When a OEM refuses to sell the most needed/used part and shops like amazon is flooded with cheap poor made knockoffs at twoce the price sometimes, its great having a vendor with the part you need at proper prices!
TLDR: 4.8/5 toolboard. Extremely compact, works great, and has excellent wiring. The small form factor is especially nice on my Voron 2.4. It does get a little warm in a 65°C chamber, but a small 2010 fan helps tremendously with cooling. My only real complaint is the XT30(2+2) connector orientation, which makes mounting it on a Voron 2.4 more annoying than it needs to be.
Pros:
Compact Design: This thing is SMALL! The compact form factor is fantastic, especially when trying to keep everything neatly packaged on a Voron 2.4 toolhead. It takes up very little space and makes for a nice, clean setup.
Performance: It just works. I have had a great experience with the SO3 so far, and I really don't have any complaints about its actual performance. It does exactly what I need it to do without any unnecessary complications.
Wiring: Really nice wiring overall. Everything is neatly packaged, and the connectors make installation and maintenance relatively straightforward. I love the Micro-Fit Molex connector used for the hotend heater. I hate fiddling with crimped terminals with their tiny flathead screws, and now I don't have to deal with that. Only issue with Micro-Fit is it kinda sucks to crimp, but it's also one-and-done, so meh.
Cooling: Despite the compact design, cooling is surprisingly manageable. It does get a bit warm when operating in a 65°C chamber, but adding a small 2010 fan helps tremendously with keeping temperatures under control. Make sure it is 24v and wire it in parallel with the hotend heater. Mounting that fan securely, however, is easier said than done due to the aforementioned small form factor.
Cons:
XT30(2+2) Connector: This is easily my biggest complaint. The right-angle XT30(2+2) connector interferes with the 2020 aluminum X gantry on my Voron 2.4, making mounting unnecessarily difficult.
I really wish they had gone with a Micro-Fit Molex connector, similar to the one already used for the hotend heater. Alternatively, a straight connector instead of the right-angle design would have been appreciated. Even including a right-angle cable without the bulky overmolded housing would help tremendously.
Is this partially a consequence of my particular mounting configuration? Yes. Would a slightly different connector arrangement make designing mounts significantly easier? Also yes. Should I have designed for this issue rather than overlooked it? Most certainly, but live and learn.
Chamber Temperatures: The SO3 does get a little warm in my 65°C chamber. Thankfully, a small 2010 fan mitigates the issue quite well, but it is worth considering if you plan to run a similarly heated chamber. For longer ABS/ASA prints, the toolboard reaches 70-75°C on average; if it starts getting too warm, lower the extruder motor amperage. Likely over 0.5-0.6A is overkill if used with a SO3.5 anyways.
Overall:
Really solid extruder in an impressively small package. The performance is great, the wiring is nicely implemented, and the compact design is a huge plus for my Voron 2.4.
Most of my complaints come down to the XT30(2+2) connector and its unfortunate positioning relative to the 2020 X gantry. A straight connector, Micro-Fit alternative, or less bulky cable would make installation considerably easier.
The additional cooling needed in a 65°C chamber is a relatively minor inconvenience, especially considering how effectively a tiny 2010 fan addresses it.
Overall, I am very happy with the SO3. It is an excellent little extruder with a few minor design choices that could be improved. Change the connector or cable arrangement, and I would have very little left to complain about. 4.5/5!
(As a note, almost all of my issues are self-inflicted, except the XT3(2+2) arrangement. The only options when used with a SO3.5 are to cable up into the gantry or cable down, dragging the print bed. If the SO3.5 or Orbitool SO3 had extra mounting holes to allow it to be mounted with the cable going left or right, these issues would be nonexistent.)
TLDR: 4.5/5 extruder. Really nice that it all comes in one package. Very light and compact, it allows for better acceleration and tuning on my V2.4. Very minor gripes to an otherwise perfect part.
Pros:
Extremely simple tensioning: Filament tensioning has never been easier. I used to struggle (and in fact broke about 3) CW2 tensioning printed latches/the actual **** that sets tension. No more will I have to deal with that! Off/Light/Heavy, and I have yet to find a filament that even needs heavy to work wonders. Better retraction and PA in my experience.
Smart Features Integrated: Built-in filament load/unload macros make everything way easier. My own macros for these functions were, quite frankly, terrible. It is so much nicer to have them all built into the provided config file (with the ability to make whatever edits you want. Yay open source!) Simple one-button unload also works wonders.
Fast heating/cooling: Really quick heatup/cooldown cycle. There is very little metal in the heat path, and the heatsink works a treat. No issues yet in a 65 °C chamber with heat creep or anything else.
Noise: It is surprisingly quiet. Obviously, it is not silent: it is still a 3010 fan (I think.) However, there is very little whine or high-pitched noise, so whatever heatsink changes they made from the SO3 worked.
Build Quality: This thing is a TANK! Solid metal will not be damaged without EXTREMELY bad decisions (and/or ramming it into your frame)
Orbitool SO3 Compatibility: It just works. Enough said.
Cons:
Plastic filament light guide: Looks great, but after inserting a PTFE tube through the collet, any pulling on the tube causes the clear light guide to pull out of the hole. I understand it has to fit IN the hole, so the hole is slightly oversized, but a small retaining clip or set **** for the guide itself would be appreciated.
Orbitool SO3 Compatibility: Screws going through the SO3.5 only expose 2-3 threads on the other side of the motor. Using the included standoff spacers, I definitely stripped the threads off the screws. Thankfully, they can be replaced with any M3 ****, so no biggie, but a few extra threads would be appreciated. Additionally, on a Voron 2.4, using the Orbitool SO3 leaves the XT30(2+2) connector facing either up or down, meaning it
interferes with the 2020 aluminum X gantry. Is this my fault for misdesigning my mount? Yes. Do I feel that two extra threaded holes for standoffs on the other two corners should exist? Also yes.
CAD Files: They don't exist (as far as I know.) The dimensions of the SO3.5 are not 1:1 with the SO3, and without an official CAD or GitHub for the SO3.5, you have to measure and manually edit the SO3 CAD to fit. This makes designing/editing a mount quite challenging, and you can't do any in advance until the extruder is in hand. If this changes, most of these issues would disappear.
The TFN nozzle is not hardened: I understand it is designed for high volumetric flow; however, having the nozzle made of brass means I can't use about half of my filaments without worrying about wearing it down. Thankfully, it is V6-compatible (I think), so I can use another nozzle, but that invalidates the VF benefit of the TFN nozzle in the first place. Considering it is a copper insert in a brass nozzle, it seems they could have easily made the nozzle out of hardened steel or tungsten carbide and just offered it as an optional add-on. Additionally, I have no idea where even to buy more TFN nozzles in the first place.
Overall: Very high-quality product with simple issues that can be easily solved once you receive the extruder. Most of my gripes could be solved with a supplied CAD file for the extruder, or better guidance on where to acquire replacement parts (nozzles, light guides, etc.). These are obviously incredibly small issues, but I am dealing with/have dealt with them, and I would be remiss if I did not mention them. Honestly, simply providing the SO3.5 CAD would likely raise this review to a 5. Obviously, this is not a review of West3D. They are amazing, and if you do want this extruder, get it from them: simply amazing service and support, 10/10 for West3D.
Sturdy, heavy, and very nicely helps to square-up my Trident 300 build. Would definitely use again if I build another.
Quick shipping, bed was packaged well and arrived in good shape. Works well for my needs.
i got this for Prusa mini +, fit right in. and is printing, only issue, is shipping was pretty expensive.
Products are great as described and the customer service amd packaging was excellent.
My original Voron was an LDO kit and this continues the legacy of solid build quality. I will always love the well labeled hardware.
This kit is the perfect add on to my up and coming Voron build and the folks at West 3D know their business! The parts fit exactly like they should for the parts I printed and the showroom has me wondering what I should print or build next!
After just over a year of printing and about 2.5 Kg of ASA and PLA, the PEI coating at the very center of the plate has started to fracture and pull away. It also leaves little fragments of PEI in parts. The bed has not been abused or crashed into, and I would have hoped that it lasted a bit longer than 1 year.
Otherwise, it has a thicker gauge of steel than basic PEI sheets which is nice for Cartographer and Beacon scans. The satin PEI side does discolor a bit when using silk PLA but is otherwise very nice.
great filament and fast shipping. love the Caramel Apple Suckers with each order.
Update on these nozzles, the sparkle filament will eat them away so the “abrasive” resistance seems false advertising, couldn’t use mine after less than 1/3 of the spool being used, horrendous experience.
Didn’t even last a month.
always good stuff glad I found 3dwest.
Fast accurate shipping and delivery
Awesome quality on parts
Perfect and a little oversized (the magnet) so you can trim it!
I bought this to replace the stock camera that I broke by mistake. Connected easy. Lots of available mounting options. I did get the 2 meter cable.
Looks like they took some FPV cams and stuck them on some huge boards. Not very impressed.
This tip prints TPU like nobodies business and doesn't stick to the nozzle. I will be buying more.
Has all the pieces you will need for a BMG wristwatch or clockworks, or similar extruder. And then some. The gear shaft hobbed gear is not pressed on so this will work even with a reverse Voron extruder design.
With no problems. Perfect fit and operation.
This is a tiny bit thicker than the LDO/Voron one you might get with a kit, but not enough that it is a bother. Fits perfectly in a V2.4/350mm printer.
My Revo Voron hotends are working just fine with these.
I've done what many Voron users have done when self sourcing a Voron 2.4. That is ordering Amazon/AliExpress rails and I live to regret it. I'm replacing my rails for the 3rd time now with these. I just installed the AWD MONOLITH CNC kit including Z mounts. These are super smooth with a nice preload. Will be ordering more for my Z rails. I currently have them for my Y axis and man they are nice.
