Issues with Buying a FlashForge Creator Pro

 I've been using my Creator Pro for a few years now at this point, so as you can imagine I know the machine pretty well. Over that time, I've identified some weak points on the machine, and I'd like to post them since FlashForge still sells the same printer.

1. Firmware updates have stopped, due to the original control board's limitations. No more new features that other newer printers have, like pressure advance and resonance compensation.
2. The ATMEGA 2560 on the control board is an 8-bit microcontroller that runs at 16mHz. Newer control boards are usually 32-bits and run at over 100mHz, allowing computations associated with higher print speeds, and more advanced movement.
3. Connectivity is lacking compared to new printers. The rear USB port on the printer only works with a specialized version of ReplicatorG, an extremely out of date slicing program. Therefore the only way to print is with an SD card. Some have used SD cards with wireless connectivity built in to access them, which is kind of a cool idea if it works right.
4. .x3g files are used instead of .gcode. This means none of the usual commands will work to control the printer, and you have to install .x3g_writer in Cura to get it to slice your files in the correct format.
5. Flashprint (pre-version 5.0) works pretty well as a slicer for beginners, but it doesn't have key features for tuning your prints to achieve really good quality, especially in applications that require strength. 
6. Flashprint (post-version 5.0) has lately been having some big bug issues. The team has been uploading versions that have broken some users ability to print. This version is more feature-rich, but when you could just use Cura or (if you can get it to work with .x3g files) Simplify3d, why even bother learning a new interface? I believe it's based off of Cura, but it just seems like something they'll stop updating at some point and you would've been better off choosing Cura in the first place.
7. Octoprint is a pain to set up. Some people have figured out how to get it working, and I am not one of those people. I'm sure once it's working properly, Octoprint is a great help. That would augment connectivity, the ability to print faster, and translate gcode to x3g to give you basic features. Unfortunately it's not documented in one place, and I got a bunch of errors when I tried it. Your mileage may vary.
8. The main issue for me is that you can't control the part cooling fan. It will turn on either 0% or 100%, not in between. If you're printing anything except PLA, this might be a problem for you. Even ABS needs a little bit of fan to print nicely sometimes. There are mods where users have hooked up a PWM controller to the board and controlled the fan manually with a potentiometer, but manually controlling the fan seems like such a pain.
9. The Creator Pro is a LOUD printer. The A4988 stepper drivers are an antiquated design, and make loud robot noises. Not the best thing to sleep next to. I swapped mine out for TMC2209 drivers. It was a pain to adjust the voltage on them upside down, but they ran quiet.
10. The filament spool holders weren't great. Some of my spools were too big and would fall off, so I got a filament holder / drier and that fixed that issue.