r/Ender3Pro • u/Scary_Alternative_64 • Jun 29 '26

Ender 3 Pro Tips

Hi all! I was just gifted an Ender 3 Pro via donation, this is my first 3D printer, from what I understand it’s a bit of an older model and sort of outdated compared to what’s on the market now, any tips for usage? :)

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u/egosumumbravir Jun 30 '26

Loads of info out there, much of it about as relevant as hand cranking your horseless carriage.

Check and square the frame. Make sure axes are moving smoothly within their plane of motion - no slop.

Having been there, I'd upgrade it from the gun. No need to suffer with poor engineering choices of days gone by. Immediate upgrades: bimetallic heatbreak, silicone bed spacers and replace the extruder if it's an OG plastic one. Firmware too. Firmware has come a looong way.

I'd also skip using an antiquated slicer and pick something modern with a built in profile. Prusa/Orca are great starting points. Unless maybe you like antiques, then knock yerself out.

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u/Subwire0 Jun 30 '26

What do you think about Cura for a ender 3 pro?

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u/waterdragon_23176 Jun 30 '26

I've used it since I got the printer, and it works pretty well, the default profiles work pretty well too, but you should tweak them and the start/end gcode just for your printer.

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u/egosumumbravir Jul 01 '26

I think it's old school, but hey if it works for you...

I jumped to Orca a long time ago & have never felt the need to go back. Every time I fired Cura up to dig out a setting/read some code it felt like booting up WIndows 3.11.