Ask any experienced maker and they will tell you the same thing: the printer is the easy purchase. What actually makes printing smooth is a small kit of cheap tools sitting next to the machine. None of this is glamorous, but each item below has saved us a failed print, a cut finger, or a wasted hour. Much of it echoes the standard maker tool kits for good reason — this stuff works.
You can buy it all at once for the price of a couple of spools, or add pieces as you hit the problem each one solves. Either way, your prints and your patience will thank you.
The kit, in priority order
If you buy nothing else, get calipers and a good removal tool. From there, the list below roughly tracks how often you will reach for each item. None of it is expensive, and most of it lasts for years.
The picks
Digital Calipers
0.01 mm resolution · metric/imperial · the most-used tool on any bench
You cannot tune tolerances, check filament diameter, or design fitted parts without calipers. Buy a decent pair and never look back.
Deburring Tool
Rotating blade · cleans holes and edges · cheap and indispensable
A few seconds with a deburring tool turns a rough printed edge or hole into a clean, professional one. The single best finishing upgrade for the money.
Flush Cutters
Sharp flush jaws · clean support and nub removal
Sharp flush cutters snip away supports and stringing without gouging the part. Get a pair dedicated to plastic so they stay sharp.
Hardened & Brass Nozzle Set
Assorted sizes · brass for PLA/PETG · hardened for abrasives
Nozzles wear out and clog; a cheap assortment means a five-minute swap instead of a stalled project. Add a hardened nozzle if you print carbon-fill or glow filaments.
Textured PEI Build Plate
Spring steel · flexible · releases prints when cool
A flexible textured PEI sheet gives a great first layer and pops parts off with a flex once cool — goodbye, glue and scrapers.
Filament Storage / Dryer
Sealed dry boxes or an active dryer · protects every spool
Moisture is the silent cause of stringing and weak prints. Sealed dry boxes are the minimum; an active dryer is better. (We rank dryers in a separate guide.)
Build the kit over time
You do not need everything at once. Start with calipers, flush cutters, and a deburring tool — the three you will use on day one. Add a spare-nozzle assortment the first time a clog ruins a print, a PEI plate when adhesion frustrates you, and filament storage once you own more than a couple of spools. The whole kit is cheap insurance against the most common, most avoidable print failures.
What It Means for Makers
- Calipers first. Nothing improves your printing faster than being able to measure things.
- Dedicate cutters to plastic. A sharp, plastic-only pair lasts far longer and cuts cleaner.
- Keep spare nozzles on the shelf. A clog should cost you five minutes, not a project.
- Solve adhesion with a PEI plate, not glue. A flexible textured sheet fixes most first-layer woes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the one tool I should buy first?
Digital calipers. They let you check filament diameter, verify that a printed part matches your model, and design things that actually fit together. No other inexpensive tool improves your printing as much, and you will reach for them almost every session.
How often do nozzles wear out?
Brass nozzles printing plain PLA and PETG last a long time, but printing abrasive filaments — carbon-fiber, glow-in-the-dark, or glitter blends — wears them out fast and quietly degrades quality. Keeping a cheap assortment on the shelf, plus a hardened nozzle for abrasives, turns a worn nozzle into a five-minute swap.
Do I really need a separate build plate?
A flexible textured PEI sheet is one of the best low-cost upgrades you can make. It gives a reliable first layer and releases prints with a simple flex once cool, which eliminates the glue, scraping, and gouged beds that frustrate so many new makers. Most people wish they had bought one sooner.
Is filament storage really necessary?
Once you own more than a couple of spools, yes. Open spools slowly absorb moisture that causes stringing and weak prints, especially with PETG, TPU, and nylon. Sealed dry boxes are the minimum, and an active dryer is the upgrade — either way, it is cheap insurance against avoidable failures.
The bottom line
None of this kit is exciting, and all of it earns its keep. The tools above are the difference between a hobby that feels smooth and one that feels like a constant fight with your machine — and together they cost less than a single mid-range printer upgrade. If you are buying a printer this week, add calipers, flush cutters, a deburring tool, and a flexible build plate to the same order; you will use every one of them in the first month.
From there, let your problems guide your purchases. The first clog tells you to stock spare nozzles; the first stringy PETG print tells you to sort out filament storage. Built up this way, a complete maker's bench sneaks up on you for very little money, and every item is there because it solved a real, avoidable failure.
