It pains me to think about this, as I just happily ordered an H2C. I have no interest in going Prusa, as I am loyal to Bambu, I like their ecosystem, community, and user-friendliness of the printers. My P1S has served me very well for almost two years.
But I ask this question about the Vortek. Why? The INDX is an 8 material changer, No waste, much faster swap time. So what’s the real point of the Vortek? As far as I can see, the only thing the Vortek can do that the INDX cannot is print using more than 8 materials. Who really does that? Maybe I am missing something. Is there anything else the Vortek can do that a changer like INDX cannot?
If not, then I think in a few years, when Bambu’s next flagship models come out, the current AMS system and Vortek will have to be phased out in place of a INDX style changer.
And Vortek is 7 … what exactly is the problem now?
Different systems with different approaches. The footprint of the Core One with Bondtech is also not really “small” … the 8 spools and tubes needs some place.
Why in the world should that make Vortek “obsolet”? Toolchangers exists since years.
My point is that filament swaps take 3-4 times longer on the Vortek than a modern toolchanger. Unless you are a pure hobbiest printing toys for your kids and will let the printer run overnight, in 3-D printing, time = money.
I think it’s one of the interesting choices on the market. I agree with you that it’s still very slow for multicolor print and Bambu aware of that. I think it’s inevitable that proper tool changer will come later.
I myself was thinking in which direction to go with a new printer for my business, multicolor for cosplayers with H2C, or engineering stuff with FibreSeeker, went with second option.
Absolutely agree — Vortek is a system that does not solve the major issues that occur when using the AMS: filament-feeding failures, slowness, etc. The system still depends on a filament change, and its only advantage is that it wastes less material. But has anyone calculated how many kilograms of material you’d need to waste to pay off a Vortek??
For me, it has been a headlong rush by Bambulab, which has managed to develop very interesting technologies for this project, such as the inductive heater and the wireless connections. However, the result—no matter how advanced this technology may be—is well below what true tool-changers offer, which have also been shown to be very inexpensive.
Unfortunately non of those tool changers have a properly sealed and/or actively heated chamber.
Prusa is not even selling a pre-assembled model but as an upgrade kit. Prusa to me is still a hobby+ printer and not a true production machine. I hope it works smoothly, but I dont have confidence about that, look at their XL.
For my part, I don’t just do this to save money—I hate creating useless waste. I also like the closed, heated (and filtered) chamber, which allows me to print with multiple materials, not only different colors.
And all this with the quality I’ve come to expect from BL. In the 13 years before, I was never as satisfied as I am with the X1C. Fire and forget.
The fact that I have a 0.2 and a 0.6 nozzle permanently installed in the printer, which I can use automatically at any time… That alone makes Vortek worth it to me.
And for me, it’s not the 800 extra charge for the upgrade. I would have bought the H2D anyway. So for me, it’s more like 350 extra – and the system is definitely worth that to me.
For my usecase, the Vortek system fits better. I mostly print single color and occasional one or two added colors or support material.
But I use very different materials and would really appreciate using dedicated nozzles per material. Also having a 0,2mm nozzle at hand that you can just select in the slicer would be awesome.
And I don’t want to gove up the flexibility to have the most used filaments at hand from the slicer. I even bought a second AMS, not for printing more than 4 colors, but because I use more than 4 filaments regularly. With a toolchanger I would have to give up that flexibility.
And I prefer the clean setup with just one bowden tube going to the printer.
So while I was really on flames when INDX was announced, I think for me the Vortek system is the better choice. I just don’t have the space for that huge H-series printers and I hope strongly that there will come an X2C or P2C some time in the future.
The drawback of this approach has very little if not none to do with how well vortek is executed - if it’s a hotend (and hotend only) changer, it’ll need to purge to ‘connect’, it’ll be slow. That’s it. Nothing else. All of these new techs, each on their own, seems well implemented.
In other words, what’s needed is imo a hotend changer that keeps filament loaded to each, like INDX, done by bambu eventually.
As for toolchangers, a design in 2025 that fundamentally forces big chamber size, aka open frame / no adequate chamber temp regulation is…
As soon as you start doing big prints, geometrically wrap heavy prints or as winter kicks in, open printers will prove just how outdated they are as self sufficient production machines. And I’m talking about non fiber PLA/PETGs.
Thats the main reason I purchased it, I dont really do a lot of multi color. To have different nozzles at the ready:
0.2mm for text/markings
0.4mm for 95/90A TPU
0.6mm for 85A TPU
0.4HF for general daily use
0.6HF for daily GF/CF filament
Just pick which one I need in the slicer. So far its been great and a big quality of life upgrade. Before it was a pain to plan + swap, printer is in one room the CAD and slicing computer in another, and I just used 0.4HF for almost everything. I just got the H2C today, but I already used 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 in my first few prints, love it! Like a tool swapping CNC mill.
Just need bambu to release some Vortek tungsten HF nozzle and I will be all set.
Totally agree and I said that before, you can buy a lot of filament and produce a lot of “poop” for the price of a H2C.
But in my opinion it shines when it comes to possible print failures during a multicolor print. I print a lot of multicolor models and had a lot of issues with it. For example one big issue is the clogged chute or poop which was stuck on the model → the Vortek solves this issues. Yes, it is really annoying that a multicolor print fails after 20 hours because of a clogged chute, resulting in a bent nozzle which is no longer useable after you cleaned out the chute but is it worth spending over 2000€ to solve that problem as a hobby maker?
It all depends on how you look at it, Its not really “over 2000€ to solve that problem”, its only a few hundred more than H2D, was an easy decision to upgrade for me.
For me if the price doesn’t change a lot in time Vortex isn’t for me (i don’t upgrade my h2d).
I have H2D and i don’t like the impossibility to work without big prime towers and if i print with 4 colors prime towers weight is more than the model + purges with +2 colors.
The speed it’s important too, prints with tool change i see in XL and other printers with max 5 colors is about 2-3x less.
I go to mount a Indx system (first see reviews and real use when release) with 7- 8 tools and if i decide to go for DIY custom chassis i go to make space for a little more (or Voron or Prusa Core L idk for the moment).
If i need more than this colors i have a H2D, i like H2D but for my prints with colors i want a tool change (i print majority PLA with 2-4 colors because more is to much time).
A few of the reviews have been posting some filament/tool head swap times and Auroratech has some interesting results in her preview, it’s definitely middle ground in terms of time saving between a single nozzle AMS and a toolchanger.
Example of Vortek benefit is the 4 colour square, 9-11g of material used on U1, XL and 2C versus 38g for the X1. Time wise U1 and XL come in at 33-34m, 2C at 1h 7m and X1 at 2h 37m.
A 4 colour ‘Hello Kitty’ model takes 245g on the U1, 270g (not eco mode) on the 2C and 440g on the K2 Pro, times are 8h 20m U1, 10h 39m 2C and 17h 3m on the K2 Pro.
There is definitely a time saving with the Vortek alongside filament savings and whilst it is slower than tool changers its not as far off as I would expect. Clearly AMS to printer feed tube length is critical, the shorter the better but that has always been the case since the inception of AMS feed setups.
It it was still a Prusa BBL head to head the cost argument is more of a factor, the elephant in the room is the U1 pricing.
Like most things (laser etc) it really comes down to use case, if you do a lot of AMS fed multi-colour/material printing Vortek will save you time and filament but less so than the far cheaper U1.
3-4 times is not true its about 17seconds (print to print time) vs 25sec/39sec (2 ways to switch between heads). So on avg probably about 17 vs 34ish … so 2x.
Likewise, I want more flexibility with less faff, Vortek delivers that plus saves waste and is faster for multicolour/material printing albeit not quite as quick as a toolchanger.
The annoyance is had I known the 2C was on the cards I would have waited instead of buying a 2D. The upgrade cost for the 2D isn’t worth the faff compared the 2C ultimate set and I’ll have to faff around boxing up the old 2D and selling it on.
Are you also getting into FibreSeeker?
I backed it as soon as it went live and landed at spot 42.
For me the choice wasn’t difficult. The H2C doesn’t really complement my H2D for the kind of work I do. It’s a cool machine to own, but I simply don’t have any practical use for it in my workflow.
And to be honest, the current Bambu Lab support hasn’t exactly strengthened my confidence in their products either, which also played a part in my decision. They released the H2D with a 65 °C heated chamber and a 120 °C build plate, yet if you actually run those temperatures for extended periods, every fan inside the chamber slowly dies. That makes you wonder how thoroughly those units were tested in the first place.
I’m one of the lucky ones who now gets to replace the hotend cooling fan very soon.
