Is the P1S still necessary with the presence of the P2S?

Bambu Lab P Series General Discussions
1

Well, I was having a conversation with @CincinnatiDesigns and I just want to move it here. Join in the conversation!

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Speculation: New A Series Printer(s)?
Speculation: New A Series Printer(s)?
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Heres the question as I am taking it: is the P1S or P2S better for print farms?

I will argue on the side of the P2S, but would also like to acknowledge the incredible capabilities of both machines.

So here are my points:

  1. The quick swap hotend allows for easier maintence. Important when you might be swapping a nozzle every month or so.
  2. The camera is way better. It is easier to check on the printers at a distance and with more clarity.
  3. The wifi connectivity on the P2S is considerably faster and more stable.
  4. The biggest one would be the thermal management system of the P2S. Most farms have to run the P1S with the door off which leads to more noise and dust.
  5. Faster wifi. The P2 supports 5ghz and 2.4 ghz while the P1 only supports 2.4ghz. Jobs are sent faster, print updates are faster, video is real time.

Both printers are very similar in capabilities, so I am not going to break into the minor speed and quality improvements.

Minor QOL improvements add up when you are scaling.

Price would be the only reason to go with the P1S right now. But in all fairness, the price of the P2S is almost exactly what the P1S was priced at 9 months ago.

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Yep, price is the key. If you need 50 printers, and can grab the older model 150$ cheaper, then yes, it is easily a worthwhile option.

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4

Agree. I have a piddling business but we found that we needed another printer after the H2S arrived. Instead of dropping $550 we decided to add another P1S to the mix. The first one is now 3-4 years old and has been used daily for nearly all those years. Reliable and trustworthy so I bet on the one I knew would fit and last.

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The P1P was even better, much more maintainable.

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The schools I help at cannot put the printers on the network (some school policy), so they do not benefit from the enhanced network capabilities or better camera. So they mainly use the P1S.

But the Middle School Robotics team I coach bought the P2S and cannot use any of those upgraded parts.

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OK, so we started a business last year when I could no longer work.
The idea is to start small, stay small for a bit, then see what happens. To accomplish this we ordered another P1S. I had already ordered an H2S so now we have 4 printers.

My thinking was based on 2 things. One financial, the other longevity. My P1P/P1S has 3-4 years under it’s belt with no issues and I have a ton of parts bought when they were on sale. While the P2S was reasonable I still felt that the P1S was a better choice. Proven, abundant parts, experience maintaining and the ease of use. My wife was able to jump in and learn it all very quickly.

I don’t think the added features of the P2S fit. Both P1S machines are PLA or PETG only. They will be running non-stop for weeks at a time. None of the added benefits of the 2 overrode the added expense.

I would imagine most farms that have P1S running feel the same. Having them available is a nobrainer.

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