I’m currently thinking about upgrading the hotend on my Bambu Lab P1S and wanted to ask if anyone here has already experimented with tungsten carbide nozzle hotends or similar aftermarket upgrades.
The idea behind this is mainly long-term durability and stable printing with abrasive filaments (CF / GF materials etc.). Tungsten carbide nozzles are known for extremely high wear resistance (around HRA 90 hardness) and can last significantly longer than hardened steel when printing abrasive filaments.
I’m curious about a few things:
Has anyone already installed third-party hotends with tungsten carbide nozzles on a P1S?
Any issues with auto calibration / bed probing?
Does it affect flow rate or pressure advance tuning?
Is it actually worth it compared to the standard hardened steel hotend?
Any reliability issues or firmware limitations?
I mainly print PLA, PETG and occasionally CF-filled filaments, so durability is interesting for me.
Would really appreciate hearing about real experiences, mods, or recommendations before I order and test this myself.
You need a diamondback. You won’t want to spend the money on it, but it’s the ultimate for what you’re describing. I can tell you, you will not need another nozzle for any filament.
E3D Diamondback
To answer your question a Carbide won’t really affect anything. They’re tough and heat just as reliably as a steel. I run the E3D Obx 500 and the Bambu Carbide, have never had a nozzle related issue. ■■■■, never had an issue.
If you want to save some money you can look at the E3D Obxidion for the P1S. Very tough as well.
By the time you buy two complete hotend assemblies, you’re already in the same price range or higher than a DiamondBack solution, so your suggestion actually makes sense from a cost perspective.
My main goal was simply durability, since I occasionally print abrasive filaments (carbon / fiberglass filled materials). Tungsten carbide is already extremely wear resistant compared to hardened steel and maintains stable performance under abrasive conditions.
But if the DiamondBack really means “install once and never worry about the nozzle again”, that could actually be the cleaner solution.
So now I’m curious:
Did you notice any differences in flow or temperature tuning compared to the stock Bambu hotend?
Any downsides at all (calibration, clogging, AMS compatibility)?
Always great to hear real-world experiences before throwing money at upgrades
The answers to your questions are no and nope.
Diamondbacks are no drama type nozzles.
They won’t leave you out in the cold, diamondbacks heat hella quickly.
They won’t bring you down with flow, but they are not HF and honestly allow you a little headroom over stock but not as much as a HF nozzle.
It’s really a drop in and then forget nozzle. I have (and still do) run all kinds of abrasives and the nozzle is like new. Except looking used.
I’d have one on the H2S but it’s not out yet. Order from Filastruder. They’re authorized E3D resellers, as is Matterhackers.
And looking at what you’ve been on Amazon considering, the Obxidian or Diamondback would be a far better choice. I’m biased though.
I just ordered the E3D DiamondBack nozzles in 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm.
In the end, the overall reviews and experiences convinced me. Since print quality is more important to me than printing speed, I think these nozzles are worth it.
As a small note: until now I always thought that tungsten carbide nozzles were the toughest and most indestructible option. I’ve actually been using one on my QQ-S Pro for quite a while. But after reading more about the DiamondBack design and the polycrystalline diamond tip, I became curious enough to give them a try.
The diamondback checks all the boxes for durability etc, but it’s true superpower is thermal conductivity in this system that loves conducting heat - your nozzle. Nothing is comparable. True sci fi level of superhero unobtainium, except it’s IRL
It finally arrived today – the Bambu Lab X1/P1 Diamondback Nozzle.
First impression:
Right out of the box, you can tell this isn’t a standard part. The packaging is clean and premium, and the nozzle itself feels solid and very well built.
What stands out immediately:
very clean machining
well-thought-out heatsink and overall design
feels significantly more robust than standard nozzles
I will test it extensively as soon as time allows:
abrasive materials (CF / GF)
long-term performance
print quality vs. standard nozzle
I’m honestly curious to see how much of a difference it makes in real-world use, especially in terms of wear resistance and consistent print quality.
Unfortunately, I could only find the E3D DiamondBack nozzle as a complete set, including silicone sock, fan, screws, etc. This nozzle is really awesome, but be careful, you should only buy this model if you print a lot of abrasive material, otherwise the price of the nozzle, sometimes €181, isn’t really worth it.
Yes, usually they’re out of stock given they’re a little cheaper.
If you order from E3D before midnight on the, I think 6th, use code EGG for 15% off. I think it was a multi-use code. If not go to their about page and click on an egg if you see it, or one of the other pages. There aren’t a lot.
So, I ended up purchasing the E3D 0.8 Dimondback. Didnt’ work at first and took me a week to figure out the settings. After all was said and done, I wouldn’t do that again. The 0.8mm is horrible for detail. I was able to make some Flood Light Cowls, for my Jeep, but that’s about it. Everything else turned out horrible. I’ve since gone back to the original 0.4mm hot-end, and now I’ve got 2 functioning printers going non-stop.
If anyone is looking for a E3D Diamondback 0.8mm hardened steel, let me know and I’ll make you a deal.
Has anyone already installed third-party hotends with tungsten carbide nozzles on a P1S?
I have an experience with Phaetus Conch+. Not tungsten, but silicone carbide nozzle.
Any issues with auto calibration / bed probing?
Will ask question to question - which problems may occur here? Because in my case there are no problems with it.
Does it affect flow rate or pressure advance tuning?
In my case when I started to jump from stock stainless steel nozzle to Phaetus one there were no differences except PA, it should be a bit higher (about 0.003-0.004).
Is it actually worth it compared to the standard hardened steel hotend?
Unfortunately, I don’t have standard hardened steel hotend to compare with. But I found out Conch+ has higher flow rate compared stainless steel nozzle.
Any reliability issues or firmware limitations?
Use it about 9 months and still have no problems with it. Because Conch+ nozzle longer than stock nozzle by 5-6 mm, you lose printing height by the same value. But this is not the problem for me because my parts are smaller than this limit, but be aware.
