Great Video. I just received mine a day ago as the ice and snow has finally melted enough for FedEx to make it up my long gravel drive. Their driver was awesome ! I have no broken feet everything is perfect except the glass door came loose from the aluminum hinges. They use a UV activated glue at the factory but I have no idea what kind. I ordered some UV CA glue from Amazon but I am waiting on Creality to confirm I can use that. The Die Cast Aluminum frame is truly massive and I think makes the K2 one of the most rigid frames ever. I think Creality is working hard on their slicer and firmware and it will continue to improve. Its just gonna take some time. At least we have the option of rooting and installing others if we have to. I don't think we will tho.
I was also diseponted with first layer using anything but PLA. I then did a bed level calibration at 80c (search YT). What then really improved my first layer is that I start my work with setting the bed temp to what it later will be using, let it sit for 15min and then print. The bed warps slightly, especially when turning up the temp to 100c, and the bed won't settle before/during bed leveling if you don't pre-heat/heat soak the bed. Try it!
I did heatsoaking works on Mic6 aluminum beds. That’s not the issue we are facing. The reality is the slicer needs to accommodate for high temp printing
Thanks for the look inside the back panel. I purchased one and have similar thoughts. It is a nice printer, but some of the firmware/software seems to be off on certain things. I have not been able to get very clean overhangs on things that I can get to print without issue on my Ender 3 S1 Pro, or my AnkerMake M5. I know there have been some updates for these setting, like Overhang Optimization and such. But looking forward to when this is dialed in because I can't print anything with much of an overhang without supports. I know supports is generally the way to go for large overhangs, but again, I've printed the same items on my bed-slinger printers without issue. If you have any suggestions for overhang/bridge settings, I'd be happy to try them out.
I'm receiving mine tomorrow, very excited. I really hope creaity gets more firmware updates quickly. I have 12 other printers and can't wait to compare. Do you know if there are separate z motors or does it use a belt. I would love to use a tilt-z to level my bed. Thanks
Exact same issues. Thanks for putting it out there like you did. Something needs to be done. I've wasted too much time and filament trying to like this thing.
I had the same problem when using PETG until I found the correct K value and first layer flow. K2P requires a smooth first layer without overflow; otherwise, it can easily clog the nozzle later. Reducing the first layer flow or overall flow can effectively solve.
Pretty sure it uses servo motors. Extruder needs work. Unicorn nozzles clog if you look at them wrong. I sent mine back due to all the falters. There's also two Allen had... I think 2.5mm in the back that also tension the bells because I guess the auto system can't do it all.
@@DavidPelkey it’s pretty impressive. My friend at LDO I see is making the same system for other klipper machines. I’ve been talking to Micro Swiss they will fix the Hotend and extruder! @microswiss3D
My Z offset was tight. Went to the Creality discord. One of the people there has a Z offset to put in the Gcode and that will fix your first layer issues. I have printed everything with mine and have gotten prints as nice as my Voron.
@@lorinrobbins7911 can you link the discord? Bambu for example has different offsets for different materials. You have to have the nozzle up when printing st high temps. Far as I can tell everything is setup for PLA, so when you do high temps its way too close to the bed
@@thelightspeed3d712you’re correct. One of the members is working on a macro to set, and I believe you can set it in the filament Gcode as well. Uncle Jessy and a few others are in there as well as some of the other software hero’s making it better.
i have same issues , first layers are terrible. they transfer to the top through few mm thick pieces. offset only works if i adjust after it started printing, anything in start gcode or macros seems to be ignored. and those crappy layers clog my nozzle often, clog is detected but still pulled throught the buffer to cause a double clog. and it's not the z-axis, when it works it's perfect over full height. abs never warps with the heater, total game changer. prints like pla.
I had similar thoughts and issues with the K1C. I wound up returning it after 1 week. The printer itself was amazing quality but i got spaghetti waterfalls more than any other printer I've used and the printer never detected a problem. I got $500 off the k2 combo at CES so I've been tempted to try again but this video makes me hesitant again
@@thelightspeed3d712 yeah it might be better to hold out a few more weeks and see what Bambu has planned next. I do like supporting the underdogs when possible but maybe I'll find that in the Anycubic Kobra S1
I had the same issues, I thought I was going insane. I believe the Stepper motor just does not have the juice to back it up due to the teeth that the coupler has if they are bent it will prevent retraction and will throw a clog.
@@paizonryker7101 it’s a FW issue. They turn the motor off for an issue and that’s good. But they should renenergize it and home the extruder motor to restart it
I also have problems with the first layer, I have to change the Z Offset with each print otherwise the nozzle is too close to the plate. Have you also had this type of problem?
I have, I ended up adding 0.1mm +Z to the printer profile so it is applied to all prints sliced after, but I still have issues with the center of bed being high compared to the corners
@@christianm2779 it’s not uncommon for you to adjust 0.05 ish for high temps. Bambu presets this in their filament profiles. Creality just don’t test enough or at all
The problem is there have been alot of issues with this printer for me I don't even think my auto tensioners even work as been having lots of problems with them and for novice 3d printer people this is a nightmare may have to even return it but getting in touch with creality is a bit big problem
The full shutdown is good. If there is a heating issue, the printer should always do a full shutdown, that is a security thing to try and avoid fires. The problem is that it is having heating issues in the first place. I also don't agree that it nice engineered. The build quality looks nice but some of the engineering choices are just plain terrible. Its NOT just firmware issues even if some of the problems with bad hardware could be minimized with better firmware.
@crispycritter911 i have a problem where it thinks all four spools are PETG. So the slice wants to set up for that material. For some weird reason it says 4 hour print. I take over to 5.1 and it shows PLA, 1. 5 hour print when I slice.
@@thelightspeed3d712Maybe just different audience expectations? I had the same thought while watching. Would have been better without the music. Not a huge deal, just something that struck me.
It sounds like the mechanical engineering side is not working with the electronics and the software. So I am not sure Creality improved, this is still a printer that needs tinkering to work.
This is the exact same issue with the extruder and first layer. I can't print petg. It seems it's only print pla. I've emailed Creality. They asked for pictures, the receipt of purchase and screen shots, videos. Crickets from Creality.
I just so happened to get a reply back from Creality. They have offered to send me a new extruder and motor. "Dear Customer Thanks for your email. We will send you a new replacement based on your warranty.（Extruders and extrusion motors） In order to better arrange the delivery of related accessories for you. Please copy and fill the following information in order (please do not fill in directly on our form) , We might not understand/know every kind of address worldwide. Hope you can understand."
Nothing wrong with slicer, is a copy of orca. All settings are the same. Seems to be an issue with people using macs, macs are not common, they are not a priority.
I still don't understand why people buy Macs unless they specifically need it for work
I still don't understand why people buy PCs unless they specifically need it for gaming.
@@ArturoBenjumeda Because they're better at basically everything, less money, more repairable and more customizable. Answer your question?
@@kylequinn1963 Lol, you wish.
very nice review. Thanks for the insight on the issues with the K2. Hopefully Creality responds with a firmware update and a slicer update soon.
I've reached out, but they don't want to engage.
Great Video. I just received mine a day ago as the ice and snow has finally melted enough for FedEx to make it up my long gravel drive. Their driver was awesome ! I have no broken feet everything is perfect except the glass door came loose from the aluminum hinges. They use a UV activated glue at the factory but I have no idea what kind. I ordered some UV CA glue from Amazon but I am waiting on Creality to confirm I can use that. The Die Cast Aluminum frame is truly massive and I think makes the K2 one of the most rigid frames ever. I think Creality is working hard on their slicer and firmware and it will continue to improve. Its just gonna take some time. At least we have the option of rooting and installing others if we have to. I don't think we will tho.
I was also diseponted with first layer using anything but PLA. I then did a bed level calibration at 80c (search YT).
What then really improved my first layer is that I start my work with setting the bed temp to what it later will be using, let it sit for 15min and then print.
The bed warps slightly, especially when turning up the temp to 100c, and the bed won't settle before/during bed leveling if you don't pre-heat/heat soak the bed.
Try it!
I did heatsoaking works on Mic6 aluminum beds. That’s not the issue we are facing. The reality is the slicer needs to accommodate for high temp printing
Thanks for the look inside the back panel. I purchased one and have similar thoughts. It is a nice printer, but some of the firmware/software seems to be off on certain things. I have not been able to get very clean overhangs on things that I can get to print without issue on my Ender 3 S1 Pro, or my AnkerMake M5. I know there have been some updates for these setting, like Overhang Optimization and such. But looking forward to when this is dialed in because I can't print anything with much of an overhang without supports. I know supports is generally the way to go for large overhangs, but again, I've printed the same items on my bed-slinger printers without issue. If you have any suggestions for overhang/bridge settings, I'd be happy to try them out.
I'm receiving mine tomorrow, very excited. I really hope creaity gets more firmware updates quickly. I have 12 other printers and can't wait to compare. Do you know if there are separate z motors or does it use a belt. I would love to use a tilt-z to level my bed. Thanks
It does have two motors on z. It’s a great machine horrible firmware, worse profiles and slicer
I had my K2 for a week so far. So far zero issues.
Exact same issues. Thanks for putting it out there like you did. Something needs to be done. I've wasted too much time and filament trying to like this thing.
I had the same problem when using PETG until I found the correct K value and first layer flow.
K2P requires a smooth first layer without overflow; otherwise, it can easily clog the nozzle later.
Reducing the first layer flow or overall flow can effectively solve.
I believe the linux single board computer is located near the top inside the paneling on the same side as the LCD.
Pretty sure it uses servo motors. Extruder needs work. Unicorn nozzles clog if you look at them wrong. I sent mine back due to all the falters. There's also two Allen had... I think 2.5mm in the back that also tension the bells because I guess the auto system can't do it all.
@@DavidPelkey it’s pretty impressive. My friend at LDO I see is making the same system for other klipper machines. I’ve been talking to Micro Swiss they will fix the Hotend and extruder! @microswiss3D
That is the initial tension adjustment, then the auto tensioners can do the final tensioning.
My Z offset was tight. Went to the Creality discord. One of the people there has a Z offset to put in the Gcode and that will fix your first layer issues. I have printed everything with mine and have gotten prints as nice as my Voron.
@@lorinrobbins7911 can you link the discord? Bambu for example has different offsets for different materials. You have to have the nozzle up when printing st high temps. Far as I can tell everything is setup for PLA, so when you do high temps its way too close to the bed
@@thelightspeed3d712you’re correct. One of the members is working on a macro to set, and I believe you can set it in the filament Gcode as well. Uncle Jessy and a few others are in there as well as some of the other software hero’s making it better.
i have same issues , first layers are terrible. they transfer to the top through few mm thick pieces. offset only works if i adjust after it started printing, anything in start gcode or macros seems to be ignored. and those crappy layers clog my nozzle often, clog is detected but still pulled throught the buffer to cause a double clog. and it's not the z-axis, when it works it's perfect over full height. abs never warps with the heater, total game changer. prints like pla.
I figured a solution… stay tuned
I had my K2 for a week now, so far zero issues at all.
I had similar thoughts and issues with the K1C. I wound up returning it after 1 week. The printer itself was amazing quality but i got spaghetti waterfalls more than any other printer I've used and the printer never detected a problem.
I got $500 off the k2 combo at CES so I've been tempted to try again but this video makes me hesitant again
Be hesitant
@@thelightspeed3d712 yeah it might be better to hold out a few more weeks and see what Bambu has planned next.
I do like supporting the underdogs when possible but maybe I'll find that in the Anycubic Kobra S1
I had the same issues, I thought I was going insane. I believe the Stepper motor just does not have the juice to back it up due to the teeth that the coupler has if they are bent it will prevent retraction and will throw a clog.
@@paizonryker7101 it’s a FW issue. They turn the motor off for an issue and that’s good. But they should renenergize it and home the extruder motor to restart it
Mine rhe extruder hits the left rail. Like it lost its home coordinates. It happens after a print. Then is errors out.
Man, I don’t understand how the layer likes can look so bad. Do you think it’s a software issue?
I also have problems with the first layer, I have to change the Z Offset with each print otherwise the nozzle is too close to the plate. Have you also had this type of problem?
I have, I ended up adding 0.1mm +Z to the printer profile so it is applied to all prints sliced after, but I still have issues with the center of bed being high compared to the corners
@@christianm2779 it’s not uncommon for you to adjust 0.05 ish for high temps. Bambu presets this in their filament profiles. Creality just don’t test enough or at all
The problem is there have been alot of issues with this printer for me I don't even think my auto tensioners even work as been having lots of problems with them and for novice 3d printer people this is a nightmare may have to even return it but getting in touch with creality is a bit big problem
Has anyone looked at replacing the z guide bearings and rods? Press fit? Also, how accessible are the xy idler gears when those wear out?
What FIRMWARE version are you using?
I have just used the updated FW
The full shutdown is good. If there is a heating issue, the printer should always do a full shutdown, that is a security thing to try and avoid fires. The problem is that it is having heating issues in the first place. I also don't agree that it nice engineered. The build quality looks nice but some of the engineering choices are just plain terrible. Its NOT just firmware issues even if some of the problems with bad hardware could be minimized with better firmware.
Yeah the AutoMap filament sync doesn't seem to work after updating
I noticed the same on my CFS. I have to send my file to the printer and then go to the device tab. Start the print and manually select it from there
@crispycritter911 i have a problem where it thinks all four spools are PETG. So the slice wants to set up for that material. For some weird reason it says 4 hour print. I take over to 5.1 and it shows PLA, 1. 5 hour print when I slice.
@@calilifestyle yep in the slicer it almost never updates what’s going on with the machine settings. I have to close and restart it
@@crispycritter911 ridiculous
@@calilifestyle it’s because it uses the filament setup in the printer above the filament set in the slicer. This is no Bambu that’s for certain
Why haven't you returned the printer yet? With all these issues, why are you keeping it?
@@teobh it’s a massive printer and I don’t have the box
Playing music through this while explaining things etc was an interesting choice. Much better without it 👍
Really? Strange feedback. I have a really large TikTok following… so my tendency is to want captions and music
@@thelightspeed3d712Maybe just different audience expectations? I had the same thought while watching. Would have been better without the music. Not a huge deal, just something that struck me.
It sounds like the mechanical engineering side is not working with the electronics and the software. So I am not sure Creality improved, this is still a printer that needs tinkering to work.
This is the exact same issue with the extruder and first layer. I can't print petg. It seems it's only print pla. I've emailed Creality. They asked for pictures, the receipt of purchase and screen shots, videos. Crickets from Creality.
I just so happened to get a reply back from Creality. They have offered to send me a new extruder and motor.
"Dear Customer
Thanks for your email. We will send you a new replacement based on your warranty.（Extruders and extrusion motors）
In order to better arrange the delivery of related accessories for you.
Please copy and fill the following information in order (please do not fill in directly on our form) , We might not understand/know every kind of address worldwide. Hope you can understand."
@@crispycritter911 you’re wasting time. It’s not going to fix it
I would have returned it
All k2 owners have these problems and much more, and creality do nothing.
If all return it then creality starts thinking.
Creality printers are shit. I returned 2 pcs last month. Looks like they continued in same fashion.
creality is trying to copy bambu lab.use a sonic pad on the machine to "tweak" it.
This exact comment comes up on every video
Nothing wrong with slicer, is a copy of orca. All settings are the same.
Seems to be an issue with people using macs, macs are not common, they are not a priority.
Macs are 100 million users. It is a priority. You know why? Because they advertise viability and use on a Mac.
@@thelightspeed3d712and is around 10% market share.
Higher market share takes higher priority.
Never owned a mac. Same issues
@@thelightspeed3d712
Macs are ~10% market share, so in grant scheme of things that small market share
The text flashing on the screen is annoying.