I thought about putting this article in my printer thread but decided it deserved a thread of its own. Recommended tool set for the Ender 3 pro. Some of these tools are what I use because I only have one hand. I will include them just to show what I figure everyone needs.


#1.You will definitely need this.

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While the Extruders are very handy , the tungsten needles are even more so as they will clear an extruder so you you may not even need to replace it.


#2 if you do need to replace the extruder I highly recommend this tool:

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I accidentally crossed threaded one of the extruders when I replaced it , I was terrified I was going to have to replace the whole print head which is beyond my capability. It also lets you replace the extruder while the head is hot the nut driver will cool the head making it much easier to screw into the hot head. It also allows you to center the extruder tip into the printer head much better if you have plastic in the threads of the hot end within that temperature the plastic actually becomes a sealant and a lubricant. For many people this is a no brainer It is not a bad idea to buy a full set of metric wrenches on the small scale I bought these.

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They are much much better than the wrenches included with Extruder tips add the 3D printer. And then there are the three inch forceps, Larger sizes are also useful. This allows you to rotate the filament when you are trying to thread the printer.I tend to buy mine from Harbor Freight.

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another part that deserves honorable mention is the Bowden tube. the tube that comes with the kit is inferior and you may need to replace it occasionally plus getting two new connectors doesn't hurt either.

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I tore another mat today because I had forgotten to spray the bed one too many times. I still have a bit of problem with Z accuracy, It always measured thinner than I programed.To a limited extent I fight this by keeping data in my 3D Notes word file. recently I was making a quick and dirty mount whose Z was critical. I tried 6 or 7 times same software varied more than 10mils each print.

 

Hello, @Wendy.

You might be able to improve Z-axis performance with a couple of simple upgrades. One is an Oldham Coupler which will prevent the transmission of any irregularities in the Z leadscrew to the print head.

the coupler allows movement in the X and Y planes and so prevents translating the movement to the driven part
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The second upgrade is a bit more complicated and costly but nothing epic: a second Z axis leadscrew and stepper. The second motor is electrically parallel to the first so the motors operate in sync. Once the main gantry is level, it will stay that way. I have had excellent results adding an additional Z drive to an Ender 3 Neo.

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It comes as a kit, and there are many options. This one happens to be discounted just now. The second motor mounts at the bottom of the other gantry support. It is a bit fiddly to get the wiring in place but taking it slowly and doublechecking everything should make it pretty painless.

One last upgrade if you don’t already have it is to install a BLTouch/CRTouch probe for automatic bed leveling and use it. It doesn’t just level the bed, it creates a transformation matrix to map any surface irregularities to corrections. You can’t do this just by leveling the bed with the screws. Unfortunately, you might need a mainboard upgrade depending on the age or your printer. If you don‘t have the “silent mainboard” you would get additional advantages from that upgrade.

This kit would get you both. I don’t know if you have local help that could assist with the upgrade. It’s a big improvement but it does require disassembling the not-very-well-designed-for-maintenance base of the printer where the electronics are housed. I guarantee if you do want to, and find a way to do this upgrade it will be like getting a new printer.

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