Stepper Motor Selection Tips for Upgrades or Custom Builds?

[carl25]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been working on tweaking my Rostock Max and wanted to get some opinions on stepper motor upgrades. I know SeeMeCNC generally uses NEMA 17 steppers, but I’m curious what others have tried—especially for quieter operation or better torque at higher speeds.

A few questions I had:

Holding torque: What’s a good torque rating for delta printers? I’ve seen motors from 40 oz-in all the way up to 84 oz-in. Is bigger always better?

Current draw and drivers: If I go for something stronger, how much do I need to worry about overheating or needing to upgrade the stepper drivers? I'm currently running stock TMC2208s.

Microstepping vs full-step performance: Anyone here tried running higher microstepping settings (e.g. 1/32 or even 1/64) with good results? I’m mostly printing PLA and PETG, nothing crazy.

Also, if anyone has had success with specific brands or models (like Wantai, LDO, or others), I’d love to hear what’s worked well for you.

Thanks in advance, and happy printing!

[geneb]

If you're using the old RAMBo controller, the best upgrade you can do is going to the Duet 3 controller. It's amazing, and works perfectly with the stock motors.

g.