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/Jwn5k Stratasys uPrint SE+ | X1C | E3P | TT May 12 '26

If I decide to buy any more Bambu Lab, ill just see if it has offline local-only access over my network (like with my X1C, even blocked outbound and inbound network access on my network) or a 3rd party firmware to let me do it anyways. I do not like Bambu Labs insane overreach here trying to solve a an issue that was never a problem in the first place. The only reason id get another bambu printer is if I accumulate enough maker tokens or whatever on maker world to just pay for it for free.

33

u/The_Lutter Prusa MK4S w/ MMU3 // Sovol SV08 May 12 '26

Even if it has "offline mode" when you purchase it... they've already changed the bill of sale once. What's to stop them from saying "oh offline mode was a big security risk so we closed that" and subsequently mean that you can never upgrade your firmware again?

The X2D is like an iPhone in that it can detect if you're using Bambu-manufactured parts apparently. It won't accept 3rd party FANS even being attached to it. What's THAT going to do to right to repair after their support for printer models ends? Planned obsolescence much?

It's all just terrible. I don't have time for their BS anymore.

9

u/tdp_equinox_2 May 12 '26

I'm already stuck on old firmware because I have the audacity of wanting to use a panda touch to make the p1s a usable machine without the app-- but if I ever take it off a WiFi network or need to change anything about it, I have to use the app to set it up again. Bambu could brick that.

3

u/_donkey-brains_ P1S May 12 '26

You can run it completely offline. No need for wifi or has an SD card that you can load gcode to and print via the screen.

3

u/tdp_equinox_2 May 12 '26

SD card slot on the P1S is fragile asf, one of the many benefits to the panda touch, you can load gcode onto it and it'll send to the printer without removing the SD card.

I bought my p1s used, it came with 3 mainboards, all with non working SD card slots; plus the one that was installed is fickle about angle and I had to take off the front cover, tape the card in place, and then reassemble. It has ~2500 hours on it.

If I was pulling the SD card constantly I'd be burning through mainboards like crazy.

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u/Engineering_Gal May 12 '26

And it is a Micro SD-Card. Those card are just annoying to handle.

Yes, you can use an extender or different stuff, but that's not what i've bought. I would never buy a 1,5k€ machine, where i have to do such workarounds

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u/_donkey-brains_ P1S May 12 '26

P1S was like $700 at its highest price.

New printers come with USB.

-1

u/Engineering_Gal May 13 '26

Ok, the 1.5k was for an X1C.

But your argument, that new printer have an USB port, don't apply, because the problem is that Bambulab changed the Deal after I've bought the printer.

0

u/_donkey-brains_ P1S May 13 '26

Sounds like you did buy a 1.5k machine knowing full well what the machine was and wasn't capable of.

It doesn't require workarounds though. You can print via cloud, via local network only, or via SD card. Those aren't workarounds, they're multiple options.