So I'm trying to get my printer to a point where i can pretty consistently turn out high quality prints, but I'm at a point now where i get results like this. These two prints are from the same batch, same print job, and I'm completely clueless on how to fix it. I have an ender 3 v2 with a bltouch, I've adjusted the eccentric nuts, tightened the belts until the tips of my thumb and index finger couldn't tighten them any further, bed is level, using hatchbox pla. I know i can do ironing to fix the cosmetic problem, but I'd prefer to fix the root issue if possible.
What kind of bed do you have? If your bed isn't flat this can happen as well. I scrapped a magnetic PEI sheet because it was never gonna be flat enough for a whole smooth first layer for me
Creality bases are notoriously NOT flat although I've heard their quality has improved over the years. I have one of the 1st-gen Ender 3 Pro machines with a terrible dip in the aluminum base. One nice thing about a thicker bed material is that you can use discs of aluminum foil the shim the base. I started with a glass bed and 13 layers of foil to get the glass reasonably flat. I have since moved to 3mm G10 with a PEI sticker which is working pretty well (in case you want to try PEI again). I found some scrap G10 material on ebay and chopped it with a table saw, sanded all the edges, then got a PEI sheet that was 10mm wider than my bed to allow for some slop. Putting down the stickers is a lot easier if you have someone helping you. Then trim the overhang and you're ready to go.
Sorry, just because you're not capable enough to work with something that wasn't completely fine-tuned for you at the factory doesn't mean many of the rest of us have any problems with these machines. I do manual bed leveling and I can walk away from my printer for a year, turn it on, and pop out as good of print as the previous time it was used. How well does your "real" printer work after a year of neglect and with all the fancy gizmos turned off?