I have a pre-version 2.1 Wanhao that I have been performing upgrades and maintenance to. Since I am already replacing the Extruder, Coldend, and Hotend with an all-metal version, I figured I might as well just replace the MK10 Heatingblock too since that would be the only part of the entire printhead that would not be replaced otherwise. That, and it’s also using an old style of thermistor that is both very fragile and annoying to install (not to mention the fabric washer it uses is caked in PLA and might be unusable now), is leaking pretty badly, and it has been caked in PLA multiple times from it oozing into many exposed holes/components.
Finding a replacement screw-in style thermistor, and a new MK10 Heatblock is not hard (is there even any difference whatsoever of the “brand”/manufacturer of MK10 block used? Not sure which one would be the best to get, if there even is a difference) but what has confused me a little is the “Heating Cartridge”. I already had to modify mine to extend it’s length to avoid an issue where the crimps could break and cause a short while in a cord-chain (Which I believe was fixed in the version 2.1 models), so I figured might as well get a newer “version” of the Heating Cartridge that fixes that issue altogether.
I have seen two versions on ultimate3dprintingstore (Can’t post the URLs because this site’s spam filter seems to think ANY link I post is spam >.< ), a version 2 and 3 of the print cartridge, but their specs don’t seem to really match up
Both of them are 12 volts, that is about the only thing they have in common… and one claims to be 40 watts while the other does not have this listed (though I assume it’s also 40 watts if it’s 12 volts).
Beyond that, one is listed as being 5.9mm in diameter and the other 6.3mm. I have never heard of such a thing as a 5.9 or 6.3 diameter cartridge since most seem to be exactly 6mm. Does the MK10 Heatblock really use such specific heating cartridges or are these just mis-measured? Especially since all versions of this printer use the same heating block design regardless of “version” of heating cartridge used?
Furthermore, one claims that the heating cartridge is 26.69mm in length (that seems oddly specific) and the other does not mention a length at all… I am starting to wonder if these are all just nonsense or badly measured.
They also seem fairly pricey, over $10 just for one heating cartridge.
I tried to look on Amazon, and saw many examples of the exact same type, though of a different “brand”.
Around the same price, or even less… but for several of them. Not to mention out of the dozens on Amazon, every single one seemed to have the exact same specs:
Voltage: 12v, Power: 40w
Diameter: 6mm ; Length: 20mm
The only difference was that there were 12v and 24v versions, even the wattage was the same.
A diameter of 6mm and length of 20mm also seems to fall in more realistic lines of the measurements to the same specs listed on the two above from Ultimate 3D Print Store.
I measured mine and it had a diameter of 6.12mm and a length of 21.39mm (I assume this is just simply a diameter of 6mm and length of 20mm with some variance), although one thing that I found odd was that the end of it was concave rather than flat like every other one I see for sale is… does that effect anything?
(Also, due to how the PLA had leaked all over the stupid thing and all over my hotend it was near-impossible to remove. I actually had to dig through the now-solidified thermal/ceramic wool tape to even reach the setscrew… and then heat the heatblock up while it was in pieces to get it out since the PLA had cemented it in place… yeah, I think this needs to all just be replaced.)
So then will these ones listed on Amazon work just fine? Are these on Amazon even likely to be the same one ultimate3dprintingstore is selling but at a higher price? Is there any real difference between the make/brand of these Heating Cartridges? Are there any that are in any way somehow better or more accurate/reliable than others? Or are they all simple enough to be more or less the same thing?
Also, is there any easy way to somehow “slot” or put some sort of connector on the cartridge in case I ever need to change it again in the future? Having to route the long cable through several cable-chains and cable-holders and all the way from the hotend to the control-box to hard-wire it to a motherboard connector is kind of a pain. Every other motor, fan, and even the thermistor on the print head is using a detachable connector, is there any decent way I can do that with the heating cartridge too? And is there any reason I should NOT do that for whatever reason?
