@Mike_Kelly_Mike_Make Retraction requires significantly higher speed and acceleration than forward extrusion, meaning high gear reductions and more spinning mass can impact retraction performance.
It seems extuders are like cars. Some like the bondtech are g-class merc’s while the 1st qubd i bought with that plastic feeder and random screw adjuster was like a kia. (And not the nicer new ones) in the middle you have 100’s to choose from and my opinion on the wades is that the gearing makes retracion slower so i like mine driven with a gear on the stepper motor a sharp gear and big spring. Many will disagree and probably for various good reasons. There are so many to pick from that are free to download and use no reason to have any of us dictate whats best. Because I would say mine is, because it is, For me.
@Mike_Kelly_Mike_Make I’m retracting at the max speed my motor can handle without skipping steps, and it’s still not quite fast enough. That’s the downside of a gear reduction.
@Shachar_Weis I’d suggest the Hercustruder then. Get a mk8 hobbed drive gear and run it direct drive with a normal nema17. Though I don’t believe there is a direct feed version.
@Shachar_Weis If you think the Bondtech gears are expensive go to a job shop and see how much it costs to have them cut. The issue isn’t the cost of the parts but rather the lack of understanding in what it costs to make parts with that detail and tolerance in small batches. A premium solution is going to carry a premium cost. Some of that premium is being a boutique product from that part of the world but to be dismissive of the cost without taking into account the factors is wide of the mark.
I didn’t say I thought they were expensive. I understand fully why they cost what they do. I just can’t bring myself to pay that much for two small super-duper metal gears.