Should you upgrade to the Micro Swiss Hotend Kit for 3D printing?

It allows you to use high-temperature filaments

TPU isn't the only filament that the all-metal hotend from Micro Swiss helps you use. Polyethylene terephthalate (PetG) and High-Temperature Polylactic acid (HTPLA) both require temperatures above the tolerance level of the PTFE tube.

You can get away with a few prints at really high temperatures, 235 degrees Celsius or more, but you'll very quickly see the stock nozzle start to fail. The Micro Swiss nozzle, however, is custom made to handle these temperatures and these filaments.

It removes a failure point

Having an all-metal hotend removes the Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tube that normally protects your filament, which can burn or snag on the wall of an unprotected nozzle.

Because of the manufacturing process behind the Micro Swiss hotend — the hotend is polished to a sheen making it smooth and snag-free — you can remove the PTFE tube entirely and no longer have to replace it every 100 prints or so.

It has better heat exchange

One of the most important processes when it comes to your hotend is making sure the heat is only at the nozzle. The Micro Swiss has excellent heat exchange that keeps the whole throat cool while maximizing the heat at the tip of your nozzle.

This is especially important when using more exotic filaments like Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). TPU is a type of flexible filament that can make rubbery models like phone cases. Because it's already flexible it is important that no heat soften it's before it extrudes otherwise you will have a mess on your hands.

It works on a lot of printers

Micro Swiss has made sure that its hotend and the conversion kit work with as many printers as possible. Most of the list are clones of the original i3 Prusa but it also works on the clones of the Replicator 1. Here is a full list:

• FlashForge Creator Pro
• FlashForge Creator X
• FlashForge Dreamer
• QIDI TECH I
• Dremel Idea Builder
• PowerSpec 3D Pro​
• PowerSpec 3D X
• PowerSpec Ultra 3D Printer ​- Wanhao Duplicator 4S
• Wanhao Duplicator 4X
• Wanhao i3
• Monoprice Maker Select 3D Printer v2
• Monoprice Maker Select Plus
• Cocoon Create 3D Printer

You can also buy specific kits for other printers with special cooling blocks like the Monoprice Maker Ultimate. Amazon sells a wide range of Micro Swiss to suit your needs.