by Anker is a brand best known for its power banks and phone accessories, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from the company’s first 3D printer. Turns out it’s pretty amazing, one of the easiest models I’ve used and definitely the fastest. But how does the AnkerMake M5 fare overall? Is it a good option for beginners and hobbyists? What about expert users? After spending some time producing dragons, spaceships, and other 3D objects, I’m ready to give a verdict. Here is my review of the AnkerMake M5 3D printer.
(Note: This includes updates after six months of using the machine. During that time, I have encountered some additional frustrations resulting from software updates and reduced bed adhesion, but overall I still consider the M5 to be a great printer. fast and useful).
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VERDICT: The AnkerMake M5 eliminates several common pain points associated with 3D printing, making it a new favorite. But it’s expensive and beginners will still need to learn some basics.
- Super fast printing
- Easy to assemble and use
- Removable flexible magnetic print bed
- Built-in camera with live streaming and time-lapse recording
- The filament often gets stuck during initial feeding.
- Imperfect auto leveling
- The position and quality of the camera are not great.
$699 on Amazon
AnkerMake M5 Design and Configuration
The M5 is one of the most visually striking 3D printers I’ve seen, a shiny two-tone model that looks like industrial art. The touchscreen control panel is integrated into the right pillar, which is a little strange (because it moves up and down like the print head does), but it’s not problematic.
Assembling the machine was very simple; only the Creality Sermoon V1 required fewer steps. The instruction manual details every step of the process, right down to how to unpack the printer. (I wish the text was larger and the illustrations a little clearer, though.) Cleverly, the foam packaging plays a role in supporting the gantry so that it can fix the base. A few wire connections and a handful of screws later and the machine is ready to go. The entire construction took me about 25 minutes; if you had watched this video you could have easily done it in 15. In fact, there are more and better instructions available on the AnkerMake site; I highly recommend starting there.
To connect the M5 to your Wi-Fi network, you’ll need the AnkerMake app, which is available for Android and iOS. You’ll also need an Anker account; yes, one more password to create and keep track of. Fortunately, everything went quickly and smoothly, and then it only took a few minutes to install a firmware update.
From there I loaded the AnkerMake slicing software for Windows. To my surprise, it automatically detected the printer on the network; I didn’t have to go through another setup. The software is where you import 3D print files (from sites like Cults3D and Thingiverse), modify the print size and other parameters, preview the job, and then send it to the printer. Like the printer’s touchscreen interface, the software is polished and admirably simple. That being said, anyone new to 3D printing will definitely want to spend some time on online tutorials and videos; There are basic operations, such as how to feed the filament, that are not covered in the manual.
You can also print directly from the mobile app, although it limits you to a couple dozen sample models. For now there is no way to access files from, say, a cloud account. That’s unfortunate, because the app is great in other ways, allowing you to check status, modify settings, and broadcast a live feed from the camera.
AnkerMake M5 Features and Performance
The M5 meets all the important requirements of a modern 3D printer: heated bed, automatic leveling, flexible steel magnetic build plate and integrated camera. It has a print area of 235x235x250 mm, which is a decent size for a hobby printer. fair enough space to print most of, say, an Iron Man helmet. You can feed it with PLA, PETG, TPU or ABS filament.
Anker promises print speeds of up to 500mm/second (in fast mode), although the default is 250mm/s. Many other printers top out at 200mm/s, with some running at half that speed. When my review unit first came to life for a “bench” test print (a small boat), I was a little scared. There were loud clicks and squeaks, and the print bed oscillated so quickly that the machine even shook the desk (which, to be fair, was a bit wobbly). I’ve never seen a 3D printer move so fast, but luckily it didn’t fall apart and the resulting bench looked pretty good overall.
However, despite doing the auto-leveling procedure (which takes about 10 minutes), I noticed that the print head was landing too close to the bed, causing the nozzle to scrape the initial layer a bit. and some difficulty removing the skirts (the outer edge) after making impressions. This is traditionally solved by adjusting the “Z offset”, i.e. the height of the nozzle. Unlike some printers, which hide this setting or make it complicated to execute, the M5 offers a dedicated Z-offset menu that’s just two taps away (or one if you’re mid-print). I set it to +0.10mm and voila, problem solved.
That said, the whole point of auto-leveling is so you don’t have to fiddle with Z offset; Anker needs to adjust these settings to make it work correctly out of the box.
I also think some other default settings were a little off. Most of my initial impressions showed some threading, that is, thread-like tufts between various parts. This is probably because the nozzle temperature was set too high (in this case, 230 degrees); I downloaded it and the problem practically disappeared.
Another drawback: Every time I tried to feed a new spool of filament, it seemed to hit a block before “snagging” on the extruder. I’ve experimented with several solutions; The best way is to remove the Bowden tube from the top, manually straighten the filament, and then feed it. Once it latches, I reattach the tube. This isn’t complicated, but it shouldn’t work this way.
Once I got over these initial hiccups, the machine worked perfectly. Adhesion of the filament to the printing base: zero problems. Deleting entire prints: zero problems. (Simply lift the magnetic plate and flex it or two.) Print quality: Excellent overall, even in fast mode.
And speaking of which, the speed at which the M5 prints is telling. For example, I printed a poseable dragon that would normally take up to 24 hours, or at least that’s how long it took on the aforementioned Sermoon V1. The M5 finished it in just over seven hours. 3D printing has long been a game of patience; It feels quite magical to create your favorite models in a fraction of the time.
Meanwhile, the built-in camera can stream a real-time live stream at 720p, but can also capture 1080p time-lapse recordings (suitable for Instagram, TikTok, etc.). I love being able to monitor printing progress via the mobile app or sitting in front of my computer, without having to run and check the printer every 20 minutes. However, because the camera lens is built into the left side of the touchscreen module at a fixed angle, its view is far from ideal. At the beginning of printing, it is at the height of the print bed; most of the image is just empty space underneath. Only as the print gets higher do you start to get real value from the camera. It’s a shame Anker didn’t mount it higher, or at least make it adjustable so you can see more of what’s going on.
AnkerMake M5 3D Printer: Should You Buy It?
For a first try, the AnkerMake M5 is a really impressive 3D printer. It does a lot of things right, starting with the design: the hardware is really nice and the software feels more polished than most. Assembly is as easy as it gets and you can make your first print in a matter of minutes.
In fact, speed is the M5’s claim to fame, and I’m drinking the Kool-Aid. Once you get used to printing things in hours instead of days (or minutes instead of hours), it’s hard to go back to slower machines. You’re definitely paying a premium for it (there are plenty of 3D printers with lower prices), but the time you save can help justify the expense.
(Speaking of price, Anker is now offering the AnkerMake M5C for just $399. It eliminates the touchscreen (you can control everything with your PC and/or the mobile app) and has a slightly smaller print bed, but it also comes with a hotend metal, which allows for a greater variety of filaments (i.e. those requiring higher temperatures).)
While I’m not sure I’d recommend the M5 to complete beginners, who will still need to educate themselves on filaments, nozzle temperatures, and the like, it’s a no-brainer for hobbyists who know what they’re doing. You’ll be up and running in no time and, I think, you’ll love the AnkerMake M5.
