How long does a stock nozzle last?
In terms of printing hours, when should I start thinking about a replacement? Is there any clue to realize it is getting worn?
I mainly use PETG and occasionally some TPE
thanks
Best Answer by --:
It's almost 100% dependent on material used. Glo in the Dark you can expect minutes of printing will ruin a brass nozzle (100g grams destroyed my first brass nozzle); standard unfilled PLA/PET expect a year or more; Glass, carbon, glo, and metal filled plastics will eat the nozzle from the inside, and entirely depends on the hardness and print volumes. So it's mostly guesswork. If in doubt, buy a true 100% tungsten nozzle.
RE: How long does a stock nozzle last?
It's almost 100% dependent on material used. Glo in the Dark you can expect minutes of printing will ruin a brass nozzle (100g grams destroyed my first brass nozzle); standard unfilled PLA/PET expect a year or more; Glass, carbon, glo, and metal filled plastics will eat the nozzle from the inside, and entirely depends on the hardness and print volumes. So it's mostly guesswork. If in doubt, buy a true 100% tungsten nozzle.
RE: How long does a stock nozzle last?
In terms of printing hours, when should I start thinking about a replacement? Is there any clue to realize it is getting worn?
I mainly use PETG and occasionally some TPE
If I start to see fine stringing develop where none occurred before or worsening print quality issues, I'll put on a spare. If you use those needles and bits to unclog nozzles, it's possible to damage the edge which can definitely contribute to problems. If the nozzle drags during prints, that can contribute to wear. PETG and TPE are not particularly abrasive, so given general precautions, I'd expect to get many months out of a brass nozzle.
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He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
RE: How long does a stock nozzle last?
It really highly depends on your requirements and usage. If you print regular PLA only and don't have much cloggs (where the plastic stays a long time hot in the nozzle), your nozzle can last for years without noticeable quality degradation.
But if you change filament types often, you might experience printing issues. In this case just have a spare on hand.
In case of abrasive filament, you need a hardened nozzle otherwise you can swap after each print.
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RE: How long does a stock nozzle last?
I need to replace my nozzle on my MK3S. Would it better to go with hardened or copper-plated as opposed to brass?
RE: How long does a stock nozzle last?
@rray6
I always recommend to use regular brass nozzle for regular filament. It has the best heat dissipation. All the hardened nozzles require an adjustment in temperature/flow rate to compensate that.
Often linked posts:
Going small with MMU2
Real Multi Material
My prints on Instagram
RE: How long does a stock nozzle last?
@nikolai-r
Thanks!
RE: How long does a stock nozzle last?
I do like the coated nozzles to reduce filament build-up with PETG. I did some testing with a variety of nozzles and didn't notice any real effect on flow rate attributable to the better thermal characteristics of brass vs hardened steel, but the I definitely want coated nozzles of any type.
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He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
RE: How long does a stock nozzle last?
I stuck a nozzle x on a few weeks after getting my printer and haven't looked back since. While I dont print much exotic stuff it handled the glow in the dark samples fine without problems. I've been running it for ages now and I have yet to see any of the usual signs of wear.