AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer Review: It’s Perfect for Beginners!

Some people shy away from the hobby of 3D printing, assuming it’s difficult to get into. However, that idea could not be further from the truth with the AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer. Being an extreme novice, the M5C was almost plug-and-play, and I was able to begin printing awesome objects in minutes.

The AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer is an incredibly easy-to-use 3D Printer with a number of features that beginner 3D printing hobbyists will appreciate.

It’s certainly a bit of a downgrade from the AnkerMake M5 3D Printer, which Zek previously reviewed, but if you’re just starting your printing journey, it’s a great place to start. It includes everything you need, including a neat little tool kit!

The AnkerMake M5C features an all-metal hot end, a full aluminum alloy structure, and a 7×7 heated auto-leveling bed with a flexible, scratch-resistant magnetic removable surface.

It can print with precision up to 0.1mm and quickly, up to 500 mm/s. The machine also has a play/pause button that allows you to pause and resume your prints with the click of a button.

The AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer supports high-speed printing at up to 500 mm/s and temperatures up to 300 degrees Celsius. It features a 35 cubic mm per second extrusion flow and up to 50 micromillimeter resolution.

It also features an all-metal hot end, stable structure, durable parts, and an ultra-direct extruder. The stainless steel hot end is compatible with a number of materials, including PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, and PA-CF, and it can reach 300 degrees Celsius.

The AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer was constructed to reduce vibration, ensuring better print outcomes. AnkerMake designed it with a threefold larger connection area between the Z-axis and the base.

Additionally, they increased the base’s weight to 5kg and reduced the center of gravity to achieve a vibration amplitude lower than 0.09mm when printing at high speeds.

The AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer is made of aerospace-grade aluminum alloy and has an anodized surface treatment to give it a stylish look. The belt that moves the heated bottom plate back and forth is made of glass fiber rope for great tensile strength, excellent pending performance, and a low elongation rate, allowing it to withstand 720 hours and 620,000 movements without getting loose.

AnkerMake’s slicing software is pretty good and can be very easy to use. It can add support where necessary and has a ton of adjustments you can make to customize your prints. However, if you’re just a beginner like me, you can start printing in just a few clicks without major adjustments.

You can select your material type in the slicer software, and it will automatically pre-heat the bed and hot end to the appropriate temperatures. Once you start making significant adjustments, there is definitely a learning curve, but honestly, AnkerMake’s slicer is good for what it does, especially with a beginner machine like the M5C.

The AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer’s setup was extremely easy. I assembled it in about 15-20 minutes, and it was auto-leveling and printing right away.

The mobile phone app is a nice touch. It allows you to load and print some popular models from the AnkerMake library without using a PC. It also lets you check the printer’s status, including hot end and bed temperatures, and countdown to when the current print will be completed.

Here is where we see one of the main differences between the AnkerMake M5 and the M5C. The M5 has a camera and touchscreen built into the machine, while the AnkerMake M5C does not. The built-in camera is a nice way to check the print’s status and ensure nothing goes wrong.

Unfortunately, without a camera, the only way to see if the print is going well is to walk over to the printer, which really isn’t a huge issue unless you’ve left the house. A camera is the biggest thing I’d love to see added to the M5C.

The screen isn’t a huge loss, considering you can get the same data on the mobile phone app.

Even so, I was absolutely shocked at how easy it was to print quality items with the AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer within just a couple of hours of setting up the printer.

We’ve printed everything from toys to fidgets to models of animals and even mini Stanley cups, and our kids have been delighted every step of the way.

The kids kept searching for new items to make it, and it was difficult to find something that we couldn’t print successfully. Some friends stayed at our house for a long weekend, and the AnkerMake M5C didn’t seem to stop running the entire weekend!

Our favorite things to print are the articulated print-in-place models, where the models can be printed all at once, but they have parts that can move as if they were assembled in a toy factory.

Here is a smattering of the items we made:

The AnkerMake M5C goes from getting assembled to printing quality models in no time, and the provided software allows you to learn as you go; I cannot imagine a better 3D printer for beginners!

We love this printer and have already purchased a whole bunch of extra filament because we have gone through all of the PLA+ filament that came with the machine.

The AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer retails for $299.99 (currently on sale for $219.99); it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon.

Source: Manufacturer Supplied review sample

What I Like: It’s great for beginners, easy to set up, and simple to use; It prints with Amazing speed, great accuracy, and resolution; It can print many materials; The included software is really all you need; A handy toolkit is included; The companion mobile phone app works great as well

What Needs Improvement: I’d love to be able to add the AI camera from the M5 without the screen