I bought the Anycubic Kobra 3 just to try — to see how useful it really is. Turned out — very useful. I didn’t expect to print so much.
For example, for a child’s birthday I printed a bunch of lizards. The kids loved it — they grabbed them enthusiastically. Such small things, but so much joy.
Where the Money Goes
Then I noticed: like in that funny reel — “money just disappears somewhere.” Turned out it all goes to filament. The printer runs, you print constantly, spools run out one after another. So if you think “bought a printer and that’s it” — get ready to regularly order plastic.
Which Filament for What
Quick overview of what works where:
PLA
- Temperature: 190–220 °C
- Use for: toys, gifts, organizers, various small things
- Pros: prints easily, no smell, eco-friendly
- Cons: deforms in heat and sun, brittle
PETG
- Temperature: 230–250 °C
- Use for: holders, mounts, things that need to be sturdier
- Pros: strong, not afraid of moisture
- Cons: harder to tune
ABS
- Temperature: 230–250 °C
- Use for: enclosures, auto parts, etc.
- Pros: strong, cheap
- Cons: smells when printing, needs enclosed chamber
TPU
- Temperature: 220–240 °C
- Use for: cases, anything flexible and soft
- Pros: bends, doesn’t wear
- Cons: need to print slowly
ASA
- Temperature: 240–260 °C
- Use for: outdoor items, things in the sun
- Pros: withstands weather and UV
- Cons: like ABS — smell and conditions
For starters I’d take PLA and PETG — easiest to work with.
Thermistor Broke
After 400 hours of printing, the sensor that measures the bed temperature failed. The printer showed error “Hotbed NTC abnormal” (code 10123).
What the Sensor Is
It’s called NTC 100k thermistor (type B3950). Standard part for the bed on almost any FDM printer, including Kobra 3.
Similar sensor (source: Prusa3D )
How I Fixed It
Ordered from Ozon for 300 rubles — arrived quickly. Replacement took about 15 minutes: unscrewed the bed, swapped the sensor, screwed it back. Done, printing again.
If you have the same issue — search for “NTC 100k B3950 thermistor for 3D printer.” Make sure the connector fits your board.
In Summary
Kobra 3 is really useful for everyday use. Main expense — filament. Even with the sensor failure — 300 rubles and a quarter hour, and the printer is like new. Having a spare thermistor just in case doesn’t hurt.