Yet another bonehead Prusa thing

[3D Printing Tips and Tricks]

The Prusa XL has these “side sensors”. PTFE tubes go into them in the front where the spool feeds in and PTFE tubes go out the back through the case and eventually into the tool. At each spot where these tubes go in Prusa uses what they have assumed were standard off the shelf collets which should be the same as those used on fittings. Nope!

These collets are a size that cannot be found… anywhere! And of course the stupid things break!

I’m NEVER buying ANYTHING from that boneheaded company ever again!

I eventually found some smaller collets, but to get them to kinda work I had to clip off two of the four prongs or they would not fit.

I know there’s some mods out there, ( like this one…

 https://www.printables.com/model/888307-prusa-xl-magnetic-side-filament-sensor-with-reduce  Beat ya to it Kurt! Which btw I’ll print on the X1C!)

but really? This thing has been out for awhile now. These idiots should have had a fix for this by now.

[Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!]

Interesting. Sorry to hear of your Problem and Deep frustrations Andy!!!

I'm honestly bummed you didn't post a pic of these Collets that are breaking!

-K

[3D Printing Tips and Tricks]

Look for the black ring around the tube as it enters the block. The collets I bought are below.

[Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!]

Interesting. Yeah - those do look like designs one can kinda easily print. 

Got it...

-K

[Kurt A 3d]

I dont know why they haven't produced an XL+ yet with a combination of the magnetic side sensors with core one+'s side sensor release switch for example.

But I think this may be the part you want: (https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-xl-tool-changer-general-discussion-announcements-and-releases/side-sensor-collets/)

but it might not be.

https://www.prusa3d.com/en/product/heatsink-collet/?_gl=1*erdkkp*_ga*ODQyNTU5OTk3LjE3Mjc5NTI1MjY.*_ga_3HK7B7RT5V*MTczMTMzNzEyOS4yNC4xLjE3MzEzMzkxMDUuNTYuMC4w

but then there is this: https://www.printables.com/model/1137608-xl-side-sensor-for-larger-collets

One would think one would find the part here: https://www.printables.com/model/449554-xl-printable-parts/files but I guess they buy not build them....

Kurt-A

[3D Printing Tips and Tricks]

I can count on you Kurt to post what I already know. Thanks. I guess you missed by parenthetical comment.

Note… nobody sells or sources the stupid tiny collets that they felt they just had to use. Nobody. Why did they use these? Probably because they didn’t how how to design the block properly. Why didn’t they simply screw on fittings? Probably cost. It would have added a few dollars. 

When you compare the Engineering of Bambu stuff to  Prusa's it’s obvious how things will eventually go.

[Owen Collins]

It looks similar (without knowing scale) to the collets on Ultimaker. 

But you probably checked here already. That sounds like a very frustrating situation. 

Owen

Sent from my mobile device 

(Sometimes I lose the fight with autocorrect)

On Apr 20, 2026, at 12:03 PM, 3D Printing Tips and Tricks <3d-printing-...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

I can count on you Kurt to post what I already know. Thanks. I guess you missed by parenthetical comment.

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[Kurt A 3d]

Andy,

My guess is they already use these on top of a hotend or something for some other printer or MMU etc... Prusa seems to not introduce more parts but to reuse ones.  For example the springs for hose nozzle blockers are the same spring as for a bunch of other stuff.     Having said that, even if they sell this part $5. for something that should cost $0.10 is a bit much, especially if one considers the $25 shipping (which of course you could always amortize by ordering some fillament).      I wish that they were more serious about Having Printed Solid carry all this stuff.   

One of the design issues with the snap maker U1 is its use of pogo pins which wear out but the fact that snap maker seems to sell an entire replacement tool assembly for about the cost of a Prusa nozzle is why we are all going to have to learn how to read Chinese.  

Kurt-A

[3D Printing Tips and Tricks]

Actuallly, the hotend collet matches the dimensions of the collet I posted the pic of, but it is still too large.IIRC it’s supposed to be the same collet as the standard E3d hotend, but it’s not.

What is also quite irritating is that Prusa doesn’t show the collet as a part for the XL at all. They could easily have made a compression vice like grip for these tube connections with one set screw to lock the three tubes. It would not have been all that hard to design… certainly an easier design than trying to get the internal cavities to match the collets.

I’d love to see how Prusa’s sales are doing these days.

[LukeH]

Pretty sure the bulk of Prusa’s sales these days would be to European Union countries because they are local, and not from China.

I’m confident though that the INDX Core One will give them a bump in sales, even if it is expensive for what it is. 

[3D Printing Tips and Tricks]

This fixes the problem.

[Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!]

How So? 

What are we looking at? A total replacement Unit???

[3D Printing Tips and Tricks]

Yes… the block accepts the fittings which all use collets that are made with easy to get plastic rather than unobtainium.

The bracket with the sprung balls that ride the filament along with the optical sensor board slides and bolts into it. It’s on Printables.com.

Total cost for me was about $4. If the fittings were bought in bulk it would have been significantly less. There’s no excuse.

[Kurt A 3d]

Yeah that Investigate dude is an internet friend of mine.  He has hand written some cool gcode at my suggestion.

Kurt-A

[3D Printing Tips and Tricks]

On Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 5:28:57 PM UTC-7 Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!! wrote:

[Kurt A 3d]

Nice,

I have been thinking of doing these mods.

Also I like the numbering.

When I upgraded the connectors on top of my tools I added numbers.  https://www.printables.com/make/3155176  This upgrade is needed as the existing wire connectors are know to hurt the wires.

Oh, also this other https://www.printables.com/make/3171448 part is also unobtainable, but when I contacted support they gave me the link to this dudes version of it.  

It covers the lights.  On prerelease versions of the printer there was actually a pair of buttons (they still are on the electronics) that you could use to do things on the toolhead.

If you put clipper-xl on the printer (yes someone has developed that) you get access to those buttons.  I am not going to replace prusas firmware.   In order to run unsigned firmware there is a part of the board that you have to clip (cut).  It is designed so that you can do that.  Still I have no urge to do that.   

Kurt-A

[3D Printing Tips and Tricks]

Hmmm,,, I’ll look at that tool connector cowling mod. I’ve never had a problem with my cables, but the mod looks like an improvement.

On you tool brushes…

Have the silicon brushes actually caught anything or made any difference?

[Kurt A 3d]

If you do the tool connector cowling mod, in theory it is to be printed out of “Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber”.  Took me awhile to get a spool, it’s pricy.   It did print like butter though. 

You need some additional hardware.  When I went through the directions I came up with this list

M3x10 screws 3 x 5  = 15

M3x6bT screws 2 x 5  = 10

 M3nS nut 4 x 5  = 20

M3nN nut 2 * 5  = 10

However I had some leftovers when I was done, so I ordered something that came out of the existing parts that I didn’t realize.  (There is a McMaster Carr a bit south of me and it’s so much fun picking up stuff there :-) ). 

I modified the files from Prusa to include the embossed numbers on them. 

As to the brushes.   They pick up some of the petg blobs, I am doing petg on extruders 1,2,3 an a little on 4 right now so I atached a picture and you can see the bits.   I still have to go at a nozzle with tweezers to pull off petg blobs - strangely not as often when i use Prusament PETG.   Sadly it is worth the $ (sadly because it would be wonderful if I could print as well with Printed Solid or Polar PETG as the Prusament which costs much more).  

They use aliexpress sillicon replacement wipers for bamboo printers.   I can never tell what I am ordering if I am getting the A1 mini or the X1C’ wipers, also with aliexpress quality is all over the place, and some stick well others dont - so i just order all sorts of different ones, and since its Aliexpress they cost very little. 

I thought of the little brass nozzle thing but I use those oxcideian (however you spell that) nozzles and the brass isnt that good for them PLUS since I mostly print toys for my granddaughters to I dont like brass anywhere near them (lead traces).  Thats why I go with US or EU fillament (except for TPU which I have been going with Polymaker).   Thats also why I use the oxcideian nozzles to reduce brass exposure.  Sure it’s not zero, but my goal is to just control what I can. 

I wish you could use the tune menu to let you grab a printhead without it being an existential crisis for the printer :-) 

Since I am crazy I actually purchased the same kind of spring loaded nuts for the orange wiper stools.  Which I printed in Printed Solid Mystery Orange (The joke is the Mystery is its color matched to Prusa) PLA.  Since they are inside the enclosure if I ever actually close the enclosure and go with higher tempatures I might have to reprint them. Though there is little force on them. 

The wiper print:

https://www.printables.com/make/2107446

The jig for installing them: (printed in purple and green)

https://www.printables.com/make/2107451

I think the little jig is a nice idea, you pop it over the tools pins and it points to where the brush should be.   Of course you should remove it before you use the printer (also dont drink the acid in your cars battery ).

PS: this is my set of links to other stuff by Phil (the investigate dude)

Phil Sun’s stuff on X

https://investegate.de/prusa-xl-troubleshooting-guide/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR4c-nmQeJy2KZ2hk_JyM7Fwhlln_GWiTsjzK4rCXbKvCxye8BQwcxZUbG8sWw_aem_5_40fIhTG9sdlL5BpvEh4A

https://investegate.de/prusa-xl-2023-vs-2025-what-has-changed/

https://investegate.de/prusa-xl-print-sheet/

He has more, but it all link together.  

Kurt-A

[Luke Hartfiel]

Remember when people used to buy terrible printers like the Anet A8, and the TronXY X5S, and people had to do modifications on them almost as soon as they got them in order to get decent (for then) prints? Remember how at that time Prusa were the gold standard for “it just works”, and charged a premium for that. Remember how they were all open source champions to the point where other companies could download the designs for the printed parts and make their own MK2S printers, or whatever?

What ever happened to that Prusa? Why is Prusa now the big, kinda closed source manufacturer that people need to print homebrew mods for to get working properly, even after paying eye-watering amounts for the printers? Why do customers even put up with that?

No wonder Bambu ate their lunch. That’s on Prusa.

On 24 Apr 2026, at 2:30 pm, Kurt A 3d <kur...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[3D Printing Tips and Tricks]

Yet they’re still around. It could be because it’s a real small group of people and a small circle of authority or ownership ( One?) which makes it easier cost wise. In my opinion… if Bambu did a real toolchanger as large as the H series machines, it’s buh bye.

[Kurt Gluck]

You are discussing a machine that is 3 years old.   It has taken 3 years for there to be other tool changing options.      

The upgrades I have done on mine consist of wipers which frankly I dont need but mean I dont have to clean off my nozzles between prints and a change to the clamps that hold the wires to the top of the printheads that I have done to preempt a problem which I dont have even after tons and tons of toolchanges.  

The only other change discussed here has been  because Andy broke a part and insert of buying an entire assembly (which is available ) he has printed a replacement part based upon step files that Prusa made availible.     Does Bamboo have step files for the parts of their printers ? 

Sure newer XLs have slight product improvements over older ones, and XL owners would love upgrade paths and other improvements.    

Can you upgrade a X1C to a X2whatever?     

Kurt-a

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 24, 2026, at 9:46 PM, 3D Printing Tips and Tricks <3d-printing-...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Yet they’re still around. It could be because it’s a real small group of people and a small circle of authority or ownership ( One?) which makes it easier cost wise. In my opinion… if Bambu did a real toolchanger as large as the H series machines, it’s buh bye.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/3d-printing-tips--tricks/adf50dbf-2fc4-4760-880d-4a69529de8e1n%40googlegroups.com.

[Luke Hartfiel]

Actually, you can upgrade a H2S or H2D to a H2C. Bambu sell a kit.

That said, I’m not in any way a Bambu supporter.

On 25 Apr 2026, at 12:56 pm, Kurt Gluck <kur...@gmail.com> wrote:

You are discussing a machine that is 3 years old.   It has taken 3 years for there to be other tool changing options.      

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/3d-printing-tips--tricks/9279F4C7-7CE9-455B-8080-4FA20B0599C5%40gmail.com.

[3D Printing Tips and Tricks]

Neither am I… but… if I could buy a toolchanger (not a fancy filament swapper) with the fit, polish and software that Bambu has pulled off… at a Bambu price point… I’d do it. Prusa cant make it. They simply don’t have the resources nor the vertical mkt access to the parts that Chinese companies have.