Bowden Tube 3D Printers Suck. Here's Proof:

Rules:
Exact Same Hotend
Exact Same Gcode (I think*)
Exact Same Acceleration and Speed Settings
No Fancy Pants Calibrations (Input shaper and Pressure advance are for weaklings)
Just a machine, filament, and a basic print profile

[NathanBuildsRobots]

Rules:
Exact Same Hotend
Exact Same Gcode
Exact Same Acceleration and Speed Settings
No Fancy Pants Calibrations (Input shaper and Pressure advance are for weaklings)
Just a machine, filament, and a basic print profile

[tophatvideosinc.]

Although it isn't exactly set in stone, Bowden setups can be a cost effective way to get more consistent prints due to the pretension on the filament. The quality of the individual line will be better and more consistent since the flow is less directly affected by the drive motors more often than not, at least on decent quality printers. It also has the benefit of removing unnecessary weight from the gantry which can decrease artifacting at greater accelerations.

I personally use direct drive most often but I do have a few Bowden printers too since they also have use cases that are more optimised for some operations than a direct setup would. I think it's not fair to say one is worse than the other.

[johncarey]

I completely agree with the fact that direct drive is better but the gcode should not be the same for the 2 recreation setting should be different

[alexn]

You can´t use the same gcode because bowden needs different settings, especially retraction

[jasontrauer]

Wouldn't you need different retraction settings between the bowen setup vs the direct drive? I would think the same gcode would give a better result to one vs the other. Normally I need sub 1 mm retraction on a direct drive and around 6mm for a bowden setup.

[rossco]

It’s crazy how just a year ago we were excited about a sub 1-hour benchy, it’s evolved quickly

[connorj]

I’ve never had prints look that wavy on Bowden before. Even on 36hr prints I only have a half dozen spots like that

[oplavevski]

The extruder should be the same on both prints. So plug in the BMG (or whatever you have there on the direct drive) to the boden setup. Then it would be a fair comparison.

[tjCooper]

Sorry but this simply isn't true. Tune retraction and you can get just as good. My Srs can produce reulsts same as direct drive with pla easily. If not better. Though I do appreciate your videos!

[TheWilslap]

Why would you compare using the same gcode? Settings should be completely different

[avejst]

Nope, same G code on a Boden tube and a DirectDrive, is not the same. Retraction should be different. 5mm contra 1 mm!

[nolanfrankum]

But the advantage of a bowden is the ability to move faster bc the extruder is off of the hot end. So it u run the bowden with yhe wieght of the direct drive it is just a disadvantage overall. I would re do this but take the direct drive extruder off of the hot end when u run the bowden.

[superstrife]

MirageC had better prints when using a bowden on same printer, and the level of scientific detail put into that video is significantly more rigorus than this one. Also not a great though process using same Gcode. What you want is a given output (Time to print, quality of print) irrespective of input gcode. So in the instance of DD vs bowden, you're really looking at things like the performance impact of stricter combing on bowden vs lower accurate accelerations on a DD.

[gitss]

So you wanted to make my stock Ender 2 Pro feel insecure? Say it ain't so.

[mateuszjaniszewski]

The fact that your boden tube 3d printer suck does not mean that all boden tube 3d printers suck.

[trapperkreeper]

I've never had a benchy look as bad as your bowden benchy even when I was new to 3d printing and knew nothing about tuning. And that direct drive benchy isn't perfect either.
Also, you simply can't run the same gcode for both methods and get a fair comparison.

[sansgo]

Don't turn into "design prototype test" making blanket statements and fighting with your subscribers.

[cynic]

I also prefer direct drive but this is just proof of how bad your bowden tube setup is. Can’t get a high quality benchy with any setup in a near hour long print? That’s user error my guy.

Since the rest of us have managed the impossible and have gotten as good (better) benchys than your direct drive benchy using bowden tube setups I would suspect the extruder feeder is cracked if it’s plastic, a bowden fitting has failed and/or your retraction settings are waaaay off.

[ericc]

Lol I printed that boat in 12 minutes on my X1C and looks 1, 000 times better than yours

[tylerbaldwin]

My ender 3 v2 prints just as good as my s1 with direct drive but I've also had the v2 for almost 2 years now and put hundreds into mods for it so im sure once I get my s1 all tuned in it will probably print better. My v2 has a mosquito hotend though so that probably makes a difference over the stock junk.