To answer your question. All modern generation purpose-built filament dryers have a direct-feed option. Some are better than others. Read on for tips and tricks of how to choose what’s right for you.
________________________________________________________
Here’s what I’d suggest: After looking through the various solutions, order two of the best candidates from Amazon and do your own bake-off. That’s what I did. You have 30 days to return the one you don’t like.
Your needs may differ from others. I first purchased a Sunlu and then a Creality, comparing them side by side based on what was important to me—which may not be important to you.
Here’s a link to my methodology:
Sunlu S2 vs. Creality Space Pi Bake-Off Review
Adjust the metrics I used to suit your needs and create a grading system that weights what’s important to you.
Dryer Design Issues
If you want something without future limitations such as capable of drying ABS, you’ll want a modern-generation dryer. Don’t assume your usage will remain the same, get something that will be somewhat future proof, hotter higher end temps achieve this.
In short, all modern single-spool dryers today suck—some just suck less than others. They didn’t always suck, but now these companies are cloning each other’s designs and outsourcing the enclosures to art-house engineering companies. In fact, I sent tech support questions to both Sunlu and Creality and it was clear from the answers they didn’t own the design. And guess what? The enclosures all suck.
Take the Sunlu—its design is just awful. The Creality is only marginally better. If companies would just do a few simple things, they could fix most of these issues:
- Stick to a square box – Don’t get fancy with shapes. It’s impractical and annoying.
- Ditch the janky touchscreens – Every single one is a defective design that warps when heated, and plenty of reviews mention this. Buttons are the way to go. Previous models had them, and there was no reason to change.
- Prioritize function over aesthetics – These current designs sacrifice fan performance just to make the enclosure look cool, leading to uneven air circulation and potential filament damage.
- It also makes them extremely loud because the box shape forces them to use blower-style fans. Think air dryer—air gets sucked in from the side and redirected.
- A straight fan is quieter and more efficient, but these nimrods decided to prioritize aesthetics over engineering, appealing to uninformed consumers who judge based on looks.
Creality’s Janky Lid
One particularly janky design flaw with the Creality—which I ended up keeping because it was the least sucky—is the lid. It’s an abomination.
- The thing needlessly swings wide open, causing it to snap back and risk breakage.
- On top of that, it wastes a massive amount of table space.
I got so frustrated that I ended up designing a “stop” for the enclosure myself.
You can find it on Printables, but you won’t find it on MakerWorld:
Creality Space Pi Hinge Stop