Anycubic Mega SE

The Anycubic Mega SE is a budget desktop FDM printer with a classic i3 layout — a stripped-down version of the popular Mega lineup. It targets beginners and anyone who wants a relatively large build area for the money without much fuss. Its highlights are the fast-heating Ultrabase plate and quiet stepper drivers.

The build volume is 220×220×250 mm. The heated Ultrabase plate reaches 100 °C in about five minutes, and the single Bowden extruder with double-gear feeding and a Capricorn tube hits 255 °C — enough for PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU and HIPS. The recommended print speed is around 60 mm/s (up to 100 mm/s max). Control is via a monochrome LCD with a rotary knob, printing runs from a memory card, and there is a filament runout sensor plus power-loss recovery.

Pros

• Quick assembly from a few modules — the printer goes together in about 10–15 minutes
• Ultrabase glass plate: good adhesion while printing and easy part removal once cooled
• Fast bed heat-up to 100 °C in about five minutes saves time before each print
• Quiet TMC2208 stepper drivers noticeably cut motor noise during operation
• Filament runout sensor and resume-after-power-loss support
• Good out-of-the-box print quality for the price — even layers with no skips

Cons

• Bed leveling is semi-automatic: the firmware guides you to the points, but you still turn the knobs by hand
• No Wi-Fi and no touchscreen — control only via the LCD with a knob and a memory card
• Modest print speed (60 mm/s recommended) compared with modern printers
• Improvements over the Mega S are minor, which is why the model was discontinued quickly

The Mega SE suits beginners and anyone after an affordable printer for home, school and hobby use: souvenirs, simple functional parts and prototypes in PLA and PETG. It's a machine for calm, no-rush work rather than high speed.

Bottom line: a simple, reliable budget FDM printer with a solid Ultrabase plate and quiet operation; the model is discontinued and was succeeded by the Kobra lineup.