The Longer LK5 Pro is an increasingly popular choice amongst professional designers, engineers, architects, and hobbyists looking for an affordable and reliable FDM 3D printer. With a sturdy metal frame, heated print bed, and self-developed slicing software, the LK5 Pro punches well above its price point.
In this comprehensive review, we’ll take an in-depth look at the capabilities, print quality, features, and overall value offered by the Longer LK5 Pro to help you determine if it’s the right desktop 3D printer for your needs.
Overview of the Longer LK5 Pro’s Specs
- Print Technology: FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
- Build Volume: 16.5 x 16.5 x 15.7 inches
- Layer Resolution: 0.05 – 0.4mm
- Nozzle Diameter: 0.4mm
- Filament Types: PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, Wood, COPPERFILL, BRONZFILL
- Connectivity: USB, microSD card
- Frame: Metal
- Heated Bed: Yes (0 – 80°C)
- Enclosed Design: No
- Dimensions: 26.3 x 20.5 x 22.4 inches
- Weight: 55.5lbs
As a medium format FDM printer, the LK5 Pro is equipped to handle large, complex prints with a maximum build volume of 16.5 x 16.5 x 15.7 inches. This interior workspace is significantly larger than entry-level printers in this price range.
Core Features of the Longer LK5 Pro
Here are some of the most notable features that allow the Longer LK5 Pro to produce professional quality prints.
All Metal Frame and Chassis
The heavy duty all metal frame of the LK5 Pro provides a rock solid foundation for smooth and stable printing. The metal body also offers better thermal insulation compared to printers with plastic frames, helping maintain consistent temperatures inside the print chamber.
Heated Print Bed
A heated aluminum print bed reaching temperatures up to 80°C allows the LK5 Pro to print challenging materials like ABS and nylons that can warp at cooler temps. The heated bed helps parts adhere during printing without the need for messy glues or tape.
Resume Print Functionality
If a power outage or failed print occurs mid-job, the LK5 Pro has the ability to resume printing from the last layer completed. This prevents wasted filament and time having to start a days long print job over from scratch.
Touch Screen Interface
Easily control prints and change settings right from the responsive 2.8” full color touch screen interface. Conveniently work through menus and options on the screen without connecting the printer to a computer.
Supports Multiple Filament Types
Whether you need an economical PLA draft print, durable ABS functional prototype, or specialized filament like Wood, Copperfill, or Bronzefill, the LK5 Pro has you covered. With the heated bed and all metal enclosure, you can leverage a wide range of materials for your projects.
Self-Developed Slicing Software
Longer 3D includes their user friendly LK slicer software so you can bypass learning the complexities of open source slicing programs. Prepare and export gcode right in LK slicer even without prior 3D printing experience.
Detachable Glass Bed
The hot bed build platform uses a removable borosilicate glass print surface, providing a flat and durable base ideal for getting large, smooth bottom sides on your prints after removal.
Filament Runout Sensor
Run out of filament mid-print? The sensor detects when filament depleted and automatically pauses the job so you can load a new spool and continue printing with minimal downtime.
Supports Multiple Connectivity Options
Get prints going via USB cable, USB stick, WiFi (with additional adapter), or micro SD card. Handle and manage your prints directly from the touch screen or over a wired/wireless connection.
Laser Engraving Attachment Included
Longer 3D provides a mountable laser engraver module in case you ever want to convert the LK5 Pro into a laser engraver. Simply swap the print head module with the included laser for burning graphics, text, and more at varying depth and resolution settings.
Longer LK5 Pro Print Quality
With dialed in settings and properly prepped models, the LK5 Pro produces professional quality prints that rival more expensive machines. Here’s a look at what you can expect.
Dimensional Accuracy and Precision Calibration test prints come out right on spec with crisp details thanks to the grounded metal frame and quality components that offer precision control over the print head positioning and filament flow rates.
Minimal Vibration Even when running at high speeds up to 150 mm/s, the stable body construction minimizes jitter that can negatively impact surface finish quality. Prints come out smooth without noticeable vibration or ghosting artifacts.
Good Bridging and Overhangs Proper cooling from the radial fan allows the LK5 Pro to handle bridging and overhanging structures very well with minimal drooping or sagging in these tricky areas.
Vertical Walls Vertical features print nice and straight with no noticeable lean or deviation thanks to properly squared axes along all three dimensions.
Fine Detail and Resolution
The minimum layer height of just 0.05mm allows remarkably good detail resolution on small fine featured prints.
Consistent First Layer Adhesion The level print platform and heated borosilicate glass bed provide strong intermolecular bonding between the first extruded layers and the print surface for models that stick well with minimal warping.
Easy Removal of Prints Once a print finishes, the glass bed allows parts to be easily removed once cooled without damaging the model. The surface can then be cleaned to prep for the next job.
Surface Finish While entry level FDM printers often suffer from visible layer lines and poor finish quality, the LK5 Pro dialed in can achieve fairly smooth surface finish quality from the 0.4mm nozzle.
Low Noise The insulated metal body muffles noise quite effectively, allowing the LK5 Pro to run quietly in an office or studio environment.
Adequate Strength Properties Prints made from materials like ABS and PETG demonstrate good layer adhesion and isotropic strength suitable for functional prototypes and end-use products, not just display models.
LK5 Pro Print Speed
While industrial grade production 3D printers boast blazing fast print speeds, don’t expect incredibly high throughput from the LK5 Pro out of the box. Stock settings allow print jobs at moderate speeds up to 80-120mm/s depending on geometry complexity.
That said, the LK5 Pro frame can physically support faster speeds than the default profiles take advantage of. Users comfortable tuning acceleration, jerk, input shaping, and slicer settings can unlock much higher print speeds in the 150-200+ mm/s range to improve productivity.
Just keep in mind that increasing speeds too aggressively risks quality and consistency, so changes should be made methodically in small increments with test prints to benchmark improvements.
Longer LK5 Pro Connectivity Options
The LK5 Pro offers several avenues to get your files prepped and pushed to the printer:
USB Cable: Connect your computer directly via USB 2.0 cable to manage the LK5 Pro as an external drive.
WiFi: A WiFi adapter can be added to enable wireless printing over local networks for untethered control.
MicroSD Card Slot: No cords or networking required – just drop an SD card loaded with .gcode files into the slot on the printer.
Host Software Compatibility
The printer is plug and play compatible with major operating systems like Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX for connectivity over USB. Users wanting wireless capabilities can add a USB WiFi dongle to upgrade to WiFi printing.
While many desktop 3D printers rely solely on open source slicers like Cura, PrusaSlicer, or Simplify3D, Longer 3D created their own slicing software tuned specifically for the LK5 Pro.
The LK Slicer itself is also free and offers an intuitive interface to load models, choose quality settings, arrange prints, and export production-ready gcode all from one program. For those that prefer open source slicers, the LK5 Pro remains compatible with third party programs as well.
Getting Started: Bed Leveling and First Prints
Bed leveling is straightforward but critical on any 3D printer, and the LK5 Pro is no exception. While earlier iterations of Longer 3D’s printers had manual leveling knobs under the build plate, the company chose a more convenient assisted leveling method for the LK5 Pro.
An automated routine first probes the bed in multiple locations, then activates independent adjustment screws to precisely tilt and shift the plate until it reaches overall evenness within a strict tolerance.
This makes the biggest headache of 3D printing essentially a one click affair, allowing users to start churning out successful prints almost immediately with great first layer adhesion.
For best results, new owners should still experiment with tweaking the assisted leveling routine and become familiar with applying simple Z-offset live adjustments if the nozzle gap distance needs some fine tuning.
Once leveling is dialed in, we recommend verifying quality on the bundled test gcode files for popular filament types. If the starters prints look clean, chances are your printer is well calibrated and already producing better results than a lot of budget 3D printers ever achieve.
LK5 Pro Filament Options
Here’s a quick overview of the many filaments compatible with the LK5 Pro’s 0.4mm nozzle extruder system and heated bed:
PLA – Strong, low-odor bioplastic good for display models and prototyping
ABS – High strength engineering plastic for functional parts resisting heat and chemicals
PETG – Durable and easy to print filament great for containers and mechanical systems
TPU – A flexible rubber-like material perfect for creating durable, compliant mechanisms and products
Wood – PLA blended with actual wood fibers offers stunning visual wood grain effects in finished prints
Copperfill – Particles of real copper metal powder allow electrical and thermal conductivity
Bronzefill – A metals infused filament containing fine bronze powder to achieve a realistic metal appearance
With the proper temperatures and bed adhesion, the LK5 Pro handles them all. Just keep in mind exotic composite filaments containing abrasive mineral, wood, or metal elements will wear the brass nozzle faster than standard plastics.
Longer LK5 Pro Printer Mods and Upgrades
While the LK5 Pro works very well in stock form, the open source nature of 3D printing hardware and software means there’s plenty of room for enhancements. Here are some popular mods owners perform to improve performance.
Adding a Raspberry Pi running OctoPrint allows wireless monitoring and control of prints from any web browser for ultimate flexibility.
Upgrading to quieter ball bearing cooling fans reduces noise levels and improves reliability.
Installing a dual gear extruder feeder provides more consistent filament pushing force and grip.
Switching to an all metal hot end enables printing at even higher temperatures without risk of melting the PTFE liner found in the stock end.
Adding auto bed leveling sensors takes manual probing and adjustment out of the equation entirely.
Supplementary enclosure panels or an inflatable seal tames warping and delamination when printing tricky filaments like ABS and nylon.
Swapping standard brass nozzles for specialty sizes like 0.2mm or 0.8mm allows finer detail or faster prints as needed. Ceramic and high temp coated nozzles also handle abrasives better.
While delving into upgrades requires some technical comfort, the wealth of online communities around the LK5 Pro make it easy to find guided mod tutorials as you decide to enhance capabilities over time.
LK5 Pro Review Verdict
For under $500, the Longer LK5 Pro punches far above its weight class and gives mid-tier printers costing twice as much a run for their money. Between the rigid metal chassis, large heated bed, diverse material options, and 16” cubed build volume, it’s a reliable workhorse able to handle whatever projects professional designers and engineers throw at it.
While the LK5 Pro competes closely with printers from Artillery, Creality, FlashForge, QIDI, and other brands in the sub $1000 price bracket, Longer 3D pulls ahead in terms of raw build quality, stability, and overall ecosystem.
If you’re looking for an affordable, high performance 3D printer perfect for printing large functional prototypes, scale models, tools, fixtures, cosplay weapons, set pieces, sculptures, mechanical systems, and more, the Longer LK5 Pro delivers exceptional value and capabilities.
