I’ve had the X1 Carbon for a short while, there are a few things that I’d really like to see improved on the printer:
We’re using it in a school environment with VERY restricted wifi access. The fact that this printer lacks a USB connector or ethernet jack means that the only way to work with it is through the tiny MicroSD card. This is most unfortunate as I am not a fan of this kind of media – easy to lose, hard to insert, overly fragile. One time I even had it “launch” a card across the room when removing it from the printer, disappearing under a cabinet. Kinda silly for a product of this quality/price.
The glass top is made of non-safety-glass, and should it break becomes thousands of tiny sharp bits that litter down into the printer. This actually happened – UPS manhandled our printer and it arrived in quite a mess.
The packaging is NOT designed well enough to survive the abuse it’s likely to receive at the hands of shipping companies. It should have double wall cardboard, 2 inches of padding all around, and the fragile glass parts should be padded and placed inside the frame during transit.
The printed calibration stripes encroach on the usable space of the bed, and Bambu Studio doesn’t compensate for this. More than once I’ve had parts printed which overlap those stripes that occupy a precious inch or more of the front of the bed.
The fact that I can’t use cardboard-reel filament in the AMS creates a headache, since most vendors are going to this more ecology-aware design. Sure, I could print plastic rims, but why is this required?
The spool holder on the back (required for TPU) is really cheap and too small for many reels. Plus the AMS connector gets in the way. Again, I could print my own replacement spool holder, but I consider this a design flaw.
The fact that I have to use glue stick with almost all types of plastic, including PLA, is a step backwards. I’ve been using uncoated PEI for years now in other printers, never had a problem with too much or too little adhesion.
The LED light inside the cavity is way too dim to see what’s going on, it should be MUCH brighter.
Yes it does. You can see the calibration print when you slice it and move around your parts accordingly. After the bed has been calibrated, you can either disable that feature before a print. If you don’t want to disable it, you can pause it after it’s been calibrated, remove the calibration print, and put the plate back in and use the entirety of the print plate.
It’s required because the edges of cardboard can’t handle the stress of being rolled back and forth repeatedly. The cardboard degrades and gets all sorts of cardboard fuzzies in the AMS. Get used to printing plastic rims or use plastic spools. Bambu Lab can’t improve the physical properties of paper products. The fact that the printable plastic rims are actually reusable makes them the environmentally friendly choice for cardboard spools.
Print up your own replacement that fits your specs. Bambu Lab made one that fit “many reels” people would be complaining that it didn’t fit XYZ specs.
I’ve yet to have a failed print, including PLA, using adhesive on the X1C. Never had a problem with too much or too little adhesion. It works very well.
If I had to guess, the printers you were using without the adhesive were not printing at the crazy speeds the X1C is printing at. This rapid pace and the complexities of heating/cooling and expanding/contracting molten plastic make adhesive a must. Its physics. Sure, people might get away without using it sometimes on the X1C, depending on materials/print plate/speed/ambient temp, but I’d suggest using it if you want fast, consistent, and quality results on the X1C.
The LED is dim so the LiDAR can scan the bed properly. People have reported the LiDAR doesn’t work as well when aftermarket lights are added and it’s MUCH brighter.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Of course, this is an amazing machine and as a disruptive offering (in a good way) it’s bound to have certain amount of “teething pain”. I understand all of your suggestions, and yes there are workarounds to some of these issues. That, however, doesn’t reduce the need for correction at the product origination level.
For example the fact that I can see the calibration stripes after previewing in BS doesn’t address the basic concern that it’s taking up space without warning at the Prepare level. How about automatically avoiding it or at least warning the user there’s an overlap. Or as you say, give me an option to easily turn it off.
Moving forward it is not my intent to bash the product nor company. Instead it is to encourage product-design updates to address these concerns. My hope is that the good folks at Bambu Labs will mature an already fine product to be even better. I’ll likely wait for version 1.1 before buying another one.
If you want to automatically print over it, you can add a layer or two of rafts below your items you’re printing. That will print break away material below it and allow you to print right over them without having them in your print.
You can easily turn it off when printing it from Bambu Slicer or when printing directly from the SD card.
I personally don’t turn it off because it’s a very good warning for me if my settings are off and I need to redo something in the slicer before I waste 18 hours doing a print. It’s saved me a couple times.
I guess we’re going to have to agree to disagree. You see this as a perfect product, I don’t. You seem to be eager to work around weaknesses, I’m willing to do so but don’t want to put on blinders. And then there’s the other concerns I mentioned.
I’m glad for you that you’re satisfied. I think they can do better. That’s all.
I think @Matt is simply sharing some known (and maybe unknown to you) workarounds that exist today. You should certainly submit your requests directly to Bambu Lab if you want to see changes made in the future.
Huh? I can assure you I don’t think it’s a perfect product (there is no such thing, particularly when it comes to 3D printing).
I’m offering you specific solutions to your complaints. When you complain about the cardboard spools not being compatible, I’m telling you exactly why they aren’t and why you should print up spool holders for them. When you complain about having to use glue, I’m explaining that the physics involved with thermal expansion and glass transition temperature of plastics and heated beds usually aren’t compatible with super fast print speeds without using glue. When you say things like “How about automatically avoiding [calibration print area],” I’m showing you how to auto arrange things in the prepare section of the slicer away from the extrusion calibration region automatically. When you say things like “give me an option to turn it off,” I’m showing you how to turn off the flow calibration when you send the print from the slicer.
Those very well may be valid complaints, which is why I didn’t address them. I’m not a Bambu Lab employee. Just trying to show you how to work with the printer, because others have shown me how to work with my printers in the past.
Seems many are very defensive of any suggestions or negative comments on this product. There is no doubt that it is a great team building what may be a great product. But the company needs to hear the good and bad. In some case they have made what seems to be colossal blunders… e.g. the packaging of the product. This is clearly an area they do not understand. First, they tried making one sign for the delivery. Of course, many carriers disregard that. They have tried some repackaging it seems. Yet still people receive their item damaged. As for the spool… their system created the problem, not the filament vendors. My word just provide the plastic sleeves with each roll. I would be careful how one landers to them. If ever becomes so protective who know what you will end up with. It is their company, let them provide good products and good customer service. And a hint to them…. Lunar New Year happens every year. Plan for it if you want to be in an international market place.
First, I would like an X1 Carbon, but not in the state it is right now. Actually I was on the preorder site, when I got the Idea I had to research further in how the X1 are doing, glad I did.
As I see it.
The AMS is a weak point, too many problems.
Many extrusion issues, sudden under extrusion.
Poor quality fans, even fans without bearings. I think they are sending better fans out now.
Way too high noise level. There is an example of a guy who got complaints from he’s neighbors, so he made a full insulated enclosure. No or too little management of the fans. Don’t have to be on, when not printing.
Problems with clogging of hotend.
Warped print beds send out.
You have to be ready for becoming an unpaid technician for Bambu Lab and spending hours on repairing.
In my opinion, these machines were sent out way too early. I still want a X1 Carbon, but I will wait until it is matured (version 2.0). It’s a brilliant thought out machine, but badly engineered, so far. I don’t want to pay 1500$ just to become a guinea pig.
Let’s see in six month or so.
Indeed. This and many other threads with the similar theme of falling over Bambu. Bambu needs to take responsibility where the ball is in their court. e.g. they are the outlier that must have plastic spooks…. It is them and no one else responsible for packaging. I can understand that packaging is not in their wheelhouse. But there are packing professionals that could have gave them that from jump street.
Lots of good thoughts and ideas here so far. Here are some of my thoughts:
Micro SD cards are my least favorite as they aren’t easy to insert/handle. I’d much prefer a normal SD card slot. While a USB port would be better than a Micro SD card slot, I’m not a fan of having a USB key sticking out of my printer at all times.
I’m no packaging expert. However, I do order an unhealthy amount of products online and am quite experienced with receiving products in packaging. All of the items I received from Bambu Lab have been packed better or just as good as most other products I receive almost daily. I don’t have experience with X1 packaging since I only own P1Ps. But, I’m assuming the X1 uses nearly identical packaging as the form factor of both printers is nearly identical. I have seen a few other instances of the glass being broken on delivery, so there does seem to be some room for improvement for packing the glass (at the least).
As for packaging in general, no amount of walls, padding, etc. is going to be able to withstand everything shipping companies do. Thanks to my Ring camera, I’ve witnessed a delivery person carrying packages on her shoulder and then dropping them off her shoulder onto the ground. Unfortunately, there are always going to be some careless delivery people, so no amount of packing improvements are going to prevent all unfortunate delivery experiences.
I’m not sure this is a problem Bambu Lab needs to resolve. If they haven’t done so already though, they could provide more documentation explaining how to use this feature successfully (like @Matt explained above).
Cardboard spools might work great on spool arms (and help save Mother Earth), but they are a disaster waiting to happen when one needs to use them in a scenario where something needs to contact the outer edge of the spools (like when using the AMS). I don’t think any amount of modification on Bambu Lab’s end could resolve all possible issues for all existing and future carboard spool designs. Cardboard is paper and it’s going to wear down with friction.
Another take on this – contact your favorite filament manufacturer (I’m looking at you Polymaker) and ask them to start using replaceable filament spools like Bambu Lab and eSun use. I think we’ll see more filament manufactures switching to this new design in the near future as it will boost their revenue by requiring less cardboard per spool and add the opportunity to sell additional/replacement plastic spools to hold the cardboard spool inserts. It’s win-win for everyone.
In addition, I don’t like the spool holder on the back since it requires additional clearance (which I don’t have) and it’s not as easy to see and work with the spool. It would be nice if Bambu Lab added additional mounting points on the rear (to accommodate AMS owners) and on the right/left sides for those who want a side mount. The size of the spool holder is perfect for my needs, but Bambu Lab could offer additional sizes in the Bambu Lab store for those who need a larger holder. Sure, I could print/design my own spool holder, but I like using OEM Bambu Lab parts (when possible) as they look nicer and are more durable than parts printed from filament.
Getting parts to stick is always going to be a challenge in 3D printing. Creating a build plate that works for all types of filament, all models, all temperatures, all environments (I think you get the idea), is likely never going to be possible. I think a better solution is for people to find the best solution for their specific needs. And if none of the many Bambu Lab build plates work, there are well known 3rd party build plate manufacturers (like Wham Bam) that offer alternate solutions.
One can never have enough light.
That’s one of the main reasons I chose to go with the P1P instead of the X1. If you don’t need to print filaments that require an enclosure, then a P1P might be a better fit. And for your specific use (working in a school environment), the P1P could even be a better choice as it’s totally open design allows easy access to see and learn how the 3D printer works. I used to own enclosed printers back when I started 3D printing in 2015 and never liked the idea of not being able to easily see and understand what was going on inside of the printer.
Love this idea. Anything Bambu Lab can do to prevent user error will greatly improve the experience for everyone (including Bambu Lab support).
Agreed. More people should constructively share feedback like you’ve done. And it would be nice if Bambu Lab offered a way for us to suggest ideas and vote on them so they can work on the most popular ideas first. There is so much room for improvement and many of the ideas will require a lot of planning/resources/work, so it would be most beneficial for everyone to work on the most impactful ideas first.
At this point, I don’t even know if this is a QC problem. It seems to be a design issue. Many people have warped beds (me included). And I bet many more people don’t know they have warped beds.
Love this. This is one of the great benefits of being a member of a forum like this.
I hope Bambu Lab never removes the signature requirement. There are carriers in my area who sometimes deliver packages on the curb by the street in front of my house. And sadly, there are people in my area who sometimes steal unattended packages. While I don’t think I’d be responsible for a stolen package, I’d rather not go through the hassle of getting a stolen package replaced. And if there is an easy way for Bambu Lab to offer the option to have the package delivered without a signature (and make the recipient responsible for theft/loss/weather damage), then I’m all for Bambu Lab making that an option.
This feedback isn’t going to be very helpful for Bambu Lab since you did not explain the weak points in detail.
Many (all?) of those problems are probably caused by user error.
Do people normally have 3D printer manufacturer technicians come to their home to make repairs? Or take their printer to their local 3D printer repair shop? Or ship their printer back and forth to the manufacturer for minor repairs? Those are interesting business opportunities, but I don’t think that accurately reflects the state of 3D printing today. While I’d rather not have to make any repairs (impossible really), I quite enjoy having the opportunity to make repairs on my own. So, none of those options would be great options for me.
Ah, this is such a classic opinion for almost any new product released (3D printer or not). Those people who don’t own it say they are going to wait for the next better/improved model. And then when that model is released, this vicious cycle starts again as issues are worked out with the new model.
@gvviking. My thoughts exactly. Why pay to be the canary in the gold mine. Just too many unforced errors. But the disciples of this firm are all in no matter what Bambu does. Great team with great potential that needs to slow down and think things out a bit better. Maybe that will make the price point a bit higher. And maybe at that price point it will not be so nice. Heck just the properly designed packaging is not cheap. But who wants to pay any price for a beat up product? It will cost more to have wifi. A spool with plastic band, cost money, but Bambu created the space for a different type of spool…. Provide it. Not to well thought out. Sure I can order a new car and print my own steering wheel. But most manufacturers provide it.
What are you talking about? The Bambu Lab filament comes with plastic spools that are usable in the AMS.
The filament that comes on cardboard spools are made by different brands. The cardboard spools are not made to be used in a system that changes filament on its own. The exposed cardboard edge (the weakest part) rubs against the AMS active support shaft wheels and starts to fall apart. Cardboard isn’t strong enough to rub against something repeatedly.
I think this complaint of yours is not too well thought out.
It sounds like you want Bambu Lab to provide every single type of spool adapter for every single size/type of filament that comes on a cardboard roll. Doesn’t seem very realistic given that they aren’t all the same and there are countless 3rd party manufacturers.
I personally use two brands with cardboard spools. I printed out spool adaptors for Overture and Polymaker rolls (both of which are different sizes, one with tabs, one without) in about 30 min each at a cost of $0.31 each. Problem solved.
Bambu Lab is providing you with 1 to 3 plastic spools with the printer and additional plastic spools when you purchase a full roll of filament from them.
You only need to print spool adaptors if you’re trying to use aftermarket parts (cardboard rolls made by different companies). If you bought a new car and tried to use aftermarket parts on it, you might have to purchase additional adaptors to get them to work/fit properly. It’s no different.
There are many valid criticisms of the X1C and AMS, but cardboard spools not working in the AMS isn’t one of them.
I’m assuming the LiDAR is only used during the initial calibration and first layer sanity check? Assuming that’s accurate, then dimming the cabinet light during those initial printing phases?
As an aside, I believe the spaghetti detection algorithms suffer when printing dark filaments due to the low-light levels. Again, assuming that is accurate, having a brighter cabinet light after the initial calibration/first layer might have the side-effect of improving the spaghetti detection capabilities.
For the record, I love the X1C. So much so that I bought 4 of them. For what ended up being less than the cost of a single Ultimaker (w/ material station), I was able to buy 4 of the X1Cs with AMS units, extra plates, nozzles, spare parts, etc. On the Ultimaker, I be lucky to get 25% success rate in my prints. On the X1Cs, I’m getting easily 85%+ success despite printing rather large objects and with traditional difficult materials. I absolutely love the green support filament. The speed of the units makes iterating on designs so so so much easier. Instead of waiting a day for a single iteration, I can usually print 3 or more iterations per day.
That said, when reading the OP’s original list of concerns, I essentially agreed with all them or at least understood the concern. Just my two cents.
