The original Ender 2 came out in 2018, and compared to the all-famous Creality Ender 3, it wasn’t very popular. However, Creality has come back to the old-timer and released the Ender 2 Pro, a souped-up version of the original with many of the same features seen in the newer Creality printers (e.g. Ender 3 S1).
At first glance, the Ender 2 Pro looks a lot like Prusa Mini, with an i3 frame design, a small build volume, and a single Z-axis gantry. But with a price tag under £170, the Ender 2 Pro costs a little more than a third of what the Prusa Mini costs.
As for the features, while the price is low, Creality has equipped the Ender 2 Pro with features that are becoming more standard on Creality machines. These include integrated belt tensioners on the X- and Y-axes, a decently high-temperature hot end (up to 260 °C), and a magnetic and flexible build plate.
Despite these upgrades, compared to the original Ender 2, the 2 Pro still isn’t perfect with its fair share of flaws.
Luckily, due to Creality’s large following and the easily-attachable frame design of the Ender 2 Pro, there are many upgrades you can make to the Ender 2 Pro. These modifications can improve the printing performance, usability, and other aspects of the machine. In this article, we’ll go over ten of the best upgrades you can make to the Ender 2 Pro, including adding automatic bed leveling, switching out the build plate, and more!
3D Printable Upgrades:
Z-Axis Motor Mount
One of the most notable features of the Ender 2 Pro is its one-sided frame along the Z-axis. While this gives the Ender 2 Pro a very minimalistic structure, it puts more physical stress on the Z-axis stepper motor because the X-axis carriage’s entire weight is leaning down on the motor. Additionally, some users don’t believe that the stock Z-axis motor mount holds the motor in place well enough.
For an even safer printing experience, you can 3D print and install this Z-axis motor mount for the Ender 2 Pro. The upgraded mount holds onto the Z-axis motor with four screws instead of two, like the stock mount, so there should be a less likely chance of print failures due to the motor moving (or detaching from the frame).
What does it improve: Secures the Z-axis stepper motor to the frame of the printer
Parts needed: 3D printed parts, screws (included on printer)
Cost: ~£1
Where to find it? pakko via Thingiverse
Extruder Knob
An extruder knob is a small knob that attaches to the extruder motor’s axle and makes it much easier (and safer) to manually push and pull filament through your printer. While it might not sound super useful, many users find that it saves a lot of time and hand strength when fixing your printer or swapping filaments.
You can 3D print your own extruder knob, but sadly, we couldn’t find an extruder knob meant for the Ender 2 Pro. But don’t worry because the Ender 2 Pro’s extruder motor is the same as those on the Ender 3 and CR-10, so you can use a design meant for these printers as a substitute. There are also many creative options for the extruder knob, such as a Yoda knob or Groot knob.
What does it improve: Makes it easier to manually push or pull filament through the hot end
Parts needed: 3D printed part
Cost: ~£1
Where to find it? ReplayMD via Thingiverse
JaZzSuperman via Thingiverse (Yoda)
richierich123454656-e via Thingiverse (Groot)
LED Lights
Next, it’s always a good idea to keep your print space properly illuminated as light makes starting prints, fixing your machine, and everything else so much easier. There’s no one right way to make this upgrade, but a few common ideas are using an LED bar on the top of the frame, LED strips along the sides of the printer, or attaching a light to the printhead. But as the Ender 2 Pro’s printhead is only supported by one Z-axis rail, we don’t suggest the last option because adding any more weight to the printhead could make it sag.
If you want to go with the LED bar option, you can purchase a small USB LED bar at Amazon for under £20 and 3D print a mount to attach it to the top of the frame of the Ender 2 Pro. For the LED strip, one designer has already made a project for the Ender 2 Pro that uses a few 3D printed parts, screws, a NeoPixel LED strip, and an Arduino Nano to control the lights.
What does it improve: Illuminates the print space to make it easier to work on the printer
Parts needed: LED lights (strips or bar), 3D printed mount
Cost: ~£15
Where to find it? Xmissile via Cults
Upgrades to Buy:
If you want the most hassle-free option, the Creality Ender 3 enclosure or the Wham Bam HotBox V2 are two great options that have very minimal assembly and hold in heat very well. Alternatively, you can make your own enclosure for your Ender 2 Pro using materials such as acrylic panels, wood, or PVC pipes. As a bonus, you can customize your enclosure to fit your needs, for example by including an access hole so you can reach the printer, some tool holders, or anything else you might want.
What does it improve: Traps heat around the printer and keep air drafts out, enabling high-quality prints in ABS, ASA, and other temperature-sensitive filament materials.
Parts needed: Purchasable enclosure or DIY enclosure, including panels, hinges, screws, and other hardware.
Cost: £50 – £150
Perhaps the easiest ABL upgrade for the Ender 2 Pro is the CR Touch, Creality’s bed leveling sensor that’s super easy to add to Creality printers running Creality-developed firmware. All you need for this upgrade is the CR Touch sensor as well as a compatible mount, such as this 3D printable option. Alternatively, you can add ABL to your Ender 2 Pro with a BLTouch sensor and this slightly different 3D printed mount.
What does it improve: Improves the precision of the bed levelness and reduces the amount of time needed to prepare a machine for printing
Parts needed: Automatic bed leveling sensor, sensor mount
Cost: £30 – £45
Because the Ender 2 Pro’s extruder follows basically the same design as other Creality printers, you can use one of the metal extruders meant for the Ender 3. There are many metal extruder assemblies you can choose from, most costing under £20. For a high-quality option, though, you can go with Micro Swiss’ all-metal dual gear extruder assembly that’s meant for the Ender 2 Pro.
Assembly should also be very easy for this upgrade. All you have to do is unscrew the four bolts holding the extruder stepper motor to its Z-axis carriage, remove the plastic assembly, and screw in the new metal one.
What does it improve: Improves the reliability of the printer’s extrusion and makes the extruder more resistant to degradation
Parts needed: Metal extruder assembly
Cost: £10 – £50
For the Ender 2 Pro, you’ll need to get Capricorn’s PTFE tubing meant for 1.75-mm filament (it’s usually blue). It’s also worth pointing out that most Capricorn tubing kits come with a few meters of tubing and a PTFE tube cutter. You’ll need to use the cutter to cut the long tubing to a length that fits on the Ender 2 Pro, reaching from the extruder to the hot end, with a little extra space.
What does it improve: Reduces extrusion issues by providing a tighter diameter tolerance around the filament
Parts needed: Capricorn PTFE tubing (1.75 mm), PTFE couplers (the stock ones work)
Cost: £10 – £15
Many users opt for the 20-25mm yellow or blue ones, as these are known to provide more bed force, leading to less frequent bed leveling adjustments. Another popular option suggested by 3D printing enthusiasts is silicone bed mounts, which are a lot better than the Ender 2’s stock springs at holding their bed position. Installing these springs should be super easy, and all you have to do is remove the build plate and the four attachment screws, change out the springs, and put it all back together.
What does it improve: Ensures the bed stays level for longer
Parts needed: 20-25-mm springs or silicone bed mounts (or both)
Cost: £5 – £10
5015 Blower Fan
A 5015 blower fan, as seen in the image above, makes the stock cooling fan look puny, and it also cools the hot end much better. As you might expect, a 5015 fan can be a lot louder than the stock fan on the Ender 2 pro, but you can quiet it by lowering the speed (on the slicer).
It’s also worth noting that, to add a 5015 fan, you’ll need to 3D print a printhead mount for the Ender 2 Pro. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any printhead mounts that fit a 5015 fan and are meant for the Ender 2 Pro. However, you should be able to use printhead systems meant for the Ender 3, like the Hero, which can fit a 5015 fan.
What does it improve: Cools melted filament better, potentially reducing noise output
Parts needed: 5015 blower fan, compatible printhead mount (e.g. Hero)
Cost: £10 – £20
Glass Build Plate
Of course, as glass build plates aren’t flexible like the Ender 2 Pro’s stock bed, it might be harder to pop off prints. But the bottom surface of prints will reflect the smoothness of the build plate, which, for glass, is very smooth.
Additionally, glass build plates can handle a wider span of filament materials than the Ender 2 Pro’s stock bed. That’s because the magnetic PEI options that come with the Ender 2 Pro can lose their magnetism (attachment to the printer) at high temperatures. A glass bed won’t do this, so you can use filament materials that require higher bed temperatures (e.g. 200+ °C).
It’s also worth pointing out that there are no glass build plates specifically made for the Ender 2 Pro. However, you can find a compatible option by looking for 165 x 165 mm glass beds.
What does it improve: Makes the bottom surface of prints smooth and allows high-temperature materials to be printed
Parts needed: Glass build plate, bed holders (e.g. binder clips)
Cost: £10 – £20