Anycubic Kobra S1 Maintenance Guide: Lubrication Schedule, Cleaning and Clearing a Clogged Nozzle

The Anycubic Kobra S1 is a fast enclosed CoreXY printer, and fast printers wear faster than slow ones. The good news is that most of the maintenance is simple: a few rods to clean and grease, a nozzle to keep clear, fans to dust and a build plate to keep free of skin oil. Anycubic publishes a maintenance page and a clog-clearing guide for the Kobra S1 Combo on its official wiki. This guide turns those instructions into a schedule you can follow, explains which parts should and should not be greased, and walks through clearing a blocked hotend step by step.

If you are still deciding whether to buy, our Kobra S1 Combo review covers the specifications, and our Kobra X Combo vs Kobra S1 Combo comparison explains how it differs from Anycubic's open-frame multicolor model.

The maintenance schedule at a glance

Anycubic gives specific intervals for some parts and "check regularly" for others. Here is everything in one place:

A useful habit is to tie the monthly Y-axis check to something you already do, such as changing to a new spool, and to mark the three-month Z-axis job on a calendar.

What you need

Most of these jobs need only a few basic items. Anycubic's guides mention:

• A dust-free or lint-free cloth
• Isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs
• Grease. Anycubic's product page lists grease and a nozzle cleaner among the parts included with the Kobra S1 ACE 2 Pro Combo
• A soft brush, plus an air blower or compressed air
• Heat-insulating gloves and pliers for hotend work
• A cleaning needle for the nozzle
• An S1.5 Allen key for the hotend and an S2.0 Allen key for the cutter

Z-axis lead screw: clean and grease every three months

First, check whether the noise is normal. Anycubic says that if your actual print speed is above 350 mm per second, some metal friction noise is normal at that speed. Noise when moving the Z axis on its own is the better sign that the lead screw needs attention.

Anycubic's steps:

1. Clean the screw. Wipe the Z-axis lead screw with a dust-free cloth until it is smooth and free of dust.
2. Home the Z axis. Turn the printer on, open Tools in the main menu, tap Move, then All Zero or Z Zero.
3. Grease the top section. With the platform at its highest point, apply a small amount of grease along the exposed lead screw.
4. Grease the bottom section. Tap Z+ to move the platform down to its lowest position, apply a small amount of grease to the newly exposed section, then tap Z Zero again to spread it.
5. Test. Run a few test prints and listen for any remaining noise.

Use grease, not oil. Anycubic says to avoid lubricating oil as much as possible because it runs down the screw.

Y-axis linear rods: check monthly

The Y axis rides on linear rods and linear bearings. Anycubic notes that stray extruded plastic or other debris on the rods or bearings can affect print quality, so it recommends a check once a month.

1. Power off and unplug the printer. Look along the rods for dust or debris and remove anything you find with a dust-free cloth or soft brush.
2. Feel for problems. Move the Y axis gently by hand. It should travel smoothly without catching.
3. Blow out heavy dust. Use a blower or air gun, in short bursts. Anycubic warns against blasting dust into other components or electronics.
4. Grease lightly. Apply a small amount of grease along the rod surface, then move the assembly back and forth to spread it evenly.
5. Test. Push and pull the print head by hand to check for sticking or wobble, then power on and run a test print.

X-axis rods: clean them, never grease them

This is the rule most likely to catch out owners of other printers. Anycubic says the Kobra S1's X-axis assembly uses an optical axis with a graphene bearing sleeve, and that graphene is self-lubricating, so the X-axis rod must not be greased. If it gets dirty, wipe it with a dust-free cloth and a little alcohol.

Hotend, nozzle and silicone cover

For routine cleaning, Anycubic's steps are:

1. Remove the silicone cover from the hotend and heat the nozzle to 200°C.
2. Wearing insulated gloves, wipe the nozzle surface with a tissue or towel, or pick residue off with tweezers.
3. Heat the hotend to 230°C and use a steel needle to clear leftover filament from the hotend and nozzle.

While you are there, check the silicone cover. Anycubic says that if it is worn or covered in built-up residue, remove it and fit a new one.

How to clear a clogged nozzle

Anycubic lists several causes of a blocked hotend: a damaged nozzle, a hotend that is not hot enough to melt filament quickly, and filaments with particles such as carbon fiber or glow-in-the-dark materials. The symptom is weak extrusion or none at all. Work through these steps in order, repeating as needed:

Step 1: Push it out with heat. Set the print head a little above the filament's normal temperature. Anycubic's example is 250°C for PLA. Then tap Extrude on the screen and see whether the blockage pushes through.

Step 2: Push filament through by hand. If that fails, remove the print head case, release the clip that holds the hotend, and hold the hotend with heat-resistant gloves or pliers. Feed a length of filament into the throat and push firmly to force out the blockage, several times if needed. If filament alone will not move it, Anycubic suggests a long-handled S1.5 Allen key pushed into the throat. Anycubic warns that the nozzle can reach 250°C during this, so never touch it bare-handed.

Step 3: Finish with the needle. Insert the cleaning needle into the nozzle tip to clear the last bits and confirm it is open.

Step 4: Replace the nozzle if needed. Anycubic says these steps clear most blockages, but a damaged nozzle may need replacing with a new quick-release nozzle. It also notes that a 0.2 mm nozzle is harder to clean, and that larger nozzles let more particles through and clog less. That is worth remembering if you print a lot of particle-filled filament.

Cutter, fans, camera and build plate

Cutter. Anycubic recommends checking it after every 3 to 5 rolls: remove the cutter assembly with an S2.0 Allen key, look for wear and replace it if needed.

Fans. Anycubic says to check the hotend fans, front cover fans and auxiliary fans for dust. Use a blower or compressed air, a vacuum, a brush and cotton swabs, and wipe stubborn grime with isopropyl alcohol. If a fan is badly clogged, remove it for a thorough clean.

Camera. If the video feed looks blurry or dirty, clean the lens gently with a lint-free cloth or cotton swab and a little isopropyl alcohol.

Build plate. Clean the spring steel plate with alcohol or detergent when you see stains, and avoid touching the surface often, since Anycubic notes fingers leave oil behind.

A simple routine

• Every print: keep fingers off the build plate.
• Every new spool: look over the Y-axis rods and nozzle.
• Every month: check and clean the Y-axis rods and dust the fans.
• Every 3 to 5 rolls: inspect the cutter.
• Every 3 months: clean and grease the Z-axis lead screw.
• Whenever needed: clean the X-axis rods with alcohol, never grease.

For where to buy, returns and warranty terms on Anycubic's own store, see our Anycubic shopping guide.

References

1. Anycubic Wiki. "Maintenance Recommendations," Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo. https://wiki.anycubic.com/en/fdm-3d-printer/kobra-s1-combo/maintenance-recommendations (accessed November 5, 2026).
2. Anycubic Wiki. "Cleaning Hotend Clogging," Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo. https://wiki.anycubic.com/en/fdm-3d-printer/kobra-s1-combo/cleaning-hotend-clogging (accessed November 5, 2026).
3. Anycubic Wiki. "Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo." https://wiki.anycubic.com/en/fdm-3d-printer/kobra-s1-combo (accessed November 5, 2026).
4. Anycubic. "Anycubic Kobra S1 ACE 2 Pro Combo" product page. https://store.anycubic.com/products/kobra-s1-ace-2-pro-combo-3d-printer (accessed November 5, 2026).