Hello!
I’m thinking about picking up 3d printing as a hobby and would like some recommendations about which printer to get.
Especially interested in building a SR6 (and hopefully gain some knowledge about printing and the other things around it in the process).
Right now I’m debating between Bambu Lab A1 or A1 Mini. Though I’m not sure about size requirements, particularly regarding SR6 components.
A1 is 256256256 mm³
A1 mini is 180 × 180 × 180 mm³
My apologies if this post doesn’t belong here.
Thank you!
If you can afford it go with the A1. You’ll be glad to have the extra print volume later down the road. If you can really afford it the X1C is a fantastic printer.
I would have to recommend against Bambu based on their increasing attempts to lock the buyer into their ecosystem.
The only positive recommendation I would make is a Prusa. The available models aren’t as cheap as the Chinese competition, but they are more reliable, and explicitly open in terms of hardware and software. If you rolled the dice on a used model (recommend MK3 or higher), you can get a very capable machine for quite cheap.
If you go new, I’d recommend the kit option. It’s notably cheaper, and by assembling things yourself, you’ll end up better understanding how the printer works automatically. The current standard model is the MK4S. There’s a new enclosed model called the CORE One, which would be a better choice if you want to use materials like ABS, ASA, and polycarbonate, which won’t print well without a heated enclosure. You can certainly put a MK4S in an enclosure, but you’d have to buy that separately or build one yourself.
Thank you for the recommendations!
Unfortunately the prices for these are double what the A1 costs, it’s a bit too steep for me as of now.
The second hand market for 3d printers here is not so great either, can only find Creality printers, which from what I understand should be avoided.
I believe the Anycubic Kobra 3 with multicolor is also a solid alternative to A1 and A1 Mini. Bambulab is a good machine with huge community to troubleshoot any problems that you might have, tho I dont think you will see much issues. Are you familiar with tinkering and wouldnt might spending some times tuning the machine? Then go for the “chinese” brands. If you prefer to have a set and forget machine, go for either Prusa or Bambulab.
I started with an Artillery Sidewinder X1 and learn how the machines works with that. But at some point I was frustrated for spending so much times fixing and tinkering instead of designing and printing. So I went ahead and spend a chunk of money on a X1C and never look back. But getting into this hobby is easier than ever now with Bambulab entering the scene and pushed the competition between brands.
When compared to the X1 and P1 series, the A1 actually has some advantages. It has an eddy flow sensor in the nozzle to help auto calibrate pressure advance. The nozzles are easier to swap. They have a manual extruder lever to make cold pulls easier. They’re much quieter. The A1 AMS is more reliable and works with cardboard spools more easily.
The X1 and P1’s advantages over the A1 are the core XY design, which can lead to better quality prints in the Z direction (if you print very tall things). They’re a little faster (10-20%). They also have smaller footprints than the A1 when taking the bed travel into account.
For a first timer that may end up deciding that the hobby is not for them, the A1 mini is a less painful investment to abandon. Conversely, if you DO end up getting deep into to hobby, it is a HUGE benefit to have 2 printers. I find myself OFTEN running production jobs on my P1S, while I utilize the A1 mini for prototyping and supplemental production.
All OSR2 and SR6 parts will fit on the A1 mini.
LMK if you have any questions, been deep into this 3D printing hobby for a while now.