Micro Swiss NG™ Direct Drive Extruder for Creality CR-10 / Ender 3 Printers (Drop in Upgrade, No modifican Required)

An excellent upgrade for my classic CR-10. I can print way faster now! It fit well and was not too tough to install. I thought the included directions were very clear.

This hot end was the single best modification I have made to my printer. It has allowed me to print at higher speeds and achieve much higher quality prints. The installation is straightforward and the tuning with a sonic pad is relatively simple. I was worried about the increased weight on the carriage. But it seems to not be an issue. Even when printing at 130+ mm/s.If you are looking for a quality direct drive hot end to improve your prints, look no further. You will not be disappointed.

The print head is excellent! However, 400 e-steps is a good place to start. On my Tronxy XY3, I had to set it to 600. I did this by using gcode since I did not have access to the firmware. Where I later learned it is available on Github.Customer service responded to my emails quickly and kindly even when I was getting frustrated on setup. I work with RPET and I was having what I thought was some odd purge issue. I threw my hands up and decided to hit print. The print was the best print I have seen yet. Take the time and make sure you do your printer maintenance.

The media could not be loaded. Setup was fine. Didn’t come with a bl touch adapter or the ones I had didn’t fit. When adjusting esteps for extruded to 400, saved config and heated the nozzle, the motor moves extremely slow. It’s under extruding. I played with the spring and it leaves fat globs of melted filament at the nozzle. What do it do?

After watching the Youtube video and downloading the instructions PDF from Microswiss, this was quite easy (for me, who is used to tinkering with stuff) to install on the Ender 3 V2. I also installed a dual-Z kit at the same time.I am using the heater block from a Dragonfly BMS so I can keep using my V6 hardened steel nozzles (and my upgraded thermistor); it just screws right onto the heat break, no problem. If you are upgrading from a stock Ender 3, I would be prepared to buy a new thermistor (they can get stuck, and are very easy to break). Microswiss also offers a high-temperature heater block that is compatible with this assembly if you need it, but apparently nobody makes a silicone sock that fits.Be prepared to print your benchies and temperature towers, etc. You might end up needing to change several settings in your slicer.So far:-I have been able to print ASA, ABS, TPU, Nylon, and PLA very successfully. I still need to dial in the Nylon better, but I have everything else pretty much there. I'm also assuming it's going to work very well with the PC, but haven't actually printed with that since the upgrade yet.-To reduce stringing, I found that setting the "Wipe while retracting" setting with 100% "Retract amount before wipe" setting in PrusaSlicer really helped quite a bit. Also, for the TPU I needed to set the extrusion multiplier to 0.9, which also really helped a lot.-If you aren't using the nozzle that MicroSwiss includes, make sure you are using one that's high quality. I think the nozzle I had was not quite 0.4mm, and it really caused problems with the TPU. Don't mix and match either. If you are using the Microswiss heater block the extruder comes with, use an MK8 nozzle unless you like to clean up messes.-I found that I needed to adjust the extruder tension screw out a little further than recommended. With the 2.75mm recommendation for TPU (and the incorrect nozzle size), I got the TPU wrapped around some of the gears, and had to do some disassembly (wasn't too bad, mostly just annoying). I corrected both issues, and actually was able to get some pretty decent quality TPU prints pretty easily (I had never worked with flexible filament before, so I was pretty happy). I accidentally left it on 2.75+mm for the next print, and it handled PLA like a champ as well.-If you are going to be printing filaments that benefit from a hot first layer (like Nylon or ASA), you might also consider swapping to a more powerful 4020 hotend fan (which is inexpensive and fits into the provided shroud with no modifications - just need to make sure you have the correct length screws, since the fan is twice as deep as the stock 4010) to help keep the filament from getting too soft in the heatbreak, mushrooming, and getting stuck. This could happen, for example, if your nozzle is too narrow/partially clogged, your heat management is not correct, etc. If you've ever had issues with heat creep, I think that you should assume that it's going to get worse with the tighter tolerances in this hotend. You can also print custom shrouds - there are a few on Thingiverse - that can accommodate different fans.-Make sure you read the instructions; there are some important tips. If you try to insert the filament the same way you would on the stock bowden drive extruder, it's not likely to be easy for you. However, if you insert it while rotating the filament gently back and forth and then let the extruder pull it through with the gears, then it's far easier to thread than the stock bowden drive. I've had no issues/frustration at all with any of the filaments I've tried since I installed this new extruder.What I would improve if I could:1. It would be nice to offer a version that ships with the upgraded heater block (and a sock that fits) and a hardened nozzle. For my use case, I print a lot with abrasives (glow-in-the-dark ABS, matte PLA), and spend a lot of time on the hotter end of what the "default" heater block/thermistor are really intended for. I don't throw away the softer brass nozzles that come with hot-ends, but I don't ever actually use them either.2. I would add a small knob to the extruder so that you can rotate it manually (when the stepper motor is off). The stock Ender 3 knob kind of fits, but isn't quite right. I'll probably try to print something out in the future.3. Include a mount for the BL-touch and CR Touch (yes, you can print them out but I think most people have already upgraded to a bed leveling probe long before they get around to upgrading to a direct drive, so it would be nice to include).4. Add a few extra drilled holes in the backing plate to make it easier to design mounts for accessories (like filament runout sensors).

The title says it all. This thing is built like a brick s house and made in the USA! CNC milled aluminum, light, strong extruder. It's awesome! The only thing I have not tested yet was TPU through here. It does offer some suggestions on loosening some of the pressure off of the filament clamp. I just have too much going on to just run tests without the demand. All in all, I would recommend this product! I would buy from them again in the future.