3D printers - So many choices! (Page 1 of 5)
Posted: 8/31/2026 6:21:50 PM EDT
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I am ready to pull the trigger on a 3D printer. There are so many choices that it's overwhelming. There was a thread here a few weeks ago and I have been looking but after reading reviews I am just more hesitant. Bambu was recommended but now I hear they want you to update firmware and then they are limiting what filements you can utilize. I want something fairly large, 10 inch area. Rather not limit myself and outgrow it. Multicolor Flashforge Creator 5 Pro looks interesting. Looking to stay below $1000. Thoughts from the techy side of the hive...? |
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IME, I would either buy Prusa because they're really terrific as a company - knowing they're more expensive and a bit behind on tech, or Bambu because they are less expensive and have great tech, even though they suck as a company. Decide what you want to print. Printers that will do high-temp filaments are more expensive for sure. Keep one thing in mind, though.... the best accessory for a 3d printer is a second 3d printer. You're not wrong if you buy a less expensive printer to start, and another more expensive one later. Reality is that the majority of things you print DO NOT NEED to be done in ASA, ABS, or PA6. Also, I do print ABS-CF, ASA-CF, and PA6-CF just fine on a Bambu P1S, which some people would claim wouldn't work for those filaments because the chamber isn't actively heated. All of that being said, a Bambu H2S is *just about* in your price range, would do the engineering filaments, and has a nicely-large 340x340x340 build volume. It would be very hard to go wrong with that. Do buy a 0.6mm hotend as well. Be ready to go down a rabbit hole, it can be addicting. It starts out with "oh, I'll print some doodads." Then it's "I could print one .22lr suppressor". Then it's "I could print a whole ammo can full of .22lr suppressors." Then it's "I could print 5.56x45 suppressors, and 300bo suppressors". Then it's "I don't need that SBR chassis, I could print my own." The rabbit hole is deep and wide. 
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| Build one and learn the inside and outs, or be a Bambu toddler and hold their hand while they steal your IP. I've heard of Bambuddy as a workaround? I don't know, I have 3 Creality printers and built 2 from the ground up and added all the mods (BLtouch, BTT 32 bit boards, Octopi etc. ) I'm looking to go to a Voron next, but the LH stinger looks like a fun project too. |
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Originally Posted By KonamiCode: Waiting until black Friday to pull the trigger on a Bambu X2D. That’s the one I’m looking at https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1966031-REG/bambu_lab_pf004_p_sa007_us_x2d_combo_3d_printer.html |
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Arfcom has a 3D Printing subforum worth checking out. There’s some incredibly knowledgeable folks in there. HERE |
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Prusa One L with 4 or 8 -tool INDX - multi color and multi material beast Qidi Plus 5 with cooler and ams - large volume, multi material but single nozzle. Inexpensive. There are other qidi models that may be better suited for you. Snapmaker U1 - multi toolhead but small volume. Creality K2 - option but I think the Qidi is better for the same/similar price and capability. You can get the one or one L fairly cheap and add the INDX later. Or get the One with INDX as a kit and assemble yourself. Or just the one as a kit which would be an excellent starter machine. Screw Bambu. I have a bunch of X2Ds in a print farm. Won't let them touch the network and won't update them. I'll admit they "just work" but I got tired of whatever anti-consumer bull shit was next. I'm really looking forward to testing the One L with INDX to load it with multiple spools of print and support material and let it go to town. if this is really your first printer, there will be all kinds of sales for Black Friday. If all you want to print is PLA gizmos, most of the above is overkill but you won't need another printer for four or five years and it will grow with you. Otherwise a cheap A2 or ender 3 bed slinger will get you by just fine. The Prusa one as a kit is also one to consider. |
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Originally Posted By Blob: Bambu is for the gays. Flash forge wants to report you to the police if you use their printers to print gun parts. Big time gays. Get a prusa or build a voron. Vorons are fake and gay and Prusa stopped giving out gummy bears. |
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I was looking at this. It's on sale. Bambu P1S Not sure what I want to use it for yet. I'm sure I can come up with a lot of things. Even here the is Bambu hate and praise. Kind of reminds me about Taurus threads...
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Which part are you confused about? |
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Originally Posted By O_Guiness: If your new hobby is getting a 3D printer to work get one other than Bambu, if you want to make things and learn CAD, get Bambu. BaMbU jUsT wOrKs It's 2026, just about any printer you can buy is going to just work. My 5+ year old Mk3 just works, every time. My Core Ones just work, every time. My Vision Miner just works. Once you start printing materials that aren't PLA then you need to do material tuning and manual tweaking. Go look at the 3D suppressors thread in the 3DP subforum and look at all the issues the Bambus are having with printing PA6. |
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Originally Posted By RV8guy: Vorons are fake and gay and Prusa stopped giving out gummy bears. Originally Posted By RV8guy: Originally Posted By Blob: Bambu is for the gays. Flash forge wants to report you to the police if you use their printers to print gun parts. Big time gays. Get a prusa or build a voron. Vorons are fake and gay and Prusa stopped giving out gummy bears. |
Once you realize that all power comes from the credible threat of the use of deadly force, and the gov't hates you, most things become easy to understand..
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Originally Posted By Spaceboy: Your printer is the hobby instead of printing lol. Originally Posted By Spaceboy: Originally Posted By Rat_Patrol: My Voron 2.4 kicks ass. Just got done upgrading to CANBUS and a mosquito hotend. Great print quality, and I don't have to fuck with it anymore. I've built five printers in total; I know what I'm doing. I just don't want to do it again. |
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Originally Posted By Spaceboy: Your printer is the hobby instead of printing lol. They don't have to be, and not all of them are. Either way, many people are into that which is basically why Voron exists in the first place. You can make them exactly what you want, or you can build from a well-established kit and just print stuff. |
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Originally Posted By Blob: They don't have to be, and not all of them are. Either way, many people are into that which is basically why Voron exists in the first place. You can make them exactly what you want, or you can build from a well-established kit and just print stuff. Originally Posted By Blob: Originally Posted By Spaceboy: Your printer is the hobby instead of printing lol. They don't have to be, and not all of them are. Either way, many people are into that which is basically why Voron exists in the first place. You can make them exactly what you want, or you can build from a well-established kit and just print stuff. |
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Originally Posted By Spaceboy: Yep, it wasn't judgement, I just found it amusing. I get modifying your toys. Originally Posted By Spaceboy: Originally Posted By Blob: Originally Posted By Spaceboy: Your printer is the hobby instead of printing lol. They don't have to be, and not all of them are. Either way, many people are into that which is basically why Voron exists in the first place. You can make them exactly what you want, or you can build from a well-established kit and just print stuff. They are a project to assemble though, that is very true. |
Once you realize that all power comes from the credible threat of the use of deadly force, and the gov't hates you, most things become easy to understand..
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Originally Posted By Blob: BaMbU jUsT wOrKs It's 2026, just about any printer you can buy is going to just work. My 5+ year old Mk3 just works, every time. My Core Ones just work, every time. My Vision Miner just works. Once you start printing materials that aren't PLA then you need to do material tuning and manual tweaking. Go look at the 3D suppressors thread in the 3DP subforum and look at all the issues the Bambus are having with printing PA6. Oddly, my X1C prints properly dried PA6 like PLA with minor tweaks to the Bambu settings even with other filaments, other than Polymaker. Why would you want a new guy to experience 3DP from the tinker side unless that what he specifically ask for? Recommending Voron to someone new is irresponsible. |
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Originally Posted By O_Guiness: Oddly, my X1C prints properly dried PA6 like PLA with minor tweaks to the Bambu settings even with other filaments, other than Polymaker. Why would you want a new guy to experience 3DP from the tinker side unless that what he specifically ask for? Recommending Voron to someone new is irresponsible.
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Once you realize that all power comes from the credible threat of the use of deadly force, and the gov't hates you, most things become easy to understand..
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Originally Posted By O_Guiness: Oddly, my X1C prints properly dried PA6 like PLA with minor tweaks to the Bambu settings even with other filaments, other than Polymaker. Why would you want a new guy to experience 3DP from the tinker side unless that what he specifically ask for? Recommending Voron to someone new is irresponsible. Just works? |
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Originally Posted By Blob: Just works? Originally Posted By Blob: Originally Posted By O_Guiness: Oddly, my X1C prints properly dried PA6 like PLA with minor tweaks to the Bambu settings even with other filaments, other than Polymaker. Why would you want a new guy to experience 3DP from the tinker side unless that what he specifically ask for? Recommending Voron to someone new is irresponsible. Just works? |
Once you realize that all power comes from the credible threat of the use of deadly force, and the gov't hates you, most things become easy to understand..
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Originally Posted By Dr-G: I was looking at this. It's on sale. Bambu P1S Not sure what I want to use it for yet. I'm sure I can come up with a lot of things. Even here the is Bambu hate and praise. Kind of reminds me about Taurus threads... @Dr-G |
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| IIRC, and I'm not a Bambu guy so research this, but didn't the P1S need upgrades before it could do much beyond ABS, including ANY fiber filaments? |
Once you realize that all power comes from the credible threat of the use of deadly force, and the gov't hates you, most things become easy to understand..
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Originally Posted By Sailboat: This is what I have and I print all sorts of fun stuff. @Dr-G It's on sale for $200 off. Not bad. I just want easy. I need to learn some CAD also. I heard TinkerCAD is an easy program. I signed up for an account and was "tinkering" around with it. The X2D is a little more than the PS1 at regular price. Not sure if it is worth the squeeze especially if I am just getting my feet wet. |
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Originally Posted By Blob: What do you want to print though? Trinkets? Parts to repair stuff around the house? Guns/suppressors? Originally Posted By Blob: Originally Posted By Dr-G: But I'm a 56 yr old newb! What do you want to print though? Trinkets? Parts to repair stuff around the house? Guns/suppressors? silencers gun frames aztec death whistles |
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Do not use TinkerCad. At all. Ever. It is not the proper package to build anything. It was literally designed for children to introduce them to the idea of CAD. It will do nothing but give you horrible CAD habits. Get yourself a proper CAD package. OnShape Solidworks Fusion Pick one. Winner goes to OnShape if you don't have much of a PC (it is cloud based), but have a good internet connection. All are cheap/free, though OnShape has some caveats. |
Once you realize that all power comes from the credible threat of the use of deadly force, and the gov't hates you, most things become easy to understand..
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Originally Posted By ManMan: I have had many printers, from Creality, to Bibo, etc. Currently I have a Qidi, and really like it... at least after multiple mods to it. That said, I recommend Bambu to people for their first printer. The things just work! I have a qidi q1 pro and it has been flawless from simple prints to 24+ hour ones. Would not hesitate to buy another of theirs. Fuck bambu. |
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Originally Posted By Rat_Patrol: Do not use TinkerCad. At all. Ever. It is not the proper package to build anything. It was literally designed for children to introduce them to the idea of CAD. It will do nothing but give you horrible CAD habits. Get yourself a proper CAD package. OnShape Solidworks Fusion Pick one. Winner goes to OnShape if you don't have much of a PC (it is cloud based), but have a good internet connection. All are cheap/free, though OnShape has some caveats. This. Also fusion can run in a browser now but only for the paid subscription. |
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Originally Posted By Blob: Bambu is for the gays. Flash forge wants to report you to the police if you use their printers to print gun parts. Big time gays. Get a prusa or build a voron. Sorry you're still butthurt that Bambu printers are so amazing.  OP, get a Bambu or a Prusa. Understand the pros and cons of each, and make an informed decision. You can't go wrong with either if you understand and accept the pros and cons of each. Fair enough, Blob? 
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Originally Posted By Dr-G: @Sailboat It's on sale for $200 off. Not bad. I just want easy. I need to learn some CAD also. I heard TinkerCAD is an easy program. I signed up for an account and was "tinkering" around with it. The X2D is a little more than the PS1 at regular price. Not sure if it is worth the squeeze especially if I am just getting my feet wet. In another thread several posters agreed the X2D is better for printing a silencer I can’t remember why, I’ll see if I can find that thread |
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Originally Posted By Blob: What do you want to print though? Trinkets? Parts to repair stuff around the house? Guns/suppressors? |
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Bambulabs convinced me to stay away from Bambu printers last year. |
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We went with Bambu, for one main reason: computers (and their sub parts) are not my hobby. I didn't want to have the mess with it every time I go to use it. Especially because it was our first. I make tons of stuff for our RV, my shop, etc... I would still choose the same today. Every maker has it pluses, I just don't desire to work on it more than I have to. |
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Originally Posted By 797hp: In another thread several posters agreed the X2D is better for printing a silencer I can’t remember why, I’ll see if I can find that thread The P1S lacks a hardened nozzle, hardened extruder gears, and a chamber heater. All of which are important to get the best results. P2S fixes two of those issues, but not the heated chamber. The X2D has all of the above. Plus a second nozzle to print support filament with. It's the best value in the 3D printing space right now, and it's not even close. The only thing that MAY give it a run for its money is the LightMake L4, if it proves itself to be a quality machine. |