Firmware can be better! This printer begs for Klipper! The Ender 3 S1 Pro is the
top model of the Ender line Some parts are really good! If you are looking for a Premium 3D Printer, this might be it! Specially if you are interested in
running Klipper instead of Marlin. Let's see all about this Printer and let's talk about Firmware as well now, on Geek Detour Right away, let’s take a look inside, very easy to open. Interesting: it comes with a
touch screen that connects here, but there is a port for an old-style
knob display interface as well. It also has a port for a Z Limit
Switch that came with the printer, but you don’t really need to install it: the CR-Touch already does its job. Manual is nice and, if you prefer, the SD-Card brings a video showing
how to assemble the printer but both were missing a VERY important step: if the print-bed comes loose, wobbly like this, you NEED to adjust the wheels. Well, it comes with all the tools you need. The Gantry came perfect, all set and adjusted. It is a Dual Z-Axis, with 2 stepper motors AND timing belt to keep them in sync. this is top notch: the x-gantry doesn’t fall, it actually holds a lot of weight and it will always stay perfectly horizontal. Pro Tip: when you install the gantry, don’t tight all the 4 screws at once. Tight only one side then bring down the gantry, manually. This will push and accommodate the
other “leg” at the exact distance. Now you can tight the other screws locking the gantry perfectly trammed. For the rest, I just followed the instructions. You can assemble it in less than 20 minutes. To level the bed, I did it “old-school”, I first used the “Assisted Leveling” to adjust the height on each corner. See: hard “yellow springs” that everybody loves it stays forever, like “set and forget”. Only then I did the Auto-Leveling, that measures the whole bed and saves a mesh that compensates for small variations. Now I’ll show you some prints, then I will tell you everything
I liked about this printer, some things that could be better, and we will talk about Firmware. The SD Card came with 4 sample models pre-sliced. The supports of the cat were touching the model, I sliced it myself and I got
much happier with the result. Of course you need to print a 3D Benchy… or two… or three! I need to show you: I have
a box full o 3D Benchys! This might be my best 3D Benchy ever well, it was also the first time I told the slicer exactly
where I wanted the seams. Look! It looks great doesn’t it? So, there are lots of things
to love about this printer: LED Lights: I know it is not RGB and the
printer does not control it it is just warm-white that you
flick a switch when you need it. But it is super useful, to me it’s always on. I love the light.
Inside, the structure is aluminum, you can see if you open it. This whole shell is plastic - it’s a nice plastic. It feels sturdy, no sharp corners, all protected, very easy to keep it clean. And it comes with a drawer. Full size SD-Cards. This is the way! Micro-sd-cards are dreadful! The Touchscreen is beautiful and fun to use but the interface… I don’t think it is confusing but this interface shows less information than the old Ender’s LCDs, and less menu options. For example, I had to plug my computer and use Proterface to do a PID Auto-tune. and if you want to disable “Power-loss Recovery”, like I showed in my last video, you also need to do it with a
computer or with GCode files. The print-bed has heat insulation underneath, it is a magnetic bed and it comes with my favorite print surface: textured PEI on a spring steel sheet. Prints basically pop-out when it cools down and you can change plates very easily. The Y motor has a sticker: “Hot” and, at least on mine, it feels scary hot! The X-motor feels normal hot, the two Z-Motors were just warm and the Extruder Motor always felt cold! Hands-down the BEST thing
is the “Sprite Extruder”: everything here is functional, all exposed. It is SO SIMPLE to install, cable management is a dream. On the S1 Pro, the hot-end is all metal, so it can print high-temperature materials. It's true: there is only one part-cooling fan but, to my surprise, cooling is very good! Here is a Calibration Cat and this part of the tail is always a challenge, just like the bow of the benchy: if cooling is not good, it deforms. But the Sprite has plenty of cooling! The lever of the extruder also feels right and it is very fast to change filament! Creality also sells the Sprite Extruder as a kit, it comes with the flat-cable
and the metal carriage I am seriously thinking on
upgrading my old Ender 3 Pro with one of this! I totally love it. And this is the Filament Sensor. Inserting the filament feels quite smooth. Let’s look inside! There is an optical switch but I am not sure it can detect
if the filament stops moving, like a jam or if filament breaks after the sensor. Let me hook an oscilloscope… ...and, yeah, it only detects
if filament Is there or Not, it doesn’t look for movement. So, if filament breaks anywhere here, it won’t notice it should stop. But it will detect when your spool ends it pauses the print and waits for you but there is no “Alarm”, no beep. I suppose it could be enabled on firmware… The firmware is Marlin - it is open source… but Creality left a few important things out: “Linear Advance” could make
the corners even sharper, but it is not enabled. I use “Filament Change” all the time to mark where I want the printer to pause for me to change colors… I tested it a few times but, I don’t know why, it paused, the print-head moved away but it didn’t wait for me, it started purging and got back to printing… ...and, yes, I updated the firmware to the
latest official Creality release, both in the printer AND on the TouchScreen. So, Firmware can be better! And here is the deal: if you want to keep using
Marlin, with advanced features, you need to compile Marlin yourself or use releases from the community. Installing Klipper used to be a difficult task and buying a Raspberry Pi became super expensive… So, Creality launched a very
interesting new product: the "Sonic Pad". It's written! It's written here: CPU: T800! I'll be back! This thing comes running Klipper, it prepares your Printer to run Klipper, and it has a 7 inch screen, it has Wifi, and even comes with the
sensor for “Input Shaping”. I am showing this to you because the Ender 3 S1 Pro is a premium printer, it prints super well, but it comes with a less than
ideal compilation of Marlin. I could spend time compiling Marlin myself, tuning it to my needs… and make videos about that. But life is short: Klipper is about to become mainstream. This printer begs for Klipper! And it is here: easier than ever. If you buy an Ender 3 S1 Pro, you should check the Sonic Pad too! It’s Klipper, on a beautiful screen, cheaper than a Raspberry Pi 4. 3D Printing is changing again! and I thank you so much for watching to the end!
