I just got my first 3D printer from my friend and I have some problems with extruding the filament when printing. I’m new to 3D printing and I would really appreciate the help. The printer was bought in 2022.

If anyone could take a look at my Benchy and other pictures, I would really appreciate it. Right after I got my printer, I cleaned the whole thing, I reapplied fresh grease on the Z-axis lead screw, I cleaned that little gear that grabs onto the filament, dusted the whole thing, etc.

After some research it was clear that I have an extrusion problem, so the first thought I had was that the nozzle was clogged. I cleaned it and put it back same problem. I tried adjusting that red wheel so I can tension the spring inside, but it looks to me like there is no difference when the wheel is fully tight or loose. Next I tried was different temperatures (I’m working with PLA)  same issue. Then I watched other people on YouTube do a cold pull to unclog the whole system; I don’t think it worked. I uploaded some pictures after the cold pull too, so please take a look.

But the thing that puzzles me the most is that when I press the button for filament in, it extrudes smoothly and evenly, but when I print, it’s just bad, uneven, and lacks consistency, and the flow of the filament is just too slow. 

So should I just buy a new extruder, or is there anything I should try to fix first?

extruder problem on my Anycubic Kobra