when unloading and changing the filament, however I don't like that I have to purge a significant amount each time I change filament.
No Wi-Fi Printing from OrcaSlicer
As I previously mentioned the Adventurer 5M is compatible with both FlashPrint and OrcaSlicer however currently you cannot send prints to the 5M from OrcaSlicer via Wi-Fi. You either have to use FlashPrint or transfer the file to the printer via a USB. Now for me this isn't the biggest deal as I have a dedicated laptop in my printing room but it would still be a nice thing to have and honestly releasing a printer in 2023 that isn't compatible with Wi-Fi printing is kind of disappointing.
Luckily I have been informed by Flashforge that they are working on Wi-Fi compatibility with OrcaSlicer however there is currently no strong ETA as the last eta has passed. So at least we may see this in the future.
Final Thoughts
All round this is a pretty great printer at a really great price. If you are a beginner who is looking to get into 3D printing or someone who is looking to add a new printer to their print farm then I don't think this is a bad option at all. For only $499 AUD you're getting a fast, reliable 3D printer that can print PLA, PETG, TPU, PLA-CF, PETG-CF and even some engineering filaments if you buy or print an enclosure. You're also getting an extruder head with hot swappable nozzles which allow you to easily change from a 0.4mm to a 0.25mm, 0.6mm or 0.8mm nozzle by simply pressing down the two red buttons on the side and pulling the nozzle out.
Flashforge have definitely made a great value printer and I can't wait to see what they release next. Will they release a Large Format Core XY printer before Bambu Lab or will they release their version of an ams? Who knows but I'm definitely excited for the future of 3D printing and Flashforge.
