Hypercube best extruder choice

Hello everyone!

First I would like to thank all those who contribute to this community, it has been a wealth of information since I first dove into the 3D printing world with the making of my scratchbuilt Mendel90 more than 2 years ago.

I'm currently considering building myself a new 3D printer, in replacement of my Mendel90 (so I'll reuse most of the reusables parts and electronics), and I've gone for the Hypercube. It ticks all the boxes for me (Z moving bed, compatible with most of my mechanical parts, can be enclosed since I print in a non heated garage, and, since winter is coming, I won't be able to print ABS in about a month unless I enclose my printer. Plus I love the kinematics, it find it so elegant ...).
The build volume will be 200x200 in XY, and at least 200 in Z.
Right now I am stuck on the choice of an extrusion method: I have an e3d v6 for 3mm filament, and as such I still have quite a few spools of 3mm ABS and PLA, and I'd like to use them.

So, my choices are:
-3mm bowden printed extruder: which one? classic Wade's? Is 3mm bowden a good option? The cost is only a new heatsink for my v6
-3mm e3d Titan bowden: what torque for the stepper? My NEMA 17 are 50N.cm on my Mendel90. Is it worth the expense compared to a Wade's? Again, is 3mm bowden easily doable?
-3mm e3d Titan in a direct drive configuration: again, what stepper? To keep the weight down can I use the 13N.cm stepper that e3d sells as an option? Is the added weight compatible with the mechanical structure of the Hypercube (10mm aluminium tubes on the X, 8mm hardened steel rods on Y)
-3mm flex3drive: quite expensive, but if the quality is better than bowden, and the weight less than direct (including Titan), might be worth it.

Last option:
-donate or sell for a few € my 3mm spools and go for 1.75mm bowden. They are e-sun spools, so did not cost me a kidney, but still, there's about 70-90€ worth of plastic...Hence my hesitation, because basically, buying a 3mm flex3drive would cost me virtually the same as switching from 3mm to 1.75mm

For my Hypercube I'm not looking into printing at super high speeds, I currently print at 80mm/s with my Mendel90 and find it sufficient, I usually print during the nights so speed does not matter. Rather I'm looking at an easily serviceable machine, easily enclosable, and less noisy machine. I took some shortcuts on the building of my Mendel90 that make it a real pain in the a** to service, and makes it quite unreliable (my doing, not Nophead's design at all). I plan on doing this one perfectly by the book. At least I'll try...

Thank you!

my choice be titan of ali express like this gives you the option for either 3mm or 1.75mm in the kit/box. then get a second hotend for either 3 or 1.75mm. as for the stepper the one you have should do but if you need another these steppers do just fine with a titan of ebay.

set it up for a bowden, there just to much weight to go mounting the extruder directly on the X axis with the bearing on the Y axis will end up cutting grooves in 8mm rods.

Thanks!

I had not even thought about going for a Titan clone, but seeing the price it sure is a viable alternative!

One thing I did not understand: why a second hotend? Did you mean to get a 1.75mm hotend so that when my 3mm spools are finished I switch to 1.75?

"One thing I did not understand: why a second hotend? Did you mean to get a 1.75mm hotend so that when my 3mm spools are finished I switch to 1.75?"
sry for the confusion, yea that what I meant get a 1.75 then you covered for either option,

Make your own before you tear your current one down.
I built this Thingiverse geared extruder (https://www.thingiverse.com/make:359923).
It was simple and used cheap, easy to find parts. Best of all it worked great. I have used it on two machines and it has never let me down.

DLC