Hey guys, I'm really just in need of some advice on how to proceed with printing. I started with an Ender 3 Pro V2 and after a year of learning I was able to print an entire stormtrooper armor set and I was very proud! I thought I was ready to move up so after some research, Frank's video finally convinced me to buy a Sovol SV03. It started out great I printed a few helmets but the quality of the print was never perfect. I had issues with stringing, clogging, print freeze, the extruder making grinding noises and more. I tried to research these problems but it doesn't seem like this is a very popular printer so the online resources are incredibly limited and dealing with these problems can get overwhelming. Eventually I took a break from printing for a few months and came back determined to figure this thing out but I'm now running into new problems. I switched filament brands and that seems to be giving better quality prints but I'm still dealing with stringing issues, support issues and the clogs are worse than ever. Even with everything heated up sometimes I can't get the filament out of the hot end so I have to take it apart and use a heat gun and a metal stick to push it out of the tube. On top of that there seems to be something wrong with the card reader so the only way I can get it to print is by connecting it to a computer via USB and I'm worried keeping my laptop on for days might shorten it's life. I feel like maybe I bit off more than I can chew with this printer and I'm just considering trying to sell it (though I'm worried nobody is even going to want it) and switching to a CR10s Pro V2 since so many people swear by it and there is a much bigger community I can reach to if I have issues. I'm just wondering if this sounds like a good idea to anyone else or am I just in over my head with printing in general.
#SV03 in over my head?
random locust
earnest silo
Sovol has a decently active Facebook group. They are willing to help.
Have you tried changing the nozzle or the Capricorn tubing? Those are cheap and simple troubleshooting steps. Stringing/support problems/clogs sounds like much more of a filament/slicer/nozzle combination of problems. The SV03 has its weak points. Mostly that the hot bed wires tend to break after a year or so. The card reader problem sucks, although I don't think leaving your laptop on to run a print would shorten it's life too much. I would be annoyed having my laptop immobilized for days at a time. Try checking to make sure everything on the motherboard is properly connected. All these cheaper printers use hot glue to keep connections in place, and it's not always effective. Every printer has its learning curve. I would maybe try checking specific problems with the Facebook group. I personally wouldn't buy someone's used printer for more than 25-33% MSRP, so IMO trying to recoup your investment is kind of a lost cause. Maybe you find someone willing to pay more? But yeah, unless you're running a print farm, 3d printing is kind of a tinkerer hobby, it can be frustrating and challenging, but fun and rewarding too.
random locust
@earnest silo thanks for the tips I've never turned to facebook for support just reddit and random internet forums which usually lead back to the sovol official which isn't helpful. I wouldn't expect to recoup my investment honestly 30% sounds fine I was just hoping someone with a little more experience and patience would be willing to work with it. I like to work with my hands so the post processing is my favorite part of the hobby and my patience gets a little thin when it comes to trusting a machine and not understanding why it's not working properly. But when it's good its great and I would love to have a printer that isn't so temperamental but I'm also wondering if I'm going to run into just as many problems with something else
I've changed the nozzle, filament, and it's a direct drive printer so I havent had to deal with the tube. I could try a new slicer, just Cura is all I know since I learned everything from Frank lol
The weirdest thing about the SD card is it seems to actually read okay and I can select a file to print but the printer wont go any further than auto leveling. It just stops and hovers even though it's at the right temperature after the leveling process. I've tried 3 different cards and formatted each one and nothing helps which makes me think its the reader because again my laptop fixes the issue
earnest silo
I have a SV03, it probably is a bit more finicky than the Creality CR10 Pro V2. It has a bigger build plate which I need to print helmets/cosplay pieces for me (6'8", 270lbs). The direct drive has helped me print flexible filament for specific projects which is nice. So the extruder does have a short piece of PTFE inside the heat block. Sovol has a YouTube video showing how to swap it out. It definitely get melty and sticky after ~4-6 months. The SV03 has the same direct drive as the SV01, except it has the BL Touch that you also have to disconnect that. I use Cura, I mostly meant tweaking settings. You can try opening the file in notepad to see what the SD card file looks like compared to the laptop version. I don't know, I've never dealt with that problem. I would try running it by the Facebook group.
glacial tundra
I put in a Capricorn bowden tube and my nozzle didint have any clogs since