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YOU'LL LOVE IT! Until You Don't – Creality Hi Review
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Jul 29, 2025
Buy the Creality Hi Here: https://geni.us/CrealityHi Creality’s Hi is a strange one — somehow more refined than its competitors in several key ways, yet unmistakably a Creality machine through and through. In this review, I dig into the quirks and clever choices that make the Hi both a surprise contender *and* a frustrating reminder of what Creality still needs to fix. You’ll see everything from unboxing and setup to real-world print results using highly detailed model like the Eternal Forge hammers. I cover the hardware features that impressed me — like the tidy wiring, dual-sided bed, NFC support, and CFS compatibility — alongside the bits that didn’t: namely, the reworked slicer UI and hotend maintenance issues that feel like a step backwards. Does it beat the Bambu A1? In some areas, yes. Is it a better all-round printer? That’s less clear. But for miniatures and model-makers looking at mid-range machines, this is absolutely one to consider — if you can live with the usual Creality caveats. So, is it a bold step forward or just a shinier rerun? Watch the full review to find out. 3D Printer Cleaning Mat: https://geni.us/3DPrinterCleaningMat 🧼 (Amazon affiliate link – buying *anything* after clicking supports the channel) Full series – Best 3D Printers for Miniatures: https://www.fauxhammer.com/top-10/the-best-3d-printer-for-miniatures-models/ 🧠 Calibrate your printer properly with the Photonsters XP Range Finder: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6023738 ▶️ Watch my full guide here: https://youtu.be/Gm0-z971tgY 🔥 Join this channel to get perks and early access: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_9Jsf3SP8aMJgn0xv5jHjA/join
View Video Transcript
0:00
This printer's been out a while now and
0:01
I've been using it quietly behind the
0:03
scenes. And honestly, I didn't expect to
0:05
like it as much as I do because in some
0:08
ways it beats the competition, but in
0:10
others it reminds me exactly who made
0:13
it. It's clever, it's tidy, it's
0:15
frustrating, it's very, very Creity. So,
0:18
let's talk about the Creity High. I'm
0:20
Ross and this is Faux Hammer Videos. And
0:23
if you don't know me, I like to test,
0:25
poke, and occasionally swear at the
0:27
machines you're thinking of buying. And
0:29
this this is Creality's answer to the
0:31
A1. It's called the high. Yes, like it's
0:35
greeting you. And to be fair, it does
0:37
make a pretty strong first impression.
0:39
It looks good. It feels solid. The build
0:41
quality is genuinely impressive. And
0:43
even though it ships flat pack, the
0:45
setup is stupidly easy. Everything just
0:48
slides into place. And honestly, this
0:50
was easier to build than some so-called
0:52
pre-built printers I've tested recently.
0:54
the ones where all you technically need
0:56
to do is attach a hotend and a screen.
0:58
The cables are tucked away nicely. The
1:00
aluminium frame wraps everything up
1:02
clean, and it just looks modern,
1:04
professional, finally, like it belongs
1:07
in the current lineup of modern
1:09
printers. Underneath, you've got thick
1:11
rubber feet that help dampen vibration.
1:13
A small thing, but it adds to that
1:15
premium feel. Around the back, you've
1:17
got the power socket and rocker switch,
1:19
and both are neatly tucked away. Over on
1:21
the right, just behind the screen,
1:22
you've got the USB port and the
1:24
connection point for the CFS, which
1:26
we'll come back to later. The build
1:28
volume is a healthy 260x 260x300 mm, so
1:32
that means it's slightly larger than
1:33
some of its direct rivals, and it comes
1:36
with some nicely integrated features.
1:38
The dual-sided build plate slots
1:40
perfectly into place thanks to tabs in
1:42
the rear corners, and there's also a
1:44
nozzle wiper for keeping things clean
1:45
during prints. And even without the
1:47
multimaterial CFS system plugged in, it
1:50
has got a filament kicker and this makes
1:52
filament changes easier because you just
1:54
tell the printer what you want to do and
1:56
it walks you through the swap. There's
1:57
also an integrated 720p camera which is
2:00
great for monitoring and recording
2:01
time-lapses. But being a bedser, the
2:04
time-lapses are well, let's just say
2:06
more functional than sexy. The camera
2:09
includes a light which is decent. Not
2:12
amazing in low light, but it's
2:13
definitely workable. And there's also a
2:15
privacy cover because, well, no one
2:18
needs a surprise only fans moment with a
2:19
half-finish Pikachu at 3:00 a.m. And
2:22
I've got to say, I love that the spool
2:23
holder is mounted up top. I think this
2:25
is exactly where it should be. It gives
2:27
a clean and direct path from reel to
2:29
hotend, and that's perfect for flexibles
2:32
like TPU. And it's also way less faf
2:35
when feeding filament. And with the
2:37
runout sensor inside the extruder,
2:39
you've got a setup that lets you
2:40
actually use your filament rolls right
2:42
down to the end, minus the usual purge
2:45
blob, of course. But it's rather
2:47
irritating that the hotend's power and
2:48
data cable is often pinched against the
2:51
frame when it's at the top. That's some
2:53
serious wear waiting to tear. And as I
2:56
said, this printer supports the CFS
2:58
system. Well, up to four of them,
3:00
actually. These are Creality's enclosed
3:02
multimaterial feeders. Personally, I
3:04
think they're a much better idea than
3:06
the open air solutions that some other
3:08
brands have. Now, I didn't test the CFS
3:11
on this particular printer, but I did
3:13
use it with the K2 in that review, and
3:15
well, I really liked it. I love the
3:17
digital readout. It shows temperature,
3:19
humidity, and even IDs each individual
3:22
unit. The top loading tubes are great,
3:24
and you can easily get to the
3:26
connections underneath, too. Honestly,
3:28
I've got to say it. I much prefer this
3:30
over the original AMS because it's just
3:33
more practical. And in those practical
3:35
elements, I also prefer some of this
3:38
over the AMS2 as well. Now, when it
3:40
comes to the UI, this is your standard
3:42
basic clippery printer kind of thing.
3:45
It's clean, it's responsive, and it's
3:47
got just enough Creality branding to
3:49
feel consistent without being annoying
3:51
in any way. And the flip out screen is
3:53
excellent. It's got a solid hinge,
3:55
decent clicky rotation, and great
3:57
viewing angles. It actually feels like
3:59
it belongs on a premium machine. There's
4:02
nothing crazy in the UI side, neither
4:04
good nor bad. It's just solid. And I
4:06
really like that Creity have added NFC
4:08
support on their newer filament reels
4:10
because with this printer, you can now
4:12
just tap the reel against the reader on
4:14
the left of the printer, and it
4:16
automatically updates and tells the
4:17
printer what you're using, which can
4:19
then feed back to the slicer. And unlike
4:21
other brands, this NFT feature isn't
4:24
locked behind a multimaterial system. So
4:26
you get it even if you get the Solo
4:28
version of this machine to print in a
4:30
single color at a time. So with all
4:32
those positives, what's the issue? Well,
4:34
it's me. And this time, I'm going to
4:36
winge about two things. One is the
4:39
slicer again. The other is the hotend.
4:42
Now, I used to complain that Creality's
4:45
phone app felt like a Trojan horse for
4:47
selling you Creity coins as part of
4:49
their marketplace. But lately, credit
4:51
where it's due, they've really refined
4:53
things massively. This app has become a
4:56
much more monitoring focused assistant
4:58
with the store tidily off to the side.
5:01
The slicer,
5:03
look, it works. And I'm going to get
5:05
people in the comments saying it's fine.
5:07
Stop moaning. But look, I call things as
5:09
I see them, and other people will be
5:11
bothered by this as I am. So, what I see
5:14
is Creity took Orca Slicer and then
5:17
changed it. But not just for the
5:19
branding like other companies have, but
5:21
for the sake of I genuinely don't know
5:24
what. They've messed with the icons,
5:26
rearranged the layout, and somehow just
5:28
overall made it less intuitive. Key
5:31
settings are buried. Some of them I
5:33
can't find. Things are backwards, and
5:35
the whole experience feels clunkier than
5:37
it was before they ever touched it. Now,
5:38
if you buy this printer and genuinely
5:40
it's worth considering if you're anti-
5:42
other brands, just download Orca, run
5:45
both side by side and try to convince
5:47
yourself reality's version is better.
5:50
Straight face though, I dare you. In
5:52
fact, even without the printer, just go
5:54
and download them both and have a play.
5:56
Which is better? And how much better is
5:58
it exactly? I don't get why Creity are
6:01
doing this. I don't know what their
6:02
objective is. You would think if they're
6:04
going to change it this much, the goal
6:06
would be let's make this better than
6:07
other slices. But it is worse, right?
6:10
It's not just me. Yeah. And now let's
6:12
talk about the hotend. Now, good news
6:14
first. I love that the Creity logo
6:16
spins. Yeah. It's a small thing. It's
6:19
cute, but it's also functional because
6:20
it tells you the extruder gear is
6:22
turning. But then we get to the bad
6:24
news. According to their marketing, the
6:27
nozzle is clogfree and quick swap.
6:30
Right. Look, in my experience, I have
6:34
genuinely had more clogs on Creality
6:36
printers than any other brand, and that
6:39
includes this one. And quick swap, I
6:42
don't know what their definition is. I
6:44
don't think they know what the
6:46
definition is, but it's a buzz word, so
6:48
they'll use it. For me, quick swap means
6:51
a lever or a clip and the nozzle slides
6:53
out. Maybe a couple of screws at most.
6:56
With this printer, you've got to first
6:57
unscrew the casing rather than just pop
6:59
it off like other brands. Then follow a
7:02
multi-step dance just to get the nozzle
7:04
out. Don't take my word for it. Go and
7:06
watch their tutorial. I'll wait. Come
7:08
back here when you're done and let me
7:10
know what you think in the comments. And
7:12
my clog wasn't even in the nozzle. It
7:14
was in the extruder gear. Once again,
7:16
like every other Creality printer that
7:18
I've had jam. It's not been all of them,
7:20
but it's been more than half. But they
7:23
have got a tutorial for that, too.
7:25
Again, go ahead and watch it, then come
7:27
back here and tell me how quick or easy
7:29
it was. Now, extruder jams can and
7:31
probably will happen on any and every
7:34
printer. And when they do for me, I'll
7:36
tell you I've experienced it. You see, I
7:39
see extruder jams just like paper jams
7:41
in inkjets. So, in my view, these days,
7:44
it's something that should be considered
7:45
in the machine's design. And the thing
7:48
is, we've seen Creality already do far
7:50
better in this area on other machines,
7:53
both in terms of nozzle swaps and
7:55
extruder gear access. So why are they
7:57
going backwards? Once again, like the
8:00
Slicer, like other printers, it's a
8:02
decision that just doesn't make logical
8:04
sense. It doesn't move the brand or the
8:06
technology forward. If anything, it is
8:08
stepping them back whilst also muddying
8:10
the water on their crossbrand
8:12
compatibility of components. You see,
8:15
where other brands have steadily
8:16
iterated on one style of nozzle or other
8:19
component and then you can use that
8:21
component on multiple machines, Creity
8:24
come across like they're still trying to
8:26
just play around and having a go at
8:28
something new with every opportunity
8:30
they get. So, every new printer does it
8:33
a new way. Now, sometimes these add
8:35
benefits, but when they add them, they
8:37
seem to continually forget the ones they
8:40
previously made. But all in all, I can
8:42
winge about this all day, but to be
8:44
honest, it is a couple of small things
8:45
that I know a lot of people out there
8:47
will be willing to accept to get their
8:49
hands on this printer because when it
8:51
works, it works decently. Now, my first
8:54
layer wasn't perfect. There was some
8:55
overextrusion which caused a rough
8:57
surface, and this was using Creality's
9:00
filament and profiles, and this
9:02
machine's been out long enough for that
9:03
to have been dialed in. But again, in
9:05
despite of that, I printed out some good
9:07
things. I printed out a few more of
9:09
these Eternal Forge hammers and yeah,
9:11
they came out fantastically. If you
9:13
haven't seen these yet, you will. I'm
9:15
going to be doing them on every single
9:17
review until I printed the entire
9:19
collection and then I'll probably print
9:21
them again. And I'm even doing a very
9:23
fun one you might have already caught on
9:24
my social channels. What I love about
9:26
these models, though, is that they print
9:28
in place, support free, and they snap
9:30
and screw together with built-in threads
9:32
and clips. No glue, no screws, just
9:34
smart design and a really satisfying end
9:37
result. This is exactly the thing that
9:39
gets you straight into painting, which
9:41
for me is the fun bit. I love showing
9:43
these off because I hope it encourages
9:45
other upcoming designers to make models
9:48
like this with, as I say about a lot of
9:50
printers, ease of use and user
9:52
experience in mind. The less of a
9:55
barrier there is for somebody printing
9:56
your thing to using your thing, the more
9:59
they're going to love it. So anyway, in
10:01
conclusion of the Creality High, it's
10:04
generally a solid printer, and you'll be
10:06
happy with this right up until you
10:08
aren't. The build is clean, the feature
10:10
set is clever, the CFS compatibility is
10:13
genuinely useful, and again, I prefer a
10:16
lot of the CFS to other brand solutions.
10:19
It's got a top-mounted spool holder,
10:21
tidy USB placement, and that extra bit
10:23
of build volume. They're all wins, but
10:26
there's still that slight lingering
10:28
feeling of, yeah, it's a reality. And
10:32
unfortunately, we all know what that
10:34
means. If you don't, ask in the
10:36
comments, and more experienced members
10:38
of the printing community will tell you.
10:40
I would, but I don't want to be accused
10:42
of being nothing more than a reality
10:43
hater. When the truth is, I love
10:46
reality, but I see so many opportunities
10:49
that are face palm. You can do better.
10:53
How is this stuff not obvious? TLDDR,
10:56
great machine with some very obvious
10:58
opportunities to improve. I want to say
11:00
a massive thanks to you for watching and
11:02
especially to our channel members. Your
11:04
names are on screen now and your support
11:06
is so appreciated. Thank you. For
11:08
everyone else, please consider joining
11:10
them if you want early access, exclusive
11:12
videos, Discord rolls, or just to
11:14
support the chaos that is my life. Until
11:17
next time, I don't tip because society
11:19
says I have to. All right. I mean, I'll
11:21
tip if somebody really deserves it. Faux
11:23
hammer out.
11:29
[Music]