Plot twist: Bambu did not save me $4500

Bambu Lab H2 Series
1

OK, dream officially achieved.
H2C is ordered.
Plot twist: Bambu did not save me $4500.
Final damage today: $4820 — because obviously I needed the vision encoder and engineering plates. Obviously.

Twenty-two days ago, I hesitated.
( https://forum.bambulab.com/t/i-think-bambu-saved-me-4500-cad/210322 )

I missed my chance at a new printer and convinced myself I had “saved” $4500.
I told myself a very serious, very responsible story:

“Nozzles aren’t available. I don’t need a new printer. This is an impulsive purchase. I am a mature adult.”

Lies. All lies.

Fast-forward to today: impulse buying wins again. :upside_down_face:
Because let’s be honest — your brain already knows what you need, it just waits for your wallet to catch up.
Why buy tomorrow what you can buy today and gain one extra day of fun?
Life is short. Printers are cool. End of discussion.

Now I just hope it arrives before Christmas
Because I’m diving straight into 7-color stained-glass translucent PLA models with festive vibes.
Also, in my previous post I said $4500 is a lot for a printer.
Then I checked Facebook…
Turns out some used printers are $20–30k.
So yeah — $4.5k is basically a steal for a machine this awesome.
Math checks out. :smiley:

13 Likes
2

The vision encoder is worth the money in my experience. Lovely for tight tolerances.

2 Likes
3

Have fun with the new toy

1 Like
4

Haha love it.

I love using man maths for pretty much most of my larger purchases. Makes me feel so much better about it :joy:

4 Likes
5

What a lovely story! Indeed I could nearby feel myself in your situation, however mine was in fact much lower than ~$5k, then the H2C was not available upon my order and not yet officially announced (except rumors) and if even so, my wife would me throw out together with in the her eyes „peace of ■■■■“ if she would hear how much it did costs. She was already complaining about the stuff I have there and even doesn’t use it, so it just occupies the space…

Well she was right with it, my old stuff came many years ago, as I and my other 3 colleagues in work were fascinated with 3d printing and there was the nice free DIY delta printer. So we decided to buy all the pieces to build 3 Kossel Mini delta printers. It took a long time but yeah we did it. And then it began the the time for tweaking and tuning and and and… the first printouts were for sure other parts for the printer itself, like new bed holder, new effector, etc… Anyway, to print something meant hours for preparation and calibration as mostly the first layer failed… and as a few years later one of the shafts had broken, I even bought a new one, but never installed it. So yes it was sort of „piece of ■■■■“ where I did spent a lot of time of my life.

2 months ago I struggled over Bambus Black Fridays offer so yes, time for some replacement… so as cheap as the A1 mini, there is no way to resist… would be more or less the same I had until now. Hmm then aber, thinking about the bigger part they don‘t fit and mine workaround and alternatives , I started to think about the A1… yeah bigger is always better… (+$$ price is growing) Then again as I thought what I had to do to print out ABS without warping, enclosed printer would be much better. (again +$$) so P1S - definitely a nice offer… AMS? No it is a waste of filament… or do I need it? Then I saw some muricolor models and definitely… yes go for it, (+$$) but which one AMS or AMS Pro? Hmm Heater is good, better guidance… ah blame me, go for Pro (+$$) then as I decided to order I struggled about the brand new P2S… no no… too expensive… but very very nice upgrades… and I would not sleep buying something old if there is potentially something better … after long time where I could not decide, (which did cost me the availability of some filament colours in the offer) I ended Up with P2S spending over $1000 (with accessoires) instead of $219

I could at least resist the H2S and H2D, and their Laser Options… I don‘t know if I would resist H2C but now is everything settled down and I am happy (still didn‘t convinced my wife yet, but working on)

Cheers!

1 Like
6

Lol, I have up that fight “within self” long ago. I’m 51, and have been messing with “expensive things” since I was 19… I can’t stress how much I’ve “thrown away” on models, salt water systems(fish, coral, thanks, calcium reactors, protein skimmers, yada yada) hydroponics, my model train layout “room”, and now 3d printers.

I’m the big scope of things, printing now is far less than probably anything else I’ve gotten into. It was only since I “re-indulged” in FDM, and namely Bambu machines, that I’ve spent any real money on a “per unit” basis… So my wife: she pretty much always says “Damon, you’re gonna do what you wanna do anyways”… So it doesn’t bother her much… Anymore… She does what she does with her change, and I take care of the rest. So I guess the exchange is mutually beneficial…

I printed her 2 phone cases yesterday(TPU for AMS trials), and 95% of the plant pots were have I’ve printed. So a good deal of the time, a lot of filament is spent on her “projects”. So on the printers, she stopped saying anything at all! Doesn’t hurt, that whenever I have her setup a sale of my old units, I break her off a 3rd for her “processing and find” fees… Lol!

So I guess “we” make it work… At least most of the time… There are times that she gets agitated with me… But hey, I’m a guy… That’s to be expected…

Anyhow, IMHO, there are far worse things that one could be doing in life, with money. So, just like me, you have to pick your battles!

5 Likes
7

I wonder if BL wants to borrow that for a social post tag line :slight_smile:

8

BL i saving me $799 at the moment. Email sent yesterday stating that you can now BUY the upgrade kit. Not yet you can, at least not when I pull it up on their site, still has the notify me, you know, that thing you click asking for your email, which is how I got yesterdays email in the first place.

However, you only get four .4 nozzles, so would have to buy 2 more to have a complete setup for 7 color printing. Then at least 2 more .2 nozzles for 4 color printing. Same for .6 as there is only one each of .2 and .6 included. I actually do more multicolor prints with the .2 than the .4, rarely use the .6. That and they are not in stock. add $200 for the nozzles and its more like a $1000 upgrade. that makes my H2D now a $2900 machine.

At this point I will wait until I have actual jobs that can make the most use of the speed difference, most what I have been doing have been 2 color prints, so no difference between the D and the C in waste since its all on a Purge tower.

9

Is vision encoding something you need to run often?

10

Every 100 hours or so is what I do. I do it when I run a dry cycle on the AMS.

11

I run it when humidity changes drastically, every couple weeks, or before printing a part with tight tolerances.

12

What part of the printer does the humidity affect?

13

Others may disagree but i believe it effects the belts, oils, and the plastic. Where i live humidity can swing between 5%-90% in a week this time of year.

1 Like
14

I love this guy. The math absolutely checks out: you start with an A1 Mini at $219, and somehow—pure mathematics—you end up with a P2S for $1000. I thought I was good at math, but clearly there are other mathematicians walking among us.

I started with a P1S + AMS, so there was really only one possible solution to the equation: H2C + 2× AMS Pro + HT. I tried for 22 days to prove the math wrong. Different formulas, different assumptions—same result every time. And yes, I also missed the Matte PLA sale at $13 a roll. Identical story. Tragic…

But my friend, I must tell you where you went wrong. Very wrong. Dangerously wrong.

You said:

“The first printouts were for sure other parts for the printer itself—like a new bed holder, new effector, etc.”

And then you added:

“My wife would throw me out together with, in her eyes, a ‘piece of xxxx.’”

She should throw you out. No debate here.

Rule #1 of 3D printing:

You never print printer parts first. Ever.

The first thing you print must prove your love:

a heart

roses

an ornament

a light box

a flower pot

Anything that says, “I bought this printer for us.”

Printer upgrades come later—when trust is rebuilt.

I’ll even give you a list of models that worked shockingly well for me.

And let’s be honest—we both know you’re already thinking about the next printer. Start printing my hearts (I don’t even need the boost—just please don’t leave a 1-star rating, and by next Christmas, upgrading will be much easier.

Happy printing

My heart collection:

https://makerworld.com/en/collections/5331056-valentines

Ornaments:

https://makerworld.com/en/collections/10023409-christmas-bauble-ornament-decor

I have few more collections which you can use.

6 Likes
15

My next CCF printer runs about 2,000 dollars and comes with around 4,500 meters of CCF, plus 4 kilos of PET‑CF, 2 kilos of CFC PETG, and a few sample spools thrown in.​

It is an expensive hobby, especially since I do not use the printers for my day job.​
But I have been here before: I once swore I would never buy a closed gyrocopter because I preferred flying open.​
I proudly told myself I had just “saved” 50,000 dollars that way.​
One month later I landed on a friend’s private airfield for his birthday party and, by the time the celebration was over, I had somehow bought a closed gyrocopter.

2 Likes
16

Compared to my other hobbies 3d printing is cheap.

Work hard play hard i guess.

1 Like
17

@MirooP2S please take notes and learn from this man (What did he print first… not printer parts…nope) . He is very good. The cut from sold printers to his wife was absolutely brilliant. Now his wife wants him to sell even more old stuff. This is the cleanest upgrade path I have ever seen. :innocent:
Honestly, I think I’m going to design him a Professor of Mathematics 3D trophy. :wink:

I’m 50 as well, so obviously I’m not just randomly buying things like @DameD. I’m far more mature. I think very carefully first…

…and then I buy everything anyway. Happy Printing !

5 Likes
18

From what I’ve read:

Anytime there are significant temperature changes, or you move the printer, or after extensive printing where the X and Y axes may drift out of alignment, recalibration may be needed. Printing frequently at high speeds can also stress the belts and frame, which can lead to misalignment over time. Bambu recommends calibrating biweekly, but in my opinion, if the printer isn’t abused, calibration likely isn’t required that often.

My newest printing challenge is clocks—specifically different types of clock mechanisms. I suspect the vision encoder could help slightly with accuracy and consistency.

Once I receive it, I’ll report back with real-world usage results.

19

Ever consider resin? I’m not a fan of it, but for fine gears and such it may be more appropriate.

20

@MirooP2S

Next time your wife complains that you bought a new printer, just say:

“Honey, please stop… or I’ll buy a plane like @L0rdS474n, and the printer will be the least of your worries.”

Or—if you want to play it safe—be nice. Print one or two of my heart designs, maybe a flower pot, and enjoy a happy life.

Now, if she realizes you’re bluffing about the plane, abort mission immediately and use my method. But if she actually believes you might buy a gyrocopter… well, that’s something to think about.

You see, when men collectively get together and exchange information, suddenly we become incredibly resourceful and full of ideas. No wonder we went to the Moon in 1969.

Just imagine back then:

“Honey, if you don’t stop, I’ll go to the Moon.”

And the guy actually went to the Moon. :upside_down_face:

2 Likes