I really don't like three things about this printer: - 80C max print bed temp (that's no buy reason for me) - Long heating times - not removable power cord
I appreciated your review. You are the first I have seen that has tested Bambu’s claims vs just tell us the claimed performance. You also opened the printer up and told us about what makes it tick. No one has mentioned the thin build plate. I’m wondering how that will age and if it can be easily replaced by an inexperienced user. I’m invested in the Bambu X1-Carbon and want Bambu to continue being successful. A simple decision like the build plate may have large impacts on how much the community trusts them.
Vector 3D did a complete teardown in a livestream. Pretty interesting discoveries where made. There is for example a disc on the bottom of the part cooling fan where some thought where a hall sensor but it was empty.
@@realgoose If it ait's broke don't fix it. There is no reason to change the bed when it prints just fine. These are the kind of usual BS that come from youtubers.
Ive always wondered how valid a test the torture toaster really was. I feel like it might just reward printers that under extrude slightly, though I have never tested.
As someone who got in touch with printing almost 10 years ago, I always disliked the involvement for beginning to print something nice. tpThis will be my first printer. I hate needing to be an expert to even begin with something. This printer allows you to actually have a learning curve that starts at beginner level. And I love the finished look of the A1 mini, other printers often look like someone didn't finish their product and still wants lots of money for it while still forcing the customer to mess around with unfinished software. Not acceptable in 2024
I have been waiting for years for 3D printing to be perfected more before getting into this. This A1 mini is my first printer. Everything you said is 100% correct. I was able to start out using bambu's website for models that were already tailored to the printer. Every thing just works, every time. Slowly I am experimenting with generic random STL files and learning how to change temps and flows with generic brands of PLA. Having a lot of fun. It just works great every time. When my settings fail in certain ways I can learn slowly why and make changes to get the desired effect. right now Im learning "supports" for over hangs. This printer and software have made it a pretty easy learning curve.
I had Ender 3 too. I started and ditched for same reason lol It was fun to explore the possibilities of making and customizing my own prints, but over time, I encountered many issues with bed leveling, and the UI wasn’t user-friendly. The most annoying part was having to use an SD card back and forth. However, after getting the Bambu Lab A1 Mini, it was a super worthwhile upgrade. I don’t have to do anything anymore. I just think about what model I want and what I want to design. (I’m currently learning 3D tools now. lol) Although, I think starting with the Ender 3 Pro was great. I learned many things about how 3D printing works, but it wasn’t the right long-term solution for me.
Yeah ... and it's a real bummer that neither Creality updated her Ender 2 Pro or Prusa their Mini+ after years and all recent developments. At least Prusa is pushing new faster firmware ...
I absolutely love that video!!! Even though i am not a bed slinger fan, in my opinion the new bambu app is ground breaking and such a big convenient feature! Thanks for your effort. Best review in my opinion about this printer
I think there is nothing wrong with a bedslinger. The good bedslingers can produce very good prints and can be very reliable. The corexy printers can be faster, but to be reliable (24/7 use) you should not use them at high speed. About half the speed at the max.
Absolutely, i think bedslingers are also great. I just like my p1p more, as the design is really nice. It it like with apple.... It just has this unique design touch which i absolutely like. But all printers from bambu are for sure great and better then the other ones currently on the market
I have the P1S and it's great but, I've just bought the A1 Mini for my grandchildren. They are 6 and 7 years old but feel that they will be able with help, use this and produce fun things!
I think this was my favorite review from you so far. Bambulab has been an interesting company to watch, it's certainly been talked about quite a lot over the last year. It is a little concerning to me that they continue to misrepresent the specifications of their products. (Advertising 500mms, 80c build plate, etc.) When those specifications are obviously elaborations from the speeds most users will choose. These misrepresentations are forgiven because the products are still so good, but how long will that be true for? We will see! For now, I'm excited to see the wave of innovations in 3D printing that Klipper started.
I wonder why there are so few tests of the 3D Chameleon - basically the System that the AMS lite seems to be based on - for 180 bucks. Build that is a dry box and a 4 color system is no problem anymore - with every printer.
Great review! At roughly 9:00 in, you mentioned the silent noise cancellation is software based and will be added to the P1 series later. I have 2 questions: Is this official? Did Bambu tell you this officially or did you kind of just assume as it's the most logical thing for them to do? And if it is official, will it be done retroactively to current machines as a firmware update or only moving forward when we buy new machines. Thinking of purchasing a P1S but the noise would drive me crazy. Knowing a free update is coming would have me happily buy it now however!
23:06 that's not 24mm3/s, but actually 22,45mm3/s because the extrusion cross-section is NOT a rectangle, but a stadium (rectangle with semicircles at the ends)
@@247printing the diameter is equal to the layer height, so radius is half of that. if you google "slic3r flow math" you'll find a page on how it's calculated
@@247printing According to Slic3r flow math, the diameter is same as layer height. So cross area would be A = (w-h)*h + pi*(h/2)^2 = rectangular area + circular area You can find it and more interesting info by just googling "Slic3r flow math" or checking "Misconceptions & Bad Advice" from Ellis' Print Tuning Guide
At more than double the cost. $299USD vs $625USD for Ratrig. Also Ratrig is a DIY kit. vs fully assembled A1. Literally in an entirely different playing field...
@@Stevieboy7 Also backed by the chinese government, Pretty much impossible to release a machine at this price point with those specs without heavy subsidies or making a loss to corner market share but that would also require subsidies to keep the business viable. All new machine and all new tooling, nothing shared from the X1 or P1P along with new software functionality not previously tested on existing machines?
@@Stevieboy7 Not the point. He asked at around 7:50 in the video if we've heard of another 3D printer using MGN15 rails... Well, yes, we have. The V-minion.
i remember swaping a nozzle from a prusa slicer, it was the worst experience ive ever had with a 3d printer.... really scared me away but now im kinda interested with picking up the hobby again
I had a thought while watching this regarding your theory on the thin bed. Is it actually that the bed is thin, or is it that the compensation you see is actually a result of the cantilever design? At 23:40, you can see that it moves up when reaching closer to x = 0 and raises when closer to x = 180. That to me indicates a rather linear bed, but some deviation with the cantilever design of about a millimetre drop across the length of the arm. I suppose they could have compensated for it in design, but I think a better test of the bed is necessary to claim that it is too thin/is not straight. Given their other printers, I would believe you if you said that the result was that it was an area for improvement, but I just wanted to suggest an alternative theory.
@ Yes and no, software compensation is so good now that it probably doesn't, but softwre compensation is never going to be perfect, if you can design out errors you should. So a perfectly flat bed within reason is always a good place to start.
Looking forward for x-max 3 and k1 max printers review. Cannot decide which one to purchase. Very nice review of the A1, A1 seems like a perfect starting printer. ( cheaper and better then prusa mini )
I think they kept it thin because of it being thrown around, but think also means less rigid? the perfect thickness could probably be calculated somehow ?
Honestly I don't get why people got so pissed. Disclaimer, my POV comes from fighting the gread end-boss ... the ender 3v2 custom black hole demon... Having a small super fast printer like this would have saved me months of frustration and tons of aggrivation trying to print small parts for replacement/repair/etc. I love this. May have to pick one up.
with extra 30°C be it would be a perfect replacment for EVERY Mk3/ender/whatever in the ikea box... I mostly print in PETG and sub 10cm parts so im good with the A1mini atm and wait for a refresh or larger X1C. Rly good review!!
Danke für das tolle Video. Ich hoffe es stört nicht wenn hier einer auf Deutsch schreibt. Mir gefällt dass du die Marketing werte auf die Probe gestellt hast und den Drucker mit Modellen gequält hast, die nicht der Zielgruppe entsprechen. Alles in allem schön gemacht und auch mal jemand der auf das Innenleben eingeht. Mir bereiten auf lange Sicht die Kabel direkt neben den Heatsinks ein wenig sorge aber wir lassen uns gerne überraschen. Meiner kommt hoffentlich bald hab ja direkt am 16. bestellt.
21:08 wasnt there a parameter that specified a distance between parts and if they are closer the slicer will combine them even though they are two seperate parts?
I would say you pushed the sunlu a bit far, try the bambu basic, esun eplahf, creality hyper or the new polymaker fast PLA perhaps a comparison video for the future ?
@@247printing I find the esun eplahf printes very well and does not change when printing fast or slow. The Bambu basic black is ok, but can change depending on the speed.
ya but does it do flow rate calibration on each roll when using the AMS? Meaning if you're using different filaments from different manufacturers, the flow rate might not be right if doesn't do the calibration for each filament
I was also curious why he did not test the printer with the factory filament. Why take it to the max performance with off-brand cheap filament? I would be very interested to see the difference. I just got my A1 mini as a first printer. I can tell you that the models come out noticeably better with the bambu filament. I just put a spool on and the printer automatically knows exactly what temps and flows to use. Works every time.
honestly going to buy a big a1 after this review, seems pretty spot on for my requirements, as I content with only using pla and I want some plug and play, because I'm tired of my real old ender 3
This printer looks great. I do wish the print volume was a standard 235mm but I assume any bigger and theirs need a full double z axis rails. I might consider getting this one. Great video. Thanks!
Not really familiar with how the AMS lite works, but at a glance, it looks like it could significantly decrease the filament change time by only retracting barely out of the hub (located right above the hotend), instead of all the way back to the AMS, and then all the way back to the printer like the regular AMS does. This alone could probably decrease the multi material print times by half if not more compared to the full size printers if the model changes colors/materials often
I find that my A1 mini switches filament pretty quickly. I dont have any other printers that so this to compare it to but it goes pretty fast. Despite the minuses he mentions in the video everything just works. So far, trouble free on everything. Its very quiet and very fast. I can start and monitor prints while im at work from my phone or PC. I can even edit/create a model and send it to the printer from anywhere on the internet. Works every time, and quickly.
The limited materials is a deal breaker for me, I am holding out for Bambu Lab to release a toolchanger to compete with the Prusa XL, heck I would even settle for an IDEX and AMS!
Prusa XL is taking waaaay too long ngl.. tool changing seems really cool but looks like you have 5 extra extruders to fix.. also have you seen that price tag?!? 😅
@@enhidri160 I had a deposit down for an XL but got my money back about 8 months ago as I was sick of all the delay emails, yeah it is expensive and as you say you have 5 nextruders to maintain, I have more than that at the moment though LOL, the thing with toolchangers is you have way less wastage of plastic and I would feel very guilty using an AMS with the X1C. I suppose another way of looking at the XL is that they wanted to get it right, I think the release of the Bambu Lab X1C had an affect on the release of the XL as they had to match or beat some features before releasing it.
Actually "cut&poo" is mandatory on printers with high-flow nozzles to reliable unload the filament. Without even a automatic unload is not reliable. For example on the Qidi X-Max 3 you have to pull on the filament manually to avoid problems (yes, without pulling on unload, filament sometimes stuck in the extruder). But even with pulling, the filament tip was deformed a lot - sometimes stuck in the filament runout sensor. I upgraded to a Revo hotend. With RevoHF-Nozzle same problem. But with Revo Standard nozzle I got a nice filament tip for every unload (a bit of stringing, but have not tuned ramping profiles and temperatures yet). "Cut&Poo" takes more time than unloading and reloading filament on a Revo nozzle. Its also more waste. So for multicolour printing with one printhead, imho a standard nozzle should be used, not a highflow one. With filament changing taking most time anyway, I do not think a hf nozzle being needed anyway. But of course, on single material prints, a hf nozzle is what you want. So actually at the moment, if you want both, a Revo is the best solution. However, "Cut&Poo" is quite nice if you mostly use one material, but doing multicolour only with a few changes. Like labeling the bottom of a print or a few changes at certain layers. Or doing support interfaces with PLA/PETG-trick. You want HF-nozzle on thoose prints, as they are mostly single material and only a few swaps. So I miss the combination of methods. Also: How about unengaging the printheads feeder on unload and load, just using the AMS-feeder (so make a bowden extruder just on load and unload)? So the filament tip deforms less, as the gears do not press to the still weak filament tip on unload. Also maybe an external cut if needed, just to remove stringing (with independend feeders for every spool, like on the AMS, it could be done while the printer already printing the next filament). I think there are a lot of improvements possible in Multi Material printing.
The review I was waiting for! Have you played around with the Qidi Smart 3? I swear you tweeted a photo of it a few months ago, but I can't find the tweet now. It's not much more than the Bambu A1. Do you think it's the better buy for folks that don't care about multi-colour printing?
Thx! I am testing the X Max 3 vs the K1 Max atm. The new QIDI line up definitely is good for the buck. X Max 3 is super chunky though - lot of space needed.
Would it be too much to ask for pictures of the A1's Poop Kicker? I have an idea for a poop collector, but need dimensions of the end of the arm as well as how high it is from the table. Thank you in advance!
I love more Prusa Mini size plate printers. (18x18x18cm) It's so much smaller than regular printers and much more family home friendly. I hope more printers will compete within this build plate size.
As soon as they offer it without the AMS lite, I'll get the A1. It is a bit limited, but for 90% of my prints, it is sufficient. And, if pushed, I can make do with just the A1 - split bigger parts up, to make up for the smaller print bed. It can actually print a split part faster than other bigger printers can print a solid 230mm part. There is no replacement for an enclosure when printing materials that require it, but those cases are so rare that they hardly justify a P1S with it's noise level and massive footprint.
Thanks for the great video. I have a question. I'm thinking about buying the Ender 3 S1 Pro or the Bamboolab A1 that you introduced as an entry-level printer. Which of the two systems could you advise me to use? Mainly I want to print parts for my FPV copter in TPU and PLA. Thanks and best regards :)
for the same price s1 pro, you can basically get the s1 plus which 300mm - the only diff is the sprite extruder on the pro goes to 300 C versus the regular sprite hitting 260 C max. You can do tpu, pla, PETG, all no program on Ender 3 S1 (not pro), and you'll pay less money
Go for the A1 all day, otherwise you will endup spending tons of hours and money on upgrades. Also don’t buy the S1 Pro get the V3 SE if you are going with Creality for whatever reason, perhaps you need a normal sized printbed. The V3 SE has linear rods for the Y axis which is a big step up. You will need a computer or an pi or profession firmware to compete with the A1. Imo just to much tinkering, that said there will still be a lot of tinkering with the A1. 3D printing is never hassle-free.
@@ehdbom Thanks for your opinion. I also think that the functions of the A1 are more extensive. Just the fast and precise printing bi good quality out of the box convince me then in the end. I like to experiment or tinkering on technical stuff, but I have enough other things. That's why I'm happy when the printer works. :D Danke dir
Hey boss i need your advice. i have been wanting a voron 0.2 but i have also really wanted a multi color printer to be able to try and sell mulit color prints so im stuck between that and this a1 mini! Let me know what you think i should get. i get paid this week and wanna place an order
i feel the opposite to be honest it is the most stable cantilever is has really cool new features and its price it competitive which i though bambu lab would never be
I'm literally craving to know how the automatic flow dynamics work, and how It senses / measures pressure on the nozzle. I know they say it's an eddy current sensor but I'm just intrigued by the level of engineering that went on this machine and cant get away with noy knowing how it works 😂. Must be proprietary though
Tolles Video! Vielen Dank dafür! Starke Aufnahmen mit dem Drehteiller! Ich hätte gedacht, daß sind Werksbilder! Mega! Ich finde den A1 wirklich toll! Sehr schick! Und unglaublich preiswert für das Gebotene..! Was mich ernsthaft stört ist das krumme Bett. Bei meinem X1 habe ich das auf Garantie selbst ausgetauscht und hatte Glück, daß das neue einigermaßen eben war, beim P1S war es okay. Ich habe jetzt einen weiteren P1S hier stehen, noch verpackt, und hoffe, daß auch da das Bett gut ist. Mehr als hoffen kann ich nicht. Ich finde, nachdem BL in der Lage ist wirklich herausragende 3D Drucker mit nie dagewesenen features zu bauen und jetzt wieder einen enormen Entwicklungsschritt am Hotend gemacht hat, sollten sie einmal anerkennen, daß es wichtig ist, ein wirklich ebenes Druckbett zu haben. Bei meinen Prusas kriege ich das mit den neun Schrauben hin - mit denen ich in Verbindung mit dem mesh bed calibration tool Ebenheiten von einem Zehntel Millimeter über das ganze Druckbett relativ mühelos eingestellt bekomme. Ja, für den Speed muss das Bett leicht sein. Was ist wichtiger? Speed oder die Möglichkeit, das ganze Bett zu nutzen? Für ich ist klar: ich will bis zum Rand sicher gleiche first layer haben, gleiche elephant feet. :-) Ich drucke fast alles mit einer 0.6er Nozzle mit max 120mm/s. Wie siehst Du das? LG Andreas
Does this printer require internet and/or an account in order to "Activate" or use it? If it does, it isn't really yours, once the server is gone this printer is just a brick.
The machine has a Lan Only mode and you can also load print jobs from an SD card. However, the firmware update requires a cloud connection. I don't know if the cloud connection is required for the initial activation. All reviews used the mobile app, which requires a cloud connection.
The other ones dont, but do for updates, so I would assume this doesnt require internet connectivity, but youd be limited to whatever firmware you have from the start.
I think after the "night of the living machines" debacle had, Bambulabs now offers a similar offline experience to their online one; so presumably if the servers go kaput you can still use the printer. The other big problem for me would be if Bambulabs dies, whether there will be a robust aftermarket for replacement components and open up the electronics so people can convert to Klipper etc....
Interesting new 3D-printer for beginners they intend to print PLA and PETG only. The limit of this machine is the extremly low bed temperaure with a max. of 80°C only. So it is not possible to print ASA or ABS. With the Prusa Mini ASA and ABS can be printed easy, because the max. bed temperature goes up to 100°C. Another problem of the bambulabs with AMS is the extremly high poduction of waste material due to frequent the change of filament to another color. So this printer is a NoGo for me.
Prusa mini is $429 plus shipping, for $21 more you get the A1 mini and the AMS lite . It’s almost double the price of the A1 mini by itself. Sorry, at $221 more than the A1 by itself it’s not worth it to ME just to print ASA and ABS. And from all the reviews I’ve watched the A1 is superior in every other way besides type of filament you can use.
