If you are thinking of buying a new 3D printer, you might be tempted to also buy some upgrades for it right away. After all, who doesn’t want to improve their printing quality, speed, and reliability? However, this might not be the best idea for several reasons.

Upgrading your 3D printer without testing it first can cause more problems than it solves. You might end up with incompatible parts, faulty installation, or unexpected results. For example, if you buy a new extruder without checking the compatibility with your printer model, you might find out that it doesn’t fit or that it requires a different firmware. Or if you install a new nozzle without calibrating it properly, you might get clogged prints or poor adhesion. These issues can be frustrating and time-consuming to fix, and they can also damage your printer or your prints.

Secondly, upgrading your 3D printer without knowing its strengths and weaknesses can waste your money and resources. You might buy upgrades that you don’t really need or that don’t make a significant difference.

Thirdly, upgrading your 3D printer without learning how to use it first can limit your creativity and skills. You might rely too much on the upgrades and not enough on your own knowledge and experience. For example, if you buy a new slicer software without learning the basic settings of your printer, you might not be able to customize your prints or troubleshoot them. Or if you buy a new filament without learning how to store and handle it properly, you might not be able to print with different colors or materials. These upgrades can be helpful and convenient, but they can also prevent you from exploring the full potential of your printer and yourself.

So what should you do instead of buying upgrades for your new 3D printer? Here are some suggestions:

• Test your printer thoroughly before upgrading it. Make sure it works well and that you understand how it operates. Try printing different models with different settings and see how they turn out. Identify any problems or limitations that you encounter and look for solutions online or in the user manual.
• Learn from other users before upgrading your printer. Join online communities and forums where you can ask questions and share tips with other 3D printing enthusiasts. Read reviews and watch videos of the upgrades that you are interested in and see how they perform on different printers and prints. Compare the pros and cons of each upgrade and decide if they are worth it for you.
• Experiment with your printer before upgrading it. Try printing with different filaments, temperatures, speeds, and layer heights. See how these factors affect your print quality and performance. Adjust your slicer settings and see how they change your print results. Modify your models and see how they look on your printer. Have fun and be creative with your printer.
• Upgrade to solve a specific problem after you have used your printer for some time.