FLASHFORGE Adventurer 5M 3D Printer High Speed Max 600mm/s with Auto Leveling, 3-Second Nozzle Change, 220×220×220mm Printing, 280°C Direct Drive for Kids/Beginners/Home

I have used the standard Flashforge Finder for a couple years, so I was curious what the new "Lite" version was like. So far I can only see 3 differences:1) Color options (I love the blue color much more than the original red).2) SD card only- no printing via thumb drive, USB cable, or WiFI. This does not bother me at all as I never used the WiFi or USB cable on the original Finder, and the SD card is just as easy as the thumb drive was.3) No internal memory - This isn't that big of a deal, but I was kind of bummed to discover this. On the original Finders, there was a built-in internal memory, so you could remove the thumb drive during a print and it would keep printing from the internal memory. I tried this same thing on the Finder Lite with the SD card, and it caused the print to cancel, so the SD card needs to be in at all times.I give five stars because of the immense value given for the very low price (as far as 3D printers go). That being said there are a couple tweaks I think would make it the best intro printer to buy. Here's a brief breakdown of pros and cons:PROS:Quiet - This is a very quiet printer. I usually have it printing for multiple hours a day and it does not bother me at all. The loudest part of it is the cooling fan, but I wouldn't even consider that part to be "loud"Reliable - I have yet to have any sort of clog or technical issue, but I have only had it for a couple weeks now. However, during these two weeks I have been printing almost nonstop to stress test the machine. It has been holding up very nicely so far, with great quality prints after slight adjustments in Flashprint's slicer settings (this is the software that comes with the printer to load your 3D files)Setup - The machine was very easy to get up and running, although I may be the wrong person to judge this as I have been teaching with the Finders for a couple years.Price - again, in my experience only $280 is a very good price for this quality of 3D printerFlashprint - the software that comes with the printer is very beginner friendly, but there is an option to switch it to expert mode if you are like me and want to tinker with all the possible settings.CONS:Leveling process - the process to level the bed uses the printer's speakers to give out a tone when you have raised a corner to the proper height. This tone was surprisingly loud- to the point where it was sort of painful, as your head needs to be close to the bed to see how much more you need to tighten or loosen the knobs. I think a software patch could fix this volume issue. I also think a visual option for those who are hard of hearing would be great, and probably overall more effective.Default Temperature - Flashprint has the default printing temperature to 225 degrees Celsius. For standard 1.75mm PLA this is too hot, so a lot of prints I did out of the box came out stringy. I adjusted to 195 degrees in Flashprint and now the prints are coming out PERFECT. Not a big deal, just a minor adjustment that needs to be madeProprietary filament - The filament cartridge does not fit most spools of filament, as it is a bit too small. If you buy your filament from Flashforge then this isn't something that will be a problem, but if you are like me and want to use filaments from many different companies, then you need to print a simple attachment that goes on the back of the printer and can hold any filament. Again another quick fix and a good object to make your first print! You can find a lot of these on Thingiverse :)Overall, 5 stars. This is a printer that looks nice, performs well, and makes 3D printing easy for beginners- for only $280. I will be making a full in review to post on my YouTube channel, and if I discover anything significant I will update this review.

I've been in the 3D printing business for about a decade now. My primary workhorses are a makerbot Replicator 5th edition and SnapMaker 2, which I still love for a number of reasons.. but since this review is about the FlashForge FinderLite- let's talk about that. My wife and mother-in-law both run very successful cookie businesses that require custom designed cookie cutters at a rate of 3-4 per week (on a slow week). I have been able to crank those out for my wife with the makerbot, but since my mother-in-law lives on the other side of the world she was having to pay someone to design/print her cutters for her (at a price of $5-$10 per cutter). I set out on a quest to find a cheap 3D printer that she could use. My goal was <$300, simple to use, MacOS compatible. I was hoping for Wifi connection and heated bed as well, but those were not requirements.After my initial setup and testing I suggested it to my mother-in-law.. and she's a cookie cutter making fool now. In order to ensure her success I made an un-boxing video and even a "how-to" video explaining the important features of FlashPrint.. and now I create the STL for her cutters, and email them directly to her.Here's the details1. Setup: Very quick and easy, just follow the prompts. Bed leveling is an annoying process with the most obnoxious beep that is not clear how to silence- but once you complete the steps it's good to go.2. FlashPrint software: This is the only thing I don't like about this printer. On my MacBook Pro 13" (16GB RAM) using OS 10.15 Flashprint crashes constantly. On my wife's older Macbook 12" no problems yet- so I don't know if it's an OS issue, or some other problem? I prefer simplify 3D over flashprint anyway since it gives me more control over all the parameters, so I just use Simplify3D to create the .gcode file (**more about this in a minute)3. Filament Storage: I love the filament storage in the back of the printer. Makerbot also does this, and it helps immensely to keep your workspace clean. The downside is that only 500gram filament spools will fit in the storage area, which means you're limited in what filament you can buy.. There is an alternative, though. I printed a filament winding device that attaches to my drill and I re-spool filament from larger 1kg spools onto the smaller spools which allows me to buy any brand/color I want.4. Filament Included: WHAT FILAMENT? Yes, they include a very small amount of "test filament"- but it doesn't come on a spool. You need to buy a roll of Flash-forge compatible 500g in order to have a roll to use/store (see comment #3).5. Noise: Machine is virtually silent. My makerbot is really loud.. I figured all 3D printers were, but not this one.. you don't even know its running unless you're sitting right next to it.6. Bed Adhesion: No complaints here. I use the gluestick they provided to coat the bed with a thin layer and the models have no problem sticking to it, and pop right off. This is especially important since I don't like printing rafts.7. Networking: THIS PRINTER HAS NO COMPUTER INTERFACE!. If you want wifi/USB get the Finder vs FinderLite. For my specific usage - downloading the STL/.gcode/.gx file directly to the SD card and printing is no problem, so I opted to save $50. If you do go for the extra money the Wifi/USB printing is a little clunky- (I cover it in my review of the Adventurer3) but it does work.8. File format: I HATE PROPRIETARY STUFF (I know makerbot is proprietary too). Flashforge prefers a .gx file which is a .g file with added thumbnail of the printed item so that it gives you a littel picture on the screen. This printer (FinderLite/Finder) will also accept .gcode and print it just fine. The difference is that it will not show a thumbnail of the item to be printed on the screen, but it will print just fine- so if you use simplify3D (or cura, or other slicer) you can create a .gcode file and drop it on the SD card and it will print just fine. **Note, this is not the same on the Adventurer3 (see my review on that). Adventurer 3D will only print .gx or .g files, not .gcode.9. Media: SD card slot is easily accessible and works fine. I prefer USB over SD so I don't need an SD card reader, but those are cheap- so no big deal. Even if you get the Adventurer3 to get the USB port (vice SD) it's the older style vice USB-C so I need an adapter to connect to my MacbookPro (or get the cool thumbdrives that have both USB formats on the same device).10. Food Safe: Since we're talking about using these to make cookie cutters, it is important to note that PLA is not FDA approved for use with food. There are a number of reasons for this that most cookie makers negate by using saran wrap or sterilizing. PETG is food safe, but cannot be printed on this printer. If that is important to yo, then look at the Adventurer3Lite ($369) or DreamerNZ ($449) as your next best option.Buying advice- If you want quick, easy out of the box simplicity this is the printer for you. If a heated bed is important, that you should be looking at the Dreamer or Adventurer3. My personal opinion is that wifi/USB connectivity is not a big deal since you have to clear the build plate before each print anyway- so I don't know that I'd spend the money for it.. spend that $50 on buying extra rolls of filament that you can re-spool with whatever filament you prefer.

great printer, but the usb came already snapped and broken inside it.Warranty was provided though so if it does happen, they will send you the part at no cost to yourself.