Bambu lab buying advice

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Changing filaments on the A1 mini is easy without AMS, couple of minutes at most. I keep my rolls sealed up with desiccant just in case of this moisture absorbing problem so wouldn't want to leave them on an AMS all the time anyway.
Fair point. I had similar thoughts about the downside to leaving moisture sensitive filaments on the AMS. It also made me think about dust settling on the reels in an unenclosed environment.
 
This is what wet PET-G looks like from my experience.
In a way it’s good to know that moisture problems present quite obviously rather than finishing a print for it to fall apart to find out! That is shocking how much of an affect it has though.
 
In a way it’s good to know that moisture problems present quite obviously rather than finishing a print for it to fall apart to find out! That is shocking how much of an affect it has though.
Actually that is a severe case with some crappy Bambu Lab PET-G filament.
Normally you won't see any defects until your well into your print because the filament may be dry on the outside but as it's used you're likely to find moisture deeper in the spool. This is of course costly in time and wasted filament, very frustrating which is why I purchased 2 filament dryers and no problems since. The Bambu Lab PET-G filament will never see the light of day again.
 
My mate has an A1 mini, was very impressed he says it's better than his Prusa machine and as fast as his big industrial printer.
 
Wow. I’ve not seen that at all. I have a very slow printer so wonder if that is a contributing factor.
It could be speed like you say and with PET-G extruder temperature plays a large part. The P1 series do print amazingly fast if you let them which is fine for PLA but not so much for PET-G, I've reduced my printing by 50% and increased temps for better adhesion as I found out that if temps are too low it will still print but will also be brittle and break under stress.
 
Actually that is a severe case with some crappy Bambu Lab PET-G filament.
Normally you won't see any defects until your well into your print because the filament may be dry on the outside but as it's used you're likely to find moisture deeper in the spool. This is of course costly in time and wasted filament, very frustrating which is why I purchased 2 filament dryers and no problems since. The Bambu Lab PET-G filament will never see the light of day again.
Which brands/types are your favourite/goto filaments? I've only tried Bambi pla basic so far and it seems fine but not sure what to replace it with when I run out. Just with pla there's so many types and brands.
 
I now use a Flashforge Adventurer 5PRO after cutting my teeth on an Ancubic Kobra for over a year. It was a toss-up between the Flashforge and the comparable Bambu. The only real advantages I could see between the two is that the Flashforge is slightly faster and the nozzle change is a doddle. You get 0.4 and 0.6 nozzles supplied and you can buy 0.25 and 0.8 nozzles if you find the need. I rarely change from the 0.6 and the print quality is excellent. It carries a £400 to £450 price tag but from unpacking to printing (bearing in mind most printers will have to go through a one-off initialisation process which is a good twenty minutes with the Flashforge) it is completely foolproof - as easy as setting up a new colour printer. I use Orca-Slicer for slicing my prints which will work on any of the two printer manufacturers and I can use my phone to monitor my prints with the printer's built-in camera.
 
As per my post on the other thread about 3D printers/ing now running, I must stress I know absolutely NOTHING about this subject and will now, at my time in life, never become involved in any way. However I do subscribe to a channel run by a guy in the US, "Clough 42". He is primarily a machine shop bloke (lathe, mill, surface grinder, etc) but is obviously very well trained in electronics and software. A lot of his - highly detailed - posts cover all aspects of 3D printing, and although I tend to understand about 1 word in ten on the subject, I find his 3D printing posts as interesting and informative as everything else he does. He also does reviews of various machines (and various spools of all that different "plastic stuff")! FWIW, HIGHLY recommended. Link:

https://www.youtube.com/@Clough42
 
I am seriously considering either the Bambu P1S or the much more expensive X1-carbon. The main difference in my opinion is the operating interface. The X1C has a largish touch screen while the P1S has a LCD screen and buttons. Reviews suggest the P1S interface is somewhat clunky. However I see that there are a couple of add ons I have found: one based around an ESP32 (?) board and a 2.8" touch screen; the other from BIGTREETECH is the Panda touch with, as the name suggests, a touch screen of somewhat more generous proportions 5".
Does anyone have any experience of these, or any other similar, add ons with the P1S?
TIA
Martin
 
the chances IMO of getting a successful print with an A1 without an enclosure using PET-G are practically nill.
You must have been extremely unlucky with your PETG spools. I print almost exclusively with PETG on an A1 Mini, with no enclosure. Have never actively dried my PETG filament before printing either.

I've been buying my PETG from various places and brands without any issues, except some stringing in one instance where a Bambu spool I received was way too moist, but after 2 weeks sitting in the open it had dried enough to produce good prints from then onwards.
 
The X1C has a largish touch screen while the P1S has a LCD screen and buttons.
If there is one thing I would not pay any extra for, it is the screen on Bambu printers. They could remove the screen completely and (at least in my use) that would make zero difference.
Bambu Studio and the mobile app are more than sufficient for controlling the printer.
 
Which brands/types are your favourite/goto filaments? I've only tried Bambi pla basic so far and it seems fine but not sure what to replace it with when I run out. Just with pla there's so many types and brands.
I simply buy the cheapest from eBay or Amazon, run a temperature tower as my first print, set print temp accordingly and the Bambu A1 mini takes care of the rest.
To name specific brands I remember having used without issues (mostly PETG): Kongroon, JAYO, SUNLU.
Tried Bambu PLA Basic once - no issues, but their Translucent PETG was too wet on arrival, so not buying those anymore.
 
Which brands/types are your favourite/goto filaments? I've only tried Bambi pla basic so far and it seems fine but not sure what to replace it with when I run out. Just with pla there's so many types and brands.
My current go to for PET-G is Copymaster3D which comes from Technology outlet who is just going through a rebranding so they're selling off perfectly good filament at discounted prices, I've saved a fortune and would buy more if I had the dosh. You can't really go wrong with PLA so fill yer boots.

One thing I will mention is their customer support sucks, so if you have a problem, just deal with it yourself.
 
I am seriously considering either the Bambu P1S or the much more expensive X1-carbon. The main difference in my opinion is the operating interface. The X1C has a largish touch screen while the P1S has a LCD screen and buttons. Reviews suggest the P1S interface is somewhat clunky. However I see that there are a couple of add ons I have found: one based around an ESP32 (?) board and a 2.8" touch screen; the other from BIGTREETECH is the Panda touch with, as the name suggests, a touch screen of somewhat more generous proportions 5".
Does anyone have any experience of these, or any other similar, add ons with the P1S?
TIA
Martin
I hardly ever use the touch screen instead I access both printers from my laptop with full control over everything.
 
You must have been extremely unlucky with your PETG spools. I print almost exclusively with PETG on an A1 Mini, with no enclosure. Have never actively dried my PETG filament before printing either.

I've been buying my PETG from various places and brands without any issues, except some stringing in one instance where a Bambu spool I received was way too moist, but after 2 weeks sitting in the open it had dried enough to produce good prints from then onwards.
Where are you based, currently where I am it 66%rh and I'm suffering. 🌡️
 
I don't rely on the touch screen for anything as far as the prints are concerned. It's all controlled from one of my computers. It's just handy for certain settings, changing filaments and if you need to re-calibrate now and again. It's not a deal breaker. Think of it as the screen you have on the front of your ink-jet printer.
 
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I don't rely on the touch screen for anything as far as the prints are concerned. It's all controlled from one of my computers. It's just handy for certain settings, changing filaments and if you need to re-calibrate now and again. It's not a deal breaker. Think of it as the screen you have on the front of your ink-jet printer.
@kinverkid please correct me if I'm wrong but you are using
I now use a Flashforge Adventurer 5PRO after cutting my teeth on an Ancubic Kobra for over a year. It was a toss-up between the Flashforge and the comparable Bambu. The only real advantages I could see between the two is that the Flashforge is slightly faster and the nozzle change is a doddle. You .....
rather than the P1S. However I expect it is much the same with the Bambu. Hmmm!
 
I did have a few problems with PETG when printing with my Anycubic Kobra so bought a Sunlu drier. No more problems. Now I have my Flashforge 5M Pro which warms or cools the environment inside the case, depending on the filament used, I've printed PETG only a few times without drying and had no problems. but, I bought and only used the machine these summer (??) months so, in a non-centrally heated home that possibly may have made the difference. If I have any problems in the colder months I'll just pop the filament in the drier.
 
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