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CoreXY printer on the cheap end that seems to work, but not quite prime time...

And turn key. Meaning print from CAD like Fusion 3D. No other stuff needed. No parameters, no filament specs, no fine tuning, no nothing. Just print.

And no junk output. No piles of filament, no voids, no collapses, just a nice 3D model with a smooth surface.

It should work like my laser printer works on paper. Press print, then go get the finished print out.
You need a Bambu A1 and their filament.
 
And turn key. Meaning print from CAD like Fusion 3D. No other stuff needed. No parameters, no filament specs, no fine tuning, no nothing. Just print.

And no junk output. No piles of filament, no voids, no collapses, just a nice 3D model with a smooth surface.

It should work like my laser printer works on paper. Press print, then go get the finished print out.
I agree with David but if you are good with 180 mm cubed build volume, you will love the A1 mini. Don't even think about it. I never had a 3D printer until I bought mine. I can't live without it now. Those little things that you wish you could simply make are now that easy to do so. Right from CAD to print in minutes with a successful print every time. It is scary how easy it is. It is also very affordable...you will quickly spend more on filament and accessories than you did on the printer. I didn't get the AMS and I still don't feel I need it but you can always add it later if you want it. BTW, I print with both Bambu and esun (Amazon) filaments with exactly the same print success.
 
I'm absolutely thrilled with my Bambu X1-C, it has truly been plug and play. I've had one problem with filament, and it was the carbon fiber PLA, which the software warns me about each time I use it. The only printing problem I've had was with a downloaded dessicant bottle. The author oriented the lid incorrectly which resulted in an unsupported underside and lots of strings. Once I flipped it over (so the top of the lid was on the plate), it printed perfectly. I also discovered that if you do it right (wrong), you can turn a right-hand thread into a left-hand. (Note to self: make a left handed bottle to fit that lid).

Anyway, when you step back and look at what these things are and what they do, all this kvetching about price is pretty amusing.
 
if you are good with 180 mm cubed build volume, you will love the A1 mini. Don't even think about it. xperience.

That is excellent sound advice. More importantly, it's the voice of direct relevant experience.

18cm x 18cm x 18cm isn't much. It might be enough for a few of my prototyping needs, but it would run dry at the first enclosure I tried to make. Nonetheless, it would be infinitely better than what I have right now and might work at least till I develop some confidence in it.

If I bought one and then wanted bigger, how sellable do you think the mini is? Or would you just keep it - say for stuff in the house, grandkids or wife to play with, etc.
 
That is excellent sound advice. More importantly, it's the voice of direct relevant experience.

18cm x 18cm x 18cm isn't much. It might be enough for a few of my prototyping needs, but it would run dry at the first enclosure I tried to make. Nonetheless, it would be infinitely better than what I have right now and might work at least till I develop some confidence in it.

If I bought one and then wanted bigger, how sellable do you think the mini is? Or would you just keep it - say for stuff in the house, grandkids or wife to play with, etc.
Honestly, just go for the A1. No sense doing it twice.
 
Why not the A42?
:D
I've made the mistake of buying small and regretting it then spending again to get what I should have bought the first time around.
 
That is excellent sound advice. More importantly, it's the voice of direct relevant experience.

18cm x 18cm x 18cm isn't much. It might be enough for a few of my prototyping needs, but it would run dry at the first enclosure I tried to make. Nonetheless, it would be infinitely better than what I have right now and might work at least till I develop some confidence in it.

If I bought one and then wanted bigger, how sellable do you think the mini is? Or would you just keep it - say for stuff in the house, grandkids or wife to play with, etc.
Yes, you can certainly do the A1 with the larger build plate/volume. I don't believe there is any measurable quality difference between the two. It is roughly $200 more but if you need the volume, that is a no brainer.
Because I wanted to dabble with a 3D printer, never having one or a real need, I thought for the $249 price tag I could play with it and see where that takes me. It really is chump change in our maker world. I have not regretted the decision and only once so far have I exceeded the volume, so I divided the model in half and glued it together. If (who am I kidding...when) I go to the next step, it will likely be the X1-C for filament diversity AND larger build volume. I can readily print PLA and PETG on my A1 mini and TPU (haven't tried it yet).
Resell price is good for Bambu right now from what I have heard. That said, I would be very surprised if you sell it as it is an excellent toy/creative building block for youth/adults as it is sooo easy to print to right from your phone/iPad or computer.
 
@Susquatch your path to 3DP and mine is necessarily different. I have been using several friend's 3DP for about a year now, printing downloaded models for specific tasks, like battery holders for my Dewalt tool batteries. Access to nearby 3DP is different for you, though. [I donate filament to people that make stuff for me FWIW]

Since I have been designing things with @Janger, then printing them in real time, it is the closest to having a printer without taking the plunge. This experience had been invaluable in helping me to determine what I want, and what I need - very different things.

This is exactly like me using friends' milling machines before buying one. I experienced 'big boy' mills, and that helped me to buy the 80% perfect mill the first time.

I know that about 75% of the things I want to print could be printed on a Bambu A1. (perhaps only 65% on an A1 mini due to size) However, I intend to be able to have the capability of making things using more exotic (and expensive, and finicky) filaments with reinforcement. Thus the wait, at least for the moment. But it is getting very, very close.
 
I've made the mistake of buying small and regretting it then spending again to get what I should have bought the first time around.

I think we have all done that David. One of the many advantages of being old is the number of times it has happened, and the number of times it has not happened. I think you learn to be able to smell it. This particular situation has the smell of regret hanging heavy in the air. Not just Mini vs A1, but also 3D printing vs no 3D printing. Will I regret wasting time on it or will I regret not having it? That's the real question.

I confess this cloud lock stuff turned me off. I don't like that kind of behaviour on principle. But I don't think it would really affect me for a few years. By then, I'll either want to burn what I have or get something that isn't affected by such BS.

I had assumed that the mini might be easier to use than its bigger sibling. And Gemini seems to agree.....

Gemini - "The Bambu A1 Mini is generally considered easier to use than the Bambu X1 Carbon. The A1 Mini arrives almost completely assembled and pre-tuned, allowing users to start printing within 5-10 minutes of unboxing. It features automatic calibration for bed leveling, Z-offset, and axis vibration, making it ideal for beginners. The X1 Carbon, while also user-friendly, requires more setup and has a steeper learning curve. The A1 Mini's simplified design and plug-and-play functionality make it more accessible, especially for those new to 3D printing."

Regardless, I don't really do much in retirement to enjoy myself (no travel, vacas, etc), and I'm still driving a 2007 truck that paid for itself 10 years ago, so I managed to put a little money away for a few toys this coming year. A 3D printer is high on the priorities of that wish list. I just need to make sure I spend wisely.
 
I think we have all done that David. One of the many advantages of being old is the number of times it has happened, and the number of times it has not happened. I think you learn to be able to smell it. This particular situation has the smell of regret hanging heavy in the air. Not just Mini vs A1, but also 3D printing vs no 3D printing. Will I regret wasting time on it or will I regret not having it? That's the real question.

I confess this cloud lock stuff turned me off. I don't like that kind of behaviour on principle. But I don't think it would really affect me for a few years. By then, I'll either want to burn what I have or get something that isn't affected by such BS.

I had assumed that the mini might be easier to use than its bigger sibling. And Gemini seems to agree.....

Gemini - "The Bambu A1 Mini is generally considered easier to use than the Bambu X1 Carbon. The A1 Mini arrives almost completely assembled and pre-tuned, allowing users to start printing within 5-10 minutes of unboxing. It features automatic calibration for bed leveling, Z-offset, and axis vibration, making it ideal for beginners. The X1 Carbon, while also user-friendly, requires more setup and has a steeper learning curve. The A1 Mini's simplified design and plug-and-play functionality make it more accessible, especially for those new to 3D printing."

Regardless, I don't really do much in retirement to enjoy myself (no travel, vacas, etc), and I'm still driving a 2007 truck that paid for itself 10 years ago, so I managed to put a little money away for a few toys this coming year. A 3D printer is high on the priorities of that wish list. I just need to make sure I spend wisely.
I honestly think the X1C is overkill for most people.
The A1 Mini is too small for me. Printing Gridfinity bases on a Mini would be very annoying. But that's my use case.
Unless you have need for enclosed printed the would be the way to go.
 
@Susquatch your path to 3DP and mine is necessarily different. I have been using several friend's 3DP for about a year now, printing downloaded models for specific tasks, like battery holders for my Dewalt tool batteries. Access to nearby 3DP is different for you, though.

Yes. Totally agree. The guys in Toronto would certainly help me that way, but Toronto is four hours away in good traffic and I think less and less clearly the closer I get.

[I donate filament to people that make stuff for me FWIW]

You and think very similarly on such things. Its a good healthy outlook. Kudos to you for that.
 
My main reason for going for the X1C+AMS was that I could use support filament automatically and the really big thing was a printer with an enclosure. But it wasn't cheap. The SOVOL 06 has been useful and a bit bigger for build plate but slower. And it doesn't have an enclosure so I'd have to build that too.

I have had some problems with the X1C with the filament jamming, poor prints with PETG_HF. Some of my older filament that had been in a dryer broke inside the tube and extruder and required tweezers to pull out the broken piece.

OTOH, the Bambu X1C has created the smoothest and nicest prints of all the 3D printers I've owned. Mostly I think because the bed only goes up and down while the others have had the bed move in the Y direction and the bigger the print the more vibration.
 
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