Hexagon Hot end vs E3d v6

[hernejj]

I'm getting ready to upgrade my Makerfarm i3v 12" to dual extrusion. I'm trying to decide if I want to spend $55 for another Hex hot end, or 2*$80 for two E3d v6 hotends. I've Googled and read a bunch of information comparing both hot ends but I'd like to hear from people here. Particularly people who have experience with both of these hot ends. What benefits should I see if I replace my hex with an e3d?

I currently have an issue with tiny blobs of filament wherever the printer needs to make a sharp turn. It is very noticeable on solid surfaces where the printer must perform many "180 degree turns" over and over again to lay down parallel lines. At the end of the lines where the printer turns around I end up with some slight blobs. Another symptom of this problem is that 90-degree corners are slightly bulged/rounded instead of being perfectly square. I suspect all of this could be related to nozzle pressure build up. I've read that the e3d has a smaller heat zone, thus, less pressure build up in the nozzle. So I'm wondering if switching hot ends could solve these problems.

ALso, feel free to provide any other info you think could help my decision. Thanks for reading

[BLKKROW]

I cannot provide exact comments on your problem.

But I have experience with the Hexagon vs the E3DV6. I originally started using the Hexagon hotend and had a lot of issues with filament sticking to the inside of the nozzle especially when changing filament. So I changed to the E3DV6 and have had no issues. I love the E3DV6 and would not hesitate to purchase another one. The design between the two are night and day, and the machining on the E3DV6 is sleek and clean.

[printbus]

Like BLKKROW, I like the E3Dv6 but can't say whether it'll make any difference with your issue. I switched to the E3D as part of a rebuild that centered on using Smoothieboard instead of Arduino/RAMPS, so it's hard for me to offer a comparison. My main reason for liking the E3D is the way it seems to be a fully engineered product, with all engineering drawings being available. From what I've seen of broken hexagon hot end pictures, I think the E3Dv6 has a better thermal connection between the heat break tube and the hot end heatsink.

IIRC, the E3Dv6 tip is a bit shorter - I assume that leads to the smaller heat zone. Rather than a smaller heat zone leading to less pressure build up, it probably allows the pressure build up to deplete/recover quicker. As another option for you, I believe you could install an E3Dv6 tip onto a hexagon hot end and experiment with that.

Also note that the overall length of the hexagon hot end apparently isn't tightly controlled. A few people have ran into issues with their two hexagon hot ends for a dual extruder not being the same length, although I believe clough42 now provides an adjustable backplate that allows you to compensate for that.

For your rounded corner issue, I'd do what I could to rule out any possibility with inadequate print cooling (if PLA), a bit too high of temperature, or a bit too excessive extrusion. Just to throw options at you, note that Simplify3D offers two settings potentially related to this - "coast" defines how far away from a movement end the extrusion is stopped, and the "wipe" setting can be used to actually back the nozzle up at the end of a move and then wipe it back over the end of the extrusion again.

[hernejj]

Printbus,

As always... you are a genius good sir! My problem with the corners AND the "sharp turn" blobbing was indeed over extrusion. I had the revelation that I never recalibrated after switching filament brands many months ago. I performed the 5mm cube e-steps calibration process and now many aspects of print quality have improved. Thank you for the suggestions.