Impressions
We had originally found these as typical complaints on the P1S:
- Inadequate light inside the print chamber
- Low(er) quality camera
- Old school control panel (vs the sexy large touch screen models)
- Lack of poop chute/bin
- Does not include the high temp build plate
Inadequate light
Definitely! At least not with my old eyes.
So I dropped a standing lamp next to it, aiming the gooseneck light directly into the cabinet. That helps for sure, but next I want to add another LED light bar inside the printer enclosure itself so I don’t have to shield my eyes against the gooseneck light. Also, I want a light that reaches further into the back of the printer so I can see the filament when it is extruding into the poop chute (mostly when changing TPU to be sure it is not jammed. Again)
Camera Quality
I agree with this too, in general. This is my first printer so I have nothing to compare it with. I did try using a couple of security cameras we had on hand to see if I could get better results, but I could never get the angle right – the built-in cam really has maybe the best vantage point. It’s not awful, I just wish I could see a touch more detail – e.g. to determine if there is flow from the nozzle. Or perhaps just a touch higher, looking down a bit onto the build plate, I dunno.
Control Panel
I’d love to be able to punch in the temperature I want on the sexy touch panels, instead of having to click the up button on this panel 20 times. For a mere 60 bucks I’ll probably do the upgrade in the not too distant future. But it really is quite manageable from the default panel. I happen to be printing in multicolor and changing filaments a lot so I’m a little more sensitive to the extra button pushing at the moment. =)
Poop Bin
There are about 80 bazillion STL files online for various styles of poop management so I’m not at all worried about this. At the moment I just have a (super high tech) Tupperware container sitting on the desk behind it.
High Temp Build Plate
We purchased the G10 plate but have not printed anything on it to test. Well, except a TPU print that did not adhere. Since the stock Bambu Textured plate sticks perfectly with TPU, I just went back to that.
Update: I have now used the G10 plate for Nylon and love it! I tried it on the Textured plate first and it wouldn’t stick. Perhaps I could have fussed with settings to get Nylon to stick to that, but instead I simply swapped to the G10 and it sticks there perfectly without using anything (like glue sticks, hair spray, etc).
Other Thoughts
I have some complaints, but I think they are mostly due to using TPU almost exclusively so far. It was challenging to get the settings dialed in for the filament, and I still have issues with changing filament mid-print (clogs). But again, I suspect that is entirely due to the filament and not the printer.
Overall I am super happy with the printer – it is really fast, the automatic bed leveling is a dream, and its not terribly difficult to disassemble the print head to remove filament clogs.
It seems to be solidly built and uses less electricity than I expected (just 10 kWh in 45 print-hours).