I am pretty peeved today. Just over 18 months ago I replaced, or rather complemented, my existing Flashforge Adventurer 3 3D printer with a Creality Ender-3 V3 SE unit. The major differences were the print sizes available and the increase in speed.
Yesterday, after about 2 months hiatus, I dusted them both off and setup a print session. The Flashforge soldiered on without a beat, but the Creality was, shall we say, more than a little temperamental.
Filament Issues
First off, the filament wouldn’t stick to the build plate, leaving a pile of “spaghetti” in its wake. Next, no matter what I tried, the plate would not level properly and this is one of the probable causes of the filament not adhering. This was followed by what is known as the Z-Offset playing up, another major cause of issues, and the setting that tells the printer how close to the build plate the nozle should be when extruding the heated filament.
Also on the naughty list was a constant CR error, which tells me the Z-offset sensor is playing up and then finally, the build plate motor for forward and reverse decided it had a mind of its own.
After a day and a half of trying to rectify one fault after another I gave up on it and left the smaller (and obviously more reliable) Flashforge to complete the jobs.
The really annoying thing is that the Creality is now out of warranty; effectively $400 has been chucked out of the window on something that I feel should last longer than 18 months or so.
No Consumer Protection
This situation seems to be coming more common, and let’s call it what it is – planned obsolescence. Reputedly (or even anecdotally) Apple and others have been doing it for years with their smartphones I am told.
And the consumer has absolutely no protection, which sucks.
I can get by with one printer for my modest needs, but that is not the point – stuff should work for a reasonable amount of time before karking it.
Tell me (and the readers) your sordid stories in the comments section. And of course let me know your thoughts on the subject.
2 Comments
There are consumer protections in place. Manufacturer warranties should only be seen as guidelines. See https://consultation.accc.gov.au/compliance-enforcement/consultation-on-cgs-guidance/supporting_documents/Reasonabledurabilitydraftguidance.pdf
The ACCC is clear that warranties should cover a reasonable time. Eg, my neighbour’s 15 month old TV died outside warranty. When reminded of the ACCC’s guidance it was repaired at no cost.
With regard to the comments about Apple, Apple provides parts for repair for at least 5 years (see https://support.apple.com/en-au/102772).
Generally speaking, Apple provides OS support for several years (eg intel powered Macs, last sold over 5 years ago, still get the current version of macOS). Similarly, a 5 year old iPhone can run the current version of iOS.
I would contact the seller of your defective printer and request a repair or replacement citing the ACCC’s advice.
Thanks Anthony, I will be doing that of course (I tried yesterday but the relevant manager was away). Re: Apple, I was under the impression they were somewhat under fire in Europe particularly for slowing down older iPhones? Or is that just heresay?