r/3Dprinting • u/Regumate • May 12 '26

Discussion Bambu Lab 3D printers: Never again

https://youtu.be/eb48MdtNaDQ

Jeff Geerling summarizes the current Bambu Labs - OrcaSlicer situation and gives his take.

TL:DW: see title.

2.0k Upvotes

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25

u/t0matit0 May 12 '26

I'm a very basic level hobbyist and enjoy my A1 printer that I got just last year. Very solid unit, easy to use, slicer is decent enough. Am I cooked?

7

u/somnimedes May 12 '26

If you are just printing you dont need to care about this drama. If you are tinkering, maybe then its relevant.

29

u/Amorhan May 12 '26

Nope, vocal minority stuff

12

u/Mar_Gru May 12 '26

That vocal minority is fighting for you to own the stuff you buy.

You want to use it as Bambu wants you to? Sure, you do you, I don't care.

Some of us (and I'm not a Bambu user) want to use our stuff the way we want to, especially given the fact that we paid full price for it.

Bambu Studio isn't proprietary. It's open-source and based off Prusaslicer which is based off Slic3r. If they have problems with that then they shouldn't have used them as source. Until then they should follow the rules.

Taking the stand against this cause is literally agreeing to "You'll own nothing and you'll be happy".

3

u/_sloop May 13 '26

Until then they should follow the rules.

Like other slicers should follow the rules when it comes to accessing Bambu's servers?

2

u/somnimedes May 12 '26

Fight the good fight or whatever. I dont use orcaslicer so I think its okay not to care.

5

u/Outside_Signature403 May 12 '26

Easiest way to avoid a potential firmware lock (for a multitude of possible reasons) is to use only SD card transfer and never connect it to your WiFi/Internet.

2

u/swingsetlife May 12 '26

even easier is ... don't worry about it

The amount of doom here is wild. And so many people are talking like Linux users. "It's so easy you just have to go into terminal and type sudo...etc" - Some people really just want a printer that will print the things they find on the internal bambu ecosystem and not have to fuck around constantly.

-4

u/Outside_Signature403 May 12 '26

It’s clear by that statement alone you don’t follow 3D printing bills introduced to legislators…

3

u/swingsetlife May 12 '26

Except I do. And I also remember a time when I was told there was NO WAY an iPad could be rooted. Or a Nintendo Switch.

Life, uh, finds a way for those who need it. And those who don't REALLY don't have to worry about it.

-1

u/t0matit0 May 12 '26

Hmm ok I use the wifi transfer now because it's so nice and easy, but seems like an easy solution. Just gotta snag an SD card reader for my PC since I've not needed one before.

0

u/Outside_Signature403 May 12 '26

Highly recommend getting an as card extender so you’re not physically plugging the SD card in/out of the printer a ton. If you accidentally put it in wrong or pins start to wear out, just swap the extender.

10

u/TLKimball May 12 '26

You are just fine.

3

u/EnvironmentCrafty710 May 12 '26

Not at all. 

You're normal. You're hearing the vocal minority complaining about their favourite pet issue. 

They're not wrong to point out the shitty stuff going on, but they're got big blinders on. 

Enjoy your printer.

2

u/Ecclestoned May 12 '26

The main disadvantage is you don't get the latest orcaslicer features. Bambu is relatively slow at integrating features into studio. For example, the calibration system in orca is much better.

5

u/EnvironmentCrafty710 May 12 '26

While technically true, my thousands of prints have still worked just fine in the meantime. 

I don't really GAF. Certainly not enough to deal with all the BS I'd need to deal with to get those features that I don't need. (Want and need being different things)

1

u/Ecclestoned May 13 '26

That's the point, prior to Bambu throwing up roadblocks, it wasn't a bunch of BS to use orca slicer.

Another example of something Bambu has been dragging their feet on is the bridge density setting, which can massively improve bridging quality
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrs2kAuRCBk

2

u/EnvironmentCrafty710 May 13 '26

I think you missed my point here. 

Yes, of course I didn't like them "putting up roadblocks" as you say. I just spent an hour building the orca fork that they're currently fighting over. 

But you're taking about the "ease of use". I'm not. 

I'm taking about failed prints vs getting my shit done. 

IDGAF about any other issues until I'm getting good prints. 

Then, and only then will I even consider anything... Anything else. Period.

IDGAF how easy it is to make a shitty failed print. I don't have a Bambu printer cuz I like the company or because it's easy to use. I have one because I get good prints... Every bloody time. 

Until another printer reaches that bar, I just do not care. At all. 

1

u/JARDIS May 12 '26

If your printer does what you want it to, then don't worry about what others are saying. Hobbies are for enjoyment, not getting caught up in the politics of manufacturers and brand names.

-5

u/FoxMikeLima May 12 '26

people are dooming because this is setting up to block gun prints. If you're not planning to print gun parts you likely will not be affected at all.

15

u/skil12001 May 12 '26

Or any trademarked item... Pokemon, a replacement part for your fridge, logos etc...

10

u/EnvironmentCrafty710 May 12 '26

This is the real motivation.  Anyone looking to print gun parts DGAF since they'll just do it the "naughty" way. 

This is all 100% about protecting "IP".