So, last time I switched nozzles, I noticed that my Hotend Heating Assembly on my almost year old Bambu Labs A1 mini, is bent where the right side of the clip grabs (I attribute it to user error combined to often changing of nozzles, and the softer metal that the heating assembly is made compared to the clip). I used a screwdriver to bent it back to shape, but if I know something about soft metals it’s that it’s disaster waiting to happen. So I will proactively order a new Hotend Heating Assembly to have it on standby replacement for the day this happens.
So I was wondering, if you know if there is any other part on the A1 mini that breaks down and needs replacement often? I’d rather get it now, than wait for a malfunction. I am not talking about consumables such as the filament cutters or nozzle wipers, I am looking for spare parts to have in stock.
I picked up a hardened extruder gear at the same time as my hardened nozzle set. I would suggest picking up 2, one to fit, one for spare, especially if you use abrasive filament.
In my opinion, I have two A1 mini, and I love them, much more than my H2D I also own.
What you should have:
Another print plate (very useful when the previous print has to cool down and you want to repeat the print, then with another plate you don’t waste time & energy and could continue much faster)
Another 0.4 nozzle as spare. When it gets clogged and you can’t fix it you can directly continue printing without waiting for a new one
If you want to print carbon fibre filament (try it, it will blow you away) you need a hardened nozzle.
And one 0.2 nozzle for very fine details prints. And one 0.6 nozzle for big and time consuming prints.
I’ve printed now 800 hours with my A1 mini with the first nozzle and plate.
The Heatbed had to be replaced because it shrinked itself by about 5mm. And the hotend fan had to be replaced as well, because it got louder.
No other issues at all. I had a lot of 3D printers over time, but the A1 Mini I love most. It prints out of the box and it runs and runs.
I think when you have to replace it that often, you have a serious issue somewhere else.
The only problem that I once had, was a big blob of plastic around the whole heater/nozzle/print head assembly. I thought that it must be replaced. But I could remove the plastic bit by bit with teezers and a hot air gun. It took some time but these parts are still working.
when i bought my A1, I bought about $100 of spare parts. After over 600 hours and 9 months, the only parts i have needed was some PTFE tubing, the filament sensor cable, filament sensor (which I didn’t get in that initial collection of spare parts, 0.4 hot end (also didn’t buy initially), 0.2 hot end, which I used once, And when the filament sensor broke, I only had to wait a week to get a new one, So I still have $100 worth of spare parts, hopeing I never will need to use them.
Definitely a filament sensor. Only thing I have had to replace due to my own boneheadedness late one night when I decided to try to manually unload filament, which broke the sensor. It’s fairly sensitive and can break easily. Only about $5 for a backup. Though when I ordered it along with a few nozzles it arrived in 4 days or so.
My stock, hmmm.
A filament sensor
Plenty of PTFE tubing, enough to replace the whole run 2 times over.
Two .4 and one of every other nozzle
One TH board
Two AMS feeders, one of each roller.
cutter blades
Thermistors
hotend fan or two.
Extra hotend cover.
I have more set aside. I’ve had enough spares to overhaul my AMS except for boards. I have an extra buffer, belts and boards. They’ve had sales over the past year or two and i buy to keep aqside.
A1 specifically would recommend having a spare “AMS Hub” piece, the metal teethies and clip parts are both really easy to damage if you have to pull it out
A1 specifically would recommend hardened extruder gear. Use it when the regular one kicks it
Blob recovery parts (Heater, Thermister, Part Fan/shroud, Heatbrake fan)
Cutter blade, altho these last a long time on just PLA
1 of each belt. For when you get the itch to refurb