So I’ve been very impressed with my A1 and I was thinking of getting a P2S but in light of all the recent issues about Bambu and their stance on AGPL etc and also the issue re A1’s potentially being fire/melting hazards and Bambu’s apparent indifference and also all these changes on points, disregard for AI(I know this has been argued to death so I’m not up for discussion on this point) I’m now strongly leaning towards getting the Snapmaker U1, I’ll be keeping the A1 so I’ll still be with Bambu but all this recent crap is turning me off Bambu. Any thoughts?
Well as it happens I was interested in other view hence the reason I posted, I was very impressed with everything I’d read about the P2S but was getting concerned about the way Bambu seemed to be going. I was in two minds, was it just me or was my thoughts justified so I thought I’d pose the question and I am GENUINELY interested!
I, too am genuinely interested in the topic. I deleted my post in the hopes that this gets cleaned and ready for prime time. I would love to hear the points made on these two very interesting choices. I do thank you for understanding.
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You’re comparing two devices that are fundamentally different from each other, which suggests to me that you haven’t really thought about what you want or need.
- Snapmaker U1 = An absolute beast in the multicolour category, and all at an affordable price.
- P2P = Probably the king in terms of value for money and quality, alongside the X2D. The enclosed workspace offers a wide range of material options.
You’ll have to decide between Multicolor and a device that offers more options in terms of quality and materials. It would be different if you were comparing two similar devices, but you’re comparing products with completely different purposes.
So, the only reasonable advice is this: Think about what you want and need. That’s how you’ll find the right printer for you. No one else can answer that question for you.
U1
Tool changers (real ones) and/or INDX (do not get confused with IDEX).
I always get confused on this, which ones are tool changers and which ones are tool head changers?
If you just print PLA and 4 or less colors, snapmaker.
But Snapmaker is not enclosed and has no AMS
So P2S if you need more than 4 filaments, or the enclosure
Not sure if you are serious or not. You say you believe A1 is a hazard but you are keeping it?
Tool changer
Active Tools: The moving part contains mostly motion events and the heads that are swapped in are more electronics, fan(s) and the hot end all in one.
Examples: Snapmaker U1 & Prusa XL.
INDX
Passive Tool Modules : The individual parked heads are simple, wireless, and completely “hot-end-less” mechanical paths with zero electronics.
Example: An upgrade to the Prusa CORE One 3D printer, it is not a standalone printer (as yet), it users the Prusa printer as a base.
Still confused, Which ones are tool changers and which ones are tool head changers?
Tool Changers are ones that swap out almost the entire print head including extruder motor, filament sensors, etc.
Think Prusa XL…
Huge, bulky, cumbersome, but very capable
Tool head changer (I rather use the term nozzle changer)
Simply swaps nozzles and sometimes filament path. Like the bondtech indx or Vortek.
Smaller, more compact, cheaper, but less capable in the multimaterial space.
My opinion…
Nozzle Changers are the future. Mainly for the reason on how bulky toolhead changers are and how expensive it gets. Then the complexity and expense carries over to any repair or calibrations you have to do. Tool head changers have been around for a long time. The above factors are the reasons they never became the norm.
On the Topic…
The U1 is great for low temp materials, but I would never consider it because it is awful for anything that requires high heat. The chamber itself, even with the optional enclosure kit, is not sealed well enough. The developer of the vento box said something like “it is sealed as well as a block of Swiss cheese”
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They make a valid point. But overall it just breaks down to terminology. Thats why I think pictures are important.
We dont have to specifically talk in the sense of 3d printing. Its all just motion systems.
What do you consider to be the tool? (Rhetorical). In my train of thought it is the entire print head. While in a CNC mind it is just the bit. Both methods are tool changers, they just do it in different ways.
So you want to make a statement by buying a U1. By all means, go ahead. If you like it, you are golden. If not, you can always sell it later and buy something else. This is not like a marriage where divoice is messy.
Also as someone mentioned above, if you already considered the A1 a fire hazard, dont’ keep it. Sell it and use the fund towards the U1.
So, would the members here select the U1 or the P2S? I’m curious what the reasoning would be for one over the other. The positives and the negatives. Thanks.
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The U1 is limited to four nozzles (no AMS equivalent as yet), but as each toolhead is independent, you gain significant advantages:
- Speed of change from current to next filament, far, far faster
- Different materials in each nozzle at different temperatures with far more control
- Four nozzles vs one
- Waste material is almost eliminated
- The Poops performed for each filament change are not required as it is different technology
- You can mix TPU prints together, so you can print with four different TPU colours in the same model with ease, no requirement to use stiffer TPU to achieve this
Also
- The full spectrum features that allow you to mix colours together to provide optically achieved colours is now being tested. This means you could gain almost any colour from mixing colours together, within logical limitations. Mixing CMYK, CMYW, RGB or any other combinations to achieve your goal.
This image is taken from the model link below.
Due to how quickly and how little waste there is, this can be printed using just four colours.
Just for you
DM me if you are willing about something else.
I’m not saying it’s a hazard but some are and perhaps I didn’t express myself properly, it’s more about what those who claim they’ve had issues and what Bambu have or haven’t done about it. I agree with yours (and others) comments re what do I want to do with the printer. I was originally definitely going for the P2S because it’s enclosed and gave me the opportunity to use more types of filament but I do print multicolour and the Snapmaker suddenly comes along and I begin to wonder which would be better for my needs, if I had the money I’d buy both but I don’t. Interestingly a few hours after I wrote my original post a watched a YouTube by 3dPrinterMike and he was talking about how it can be a bit of a dilemma since Bambu’s business practices make you begin to think twice about continuing to support them but on the other hand their printers are excellent for what they are and do. Comments on here are making me realise perhaps I need to forget about the Company and focus on what I want the printer to do and make my decision that way.
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In essence I think that’s exactly what I was hoping for, what others thought about the two machines, I think me adding the bit how I’m getting uncomfortable with the way Bambu seems to be going has opened up the debate in a different way.
I was hoping to get a side by side of the actual machines sans all the typical “personal foundational” blatherings. Those horses have been beaten quite effectively elsewhere on this forum. I guess I figured that a 3D Printing Forum could manage the pros and cons of the actual functioning of 3D Printers in a straightforward and constructive discourse. Shooting for the stars I guess.
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Although similar to what others in this thread have mentioned, I think it really just comes down to your use case. Without knowing that, it’s hard to know which device would be the best fit.
I think it’s fair to say that many of us in this hobby have a nerdy streak and a fairly common quality in this group: wanting there to be a single best device.
In reality, I think it just comes down to the types of projects you build and the conveniences you prioritize. Different devices can be the best device for different people.
[Edit because I missed your previous comment: it sounds like you currently print multicolor but may be interested in printing filaments that would require an enclosure. Maybe it’d be best to prioritize the feature that you know you’ll be using?]
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I’m beginning to sway more to the U1 simply because I wonder whether I really want/need to use other types of filament
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Outstanding! I’m also looking at the U1 precisely for the handling of TPU. My A1Mini handles TPU like a champ, but I’d very much like work multiple colors of TPU within the same model. While the Mini is a phenomenal TPU beast, it’s pretty much a single color beast. That’s why the U1 got my attention.
The P2S has had my attention for a while. It’s the one I had intended to purchase. Stock availability at the time pushed me to the H2D. So it’s an itch that I have.
I can justify another printer. Not sure which itch to scratch. So I have hopes of watching the back and forth for strengths and weaknesses here. It’ll most likely not impact, but it will very much mirror what’s in my head right now.
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