3d printer

Rosco P. Coltrane

Rosco P. Coltrane

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For a while now, I've had the idea of buying a 3d printer. The problem is that my knowledge on the subject is basically zero. Down the road, I'd like a machine that can handle pretty much any material I might want to use. Does anyone have suggestions? A top tier printer isn't necessary, but I'd like one that's reasonably good. Someone suggested the Bambu lab p1s combo to me. Would that be a solid choice? My budget is $400-$600. Thanks in advance for any advice!
 
When you mention printing anything material-wise down the road, which materials do you have in mind? That factors in a lot. The P1S is definitely not a bad printer, but its capabilities can be somewhat basic. If you're after a machine that you can expand and grow with as you learn, you might want to consider something a bit better so you don't outgrow it too quickly.
 
Pocket said:

When you mention printing anything material-wise down the road, which materials do you have in mind? That factors in a lot. The P1S is definitely not a bad printer, but its capabilities can be somewhat basic. If you're after a machine that you can expand and grow with as you learn, you might want to consider something a bit better so you don't outgrow it too quickly.
Click to expand...
I'm looking for a machine that can handle pla+. That said, I definitely want room to expand and grow with it. It's fine if not everything is possible right away, but I'd at least like that option down the road.
 
The more exotic the material, the greater the demands. A P1S can handle plenty because it is enclosed and fitted with a steel nozzle, letting it print materials such as ABS and certain abrasives like carbon fibre. However, the nozzle tops out at 300C, which rules out some materials needing 350, and the build plate maxes out at 100C, which is another constraint.

Still, for the majority of users, there is no need to move beyond PLA (and PLA+, which calls for the same conditions as PLA), PETG and TPU, and nearly every printer can manage those.

Bambu Labs machines enjoy great popularity thanks to their reliability. Personally, I am not much of a fan, since the ecosystem is locked down and I favour open software that lets me use my printer however I like, but I can see why people pick Bambu Labs printers: they come well tuned right away. The P1S, which can accept an AMS for multi-colour printing, is also a common pick.
 
BrightCandle said:

The more exotic the material, the greater the demands. A P1S can handle plenty because it is enclosed and fitted with a steel nozzle, letting it print materials such as ABS and certain abrasives like carbon fibre. However, the nozzle tops out at 300C, which rules out some materials needing 350, and the build plate maxes out at 100C, which is another constraint.

Still, for the majority of users, there is no need to move beyond PLA (and PLA+, which calls for the same conditions as PLA), PETG and TPU, and nearly every printer can manage those.

Bambu Labs machines enjoy great popularity thanks to their reliability. Personally, I am not much of a fan, since the ecosystem is locked down and I favour open software that lets me use my printer however I like, but I can see why people pick Bambu Labs printers: they come well tuned right away. The P1S, which can accept an AMS for multi-colour printing, is also a common pick.
Click to expand...
Could anyone suggest a printer from another manufacturer that's comparable to the P1S?
 
BrightCandle said:

The more exotic the material, the greater the demands. A P1S can handle plenty because it is enclosed and fitted with a steel nozzle, letting it print materials such as ABS and certain abrasives like carbon fibre. However, the nozzle tops out at 300C, which rules out some materials needing 350, and the build plate maxes out at 100C, which is another constraint.

Still, for the majority of users, there is no need to move beyond PLA (and PLA+, which calls for the same conditions as PLA), PETG and TPU, and nearly every printer can manage those.

Bambu Labs machines enjoy great popularity thanks to their reliability. Personally, I am not much of a fan, since the ecosystem is locked down and I favour open software that lets me use my printer however I like, but I can see why people pick Bambu Labs printers: they come well tuned right away. The P1S, which can accept an AMS for multi-colour printing, is also a common pick.
Click to expand...
100% on board with that. BBL's business practices rub me the wrong way, though their printers do have a reputation for working right out of the box.

Rosco P. Coltrane said:

BrightCandle said:

The more exotic the material, the greater the demands. A P1S can handle plenty because it is enclosed and fitted with a steel nozzle, letting it print materials such as ABS and certain abrasives like carbon fibre. However, the nozzle tops out at 300C, which rules out some materials needing 350, and the build plate maxes out at 100C, which is another constraint.

Still, for the majority of users, there is no need to move beyond PLA (and PLA+, which calls for the same conditions as PLA), PETG and TPU, and nearly every printer can manage those.

Bambu Labs machines enjoy great popularity thanks to their reliability. Personally, I am not much of a fan, since the ecosystem is locked down and I favour open software that lets me use my printer however I like, but I can see why people pick Bambu Labs printers: they come well tuned right away. The P1S, which can accept an AMS for multi-colour printing, is also a common pick.
Click to expand...
Could anyone suggest a printer from another manufacturer that's comparable to the P1S?
Click to expand...
The Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 is worth considering.
 
The SnapMaker U1 gets mentioned a lot when people want something other than Bambu. My setup is a P1S paired with an AMS, and it has been great. No fuss, and whenever I need to run more abrasive filament types, I can modify it to handle that.

Bambu's software is genuinely pleasant and easy to use, though the company is pushing hard toward a closed garden and takes a hostile stance on open-source alternatives.
 
BrightCandle said:

The more exotic the material, the greater the demands. A P1S can handle plenty because it is enclosed and fitted with a steel nozzle, letting it print materials such as ABS and certain abrasives like carbon fibre. However, the nozzle tops out at 300C, which rules out some materials needing 350, and the build plate maxes out at 100C, which is another constraint.

Still, for the majority of users, there is no need to move beyond PLA (and PLA+, which calls for the same conditions as PLA), PETG and TPU, and nearly every printer can manage those.

Bambu Labs machines enjoy great popularity thanks to their reliability. Personally, I am not much of a fan, since the ecosystem is locked down and I favour open software that lets me use my printer however I like, but I can see why people pick Bambu Labs printers: they come well tuned right away. The P1S, which can accept an AMS for multi-colour printing, is also a common pick.
Click to expand...

JustSomeGuy050 said:

The SnapMaker U1 gets mentioned a lot when people want something other than Bambu. My setup is a P1S paired with an AMS, and it has been great. No fuss, and whenever I need to run more abrasive filament types, I can modify it to handle that.

Bambu's software is genuinely pleasant and easy to use, though the company is pushing hard toward a closed garden and takes a hostile stance on open-source alternatives.
Click to expand...
A few weeks back I made up my mind that I want a 3D printer, and I expect to buy one within the next few weeks. I'm completely new to this, my printing knowledge is minimal (although I try to pick up a little more each day), and I'll probably stay with PLA, PLA+ & PETG since flexible materials aren't something I need. My shortlist was the Bambu A1 Combo or the AnyCubic Kobra X, and I was leaning toward Bambu on account of its reputation for working "great from the box."

Could someone break down, in the simplest terms possible, what the limits of Bambu's ecosystem actually are? For example, would I still be able to bring in CAD/.STL files I create myself with other software or AI? Apologies if these are very basic questions.
 
HouseCat said:

BrightCandle said:

The more exotic the material, the greater the demands. A P1S can handle plenty because it is enclosed and fitted with a steel nozzle, letting it print materials such as ABS and certain abrasives like carbon fibre. However, the nozzle tops out at 300C, which rules out some materials needing 350, and the build plate maxes out at 100C, which is another constraint.

Still, for the majority of users, there is no need to move beyond PLA (and PLA+, which calls for the same conditions as PLA), PETG and TPU, and nearly every printer can manage those.

Bambu Labs machines enjoy great popularity thanks to their reliability. Personally, I am not much of a fan, since the ecosystem is locked down and I favour open software that lets me use my printer however I like, but I can see why people pick Bambu Labs printers: they come well tuned right away. The P1S, which can accept an AMS for multi-colour printing, is also a common pick.
Click to expand...

JustSomeGuy050 said:

The SnapMaker U1 gets mentioned a lot when people want something other than Bambu. My setup is a P1S paired with an AMS, and it has been great. No fuss, and whenever I need to run more abrasive filament types, I can modify it to handle that.

Bambu's software is genuinely pleasant and easy to use, though the company is pushing hard toward a closed garden and takes a hostile stance on open-source alternatives.
Click to expand...
A few weeks back I made up my mind that I want a 3D printer, and I expect to buy one within the next few weeks. I'm completely new to this, my printing knowledge is minimal (although I try to pick up a little more each day), and I'll probably stay with PLA, PLA+ & PETG since flexible materials aren't something I need. My shortlist was the Bambu A1 Combo or the AnyCubic Kobra X, and I was leaning toward Bambu on account of its reputation for working "great from the box."

Could someone break down, in the simplest terms possible, what the limits of Bambu's ecosystem actually are? For example, would I still be able to bring in CAD/.STL files I create myself with other software or AI? Apologies if these are very basic questions.
Click to expand...
Bringing in your own custom files is completely fine — no issue there whatsoever.

The trouble comes in when you try to hook the printer up to third-party open source programs through their API, Orca Slicer being one example.

On top of that, people worry about a few other things: features getting walled off, things that are free right now being turned into paid extras, the company possibly cooperating with future laws, and your prints being tracked. As shipped, the machine stays linked to their cloud servers, so whenever they decide to roll out an update you don't like, you might be stuck with it unless you cut the printer off from the internet.
 
JustSomeGuy050 said:

HouseCat said:

BrightCandle said:

The more exotic the material, the greater the demands. A P1S can handle plenty because it is enclosed and fitted with a steel nozzle, letting it print materials such as ABS and certain abrasives like carbon fibre. However, the nozzle tops out at 300C, which rules out some materials needing 350, and the build plate maxes out at 100C, which is another constraint.

Still, for the majority of users, there is no need to move beyond PLA (and PLA+, which calls for the same conditions as PLA), PETG and TPU, and nearly every printer can manage those.

Bambu Labs machines enjoy great popularity thanks to their reliability. Personally, I am not much of a fan, since the ecosystem is locked down and I favour open software that lets me use my printer however I like, but I can see why people pick Bambu Labs printers: they come well tuned right away. The P1S, which can accept an AMS for multi-colour printing, is also a common pick.
Click to expand...

JustSomeGuy050 said:

The SnapMaker U1 gets mentioned a lot when people want something other than Bambu. My setup is a P1S paired with an AMS, and it has been great. No fuss, and whenever I need to run more abrasive filament types, I can modify it to handle that.

Bambu's software is genuinely pleasant and easy to use, though the company is pushing hard toward a closed garden and takes a hostile stance on open-source alternatives.
Click to expand...
A few weeks back I made up my mind that I want a 3D printer, and I expect to buy one within the next few weeks. I'm completely new to this, my printing knowledge is minimal (although I try to pick up a little more each day), and I'll probably stay with PLA, PLA+ & PETG since flexible materials aren't something I need. My shortlist was the Bambu A1 Combo or the AnyCubic Kobra X, and I was leaning toward Bambu on account of its reputation for working "great from the box."

Could someone break down, in the simplest terms possible, what the limits of Bambu's ecosystem actually are? For example, would I still be able to bring in CAD/.STL files I create myself with other software or AI? Apologies if these are very basic questions.
Click to expand...
Bringing in your own custom files is completely fine — no issue there whatsoever.

The trouble comes in when you try to hook the printer up to third-party open source programs through their API, Orca Slicer being one example.

On top of that, people worry about a few other things: features getting walled off, things that are free right now being turned into paid extras, the company possibly cooperating with future laws, and your prints being tracked. As shipped, the machine stays linked to their cloud servers, so whenever they decide to roll out an update you don't like, you might be stuck with it unless you cut the printer off from the internet.
Click to expand...
I spend a lot of time outdoors, so that should give you an idea of the kind of items I'd like to create. Would Bambu give me trouble when it comes to producing those sorts of things?
 
JustSomeGuy050 said:

HouseCat said:

BrightCandle said:

The more exotic the material, the greater the demands. A P1S can handle plenty because it is enclosed and fitted with a steel nozzle, letting it print materials such as ABS and certain abrasives like carbon fibre. However, the nozzle tops out at 300C, which rules out some materials needing 350, and the build plate maxes out at 100C, which is another constraint.

Still, for the majority of users, there is no need to move beyond PLA (and PLA+, which calls for the same conditions as PLA), PETG and TPU, and nearly every printer can manage those.

Bambu Labs machines enjoy great popularity thanks to their reliability. Personally, I am not much of a fan, since the ecosystem is locked down and I favour open software that lets me use my printer however I like, but I can see why people pick Bambu Labs printers: they come well tuned right away. The P1S, which can accept an AMS for multi-colour printing, is also a common pick.
Click to expand...

JustSomeGuy050 said:

The SnapMaker U1 gets mentioned a lot when people want something other than Bambu. My setup is a P1S paired with an AMS, and it has been great. No fuss, and whenever I need to run more abrasive filament types, I can modify it to handle that.

Bambu's software is genuinely pleasant and easy to use, though the company is pushing hard toward a closed garden and takes a hostile stance on open-source alternatives.
Click to expand...
A few weeks back I made up my mind that I want a 3D printer, and I expect to buy one within the next few weeks. I'm completely new to this, my printing knowledge is minimal (although I try to pick up a little more each day), and I'll probably stay with PLA, PLA+ & PETG since flexible materials aren't something I need. My shortlist was the Bambu A1 Combo or the AnyCubic Kobra X, and I was leaning toward Bambu on account of its reputation for working "great from the box."

Could someone break down, in the simplest terms possible, what the limits of Bambu's ecosystem actually are? For example, would I still be able to bring in CAD/.STL files I create myself with other software or AI? Apologies if these are very basic questions.
Click to expand...
Bringing in your own custom files is completely fine — no issue there whatsoever.

The trouble comes in when you try to hook the printer up to third-party open source programs through their API, Orca Slicer being one example.

On top of that, people worry about a few other things: features getting walled off, things that are free right now being turned into paid extras, the company possibly cooperating with future laws, and your prints being tracked. As shipped, the machine stays linked to their cloud servers, so whenever they decide to roll out an update you don't like, you might be stuck with it unless you cut the printer off from the internet.
Click to expand...
This is spot on. Down the road, they could put you in a position where using your own printer requires their approval. It's a strategy borrowed straight from Apple. The hardware they build is extremely sturdy and dependable, yet customers face restrictions on what their printers are allowed to do.

Rosco P. Coltrane said:

JustSomeGuy050 said:

HouseCat said:

BrightCandle said:

The more exotic the material, the greater the demands. A P1S can handle plenty because it is enclosed and fitted with a steel nozzle, letting it print materials such as ABS and certain abrasives like carbon fibre. However, the nozzle tops out at 300C, which rules out some materials needing 350, and the build plate maxes out at 100C, which is another constraint.

Still, for the majority of users, there is no need to move beyond PLA (and PLA+, which calls for the same conditions as PLA), PETG and TPU, and nearly every printer can manage those.

Bambu Labs machines enjoy great popularity thanks to their reliability. Personally, I am not much of a fan, since the ecosystem is locked down and I favour open software that lets me use my printer however I like, but I can see why people pick Bambu Labs printers: they come well tuned right away. The P1S, which can accept an AMS for multi-colour printing, is also a common pick.
Click to expand...

JustSomeGuy050 said:

The SnapMaker U1 gets mentioned a lot when people want something other than Bambu. My setup is a P1S paired with an AMS, and it has been great. No fuss, and whenever I need to run more abrasive filament types, I can modify it to handle that.

Bambu's software is genuinely pleasant and easy to use, though the company is pushing hard toward a closed garden and takes a hostile stance on open-source alternatives.
Click to expand...
A few weeks back I made up my mind that I want a 3D printer, and I expect to buy one within the next few weeks. I'm completely new to this, my printing knowledge is minimal (although I try to pick up a little more each day), and I'll probably stay with PLA, PLA+ & PETG since flexible materials aren't something I need. My shortlist was the Bambu A1 Combo or the AnyCubic Kobra X, and I was leaning toward Bambu on account of its reputation for working "great from the box."

Could someone break down, in the simplest terms possible, what the limits of Bambu's ecosystem actually are? For example, would I still be able to bring in CAD/.STL files I create myself with other software or AI? Apologies if these are very basic questions.
Click to expand...
Bringing in your own custom files is completely fine — no issue there whatsoever.

The trouble comes in when you try to hook the printer up to third-party open source programs through their API, Orca Slicer being one example.

On top of that, people worry about a few other things: features getting walled off, things that are free right now being turned into paid extras, the company possibly cooperating with future laws, and your prints being tracked. As shipped, the machine stays linked to their cloud servers, so whenever they decide to roll out an update you don't like, you might be stuck with it unless you cut the printer off from the internet.
Click to expand...
I spend a lot of time outdoors, so that should give you an idea of the kind of items I'd like to create. Would Bambu give me trouble when it comes to producing those sorts of things?
Click to expand...
For printing things meant to be used outside, a machine that handles ABS or ASA is a must. That means you'll need an enclosed model. The P1s would handle that job without any trouble. Its hot end and bed don't reach high enough temperatures, so the range of engineering plastics it can handle may be narrower, but that probably won't matter to you unless printing exotic materials is specifically what you're after.
 
I own a P2S, and I've run a good number of filament varieties through it — the thing I worked on most recently used PAHT-CF. Later this year I intend to add the H2C as my second machine.
 
Spent most of yesterday digging into options, and the Bambu p1s keeps coming up as the one I return to. I'd prefer a machine that's more open source. The anycubic kobra s1, qidi q2, Elegoo Centauri Carbon, plus a few more, are the ones I've checked out. From what I can tell, the bambu might edge out the rest despite being more locked down?
 
Hey everyone! I went ahead and made the purchase — my very first 3D printer is now the Bambu A1 Combo. Thanks to all of you for your replies and for walking me through how their ecosystem works! Sure, it isn't open source, but I'm completely new to this and can't even imagine designing my own Benchy boat yet, so Bambu's ready-to-go performance feels like the right fit for where I am right now. SO EXCITED!!! Hydrapeak inserts, vial caps, storage boxes and more are coming my way! 😁
 
HouseCat said:

Hey everyone! I went ahead and made the purchase — my very first 3D printer is now the Bambu A1 Combo. Thanks to all of you for your replies and for walking me through how their ecosystem works! Sure, it isn't open source, but I'm completely new to this and can't even imagine designing my own Benchy boat yet, so Bambu's ready-to-go performance feels like the right fit for where I am right now. SO EXCITED!!! Hydrapeak inserts, vial caps, storage boxes and more are coming my way! 😁
Click to expand...
That A1 is a really dependable machine, so you made a good call. For most people who aren't diving deep into 3D printing, Bambu's limitations probably won't affect you at all. Congrats on picking it up — and if anything comes up or you need advice, just ask. I'm glad to lend a hand.
 
Pocket said:

HouseCat said:

Hey everyone! I went ahead and made the purchase — my very first 3D printer is now the Bambu A1 Combo. Thanks to all of you for your replies and for walking me through how their ecosystem works! Sure, it isn't open source, but I'm completely new to this and can't even imagine designing my own Benchy boat yet, so Bambu's ready-to-go performance feels like the right fit for where I am right now. SO EXCITED!!! Hydrapeak inserts, vial caps, storage boxes and more are coming my way! 😁
Click to expand...
That A1 is a really dependable machine, so you made a good call. For most people who aren't diving deep into 3D printing, Bambu's limitations probably won't affect you at all. Congrats on picking it up — and if anything comes up or you need advice, just ask. I'm glad to lend a hand.
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot — I really appreciate it, @Pocket!
 
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