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DealzRGood4U 17.5K Views
Oct 13, 2026 12:35 PM

Flashforge Creator 5 4-Toolheads Multi-Color 3D Printer

$516

$799

35% off
+ Free S&Hat AliExpress
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Deal Details
Update: This popular deal is still available.

FLASHFORGE 3D Printer Store via AliExpress has Flashforge Creator 5 4-Toolheads Multi-Color 3D Printer on sale for $587.26 - $40 when you apply promo code USDEALS40 at checkout = $507.26 -> now $516.29. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Community Member DealzRGood4U for sharing this deal.
  • Note: Price may vary by account or fluctuate slightly with currency exchange rates. You must be signed into your AliExpress account and have your address added to add items to your cart and place an order. You may have to manually type in the promo code to apply it at checkout. This item ships from a USA warehouse. For expedited customer service, please email [email protected].
Details:
  • 4 Independent Toolheads For True Multi-Color & Multi-Materia
  • Up to 500% Faster Multi-Color Printing
  • Zero Purge Waste, Maximum Efficiency
  • High-Speed Performance (600 mm/s)
  • Fully Automatic Calibration & Leveling
  • Flawless Print Quality with Smart Compensation
  • Multi-Material Capability in One Print
  • Build Volume Of 256 × 256 × 256 mm
No Longer Applicable:
  • $80 promo code USDEALS80

Editor's Notes

Written by StrawMan86 | Staff
  • This price is $8.82 Lower than our recent Frontpage Deal.
  • At the time of this posting, our research indicates that this is $132.71 lower than the next best comparable online prices starting from $649.
  • Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars from customer reviews.

Original Post

Written by DealzRGood4U
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Update: This popular deal is still available.

FLASHFORGE 3D Printer Store via AliExpress has Flashforge Creator 5 4-Toolheads Multi-Color 3D Printer on sale for $587.26 - $40 when you apply promo code USDEALS40 at checkout = $507.26 -> now $516.29. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Community Member DealzRGood4U for sharing this deal.
  • Note: Price may vary by account or fluctuate slightly with currency exchange rates. You must be signed into your AliExpress account and have your address added to add items to your cart and place an order. You may have to manually type in the promo code to apply it at checkout. This item ships from a USA warehouse. For expedited customer service, please email [email protected].
Details:
  • 4 Independent Toolheads For True Multi-Color & Multi-Materia
  • Up to 500% Faster Multi-Color Printing
  • Zero Purge Waste, Maximum Efficiency
  • High-Speed Performance (600 mm/s)
  • Fully Automatic Calibration & Leveling
  • Flawless Print Quality with Smart Compensation
  • Multi-Material Capability in One Print
  • Build Volume Of 256 × 256 × 256 mm
No Longer Applicable:
  • $80 promo code USDEALS80

Editor's Notes

Written by StrawMan86 | Staff
  • This price is $8.82 Lower than our recent Frontpage Deal.
  • At the time of this posting, our research indicates that this is $132.71 lower than the next best comparable online prices starting from $649.
  • Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars from customer reviews.

Original Post

Written by DealzRGood4U

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Top Comments

dispe
83Comments
93Reputation
So, there will always be some "waste" insofar as the prime tower is concerned, unless you decide to turn it off. To test the question, I chose the Urban Spiderman model on Makerworld https://makerworld.com/en/models/...Id-2540243, which I had printed recently. While you didn't specifically ask for it, and before I go into details regarding your question, I will include this: the time taken for the AD5x stock (using either Orca or Flash Studio) to print would be 1 day and 7 hours, utilizing 863 filament changes and 0 tool changes, and the Creator 5/pro (Flash Studio) would take 7 hours 41 minutes with a total of 0 filament changes and 690 tool changes. The AD5x using Zmod with Bambufy (Orca) https://github.com/function3d/bambufy Wipe Tower Type 1 would complete it in 22 hours, 55 minutes with 690 filament changes and 0 tool changes. Neither Orca or Flash Print will calculate the weight of the purges, only the prime tower. I'll remove the tower from discussion, since you could either print a similar sized one on either printer.

Now, I haven't printed anything on my AD5x as a stock printer in a while, but according to at least one facebook post https://www.facebook.com/groups/6...490653057/, it's approximately 0.249g per change. Now, per the above, 863 filament changes x 0.249g = 215.887g of waste. While I could divide that by the three filaments used, it wouldn't be a fair comparison since there would be a few less color changes for one color versus the others.

Now, switching over to Zmod's Bambufy Wipe Tower Type 1, there would be 690 filament changes. This is a huge difference compared to stock AD5x (tested both on Orca and Flash Studio). Presuming that Bambufy purges the same filament weight, that would be 171.81g total, or 44.077g saved just using Zmod. I went and measured out 10g of purge out of my poop basket, and then counted how many pieces that was; I ended up with 47 purged bits, so that was an average of 0.213g per purge, using the Bambufy Wipe Tower Type 1. 0.213g x 690 = 146.809g, or 69.078g saved over stock. If you go with Wipe Tower Type 2 (aka nopoop), I believe the AD5x will not purge at all, relying on the prime tower instead(?). I could test this but have not yet as of this post, but if it does what it says it does, then it would produce 0 purges similar to the Creator 5 and pro.

Almost 70g of saved filament is no joke for just firmware flash, and 215g of filament saved on purges is an even bigger save if you don't have to. But you also have to keep in mind the price of both the AD5x and the Creator 5. Last I checked, the AD5x was going for about $210 on Ali whereas this one is $507. Over double the price. If you pick up 10kg Kingroon filament on sale, that's what, about $7/kg, or $0.007/g. $0.007/g x 215g = $1.51. I'd have to print that Spiderman almost 200 times once per plate to make up the cost of the Creator 5. I wouldn't specifically get a Creator 5 for those kinds of savings, but that's just my opinion (which is why I picked up the Pro).

Hope this helps.
Go to Comment
dispe
83Comments
93Reputation
I have both an AD5x with enclosure and Creator 5 Pro. If you removed the enclosure and heater, the Pro would basically be the 5. In addition to build volume and individual tool heads, there's other differences to consider. The AD5x has the IFS system that will feed the filament through the Bowden tube to the extruder automatically. It'll also cut and retract it automatically when changing filaments. The Creator 5 and pro need to do this manually. You'll have to feed the filament all the way to the extruder by hand, and squeeze the filament cutter and pull out to change filament. So while the creator is more expensive, there's more manual work involved. Another difference is speed of nozzle swap. On the AD5x, you just have to pull the cooling fan off the extruder, flip open the heat sink, flip the retaining clip, and pull the nozzle you swap. With the Creators, you'll have to unscrew I believe five screws to access the nozzle. Granted, you could put different sized nozzles on each of the Creator 5 heads and never need to swap, but the software only assigns one nozzle size to all 4, so you would be limited to printing on one head at a time, or possibly encountering printing issues if you try. I use my creator 5 pro for filaments like PA and ASA where I need the heated enclosure, and multi color prints that require a lot of per layer changes. I use my AD5x for TPU because it's easier to direct feed, projects that I need faster (thanks to zmod and klipper adaptive mesh purge), and for other projects where I'll use a different sized nozzle. But if you take away the heated enclosure, the only benefit to the Creator 5 over the AD5x would be purgeless filament changes.
Go to Comment

Community Reviews

FLASHFORGE Creator 5 is a four tool multi material printer built for faster multicolor jobs and low waste tool changes. The larger 256 millimeter bed, separate heads, and heated enclosure support make it appealing for bigger prints and materials like ABS, PA, and ASA. Tool changes are much quicker than filament swapping, and the extra heads add redundancy if one needs repair. The main tradeoffs are more manual filament handling, slower nozzle access, and prime tower waste that still reduces the expected savings.

  • The Creator 5 uses four separate heads that can support purgeless operation and multiple filament types within the same print.

    UnXpectedErrorTalentedSparrow5150

  • The Creator 5 can produce multicolor prints faster because tool changes take only a few seconds.

    TalentedSparrow5150mabird1980

  • The Creator 5 Pro can handle ABS and multicolor projects after setup, with printing described as smooth.

    rspirit

  • The Creator 5 offers redundancy because remaining heads can keep printing while a single head is repaired.

    mabird1980

  • The Creator 5 needs a prime tower for priming, which can reduce expected filament savings.

    c5hardtopTalentedSparrow5150

  • The Creator 5 requires manual filament handling for filament changes, including feeding by hand and using the filament cutter.

    dispe

  • Flashforge software is described as closed and problematic, with claims about spyware and serious reporting behavior.

    TalentedSparrow5150

  • Current firmware can make the printer feel slow, which may affect overall throughput for time-sensitive jobs.

    c5hardtop

Common Questions (5)

AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago

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55 Comments

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Yesterday 2:12 PM
210 Comments
Joined Aug 2021
KPeeYesterday 2:12 PM
210 Comments
Quote from malavon View quoted comment :
It's safe to buy this stuff from Ali Express? They sell so much other junky things I get worried legit hardware like not discounted on other sites are knockoffs or undisclosed refurbs.
Yes I have purchased a few items from them. One or two never arrived but received refund. Their site sucks ass though. Also they can seem a bit scammy. I sometimes ship to a tax free address. That is honored by Amazon, Walmart, ebay etc. But AE charges tax when I ship there. I'm pretty sure they are pocketing this "tax".
Yesterday 2:55 PM
2.4K Comments
Joined Mar 2004
Deals_junkyYesterday 2:55 PM
2.4K Comments
Isn't Ali Express shipping items from China which requires US customers pay custom duty nowadays?
Yesterday 2:58 PM
176 Comments
Joined Apr 2013
AdamE1838Yesterday 2:58 PM
176 Comments
Quote from Deals_junky View quoted comment :
Isn't Ali Express shipping items from China which requires US customers pay custom duty nowadays?
The one I bought on the last deal (18% kickback at the time) was shipped to me in 3 days. It def came from within the US.
Yesterday 5:39 PM
251 Comments
Joined Nov 2003
c5hardtopYesterday 5:39 PM
251 Comments
Got one a week ago from the cashback thing that put price in the $400s. Everything is going well, but just to point out there are some downsides. In general the printer is "slow" on current firmware. You have to print the prime tower because that is how it primes, so filament savings won't be quite as much as you may expect. On things that just have a few color changes horizontal, or things like lightboxes that only have color changes on 2-3 layers the waste and time will be about equal. On the plus side the print quality is amazing.
Original Poster
Pro
Yesterday 10:31 PM
3.8K Comments
Joined Dec 2004
DealzRGood4UYesterday 10:31 PM
Original Poster
Pro
3.8K Comments
Quote from Deals_junky View quoted comment :
Isn't Ali Express shipping items from China which requires US customers pay custom duty nowadays?
There are a lot of items on AliExpress that ship from China or ship from the US.

SlickDeals requires all AliExpress deals posted on SD to ship from a US-based warehouse.

Buying items that ship from the US greatly reduces the incidence of fake items; ship times are much faster; & no surprise fees you pay after the initial sale.
Last edited by DealzRGood4U October 16, 2026 at 03:35 PM.
Today 2:59 PM
305 Comments
Joined Oct 2021
FairRoute935Today 2:59 PM
305 Comments
would love to try one of these one day, still a bit above my budget
Today 3:27 PM
176 Comments
Joined Apr 2013
AdamE1838Today 3:27 PM
176 Comments
Quote from FairRoute935 View quoted comment :
would love to try one of these one day, still a bit above my budget
The flashforge ad5m is a great budget friendly way to dip your toes into printing. I started there and it didn't take me long to want to do multi material (ad5X) and now low waste multi material (creator 5). Learning on the ad5m helped me a lot to understand the possibilities and limitations of these machines.

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Pro
Sr. Deal Editor
Today 10:17 PM
13.6K Comments
Joined Jun 2012
StrawMan86Today 10:17 PM
Pro
Sr. Deal Editor
13.6K Comments
this deal is still available
Today 10:27 PM
729 Comments
Joined Sep 2019
UniqueSoda2365Today 10:27 PM
729 Comments
"Sorry, the coupon code you entered is based on a first come first served basis and has been used up by other shoppers. Please enter a different coupon code or explore other discounts on AliExpress."
Pro
Today 10:45 PM
766 Comments
Joined Oct 2009
danjayh
Pro
Today 10:45 PM
766 Comments
I cannot understand why anyone would buy this at this price when the U1 was available for $663 a few days ago and is rumored to be set to go on sale for $650 on Black Friday.

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