Which nozzle to print with on Ender 3 (V2/Pro/S1)

01. 08. 2023

Popular Ender 3 printers

Ender 3 3D printers from the Creality brand are among the popular and sought-after printers. They are clear, reliable and the price is not bad at all compared to the quality. That is why it is one of the best-selling printers. And because they also interested us, we took a closer look at them. You can read reviews of printers from the Ender 3 series in the links below:

There are a lot of different upgrades for the Ender 3 printers, both official and also various gadgets from users all over the world. Thanks to its popularity, a wide fan base has been created, who will not let Ender 3 pass. We have summarized the most interesting upgrades in an article that you can read right here.

There are many factors that can affect 3D printing. Of course, you need to have the printer properly calibrated (as we will gladly advise you on this in this article), but one of the factors that you can easily adjust and adapt it to the specific print you are currently printing is the replacement of the nozzle. In the basic version, the Ender 3 printer comes with a 0.4 mm brass nozzle that fits into an M6 threaded thermal block. If you ever need to replace and buy a new hotend, you will find it under the designation MK8. These hotends are quite popular, because they are simple, work effectively and belong to the open source system (a system where the source code is freely accessible, so that anyone can modify and change it at will and, thanks to this, continue to develop the given specific product).

Nozzle in basic equipment versus other nozzles

Nozzle material

When you buy an Ender 3 printer, a brass nozzle will be waiting for you in the basic package. Brass material is not just randomly used for the nozzle. It has practical properties that are suitable for a nozzle:

conducts heat well
is among the cheaper materials
it is malleable, but still relatively firm
it is resistant to corrosion and other damage
it can easily handle the most common types of filament such as PLA, ABS and PET-G

But you can probably guess that even nozzles made of brass material have their disadvantages. The main one is that if you print from filaments that have abrasive properties, the nozzle will gradually wear out and after some time it will need to be replaced. These are mainly filaments that have metal admixtures.

In addition to brass nozzles, you can also find nozzles made of other materials. Each of them will be suitable for a different filament. And chances are you'll have to pay a little extra for them. The main reason to change the nozzle material and use a nozzle other than brass is to use an abrasive filament.

Nozzle material	Advantages	Disadvantages
brass	good thermal conductivity, cheap, readily available	it wears easily and is not very durable
stainless steel	last longer to resist abrasive materials, more durable, longer life	slightly more expensive than the basic nozzle
hardened steel	long service life, can handle abrasive material	lower heat transfer
ruby tip	its service life is calculated for years, trouble-free printing of abrasive filaments	high purchase price
nozzle X	suitable for printing at high temperatures, can handle abrasive materials, highly wear-resistant	E3D V6 hotend required

Nozzle size

In the basic equipment of the Ender 3 printer, you will find a nozzle with a size of 0.4 mm. It is the most commonly used nozzle size. It can be used to print smaller details on the print, and its size also allows the filament to flow smoothly with less chance of clogging. The height of the layer when using a nozzle with a diameter of 0.4 mm is most often set in the range of 0.12 mm to 0.24 mm. It should not exceed 0.32 mm.

But it's a shame to stay only with the basic version of the 0.4 mm nozzle. If you use a smaller nozzle, you will be able to achieve larger details on the prints that are in the plane parallel to the printing pad (you can affect the details that are on the walls of the print by setting the layer height). Conversely, in the case of printing with a nozzle with a larger diameter (for example, 0.6 mm or 0.8 mm), printing will be substantially faster. Which you will definitely appreciate for prints that do not have small details, but are larger in size.

Replacing a nozzle does not have to be a complicated matter at all. But if you are going to do it for the first time, you can read the instructions that we have put together for you in this article How to change the nozzle in a 3D printer easily and quickly in a few steps.

Pros and cons of a larger diameter nozzle

As we mentioned above, with a larger nozzle, you can set larger layers that make up the print, increasing the print speed. In addition to printing speed, it can also be an advantage that if a larger nozzle is used, fewer layers are printed, which are larger and stronger. And it creates a more consistent surface, which can be useful for models from multiple pieces of prints that you want to glue together.

Disadvantages include that larger nozzles often require more heat. The problem lies in the fact that with a nozzle with a larger diameter, more filament can be pushed out at once. And the hotend has to generate more heat to keep the nozzle more heated and the filament melts and flows through the nozzle without complications. This could be partially solved if you reduced the print speed. Which would be a shame, because the faster print speed is the benefit of larger nozzles.

The solution would be to replace the hotend with, for example, E3D Volcano hotends. This type of hotend has a larger area for melting the filament, which also increases its volume when extruded during printing.

Another negative aspect that some printers complain about is the highlighted individual layers, which can be more noticeable when using a larger nozzle. This could be undesirable on some models.

Volcano Hotend

Why choose a nozzle with a smaller diameter?

We have already summarized the advantages and disadvantages of a nozzle with a larger diameter, so now you must be thinking about the question of why use a nozzle with a smaller diameter. Ender 3 printers support nozzles with a minimum diameter of up to 0.2 mm (slightly larger ones are also available - 0.25 mm or 0.3 mm).

The height of the layer is most often entered around 50% of the nozzle diameter. This means that if you use a 0.2mm nozzle, the layer height can be around 0.1mm, but it can easily handle a height of 0.08mm.

As you might have guessed, nozzles with a small diameter will be useful especially if you are going to print a model with small details.

In addition to layer height, nozzle diameter will affect resolution in the XY plane, where there is detail on the surface of the print that you might lose if you used a larger nozzle.

A smaller nozzle will be ideal for printing text, but also jewelry or logos, where it is desirable that all the details of the model be observed in detail. You will find another use when printing generally small models, but there often shouldn't be a problem, even with slightly larger nozzles. And last but not least, they will come in handy when printing supports. With supports that are printed using a small nozzle, you won't have to worry about removing them.

The main reasons that could discourage you from using a small nozzle are two - more likely to clog the nozzle and slow printing.

Since the diameter is really tiny with a 0.2mm nozzle, clogging can happen more easily than you think. A little dirt or dust is enough and the problem can be solved. The second disadvantage is time - with a small nozzle, you simply need to count on an increase in printing time (compared to a layer with a size of 0.08 mm, printing takes about 3 times more time than with a layer with a size of 0.24 mm).

In many cases, a nozzle in the basic version - brass and size 0.4 mm - will suffice. But the range of nozzles on the market is quite wide, so every printer can choose from it. And with exceptions, changing the nozzle will not be a huge investment. So if you plan to print prints with small details, use abrasive material, or simply like to experiment, it would be a shame not to try nozzles in a different size and from a different material.