Doesn’t boycotting Bambu ignore that they are one of the biggest names in 3D printing with a product that is cheaper and better than their main competitor (Prusa). Frankly, I don’t think anyone is going to spend 2x the amount for literally a worse product (Bambu P2S @ $550 vs Prusa Core One @ $999)
I get all the arguments about the repairability and longevity of Prusa printers, but when someone is saving for months to buy a luxury item I simply cannot see them making all those sacrifices
Turns out, the 3D printing world is thankfully NOT a duopoly. You have Qidi (their Q2 is very competitive from what I have heard), Sovol (makes a lot of good budget printers), Elegoo (lots of people love the Centauri Carbon), and even Voron machines if you’re into those! And a majority of the competitors make good machines that can be on par, and often times cheaper, than Bambu’s machines.
Additionally, Prusa not only is better for longevity, but you will also get far better customer support (Bambu’s support isn’t great)
Bambu is no longer to be trusted as they have been hostile to the open-source community, have blocked third-party software that used to work and hardware that people have bought, and no, putting it under a hidden developer mode doesn’t fix the issue. There are additional restrictions like not being able to access your printer remotely without something like Tailscale!
And given that they already have RFID tags on their filaments, I believe it’s a matter of time before they become the HP of 3D printers and block third-party filaments from being used
I can recommend the Elegoo Centauri Carbon, a CoreXY and enclosed 3D printer that is raved on by reviews. If you will only print PLA, PETG, and maybe some ABS with a bit of tinkering with settings, it’s a nice option. It won’t be as good for engineering-type filaments, and it doesn’t have a multi-material unit (yet, but don’t buy things based on promises!)
The Qidi Q2 is an upgraded version of the Q1 Pro, the latter having been noted as an exceptional value. The Q2 is relatively new and doesn’t have too many reviews, but from the specs, it is a big jump from the Q1 Pro (it has a heated chamber, for example). The Q2 is also compatible with their “Qidi Box” multi-material unit, which could be something you are looking for given that you want multi-colour prints!
And of course, if you want the most reliable machine with the best customer service, you have Prusa’s Core One. It’s expensive, but you’re supporting a company that emphasises upgradeability and manufactures their hardware in Europe. It won’t be the best value though purely based on feature set, but if you like what Prusa stands for, that could be of value to you!
TY I’m going to look into those. I appreciate the detailed response, hopefully someone releases a CFW for all the bambu users out there.
The RFID thing i feel like could be rectified pretty easily by just cloning the tag (hopefully), if nintendo couldn’t combat that for amiibos, i doubt bambu will be able to.
The RFID thing i feel like could be rectified pretty easily by just cloning the tag (hopefully)
I don’t want to give Bambu any ideas, but I think they could modify their plastic to require special settings (maybe it requires a lower temperature to print or something, needs a certain extrusion speed, etc.) and ensure that the print settings are automatically set depending on the RFID tag (this already exists, but they could easily disable the ability to manually change some of the print settings given they now have a monopoly on the slicer software), so putting the same RFID tag on another spool would cause the print to look bad. Of course, I believe this is unlikely, but it is still a possibility. At the very least, it will be annoying to rip out a tag from a Bambu spool, making third-party spools undesirable for users.
I get your point, but when a part broke on my Prusa, I jury rigged it, downloaded and printed a replacement part and swapped out the broken part for the (improved) new one. With many other brands it would have been an expensive purchase and I would have had to wait for parts to arrive.
(please someone correct me if I’m wrong on this)
Doesn’t boycotting Bambu ignore that they are one of the biggest names in 3D printing with a product that is cheaper and better than their main competitor (Prusa). Frankly, I don’t think anyone is going to spend 2x the amount for literally a worse product (Bambu P2S @ $550 vs Prusa Core One @ $999)
I get all the arguments about the repairability and longevity of Prusa printers, but when someone is saving for months to buy a luxury item I simply cannot see them making all those sacrifices
Turns out, the 3D printing world is thankfully NOT a duopoly. You have Qidi (their Q2 is very competitive from what I have heard), Sovol (makes a lot of good budget printers), Elegoo (lots of people love the Centauri Carbon), and even Voron machines if you’re into those! And a majority of the competitors make good machines that can be on par, and often times cheaper, than Bambu’s machines.
Additionally, Prusa not only is better for longevity, but you will also get far better customer support (Bambu’s support isn’t great)
Bambu is no longer to be trusted as they have been hostile to the open-source community, have blocked third-party software that used to work and hardware that people have bought, and no, putting it under a hidden developer mode doesn’t fix the issue. There are additional restrictions like not being able to access your printer remotely without something like Tailscale!
And given that they already have RFID tags on their filaments, I believe it’s a matter of time before they become the HP of 3D printers and block third-party filaments from being used
I’m looking to upgrade my ancient Ender-5 Plus and have been eyeballing Anycubic for the excellent pricing on multicolor printers.
You seem pretty knowledgeable, any recommendations or things to stay away from?
I can recommend the Elegoo Centauri Carbon, a CoreXY and enclosed 3D printer that is raved on by reviews. If you will only print PLA, PETG, and maybe some ABS with a bit of tinkering with settings, it’s a nice option. It won’t be as good for engineering-type filaments, and it doesn’t have a multi-material unit (yet, but don’t buy things based on promises!)
The Qidi Q2 is an upgraded version of the Q1 Pro, the latter having been noted as an exceptional value. The Q2 is relatively new and doesn’t have too many reviews, but from the specs, it is a big jump from the Q1 Pro (it has a heated chamber, for example). The Q2 is also compatible with their “Qidi Box” multi-material unit, which could be something you are looking for given that you want multi-colour prints!
And of course, if you want the most reliable machine with the best customer service, you have Prusa’s Core One. It’s expensive, but you’re supporting a company that emphasises upgradeability and manufactures their hardware in Europe. It won’t be the best value though purely based on feature set, but if you like what Prusa stands for, that could be of value to you!
TY I’m going to look into those. I appreciate the detailed response, hopefully someone releases a CFW for all the bambu users out there.
The RFID thing i feel like could be rectified pretty easily by just cloning the tag (hopefully), if nintendo couldn’t combat that for amiibos, i doubt bambu will be able to.
I don’t want to give Bambu any ideas, but I think they could modify their plastic to require special settings (maybe it requires a lower temperature to print or something, needs a certain extrusion speed, etc.) and ensure that the print settings are automatically set depending on the RFID tag (this already exists, but they could easily disable the ability to manually change some of the print settings given they now have a monopoly on the slicer software), so putting the same RFID tag on another spool would cause the print to look bad. Of course, I believe this is unlikely, but it is still a possibility. At the very least, it will be annoying to rip out a tag from a Bambu spool, making third-party spools undesirable for users.
No problem!
I get your point, but when a part broke on my Prusa, I jury rigged it, downloaded and printed a replacement part and swapped out the broken part for the (improved) new one. With many other brands it would have been an expensive purchase and I would have had to wait for parts to arrive.