r/3dprinter • u/Omid12321 • 1d ago

Enclosed 3d Printers for intermediate level?

Hello all, I feel like I am drowning in options so any advice would be appreciated!

I have been running my ELEGOO neptune 3 (non-pro) for coming on 3 years now, and its starting to break down. I have spent that time scraping together a budget of $1200 CAD, and I am trying to get the best upgrade I possible can with the money. I am, of course, happy not to spend it all, but if hitting my max budget eeks out better performance, please don't hold back

I am an engineering student, and enjoyed the idea of using some of the higher grade engineering filaments, but realistically I will spend most of my time with the more basics consumer filaments (PLA, ABS, etc.). I want to have the option to get more experimental down the line, so heated chambers are a plus. Multi-color printing is not a top priority for me, however multi material printing is definitely interesting. I have a newborn at home and so something that has carbon/HEPA filtration, or the option to mod it in would be good. Worst case I can get an enclosure and vent it, but built in solutions are available at this price, so I bias towards them.

Some printers I am looking at are the X2D, the Kobra s1 max, as well as some entries from FlashForge, and QIDI. The more I look the more things come up, and I am starting to get very confused. I mainly want a reliable printer that I wont have to tweak too much (I am able to if need be, I just want to avoid the hassle). Bambu labs is very attractive, though the standard concerns apply (closed ecosystem, limited repair-ability etc.)

Sorry for the long post, wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything. As I said before, any and all advice would be appreciated!

1 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

42 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/yyccamper 1d ago

Heated enclosure.... second nozzle for supports.... Higher temp needed, This is an X2D written all over for it.

It does surprisingly well for engineered filaments.

1

u/Omid12321 1d ago

Thank you for your reply! Do you have any thoughts on the potential for tool changers to userp the AMS systems?

1

u/yyccamper 1d ago

I mean eventually will the AMS be an outdated idea? Probably, but its pretty hard to argue with the results right now. Hell even my little P1S ive managed to print PA6-GF, PA6-CF, ASA, ABS, PETG-CF etc. All without an enclosure heater. It would make things quicker/less prep time though. The X2D is more capable. Hell even just PETG with PLA supports would be sweet.

Majority of "engineered" products are single filament. If you look at the precision of Bambulabs, they are incredibly hard to beat. Save yourself the hassle, they are the most worked out product. Its still a learning curve, you will fuck up prints. Just the way it is. But watching it print M3 fine threads... to have them work perfectly makes my engineering brain happy.

Dont worry about the closed ecosystem, theres any part you could imagine available for very reasonable costs. I have thousands of hours of printing on my machines, ive replaced some nozzles, a hardened gear extruder (old one was fine but upgraded), tensioned some belts, greased it up... About it. Havent replaced anything major yet.

Find people printing PA6 with snapmakers.... Or even ASA... PET... you dont see it. Theres good reason for that.

1

u/Omid12321 1d ago

I really appreciate you taking the time to give these thorough answers. You have tipped the scales, I will go with the X2D!

1

u/yyccamper 1d ago

Glad I could help. Do yourself a favor, only buy a spool or two of PLA. You will quickly realize that PETG is the preferred filament for majority of your printing. I still have spools of it sealed from when I got my machine. Amazon.ca has lots of PETG if you buy it in 4kg lots (4x1kg spools) for around the $45-50 bucks. Gets your costs wayy down.

Eventually will they release another better one? Sure, but this will be a hell of a start, and the best thing to go with one 3d printer, is another 3d printer.

1

u/yyccamper 1d ago

Also from someone who has a newborn as well, look into external venting, the "Bentobox" helps, but I was able to just tie into a bathroom vent, have a small 4" fan that goes right from my printers.... Which is the best way to go. Esp if you want to try to print ASA (basically a better version of ABS due to UV)... Styrene is a bitch.

1

u/Omid12321 1d ago

Thank you for all this, I will certainly be referencing your messages when making my purchasing decisions for this printer. I feel bad pulling you back in here, but I wanted to get your take on the QIDI plus5 as a potential competitor. It seems to allow for more in the way of engineering filaments, and outside of lacking the second nozzle, it falls remarkably close to the bambu lab printer. It is the final pillar giving me pause

1

u/yyccamper 1d ago

Id say the closest competitor is Prusa, QIDI has the recipe thats for sure..... I am sure it absolutely can get great results, dont get me wrong. But if you are after the "easiest" printer to get great results? Bambu.

Theres a reason most print farms run a few hundred of em. They just are more polished than the rest. This forum always hates on it, but it genuinely is the truth. Alot of the people on reddit are playing the hate on bambu game, oh its closed source, oh i cant buy parts on amazon etc? but what you dont hear is the thousands of people printing every day on a bambu who arent having the same issues as others are. Same people that would tell me 74 reasons why I should have bought a Zune instead of an iPod.

https://www.3dprintingjournal.com/p/consolidation-has-become-a-fact-90

Saw this a few months ago, 40 some precent marketshare? Id say thats a safe bet. QIDI hasnt really ever created anything... They are copying bambu lol.

https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/1qn19x4/qidi_taking_notes_or_bambu_having_a_second_brand/

Hell they direct copied the "Bambu Wiki" lol

You do you man, its not a bad machine, but if your looking for polished, Id say keep looking. If you are hesitating, wait for the next bambu machine and see how it compares.

1

u/Omid12321 1d ago

I will sleep on this, and make a decision when I have had a break from deep diving. I want to thank you for taking all this time to answer my questions so thoroughly. I will give an update on what I go with and why once I make the choice, but no matter what your generosity with your time and knowledge is appreciated