Recomendations for a 3D printer upgrade (about 1000 € max)

[_Omega_]

I want to upgrade to a 3D-Printer with wich i can print more materials (like PA, ABS, ASA usw...) right now i have a Anycubic Mega SE (basically an Ender 3 clone) and with some tinkering it has served me well... but by now i just want to upgrade because i have printed some structural parts in recent month where PETG is just not cutting it. Also the precision is not too great (in the end its just a sub 150 € machine from 2 Years ago) and sometimes it just aboard prints because it detects a temperature runaway which is very annoying (i measured with a thermal probe, there is non). So it just needs to go, maybe i convert it into a laser engraver(/cutter).

 

Right now i am eying the Bambu Lab P1S in the Kit with the AMS(as i recently did some multi color and multi material printing and just because why not) as the P1S should be able to print almost every type of filament (even abrasive with a cheap upgrade to the nozzle and extruder). I really wanted to go with prusa down the line because i like their mentality and contributions for 3D printing but its just to expensive right now to get the features i want, as for example a closed enclosure. 

 

But now i wanted to ask if there may be other options out there? maybe even for cheaper? (Filament changer is not a must, but would be nice)

 

Thank you in advance 

[manikyath]

33 minutes ago, _Omega_ said:

it detects a temperature runaway which is very annoying (i measured with a thermal probe, there is non)

some 3D printers detect thermal runaway by 'assuming' that temperature should rise when the heater is on. so if you're close to the maximum temperature the hotend can get to (because physics), the heater would be on constantly, and the printer would see this as a disconnect between the heater and the thermistor. just insulating the hotend might actually be your fix here.

[FlyingPotato_is_taken]

Get the Bambu Lab P1S with AMS.

A cheaper option would be the qidi x-plus 3 or Creality K1.

 

For Prusa I would say don't buy it at the moment. There support is still great but it feels like they are pumping out half baked solution. Somewhat like they where blindsided and reacted to it with unfinished products/software.

 

13 hours ago, _Omega_ said:

) and sometimes it just aboard prints because it detects a temperature runaway which is very annoying (i measured with a thermal probe, there is non).

Assuming you have a spare laying around replace the heater cartridge.

If you swapped the nozzle frequently additionally check that the thermistor wire is good (loose connection).

[12345678]

On 12/31/2023 at 11:23 AM, FlyingPotato_is_taken said:

Get the Bambu Lab P1S with AMS.

A cheaper option would be the qidi x-plus 3 or Creality K1.

I strongly do not recommend the k1, there are only problems, I managed to sell it off with 100 and time lost

 

Their new hotend literally burns itself, dunno if it runs too hot, or it's just the silicone that's shitty, but the socket will burn and smoke will be released. The hold version is too fragile; I couldn't manage to make an unfailed print, because it always clogs itself; the maintainance is a pain by how it is assembled designed

 

The p1s works greatly, as much it's really closed and there are some perks that I don't like in the software, but it just works. i regret to not have gotten the x1...

As I've heard the x1 can more or less fully work on lan without the cloud, you have the option to exclude obiects while printing, and many other "features" thar are paywalled in the p1s

 

On 12/31/2023 at 11:23 AM, FlyingPotato_is_taken said:

For Prusa I would say don't buy it at the moment. There support is still great but it feels like they are pumping out half baked solution. Somewhat like they where blindsided and reacted to it with unfinished products/software.

 

Assuming you have a spare laying around replace the heater cartridge.

If you swapped the nozzle frequently additionally check that the thermistor wire is good (loose connection).

Tbh prusa to me has always sounded like an eu copy of chinese oems, but more refinished, since there was not really competition / popularity at that price point, now they're butthurt 

[FlyingPotato_is_taken]

@12345678 The selling point of prusa was:

1. follows regulation/laws. Chinese machines didn't follow electrical code. We are talking about absolute basics like grounding/protective earth or not using the same coloured wire for high and low voltage. 

2. It just works.™

3. Outstanding Support.

4. OpenSource. Giving back to the community and easy repairs.

 

They still are up to code and support is good but they no longer just work. The amount of annoying firmware bugs kills the value proposition.

 

Bambu Lab isn't perfect. There machine just work, follow regulation and a lower price than Prusa  at the cost of support, data protection and reparability (bad support and proprietary components).

14 hours ago, 12345678 said:

As I've heard the x1 can more or less fully work on lan without the cloud,

BambuLab can't say what data they collect in crash reports as such you still have data protection issues with the slicer (Bambu tries to upsell you to a X1E instead of answering the underlaying question ...) or need to take measures to sand box the system/ecosystem on a separate network that isn't connected to the internet. Further as the only option to update the printer firmware is the cloud connection you can't update the firmware at all!

[12345678]

On 1/3/2024 at 10:58 AM, FlyingPotato_is_taken said:

@12345678 The selling point of prusa was:

1. follows regulation/laws. Chinese machines didn't follow electrical code. We are talking about absolute basics like grounding/protective earth or not using the same coloured wire for high and low voltage. 

2. It just works.™

3. Outstanding Support.

4. OpenSource. Giving back to the community and easy repairs.

I've never seen anything that bad with chinese manufacturers, outside of random colour cables or in really cheap printers back in the 2014 or something. Although as much many traded themselves as being open source or easy repairs some components weren't 

On 1/3/2024 at 10:58 AM, FlyingPotato_is_taken said:

 

They still are up to code and support is good but they no longer just work. The amount of annoying firmware bugs kills the value proposition.

 

Bambu Lab isn't perfect. There machine just work, follow regulation and a lower price than Prusa  at the cost of support, data protection and reparability (bad support and proprietary components).

BambuLab can't say what data they collect in crash reports as such you still have data protection issues with the slicer (Bambu tries to upsell you to a X1E instead of answering the underlaying question ...) or need to take measures to sand box the system/ecosystem on a separate network that isn't connected to the internet. Further as the only option to update the printer firmware is the cloud connection you can't update the firmware at all!

About telemetry/money grabbing you're right, but support / main spare parts to me do not seem that bad, main parts are mostly cheap and there are knock offs 

[FlyingPotato_is_taken]

13 hours ago, 12345678 said:

I've never seen anything that bad with chinese manufacturers, outside of random colour cables or in really cheap printers back in the 2014 or something.

The high and low voltage in the same color is still a thing.

Bambu Lab was the first China printer that I saw which did it the right way with distinctive colouring.

 

Using tinned wires in screw terminals. The other variant is to use strained wire in screw terminals that are designed for solid core.

 

Grounding is also a joke to the point where they connect PE to the PSU but not the frame. 

 

Next up is instructions to operate the device with exposed mains voltage for example to adjust the stepper current (potentiometer on the mainboard).

 

Strain relief on the cables is often an issue. I think the Artillery X2 is a great example on how not todo it and yet in 2023 Mingda released printers with exactly the same design flaw ...

 

AnkerMake has on some units problems with crushed wires and doesn't care at all.