FAQ: "I just bought a ECC, what upgrades do you recommend?"
YMMV, but here are my suggestions, in order of importance:
- Good surge protector. Better yet, a decent UPS (rated for at least 1500VA).
- Dedicated heavy and sturdy table, if your space / living situation permits. The heavier and sturdier, the faster you will be able to print. No wheels please. The ideal printer table is a huge solid chuck of concrete, everything else is a compromise.
- Filament dryer. Don't bother with the "latest and greatest" unless you plan on running AMS; a good ol' Polydryer will do for literally everything, including PC and PA.
- A good set of digital calipers and/or a micrometer.
- A multimeter, if you don't have one already.
- A set of Wiha or Engineer brand metric hex drivers for working on this thing.
- A few spare hotends paired with different size nozzles.
- Spare nozzles.
- 6mm preset torque socket driver for nozzle changes. Ideally, you'll just get an adjustable torque screwdriver and convert Nm into in-lbs or whatever. Get one with 10 in-lbs or lower on the low end of range.
- A "sampler" sized spool of white nylon for cold pulls.
- Some kind of filament storage solution. I suggest bags + vacuum pump + dissicant, but a lot of people just store it in extra Polydryer containers.
- Spare build plate or a few. Personally, I use an off-brand PEI-coated sheet that is textured on both sides, unless a project requires mirror finish on its bottom.
Got any more ideas for the list? Please share!
Posted Dec 15, 2025, 10:16 PM UTC
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