220+ Hours with the H2S - Ask me anything

Bambu Lab H2 Series
1

The journey so far has been pretty splendid, even coming from multiple X1C Combo units.
Just about everything has been an improvement as far as I can tell. If I could trade in all of my X1C for H2S then I’m pretty sure I would without much though.

My first project was the frame for an Ultimo modular case in the 4x4 display variety. The H2S made pretty quick work of the transparent PETG parts. I would say that this went off without a hitch, except in my haste to get started and because of my limited table space (it’s a big printer obviously) I did not notice that the rear exhaust vent was actually taped shut in its shipping configuration. The unboxing experience was pretty good, better than the X1C experience as I recall it, but it didn’t mention this tape and I know others experienced a similar issue. Perhaps a v2 of the shipping documentation is already in order, but it was a pretty minor issue over all. The printer notified me that the chamber temp was too high and paused the print, which sent me down the path to discover the issue and work towards resolving it. This little sidequest ultimately resulted in having a couple of warped parts from me opening the door and exploring the situation, but I would say “not really the fault of the machine” here.

image
image1178×1046 272 KB

Oops.
Anyway, the rest of the prints went flawlessly after this was resolved. I’d post a picture of the completed project but I actually took a break because I’m presently too busy/lazy to cut the acrylic panels for the walls doors. I’ll probably post more later, but I recommend the project for those who are curious.

My latest project has been this Cat Wheel. Something I’ve been wanting to improve the quality of life for my pets, and conveniently a suitable project for a larger printer given the size of the complete model. While I could probably have the whole project done faster if I distributed the work among my 8 X1C, I must say it’s still pretty nice that I can fit 3 wheel segments on a plate and let them rip for just over a day. Here’s what those 3 wheel segments would look like on an A1/X1/P1 sized plate:

image
image695×889 126 KB

Total insanity. Completely dwarfed. One segment barely fits.
I’ve decided on gray PETG-HF and haven’t had a single issue for this particular project, but I did start to notice a big of a film building up on the glass door and perhaps a big of a foggier picture on the camera. Given the fact that I’ve ripped through a little over 6kg of the material (in only a few days I might add) and only started to see this, I’d say it’s acceptable and easy enough to mitigate.

I think at this point my only very-minor gripe is that there does not yet appear to be a Cool “SuperTack” plate available for it just yet. I’m sure they’ll offer it at some point (I hope).

So yeah thanks for reading my little micro blog here if you made it this far.
Happy to answer any questions for folks interested in possibly getting the machine, or compare notes with anyone who already has an H2 series machine.
I’ll also update here on my current projects for posterity or whatever. If sentiment changes then it’ll be noted.

Later Folks

1 Like
2

As you said ask you anything; off the top of my head:

  • How are babies made?
  • Are we living in a manufactured reality?
  • Am I being childish?
  • Milk before tea or tea before milk?
  • Is a Jaffa Cake a cake or a biscuit?
  • Will Marvel movies get better?
  • Why, just why?

:rofl:

9 Likes
3
  • I think the storks handle that?
  • Probably
  • Maybe - Matter of opinion
  • Tea before milk
  • Neither
  • I don’t think so
  • Why not?
2 Likes
4

Is 220 hours enough to review a 3d printer?

5

It is more than enough if the person asking has less, is less confident or has yet to purchase.

Plus, others didn’t offer.

2 Likes
6

I have 2500+ hours on my H2D, ask me anything 3D PRINTING related. :joy:

3 Likes
7

What parts are seeing the highest wear and have you seen any part failure?

8

Just the silicone hot end socks and a wiper that started to show wear from high temp filament printing the usual consumables, everything else chugging along just fine.

9

Don’t put Malcy in a box!

10

I will get rich someday??? thank you i wait for your answer

11

Have you had to replace your hot end fan?

13

Nope, running fine. And all my profiles are turned up to 65c.

200

1 Like
14

Thanks, take you up on that!

1/ What spares / spare nozzles does your experience would you recommend getting with the printer/h2s?

2/ Now that you starting to get down with the h2s, what does your intuition/exp tell you? Do you think it is less trouble than the extra toolhead d/c versions, what vibes do you get?
As in would you still go for the s now if you bought it again or would you go for the d or wait for the c?

3/ Did you get the extra warrantee year option and your thoughts on it?

4 / Did you get both the standatd 0,4 nozzle and the high flow superexpensive 0,4 nozzle? And what is your recomendations of these options?

Thanks for any feedback!

/TheSwedishChupacabra

15

I already saw the ticket about H2D build plates and got everyone’s experiences with off-brand build plates, but what is the best one? (adhesion-wise, built for TPU, PLA, PA and PETG, it won’t break or wear down easily for a while)

16

Making a separate comment for @Ridokilos ,

  • Have you used the Laser module? if so, what is the quality of it?
  • I’ve heard that the H2 series prints with PETG far better than the X1 or P1 series, I don’t have an X or P printer so I must ask if this is true
  • Is the H2S just as bad with PLA (compared to the A1) as the H2D is?
  • How well are the generic print profiles? (I usually use PLA and TPU, sometimes PETG and couple of Nylon shenanigans here and there. I get my filament from inland)
  • Is the H2S more ideal for printing large-scale architectural models than the H2D?
  • What came first, the chicken or the egg?
  • How difficult is it to modify the H2S (if you have ever done that)
  • Is the Z-banding problem apparent with the H2S too?
  • does the H2S shake as much as the H2D does?
  • Do you also have an H2D, and if so, thoughts on the toolhead:
  • Also some thoughts on the machinery for the H2S overall:
17

In all of my thousands of machine hours on my X1Cs I did not take on a project that necessitated the need for anything other than the default nozzle. In my opinion, for my projects, dealing with the calibration of switching to a smaller nozzle would only be worth it if I decided to start printing MANY small things (like a whole tabletop game set of mini figures and more perhaps).
I still haven’t seen a particularly good use for larger nozzles. Maybe if EVERY print is max size every time, then the marginal speed differences would pay off. Or perhaps if you just really like the look of those thick, round layerlines. I’ve not yet bothered with anything other than the 0.4 nozzles.

I suppose my intuition on the H2S is that it’s probably easier to dial in for a little more quality and speed at once than the H2D - there is simply less going on with the toolhead and it should therefore be lighter, and easier to move with greater speed and precision. A couple of friends seem to have confirmed as much.
I only had X1C units for a long time before the announcement of the H2D, and what I really wanted to see out of Bambu was the true multi tool/head competition for the Prusa XL. When the H2D was announced I was a bit dissapointed, but could still see its benefits - I just decided to not bother and continue waiting. Now, apparently, it should be possible to upgrade any H series to a C unit and that seems really cool to me. So i’m considering taking on that upgrade as a fun little side project. Ultimately, I think the H2C will be the king. There will always be certain tradeoffs (like build volume which is neither here nor there for me most of the time), but I think true multi hotend swapping will be the balance I enjoy most.

I didn’t bother with any extended warranty and didn’t even really realize that was an option. I’ve yet to have a problem that I could not easily solve myself with any of my X1C units, and that gives me confidence enough to trust the same out of the H2S.

18

The only add-on I have for the H2S is the AMS 2 Pro. I’ve not had the pleasure of playing around with the laser module unfortunately. Looks cool.

PETG on the H2S so far does seem to have at least a marginal quality bump over the X1C in my opinion, but I think this experience will vary greatly depending on your chosen brand/blend/color of PETG and your environment. For me though, it does appear to be slightly nicer completed prints, a bit less stringing. For the price, and if the extra build volume is not necessary, I wouldn’t say it is worth the upgrade for this alone. But again, it may depend on other factors for some folks.

I don’t have an H2D, but I do have an A1 and several X1C. The quality overall on the H2S is better pretty much all around as far as I can tell. The X1C isn’t terribly far behind, but I’ve also not done a lot of direct comparison. The A1 is great for what it is, but quality ultimately takes a small hit from being a bed-slinger I think.
I truly believe that any perceived quality differences between the H2S and H2D come down to the size/weight of the toolhead - the S is simply more nimble.

I’ve always relied pretty heavily on default/generic profiles across all of my printers, and the only disappointment I really recall is Polymaker Polylite PETG being a real disaster in quallity on my X1C (their other materials were all great though)- It was so much trouble that I don’t think I would bother returning to it on my H2S. I haven’t used TPU on the H2S yet, but I will soon for the Cat Wheel project so hopefully I can report back on that soon. PLA prints come out just as good as you would expect, and I have not had the chance to use Nylon either. I’ll test them soon because i’ve got some materials and ideas there as well. Always had good experiences with it on the X1C besides the warping, but I think I was fighting the ambient cold for those.

For large scale architectural models I’d probably opt for H2S over the H2D because I don’t see much use for the 2 nozzle configuration there (I assume you pretty much always do them in a single color). The slight boost in speed and quality for those is probably worth it alone. But maybe I’ve got the wrong idea about architectural models :sweat_smile:

Chicken before the Egg, methinks

I’ve not done much modification, but one thing that stands out is the plastic shell… I bet it’s really easy to drill holes and throw on attachments :grin:
I’m thinking about printing out one of those spool holders that hangs the spool directly over the top of the printer with the lid opened for some TPU printing.

As far as Z-banding, i’ve noticed a bit when printing larger wheel segments of the Cat Wheel, but as usually it’s only particularly pronounced with that very specific down-lighting coming from within the H2S chamber (man the lights in that thing are WAY brighter than those in the X1C). I’m not a huge stickler for supreme quality though, so I just may not be sensitive to it. Nothing offensive for me, but I know others take it very seriously, and will probably still take issue with it here unless they reduce print speed.

The H2C shakes Quite A Bit. This appears to be by design. The feet underneath are quite soft and flexible. Not a problem for me, but I could see it being annoying under certain circumstances.

As mentioned, I do not have an H2D, but my understanding when discussing with friends is that the lighter/smaller toolhead does much better at simply printing than the multi-purpose, dual nozzle head of the H2D (which is obviously more capable in other regards)

The H2S just feels more premium over all compared to the X1C (which is still a rather premium device) - even with the plastic shell. There are finer details, smoother touch points, cleaner seams, etc… It’s a beautifl machine.
I never had any problem with the carbon rods in the X1C, but looking at linear rails in the H2S is really just a solid upgrade visually, and technically from a maintenance perspective. Being able to slide the build plate onto the bed without any fuss is an upgrade as well. On the X1C it’s always a liiiittle finicky until you print little guide brackets. The fact that the vents pop open by themselves when necessary instead of the X1C bothering you with warning and notifications is also a pleasure.

I’ve not had a lot of time to reflect on the AMS 2 Pro vs original AMS, but in my experience it is an upgrade in every single way, and not at all worth using the original if you can avoid it.

2 Likes
19

You need 2 separate plates:

  1. Kdeavi for the best adhesion with PLA/PETG/ABS
  2. Glacier for TPU/PA

They can both be purchased from aliexpress with Glacier being quite a bit cheaper than from BTT/BQ direct.

2 Likes
20

Apologies but what is the Kdeavi petg build plate?

21

Its a plate similar to bambu supertack and btt/bq frostbite but better, it has amazing adhesion for PLA/PETG like supertack/frostbite but also compatible with ABS and ASA. The grip is so good on that type plate (polyura) that i have not had a failed first layer (or print) even once with more than 10,000 hours of printing on P1, X1 and H2D.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_m02Vuhb

1 Like