Some of the stuff doesn’t need that much building, and some of it makes your life better (and there’s no alternative available in the market), that it makes it worthwhile.
They’re pretty cheap for something you’re not ordering from China too. If not reliable they’re from Ikea, so good customer service and they’ll replace them if something breaks (had it happen with Somrig).
As for a rotary I’ve ordered and I’m going to try this one.
ESPHome is a really good thing to look into if you’re a bit more advanced user, and CYD is a steal for what it is (even with the resistive touch screen it has).
From Zigbee devices I’d highly recommend the ones from Ikea (Somrig, Styrbar, Symfonisk - depending on what you’re going to use it for), and there are a lot more on AliExpress.
Another route might be using ESPHome and program something like Cheap Yellow Display (5-10$ on AliExpress) with LVGL.
I’m using it with no high expectations as in „it’s probably better than nothing, and the fan pulls some of the fumes away from me”. As for ABS (which I’m printing VERY infrequently) I’ve printed Bento Box for my printer (from ABS of course) and haven’t actually mounted it on my printer yet (because I print with ABS/ASA so infrequently);) Besides that my printer sits in a boiler room which (like the rest of the house) is actively ventilated using a recuperation system.
They’re a bit too reliant on the cloud and the event where „their” printers (that the users both and were using at their homes) re-printed last job because of some server issue was a bit concerning. And definitely the fact that if your printer does have issues you can’t fix/calibrate much without them is alarming to me. I’m using a K1 which might need some work but it’s manageable. If I were looking to upgrade I’d probably get Qidi Q1 Pro - same price ballpark as K1 or P1S, while the features it has seem to be closer to X-series
I generally print first layer at 260/250 and the latter ones 10 degrees colder. I do the same with the build plate - starting with 90, and leaving it at 80 throughout the ret of the print. With some plates you have to bee mindful of PETG sticking too well (possibly damaging them) but it works out really well with PET/PEO plates, letting the print retain the texture of the build plate. On PEI I either print it cooler, or use glue (in this case it makes it easier to separate the print from the plate).
It’s a matter of config, not hardware. I was putting my own together (based on the „official” one) and it is working. Maybe they’ve changed something there
What about PCTG? Pretty much for anything that I’d need more strength than regular PETG I could go with PETG-CF or PCTG. The only thing that can force me to use ABS/ASA is the need for (more) temperature resistance.
Some of the stuff doesn’t need that much building, and some of it makes your life better (and there’s no alternative available in the market), that it makes it worthwhile.