Hey guys, I’ve got little to no knowledge on 3D printing and even less experience, so go easy on me. I will most likely be using words I don’t understand.
I live in a hot and humid country in the EU, and given my circumstances and the aforementioned lack of knowledge, I’m considering a closed enclosure model from the company everyone hates because it’s cheap, available, and famed for its ease of use.
I’m no stranger to tinkering with everything, but I do want to get started with something that’s just plug and play (or close enough to it). And even after I jailbreak it (which I assume is possible?), I really don’t want the tinkering to be part of the hobby itself.
My questions are: Size: Would I regret getting a 256x256x256 mm^3 sized one? Most prints I’ve seen fit easily, but there are a few that require more space.
Filaments: Where to buy, how to store, are all of them compatible with extruder-type printers? How do I check?
Accessories: I’ve seen nozzles and accessory packs being sold but I have no idea what they’re for. Can I print upgrades? Also what the heck does the Combo printer add-on do?
Alternatives: I’m not married to the P2S. Feel free to suggest alternatives. Thanks!
Wasn’t bambulab the one that forces you to upload all of your 3d files to their online server before you can print them? And when people tried to go back to directly printing files, the company took measures to make this impossible?
Because that’s a big big red flag.
Or am I mixing up companies here?
creality does that too but its not an insurmountable thing. if bambulab’s software allows it, just export directly to gcode and try it that way, unless there is no othernroute into the machine.
Nope your not mistaken. that is bambu indeed. After a ton of backlash they gave some breadcrumbs to allow a Dev mode. But I would stay away from them.
You’re mistaken. Their cloud service is the default, but can be turned off. Naturally you lose all the cloud features, including use of the mobile app.
Source: am using bambu printer in lan mode.
Wasn’t that also dependent on firmware? That if you deliberately don’t upgrade the firmware, you can keep the local mode.
no. that’s if you want to run custom firmware. to do so you can sign a waiver and they push the last rootable version to you.
otherwise if you want lan only, that’s a toggle box.
I have a Bambu Lab printer, but I would not recommend them to newbies anymore. They did a software update to block third party software (like OrcaSlicer, which I was using…), hardware accessories became paperweights, and they are trying of take down a small fork of OrcaSlicer (despite their Bambu Studio software being a fork of a fork too)
You also just have much, much better options nowadays. The Elegoo Centauri Carbon is WAY better value than the A1 I have (CoreXY, enclosed, not actively attacking tiny FOSS projects…), and the Prusa Core One is more reliable, repairable, and generally more awesome to the FOSS community than the pricier Bambu Lab machines (+ the INDX upgrade for multi-toolhead functionality!)
edit: If you want multi-toolhead specifically, the Snapmaker U1 might be a better option (cheaper than both Bambu and Prusa too, and their software is a fork of OrcaSlicer!)
From what I’ve heard, the INDX addon for the Core One has an extremely high failure rate compared to the Snapmaker U1. I was told by people very close to the project that it’s somewhere on the order of 80% because it uses a single actuator for everything, including retraction.
Oh, I didn’t know that! The Snapmaker U1 is looking pretty good then if you want multi toolhead
Probably not, given their anti-user practices. The Software Freedom Conservancy is currently suing them over a license violation.
Get a Snapmaker U1, Bambu is pushing more and more into things to lock you into their ecosystem, and have shady ass business practices, the U1 is an all around better printer for the same price range
Ive got a P1S and I love it. I haven’t updated the firmware because of their aggressive and anti consumer practices. I do know there are open source self hosted programs for it like Bambuddy but I haven’t tried it. Its on my list though.
I haven’t had a print failure since the day I got it several years ago. Its fast and precise. There are probably as good or better printers now that are more open source friendly. On Lemmy, you’ll find everyone saying not to buy one because of how shitty the company is. For a Normie, I’d say it works fantastic. For a tinkerer, its not the best choice.
I’d consider myself a Normie+
Counter suggestion, FlashForge is pretty reliable when it comes to things that just work out of the box. I have an AD5X and it put out the first print before I had all the packagintlg picked up. There are a few quality of life changes I’ve had to make, it’s built to be plug and play and because of that some of the more esoteric things have to be jailbroken. All the same, it does 4 color and the enclosure kit is self printed, it’s been incredibly reliable, and I’ve had less failed prints than I have successes with some models. I can’t do high detailed minis with it but I also don’t need to babysit it, half the time I’m printing from a different room and don’t even check on it.
All in all, it’s a fantastic gateway to the hobby and when you get in deep enough to run into it’s limitations, it’s still a reliable workhorse to run on the side of something more finely tuned.
The bigger the print volume, usually the more finicky fine-tuning is. It’s just because there’s a lot more weight/belt path/etc for things to go wonky. But my makerspace’s 350mm³ machines have definitely come in clutch on occasion, even if the vast majority of our patrons’ requests are smaller.
For filaments, they’re MOSTLY all compatible everywhere, with just a couple exceptions:
- The defacto standard diameter is 1.75mm, but 2.85mm is still being made (mostly because of Ultimaker), so make sure you get the right size for your machine.
- If the material needs to be printed at higher than ~250C, you’ll need an all-metal hotend. The cheaper kind of hotend uses PTFE inside and that’ll start offgassing toxins above 250C.
- Some 3d printer brands have started putting RFID chips in their own line of filament, and making it difficult-to-impossible for the machine to accept anything but those. Bambulabs wants to do this SO BAD lol.
- If the filament itself offgases toxins, you’ll want an enclosed printer with some kind of filtration.
Also, I would say that the reputation Bambulabs has for being easy/plug-and-play is overblown. Not that other printers are any more plug-and-play, just that Bambulabs are no better. And when things inevitably DO go wrong with one, they’re harder and more expensive to fix. You wouldn’t believe how many of our 3d printing patrons sheepishly admit “actually I have a printer at home but it’s broken right now” or “I couldn’t get it to do this print”. One guess which printer they usually have.
If you’ve found your way to Lemmy you likely care enough about not being exploited by evil companies to make a better choice than Bambu. Wouldn’t sweat the learning curve too much with whatever system you choose. There are great resources to help and the 3d printing community is just awesome. It’s a hobby that you’ll never feel alone in.
I have the a1 and love it. Its terminally online nonsense the hate for them. Its affordable and works great. Go for it.
If anything is terminally online it’s the Bambu itself lmao
My sleepy brain thought that “its terminally online nonsense” literally was referring to the printer.
An apostrophe would have made that clearer in the original comment.
Oh. Just flip the switch on the back, it’s a power button. Turns it off completely. When printing it’s nice for it to be connected though so I can watch a livestream of my plate/print when I’m at the store.
AFAIK, you can’t use the printer without an internet connection unless you put it in “developer mode”, which is fucking insane.
Yeah, I don’t have to. I’d only be able to print like the factory test things or things I have saved to a folder without it, but it’s possible.
Idk it’s a nice fun toy to me.
You don’t see the issue that you can’t use your own printer to print what you want if your internet goes down? Wow…OK then, I will never understand that way of thinking.
How often does your internet go out?
Does it really matter? The point is it puts control of the printer in Bambu labs hands, should they decide to they can just stop your printer from working and brick it.
Why are you OK with someone else owning and controlling the things you bought?
Frequently.
I know because my self-hosted systems alert me when it happens.
I have an A1 and I hate it. It’s so stupid that they are locking down on their ecosystem, and I fervantly despise that they are trying to take down that fork of OrcaSlicer (despite their own software being a fork of a fork!)
it’s affordable
Elegoo’s Centauri Carbon has an enclosure and is CoreXY, so objectively much better value than the A1
works great
Until it doesn’t. The nozzle of my A1 has clogged, and it is difficult to fix. The Prusa Core One is more reliable and repairable for a similar price and performance to the equivalent Bambu machine (edit: to higher end Bambu machines, obviously it doesn’t compete with the A1’s price bracket. My point still stands that Bambu machines are not the end all be all for reliability).
The Prusa Core One is $1,000-$1300 USD what do you mean its the same price as a $359 A1? I think Prusa’s days are numbered as they didn’t bother to innovate and instead thought selling $1000 bed slingers would tide them over until the end of eternity. Now they’re scrambling to stay relevant but refuse to bring down their insane pricing.
The Prusa Core One competes with the higher end Bambu Lab machines, mate! And you have ignored that Prusa machines are way more repairable and reliable. Also, the Core One is a COREXY machine, what are you on about with bedslingers. The A1 is also a bedsligner but I don’t see you complaining.
Also, you seemed to have ignored the Elegoo Centauri Carbon (which is similarly priced, CoreXY, enclosure, super awesome in general)
I did not say Prusa was super competitve in the low end, that’s why the Elegoo Centauri Carbon was mentioned!
It doesn’t compete with those higher end machines because it’s twice the price for the same feature set.
More repairable and reliable based on what, your feelings? I can completely understand your dislike for Bambu, but their printers are fantastic for the price. What specific “difficult issues” are you referring to exactly?
I realize the Core One is CoreXY. Maybe you’re new to the scene, but Prusa didnt have a CoreXY machine until years after Bambu had changed the game and every other Chinese company had already cloned them. They were still relying on their MK line selling everyone $300 printers for $1000 back then. Now they’re behind the ball and keep running into delays and issues with their new crop of printers and multi-matetial systems all while continuing to charge premium prices.
I didnt ignore the Elegoo. Your comment directly stated that the Core One was comparable to the A1. The Elegoo printer is actually a better value than both Bambu and Prusa (assuming that its also reliable).
Specific issues? I’ve already mentioned my printer is out of commision due to a bad clog, filament has spewed out to cover the whole nozzle. I can’t get the nozzle out since it’s trapped in a solid chunk of plastic.
The Prusa Core One does not have “twice the price for the same features”, it’s about a couple hundred dollars more than the equivalent Bambu for: European manufacturing, immense repairability (not based on “feelings”, they have the option to ship the printer as a DIY kit so that you can know each part inside and out, and time and time again Prusa has allowed users of upgrade to the next version), reputation for reliability (I know friends who have been using a Prusa for the past decade that are still going strong!), and an awesome attitude to the community.
And yes, Elegoo has a better value printer! So why position Bambu as the “affordable” option, if it has less features (no enclosure, no CoreXY) compared to the Elegoo CC (and others, you have Qidi doing heated bed chamber for a great value), while not being as reliable/repairable as a Prusa? Plus them being awful to FOSS projects and closing down on their software is generally bad. Obviously, don’t contribute to e-waste and bin your printer, I haven’t, but for newbies, I would strongly advise against Bambu.
Yes, Prusa has made bedslingers for long time, but the Core One has been out for a while now, and it’s recently received the optional INDX upgrade for multi-toolhead. Prusa isn’t falling behind, they are still doing very cool stuff and innovating, not to mention everything is STILL upgradeable despite becoming CoreXY, and that is an achievement! (e.g. you can upgrade a MK4S to a Core One + INDX if you wanted too)
It’s a lie to say that Prusa is not innovating, because they really are :D
They have also contributed a lot to the community, the opposite of which is true for Bambu.
You have not addressed the main points against Bambu:
- attempting to take down small FOSS projects (which, by the way, are not violating any of Bambu’s licenses, Bambu Studio is open-source and the fork is not “abusing their services”)
- the existence of much better values options (e.g. Elegoo CC, and many of Qidi’s machines are good too)
- the locked down software ecosystem, I have bought the printer and have happily used OrcaSlicer for a while, why should it be blocked via software patch? What reasoning is there to block third party hardware (literally just a screen attachment for the P1 series, “security” my ass) aside from screwing with everybody? Bambu cannot be trusted to keep their promises
- the “just works” excuse isn’t good enough, since Bambu machines do have reliability issues. Maybe it’s because I live in a more humid climate, but I have experienced as many issues on the A1 as other nom-Bambu printers
- Prusa machines are very well regarded in terms of support and repairability, that is one of their key strengths and you are dismissing that completely
And instead, you are focusing on the higher prices of Prusa machines (while ignoring that higher end Bambu printers are also very expensive, if not more so for their dual nozzle thing compared to, say, the Snapmaker U1 others have already mentioned), are ignorant that Prusa Core One is CoreXY, assumed I was positioning the Core One as a competitor to the A1 (any sane person would immediately see that’s just wrong, I did word it a bit weirdly and that’s been edited to be more clear, but it doesn’t change my point that Bambu Lab machines are not super reliable like you suggest)
This guy only buys name brands!
Yanno, I couldn’t tell what to get because of the toxic attitudes on 3d printer forums. Very elitist, mean, and loud bunch of people really.
I mean, how could I tell the difference between what actually sucks in real life or what was being pushed by manipulative “brand management accounts?”
So I went into best buy with a pocket of cash and picked myself. No regrets, it’s great really.
You didn’t need to explain that you were just a basic consumer with no interest in corps destroying things like privacy and ownership. Trust me, we know.
Loving the toxic attitude, super cool stuff. I bet your heart health is shit.
Supporting companies without considering the impact of that support is worse than getting your balls busted on a public forum. You do you though.
Cringe.
Yeah caring about one’s impact and long-view thinking isn’t cool…
