Upgrade pick
8.8
Direct drive extruders
Smart Orbiter v3
Sensor-rich extrusion for dialed-in toolheads
$119
The Smart Orbiter adds filament sensing and refined mechanics for people already deep into Voron-style builds. Performance is excellent; the price only makes sense if you will use the extra telemetry.
See the full Direct drive extruders comparison guide for alternatives and score tables.
Scorecard
Overall8.8
Print quality9.3
9.3
Durability9.0
9.0
Value7.4
7.4
Ease of use8.2
8.2
Compatibility8.0
8.0
Pros
- + Integrated filament sensing
- + Top-tier feed consistency
- + Premium machining
Cons
- − Expensive
- − More wiring than a basic Orbiter
Specs
- Drive
- Dual gear
- Weight
- ~150 g
- Sensors
- Filament / motion
- Filament
- 1.75 mm