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!

  • CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    15·
    1 day ago

    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.

    • sbird@retrofed.comEnglish
      7·
      1 day ago

      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!

      • CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        15·
        1 day ago

        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).

        • sbird@retrofed.comEnglish
          4·
          1 day ago

          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.

    • sbird@retrofed.comEnglish
      4·
      1 day ago

      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)