Loading flexible filament into Prusa XL Nextruder - Hardware, firmware and software help

Diem — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:39:37 +0000

I had loosened the idler screws by two full turns following the recommendations

With very flexible filaments you have to back-off the idler until it is barely gripping - and it helps to make sure there is minimal tension in the supply so a really smooth spoolholder helps - but 60A is always going to be tricky so print *very* slowly.

Cheerio,

RE: Loading flexible filament into Prusa XL Nextruder

Spalan — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:17:33 +0000

The filament was properly loaded and extruding, but once the small piece of PETG I had soldered to the beginning of the flexible filament had been extruded, the flexible filament jammed and when I opened the idler I saw it had just bunched up in front of the gear, above the metal tube leading to the nozzle. This happened even though I had loosened the idler screws by two full turns following the recommendations at https://help.prusa3d.com/article/flexible-materials_2057 and it happened during the loading procedure when I was purging the leading PETG part, so I didn't even get to printing, where I could have fiddled with the settings (speed, temperature, etc.).

RE: Loading flexible filament into Prusa XL Nextruder

tsamisa — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:08:57 +0000

did you try opening the idler and guiding the filament to the gears ?

RE: Loading flexible filament into Prusa XL Nextruder

Spalan — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:05:15 +0000

Thanks, that worked for getting the filament loaded. But then the filament immediately jammed in the extruder. I've now given up on printing really flexible filaments on the XL.

RE: Loading flexible filament into Prusa XL Nextruder

BaconFase — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 06:34:01 +0000

Use a solder pen or whatever to splice some pla/petg to the tip of the tpu to help guide it. Then extrude multiple multiple times to purge all of the guide tip material from the nozzle.

Loading flexible filament into Prusa XL Nextruder

Spalan — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:11:24 +0000

Dear all,

I have a very flexible filament (Filaflex 60A) that I'm trying to load into my Prusa XL. The problem is that I cannot get the filament into the tool.

I am already bypassing the side filament sensor and feeding the filament directly into the tool head, but the filament does not even reach the gears. I have cut it flat, I have cut it at an angle that gives it a very thin point, I'm twisting around, but no matter what I do, it seems to get stuck somewhere in the channel leading to the extruder gears. Loading stiff filaments or regular TPU is no issue at all, that works fine. It's just this very flexible filament that I find no way to load.

I'd appreciate any advice that someone may have.

Best,
Stefan.