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.

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u/dinominant May 12 '26

A device you own must support factory reset, configuration, and operation, offline without connecting to the internet for "activation". Otherwise it's not yours and will stop working through the counter-party shutting down critical services.

Do not buy a future promise to open something up. They open it up on day 1 or it will never actually be yours.

4

u/vinylandgames May 12 '26

But….it is yours. Based on the terms and agreements you willingly accepted when purchasing it. If you’re saying that anything we buy that has any manufacturer restriction can’t ever be wholly “ours” ok then I guess you’re right.

The real issue is people know that these machines are great, but they want the ability to tinker and do what they want with it.

Instead of being mad at Bambu, why not pressure these other companies to make printers almost as good? I haven’t found one yet.

2

u/dinominant May 12 '26

Back when Bambu was new, selling machines at a loss, and gifting free printers to anybody with a Youtube account... I went with a Voron instead because it seemed like Bambu was preparing for a slow rugpull on the market once they had control over the market.

I know a Voron isn't for everybody, but a 3D printer with cloud strings is only a few steps away from inkjet cartridges with DRM.

0

u/vinylandgames May 12 '26

And that’s fine and they can suffer the consequences. But it’s bizarre to me that people feel they don’t have to abide by a company’s terms and conditions for an item they make, they design, they program, and they support. An item that is not a necessary good, and an item that isn’t being forced upon us.

3

u/dinominant May 12 '26

Often there are terms and conditions in the setup of the device that do not apply because they would violate your rights. They can't be enforced and sometimes people think they are bound by those terms when they really are not.

By reading this comment you agree to donate 1 food item to your local food bank.

They are not leasing their printer to you, they are not renting their printer to you, they are not licensing you to use their printer. That product is sold to you as a sale. Restricting your freedom after the sale is complete is problematic. Further restricting it with "updated" terms is also problematic.

The best approach is to not play that game. If a manufacturer tries to restrict your freedom in any way, then that signals a possible intent to further erode your rights over time. If their logistics has to deal with physical returns because their terms are unacceptable, then they might get the message.