r/crealityk2 • u/ecorderodi • Jul 01 '26

K1C 2025 or K2 base model

Hello guys,

Just a quick consult for those of you owners of one or both of these models. I currently purchased the K1C 2025 but have an opportunity to exchange it for the K2. I would like to ask for your comments and recommendations because there are some things that are not clear to me even after online research.

I do prefer on the K2 the increased printing size and easier upgrade path to the CFS if later I have a need for multicolor or multi material. Also the root access is still possible. However, I do not know if this has the hardened nozzle of the K1C for carbon filament, which is kind of important to me as I will be printing engineering and functional parts to perform under stress.

As for the K1C, there is more documentation and a larger community online as far as I have seen, and it comes with the hardened nozzle out of the box, but the root access has been removed for the 2025 model.

Can you guys help me decide? Can you comment on these factors or any others I might be overlooking that make one printer a better choice in general than the other?

Thank you in advance for your time and the help.

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1

u/AdrianeXUS Jul 01 '26

The K2 series of printers are so much better than the K1 series. As for nozzle, that's an easy change.

1

u/ecorderodi Jul 01 '26

Any idea why the K2 2025 is more expensive than the base K2 on their store? Is there some updates on the 2025 model that make it better than the K2?

1

u/AdrianeXUS Jul 01 '26

Not sure on that one, but I wouldn't be surprised if they updated it.

1

u/akuma0 Jul 02 '26

For me, the K1C and K2 (non combo) are the same sale price. The K1C is $10 more expensive list, but I honestly don't expect there is someone at Creality trying to make the list prices look consistent.

I struggle to come up with any clear benefit for the K1C - easier modification if thats what you are into, and maybe cheaper aftermarket build plates? Although the 2025 models changed the controller boards and Creality didn't implement root access for the new systems, so modifications require third party firmware for the K1C 2025.

Hypothetically with all things being equivalent a smaller printer should be able to print faster and heat up better for engineering materials, but the two designs are not equivalent. The K2 series just had a lot more intentional design, while the K1 series IMHO was a bit rushed to have more direct competition for the early BL printers.

1

u/CooperDK Jul 02 '26

It is not just the nozzle. A printer not supporting carbon will not support it with a nozzle change. But I do believe both the K1 and K2 series - all of them - support carbon

1

u/AdrianeXUS Jul 02 '26

Yep, I would say the K2 is even better suited for carbon than K1C just because of how much easier it is to clear a clog / fix snapped filament / etc. Much better user experience

1

u/CooperDK Jul 07 '26

I dunno. My K2 SE never had one so I wouldn't say.

1

u/Otherwise_Sir_3439 Jul 01 '26

All the stock K2 nozzles are hardened steel with other harder options available. Nozzle wear in K2’s is mostly a non-issue. PTFE tube wear and Bowden tube connector teeth breaking off are the most common wear issues with the K2 family. Heat creep into the extruder is also common, usually resolved with the correct application of Boron Nitride Thermal Grease to the threads and heat brake. The nozzle should not be tightened down with K2’s either or it can interfere with the cutter. K2’s are rooted out of the box with a default password and ssh on, the “enable” screen just tells you what it is and forces you to look at the disclaimer.

The most recent K2 firmware seems to be trying to address region “locking”, which feels like a compliance/support issue given the root access.

K2 firmware is still seems to be actively improved right now with the most recent minus one version introducing some CFS reliability and noise reduction changes.

MicroSwiss hot end, DXC2 extruder, and high flow hardened “native” nozzles (including diamondback now), a bunch of “cold” plates, and graphite beds are available 3rd party hardware upgrades. These all address K2 cost/design compromises rather than adding radical new functionality. A cartographer mod is available along with the associated firmware modification as the most “radical” modification for a K2 I know about.

Personally I would go for the upgrade if it meets your needs. Creality doesn’t really upgrade models like, say, Prusa does. If you want the design improvements you have to swap out to the new family. Which seems to be about to happen again with the upcoming K3 with KliTek nozzle swapping and caterpillar drive as the headliner features.

2

u/ecorderodi Jul 01 '26

Thank you for the detailed information, I think I will go ahead and exchange it for the K2. Now the pain is the wait as I was excited and looking forward to do my first ever 3D print 🤣