Hello. My grandson wants this printer for Christmas, and I am happy to get it for him. I am concerned that the company has no phone number and no email address given at the site. Do you know anything about their customer support? Do you have any contact information? The "contact" link at the site led to nowhere. Thanks so much.
Generally no issues with Bambu Labs. The hardware is generally very good and the software generally works well. However one negative on the software front, they really push users into creating accounts that share who knows what data with servers in China. For this reason my company will not allow us to use their machines. Currently you can print offline or just via a local network. What you can't do is get things like software/firmware updates without creating an account.
Should you go BL? What is your budget. I've always been on the cheep side with these machines so things like the BL P1S with mutli-filament thing at $750 is just not in my budget. I bought a Flashforge 5M from FF's ebay store for $240+tax when they had a 20% off coupon running (might still be running).
So assuming you are looking in the low price range what would I suggest? Let's assume $350 is your cap but you would be happy to spend less.
Options in this area include the BL A1, A1 mini, A1 mini + AMS combo, Flashforge 5M, Creality V3 SE, V3 KE.
With all of the above BL is going to have the smoothest software expereince. However, I wouldn't say any are hard nor easy. Most are similar if you are creating your own models. BL is the best if you are just grabbing files off the web.
If I lost my printer I would likely replace it with another 5M. I had a Creatity V3SE. Those are about $160 at Microcenter. Not a bad printer but slower than the rest of this crowd. It also doesn't do network printing (I don't either but but I probably should). The V3KE has some nice upgrades over the V3SE but it cost almost the same as the 5M which I really like.
I like the 5M because it's a fast, Core XY machine that has print quality that matches Bambu. At the $240 sale price it undercuts the A1 ($300). The "nicer" workflow for on line parts doesn't mean much to me as I often design my own parts. Even when I find a file on line I often redo the design. The 5M is not enclosed but FF offers a kit + 3d files to print, that allow you to create an enclosure. This means the printer is going to be better for things like ABS plastic (please be aware of the outgassing with some of these materials) vs an open printer (all of the ones I mentioned are open). Compared to the Bambu Labs A1 mini, the 5M has a bigger build volume (the 220x220mm build surface is a bit of a defacto standard). The A1 mini is 180x180. That's good for a lot of stuff but may be a limit. However, in a big plus for the A1 mini is you can get the multi-color unit for an extra $150. So it would be the only one that can do multi-color for under $350.
The A1 is $300. It's similar to the A1 mini but not mini. It's build area is 256x256. That is a helpful increase over the 220x220 of the 5M and the Creality printers. But many on line files will probably not take advantage of the extra size. Note that the next typical step up in size are 300x300mm print beds ("helmet class printers").
I'm a fan of the FF 5M and so is this guy. However, he overall said the A1 was the better printer (but not in all cases). Also, I don't know what prices he was considering when doing this review.
A few othre things:
Safety: Many of the plastic types used with these printers outgas during printing. They also often release micro particulates of plastic. It is best to not print in areas where people will be. Opening a window and getting fresh air is a good idea.
Getting models: Many models can be downloaded off the web but learning to create your own models is a big deal. Think of your home conventional printer. You likely print a mix of things off the web and documents you created yourself. Same here. I would think about if your grandson can make his own files. Lots of resources and decent free options but it's something to think about since it really makes owning one of these things worth it.
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