Posted: 4/11/2026 4:34:14 PM EDT
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Been working with a guy here local to me who's done some prints and this is the machine he has and recommended when I asked. I think a direct drive type will fit my needs better. If I get more into it I may want a better/more expensive one later but as a starter machine the price is right. Is there a better alternative at the same price point? - $450 |
The more the government tells us we should not do a thing or have a thing, the more crucial it is that we do those things and have those things.
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Originally Posted By ManMan: Sort depends on what you want, but see what Bambu and Qidi have in that price range The P1S is the roughly equivalent Bambu. I think it's probably better overall but I'll be doing mostly PA-12 CF and I want the hotter 350 deg nozzle. The Qidi might be an even better choice though with an even hotter nozzle and heated chamber so I'll look into that. |
The more the government tells us we should not do a thing or have a thing, the more crucial it is that we do those things and have those things.
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I'll use the printer for PA-12 CF and TPU mostly but my son will also make stuff with it. I don't need the capability as much as him but being able to print 4 colors would be nice. It's standard on the Elegoo but an additional $200+ or so for Bambu or Qidi. |
The more the government tells us we should not do a thing or have a thing, the more crucial it is that we do those things and have those things.
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Well this is what AI told me: qidi q2 and bambu p1s printers are rougly equivalent in capability to the elegoo carbon 2 but are roughly $200 more in price when they come with the ability to print 4 colors. Considerations for purchasing one of these 3 printers to use mostly pa12cf and tpu95a are in order of importance: 1. dimensional accuracy 2. surface finish 3. ability to print 4 colors 4. price Which would be the best choice given those considerations Based on your specific needs for PA12CF and TPU95A, the QIDI Q2 is the superior choice, primarily because it is the only one of the three with an active chamber heater, which is a game-changer for engineering-grade materials like carbon-fiber nylon. Recommended Choice: QIDI Q2 (Combo) The Q2 wins because your #1 and #2 priorities (dimensional accuracy and surface finish) are heavily dependent on thermal stability when printing advanced polymers. Dimensional Accuracy: High-temperature materials like PA12CF tend to warp as they cool. The Q2's 65°C active chamber heater keeps the internal environment consistent, preventing the internal stresses that cause "potato-chipping" or dimensional shrinking +1 . Surface Finish: By maintaining a warm chamber, the Q2 ensures better layer-to-layer bonding and reduces the likelihood of the "frosting" or matte unevenness often seen when engineering filaments cool too quickly in passive enclosures . Ability to Print 4 Colors: The QIDI Box is designed specifically for this ecosystem and is comparable to the others in functionality +1 . Price: At $619–$649 for the combo, it is the most expensive of your three options, but for PA12CF, the extra $200 is effectively paying for the active heating hardware that the other two lack. Thanks for the suggestion on the Qidi. Based on the above that's probably what I'll go with. |
The more the government tells us we should not do a thing or have a thing, the more crucial it is that we do those things and have those things.
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I got a Centauri Carbon 2 a couple of weeks ago. It is a huge improvement over my Ender 5 Plus. No more constant tinkering. Haven't had any failed prints. Much faster. I'm not using the side spool mounts, I'm feeding directly from a Sunlu four-capacity dryer. Highly recommend it considering the price. It does have one quirk. If you want to pause and change one of your four colors in the middle of a print, you have to use the pause button on the touch screen. If you embed a pause command in the g-code when you slice, the printer will freeze up when it gets to that command. Not a big deal to me and since it's a known issue there will probably be a firmware fix at some point. Don't pay full price. Coupon EKUS2C4 gets $40 off at the Elegoo official site. Brings it to $379. |
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Originally Posted By broken_reticle: I have a Centauri Carbon with probably 5 spools through it. Absolutely no issues. Slicer software, based on Orca, can be odd sometimes. I haven't cleaned or adjusted anything. I probably should. I bought the version 1 Centauri Carbon a while back, but "for various reasons" I'm just getting around to setting it up, running the initial self-check now. Yes, it is exercising the fans as part of that, which may not reflect actual operating conditions, but the fan noise is pretty loud. Yes, the initial reviews all mentioned that. Have you done anything to reduce fan noises? I wonder how the Centauri Carbon 2 fares in comparison. Any other changes or upgrades that you have found to be essential? I don't really need the multi-color features of the new one. At the current $285 price, it's a no-brainer. Maybe I should pick up another one  |
Two guns, one bullet
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Shoot, i was just about set to pull the trigger on a p1s. But, i want to do suppressors, so engineering filaments. I wasn't aware the qidi was in the price range had active chamber heat. Back to research. Keep us updated. My ender 3 is pretty much had it, and i can only imagine how big of an inprovement any of these 3 will be for me. Is it worth spending a little more on anything for more build volume? I haven't ran into a ton of files that are too big foe the ender 3, but occasionally. |
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Haven't tried any of the fancy filaments yet, but the first thing I printed in PLA turned out pretty amaze I think. Attached File |
The more the government tells us we should not do a thing or have a thing, the more crucial it is that we do those things and have those things.
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Printed some add-ons for my CC2. A chute for the plastic poop and an adapter to attach a vent hose. The hose runs from the back of the CC2 into the enclosure for my Ender 5 Plus, then it gets filtered by my charcoal filter in the enclosure and vented back into the room. The filter setup in the Ender enclosure: Printed this for my wife. 17 colors of filament. Only hand painted the girl's eyes. |
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Originally Posted By hhsmiley: Haven't tried any of the fancy filaments yet, but the first thing I printed in PLA turned out pretty amaze I think. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/8660/20260418_110631_jpg-3748681.JPG Fist my bump! 
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