Preface: I’m on my third cheap printer in the past ten years. I bought an Anycubic kobra neo a few years ago. I told myself I wouldn’t mess with doing anything to it, but I was running into issues because of low quality control. I put it away due to frustration for the past year and now needed to print something and just figuring out all the issues. Right now I’m looking into upgrading the part cooling fan as I cannot get rid of stringing even on low temps with PLA. I should just buy a good printer but I just don’t feel like I can justify it.

      • PriorityMotif@lemmy.worldOP
        1·
        4 days ago

        That’s still “how it came out of the box” though as long as you use the same nozzle or one reccomended by the company. Just like replacing your brake pads with factory brake pads and not upgrading them to something better.

        • doktormerlin@feddit.org
          1·
          4 days ago

          Okay, but changing the nozzle still is a normal modification that is required to do if you want to print abrasive filaments for example or thinner or bigger nozzle diameters. It’s very easy to change the nozzle because of that, manufacturers expect you to change it.

          How about add-ons, not modifications? Do you count that as modifying if you add a raspberry pi or a camera, but you can still just remove them and have the printer just like it came ootb?

          • PriorityMotif@lemmy.worldOP
            1·
            4 days ago

            Do you count that as modifying if you add a raspberry pi or a camera, but you can still just remove them and have the printer just like it came ootb?

            These are definitely things that come with better printers these days. I only use octoprint with my cheap printer. It gives better results because a rpi is miles better at keeping up than the cheap board they put in there, it also didn’t come with Wi-Fi or a camera which are things that come out of the box on other printers. Of course in the past printers didn’t come with those things. I would consider them accessories because they added the USB port to the printer for you to send commands to, which is what you’re doing.However, If the printer were “better” then you wouldn’t have to use those things since it would already have Wi-Fi, better board, and a camera built in.

    • Owl@mander.xyz
      1·
      4 days ago

      I am afraid to tell you there is no way not to modify a printer then.

      Parts will wear out at some point on any mechanical machine, certain plates make you save money and give you better results (ex: cool PIE supertack), if your printer drops off residue you might need something to catch it, if you wantnfime details at the cost of print speed you will need to replace the nozzle by something etc…

      Maybe look at resin printers ? They hold on for way longer but are wayyy more messy to operate, also resin emits more dangerous fumes than most usual plastic used in FDM 3D printing

      • SkyNTP@lemmy.ml
        1·
        4 days ago

        OP didn’t specifically say “only use the parts that came out of the box”. It’s still ambiguous. Are official mods, like PRUSA MMU modifying? How about after market parts?

        Let me propose a modification tier list:

        • M1 replace a part with a functionally identical one, e.g. replace worn nozzle.
        • M2 upgrade using an official kit provided by the manufacturer to a new, fully versioned design, e.g. Mk3 to Mk3S
        • M3 replace or add a part with an after market part to achieve improved or different performance, e.g. replace brass nozzle with hardened steel nozzle sold by third party
        • M4 replace a part designed by the community
        • M5 design and replace a part yourself for your own custom needs.

        I’ve personally done all 5. I can’t imagine everyone has done all tiers of modifications.