The air in the workshop always smells faintly of PLA these days. It’s a good smell, actually. A scent of progress, of ideas taking shape. And lately, the Ender 3 V3 SE has been contributing its share of that aroma.

This little workhorse arrived on my bench a few weeks back, and I’ve been putting it through its paces, mostly to silence a junior engineer who insisted it was “the next big thing.” Truth be told, I approached it with a healthy dose of skepticism. After all, I’ve seen my share of budget 3D printers that promised the moon and delivered… well, less. But the V3 SE, with its advertised CR Touch auto-leveling and strain sensor for automatic Z-offset adjustment, immediately caught my eye. No more fiddling with manual bed leveling. That alone is a godsend.

Setting it up was, blessedly, straightforward. Instructions are clear, and even a novice should be able to get this thing printing within an hour. The pre-assembled components are a genuine time-saver. This printer is obviously geared toward the enthusiast, maybe someone who’s dabbled with resin printing and wants a larger build volume. The 220 x 220 x 250mm build volume is generous.

Speaking of build volume, it’s worth noting that the V3 SE, like its predecessors, focuses on simplicity. Some folks might miss the bells and whistles of more expensive machines, but it keeps the focus on what matters: reliably laying down filament. This pragmatic approach is a major win, particularly for beginners who don’t need to be overwhelmed with features they may not understand yet.

I tossed a few test prints at it, from calibration cubes to some fairly complex geometric models. The results were consistently good, especially considering the price point. Printing with PLA was smooth as butter, and the adhesion to the textured build plate was superb. However, I wouldn’t recommend using TPU with the stock extruder; that’s a recipe for clogs. It would be far better to upgrade to a direct drive system.

Now, if I’m nitpicking—and as an engineer, that’s practically my job description—I’d say the printing speed could be better. It feels slower than some of the more expensive printers on the market, although Creality does tout impressive speeds. It’s not glacial, mind you, and for most hobbyists, the trade-off for the ease of use and consistent output is perfectly acceptable. You can always tweak the slicer settings to optimize speed vs. quality, but the included profiles are more than enough to get you started.

Considering the price, ease of use, and consistent performance, the Ender 3 V3 SE is an outstanding entry point into the world of 3D printing. If you’re a beginner looking for a reliable machine to learn the ropes, or if you’re an experienced user wanting a budget-friendly printer to add to your arsenal, this is a solid choice. Go ahead, grab one. You won’t regret it.