Bambu Lab A1 Mini + AMS Lite 3D Printer Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 พ.ค. 2024
- The Ultimate Book of 3D Printing Tips and Tricks (FDM/FFF) - www.makersmuse.com/3dprinting...
A1 Mini with AMS Lite Pre-order - shrsl.com/2bii6-2yn7-1cwx9
Join the Maker's Muse Community - www.makersmuse.com/maker-s-mu...
3D Printing Quick Start Guide - www.makersmuse.com/fdm-fff-3d...
3D Printer Buyers Guide - www.makersmuse.com/purchasing...
TIMESTAMPS:
Intro 0:00
Disclosure 0:39
Specs and setup 1:13
AMS Lite 2:57
Usability 5:05
Printing 9:10
Multi color printing 13:38
Conclusion 16:20 - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Angus over here respecting the embargo. I'm so happy to watch this.
The next layer 💀
I just found out what he did and unsubscribed. That was such a douche move.
@@viv3dThe last layer 😂
Explain said embargo and whether it was in place months ago when he got this printer
@@jelybrd of course, there was an embargo this whole time….
Angus is such a class act. Casually referring to himself as “…beginner in their excitement, like me…..” talking about almost forgetting the packaging bracket…… such a small and humble quality that makes his content SO friendly and welcoming to people new to 3D printing. I’ve never seen a hobby industry that has so much toxicity and hostility towards beginners, you don’t see that in woodworking for example. More people should be like Angus.
Oh dude, there's so much of that regardless of being a beginner 😭 Brand fanboys and haters are the worst. We need more people like Angus, indeed.
Print for the love of printing, friend.
There's a lot of ways we can all learn from Angus in regards to treating people with kindness.
Don't know what wrong places you've been to, but I don't see that, I see a dozen messages helping out any beginner no matter how stupidly common and easily answered if they weren't so lazy their question is.
@@cenciende9401 😂😂😂
>you don’t see that in woodworking for example
You definitely do, there are alot of elitists in woodworking.
Kind of impressed by that torture test of printing on that super wobbly table. Highlights how much input shaping can overcome some pretty ridiculous printing environments.
"Highlights how much input shaping can overcome some pretty ridiculous printing environments." - wobbly print environment has nothing to do with print quality LOL, there are many videos with people hanging bed slingers on one corner from their ceiling and the printer is flying all around the place and print is coming out fine, only thing that matters is frame rigidity
If I tried printing on a table like that with my old Anet A8, it would probably catch fire just to spite me lol
@@howabout2138 The resonance has to go somewhere, the printers hanging in the air aren't typically printing at unicorn speeds. Anchoring the printer to a wall or bolting it to the floor offers a measurable improvement in input shaper results. There's a reason why CNC machines have been being built as massive as possible; to decrease resonance, while 3D printers are much less reliant on mass and rigidity, more is still better.
@@wyattutz you are mixing concepts, resonance of machine - sure, matters, but it's purely dependent on frame of machine, resonance of the base for machine / surroundings - doesn't matter as long as machine is decoupled from what it's standing on even by crude rubber feet or some other thing, if machine is rigid enough it can be thrown around while printing / milling and nothing will chnge in its output, wobbly table might make shitty printer more wobbly which was wobbly in first place before the shitty table was introduced, however super stable surface used in combination with shitty wobbly machine won't change anything, and other way - proper rigid frame put on a wobbly table will still be proper rigid frame - only thing that matters is relative rigidity of the machine itself, not the base, base only amplifies imperfections, CNC machines are also so heavy because the forces there are much bigger, if you ever tried to mill some hard material on crappy CNC you would see that the whole frame of it is bending and bolts are becoming loose if you go too fast
Ya it’s like I’ve always said a wobbly table wobbly 3d printer frame resonances make print worse table make print bed slinger wobbly fast scary then give the thing filament results.
This is the fourth launch day review of this machine and I have to say this is the clearest and I think most detailed and most honest review so far. As ever, excellent work. Thank you.
i was about to comment the exact same thing!
🎉 Thanks so much for featuring my T-rex!!! Very glad you like it. And awesome review as usual, not for me but I'm sure many will be able to get into color printing with this one being more affordable
They should use the color changing section to add infill, where possible, since that's not visible in the final print.
This machine seems fantastic!
I've had a lot of fun exploring the limits of my KP3S, but a beefed up version from a (newly) established manufacturer for "only" $300 sounds super exciting!
I also have a KP3S and although I think it can be capable in the right conditions 300 dollars is just too good to pass up...
Did you end up buying one?
@@rgbvelcroshoes8281 No, cause I then remembered it was Bambu, and their whole locked ecosystem is something I can't get into, for deontological reasons. Copying PrusaSlicer, Printables, adding Cloud functionalities, they're all red flags.
i also have a kp3s for a couple of years now, and just ordered this one, as i believe for the price it will be a massive upgrade considering all the added features on the A1 mini, specially with the AMS bundle.
Happy printing yall...
Hey Angus, after seeing your review on the A1 Mini and mentioning it in the later video praising it as a good beginner machine in 2023, I got one myself and I have to say: I'm absolutely blown away by how seamless and nice it works. I've been wanting to get a 3D printer for a long time, but have hold off because if a mod requires a 3D printed part and I don't have one...well, I would be in a pickle, but the A1 Mini worked out of the box, everything setup nicely, and the prints are far beyond what I would have expected. I'm so excited to finally get into this hobby. Thank you for your work! :)
Great overview as always Angus. I appreciate your pointing out the clever engineering thats gone into this little machine. It is really interesting, but to your point they spent so long figuring out if they COULD on some items and not as much on if they SHOULD. Will be really interesting to see how it is all received. I really hope future development and revision can focus more on culling the waste because normalizing this amount of plastic waste feels like a step backwards for the industry in many ways 😢
Printing...finds a way...
I can think of 3 solutions
1. Improve the process of melting down scraps into new filament
2. Time filament cuts so that the printer can load the new filament behind the old one just as the layer finishes.
3. Incorporate a second object that isn't dependent on color that waste filament is instead filtered to print at.
That table wobble though 😂 (great vid as usual!)
As the printers get faster it's getting more and more noticeable lol, even the better lower table was moving on the carpet. 😫
Table twerking so hard TH-cam gonna demonetize the video lol.
LOL its true 😫
The sub $300 realm is kind of a crowded market- the AMS system helps to stand out from the crowd. I think if I were a beginner there's now no shortage of options: Ultra cheap/"not sure if I want to get into 3D printing" type machines like the Creality Ender 3 V3 SE, the Klipper-installed Elegoo Neptune 4 for those really looking into getting into the hobby, or the closed ecosystem but probably reliable and easy to use Bambu A1.
i dont think anything present in the market today at this price range besides Prusa is able to compare with the ease of use of these machines. I love myself some stupid cheap kit, yes, but those machines have problems all the time. This little guy for 300€ is an insane deal, there's no reason to buy anything else if you're a beginner who just wants to have a 3d printer
@@MrChoklad there is no Prusa with comparable price.
@@Duckferd a Mk4 is in the same price range as a X1 and it's more or less as easy to use, that's what I meant
@@MrChokladI think he was referring to a1 mini price but either way ba,by just murdered prusa by coming out with essentially the mkt but faster and half the price this week
Fantastic video and had no idea about the ams lite details you provided
So I've been using spring loaded filament holders on a tool changer for several years. It still looks like a great printer, especially at that price
I want to say, why an awesome review. Not overly critical, not fan boyish. Just perfect for someone who loves the 3D printing space and just wants to see everything getting better.
I been a long time glad to see you back online ❤
nice and detailed review. everything we needed to know straight forward. I am super happy with my X1C for now
That desk though. It was born to demo how wobly a printer is!
It's so convenient for moving and filming but yeah it's probably time to retire it...
Your videos are always spot on! Thanks!
Seems like a cool printer! One thing I would like to see in the future is a way to recycle the filament from the "poops", test prints, supports, etc. If you know of something like that it would be really cool to see!
I didn't expect to hear Angus discussing how to improve a poop chute when I started the video. 🤣
add fibre 😂
Thanks for the review! TBH more hyped about getting another vid from you than for a review about a bambu printer. Lets get some more printers that work with opensource slicers and don't require proprietary software and replacement parts again!
You brought your A game on this one Angus, best 3D printer review I've ever watched, incredibly well explained
looks fantastic to me, I have two purse minis and 5 other large printers, but I still want one of these, they are doing great work and pushing the industry forward.. good stuff.!
do you work with 3d printing? or is all that from a hobby??
@@littlefrank90 hobby work, I 3d print RC Planes.
Excellent review Angus!
love your honest sharing!
awesome vid! love the channel!
I’m extremely happy with how Bambu is pushing the industry on price and features. I really like everything they have been doing. With that said, I am also watchful of anti-competitive behaviors and printer DRM as you mentioned. At the moment, I think if someone tried this there would be community backlash. I am concerned though that they will slowly boil the frog so to speak.
I'm willing to bet they're not counting on us to be their core audience. These printers are for non-hobbyists who are willing to pay extra to avoid having to tinker. They are much more likely to accept proprietary products and stay within the ecosystem they're familiar with. I don't think it's any coincidence that Bambu has slick packaging and design language similar to Apple.
im of the same attitude except for the big thing of it being closed source, yet taking tech from open source designs. X1 and the printers like it are open source and Bambu have stated that they used Voron printers to make the X1. The 3D printing community was founded on the idea of open source, and everyone benefitted from it. Its a shame to see that die in the form of increasingly patented tech and closed source printers.
@@OrangeDuster And that's exactly why I'm waiting patiently for my Prusa Mk4 to ship. The industry will move in the direction that we move it.
@@senoralimk4 is still closed source so far. Even if they open source, the nozzle will still need to be customized.😂
@@dark_xdark132 If you've got some insider information suggesting that Prusa is going to suddenly change course after all these years, I'd like to see it.
Very nice review and 3D printer.
Thank you, as always, for your sincerity.
Always great and truly objective reviews! ...I going with the X1 Thanks
Excellent video! Thank you!
Bambu labs products are amazing. The connectivity between app and hardware is awesome. Holy crap that table wobbled alot. Really great review. Thank you. You weren’t negative, u were constructive. Great stuff man!
Thanks for great info!
Great video as always 👍
Thanks for sharing your experience with All of us 👍😃
Great video Angus! Did you get an impression on how well the Auto Flow Compensation works?
I'd like the AMS, but not for multi material prints. Rather, just to have all my common filaments lined up for hands free print starting without having to swap over.
Honest review. Thanks!
I love your shirt!
I love it already! At that price point it's an ideal Christmas gift.
Great Review Angus. Any word on P1P and X1C compatibility for the AMS Lite?
Thanks Angus! Love your shirt!
Can you still purge the waste into a second object where color doesn't matter (if there is space) like you can on the X1C? I'm sure the small plate is the biggest limitation for this "hack" but I'm curious if it still works.
A surprise for sure but improving AMS for the masses is very welcome and my hat's off to Bambu for this. I can't wait to see the 3D printer manufacturers coming up with open source workable AMS for other printers that are open source. They've addressed print speed, now it's time to optimize AMS.
From what I noticed from my AMS system is when I changed the length of PTFE tube it seemed to calculate it based on a sensor from the AMS and then the sensor from the print head, so if it’s similar you should be able to extend the PTFE tubes to relocate it wherever, I would think.
There is a note on the wiki that PTFE tubing with a max length of 1.2 m can be used.
The way the spring loaded spool holders work will likely prohibit the PTFE tubes from being extended much, as the spools need to be retracted on a color change and there is no motor to drive them.
Seems like a neat addition to the Bambu family, not that I will be adding one to my collection I already have a P1P and standard AMS which I'm very happy with, might be tempted to grab the P1S upgrade kit though at some point
Great video. Cool printer!
Hope to see a review on the ender 3 v3 SE
My concern with a cantilever design is print quality reduction. Could we get your opinion on quality from the A1 vs x1c?
And that explains Prusa's quickly pushed Alpha firmware to get Input Shaping on their Mini.. :)
Yep. And it is terrible so far. Tested last night.
Still wondering why the don't just use klipper.
@@warmesuppe Klipper needs an external computer. Prusa or Marlin's input shaping is just a firmware change.
90% of of the result for no cost.
@@ElectraFlarefire A lot of people run octoprint with their prusas and the mcu only input shaper seems to struggle in comparison with the klipper one. so i would just move on and use a 30€ SBC.
@@warmesuppe I run octoprint, but it's nice having the printer still working without it. Plus it's fun to see how far you can push a machine that is now 15 years ago(I run an early RAMPS based i3 with one of e3d's first v6 hotends)
In the case of the new Prusas like the Mini and MK4, they have full networking, so no octoprint is needed unless you also want a webcam.
the 'family-proof' printer of choice for awhile in my case was the CR-6 SE, clocking in at just over 300 pre-assembled and doing better quality prints/features than the competing $1,000 prusa of the time. With that one apparently no longer in production, I'll have to see about picking one of these up and testing it as the new option but it looks VERY promising.
I wonder if that AMS system can be placed behind the printer, with the long axis running left to right. Might make things a bit more compact if you have a deep work surface.
I think this was the best move they could have made it really does look like a well priced high quality beginner friendly machine and I think that has really been missing from the market since the race to the bottom started
I'm no beginner and I am glad they released this.. I run a print farm with 38 Prusa Minis and many more printers.. 20 of these easily replace our prusa minis in throughput.
I could have sworn Bambu said at some point they wouldn't be making a bed slinger. so this comes as a bit of a surprise. That said, while it doesn't have any appeal to me since I have a P1s, it does as a potential next step for my kids who are currently on a neptune 2s. Really an extremely nice little beginner multi filament printer.
The t shirt makes ours and Sparky's heart beam with pride
One of my fav shirts
I really like the AMS lite. I'm wondering about its compatibility with P1 and X1.
The spool holder looks like a cool idea! Shame they don't have adaptors to allow for other spools, but still pretty cool idea
Once this is released there will be many spool adapters available. Just look at how many spool adapters are currently available for the AMS.
Hey Angus! Been watching you for almost 6 years and as always I loved the video !!! I got a little worried when seeing that the flow calibration doesn't work with the textured PEI since it's what comes standard on the A1. After some researching, I might be wrong but I believe this warning that appeared on the slicer was for the X1 series, since it mentions " scattering " and this *probably* has something to do with the way the lidar works and light reflection etc. from what I know the A1 uses an inductive ( Eddy current sensor ) to measure the pressure in the nozzle that I believe would be agnostic regarding print surface. Anyways, loved the video! Congrats for 1 million!!!
As I was growing up, I was once told, "When it comes down to it, all a man really has in this world is his word." You're a man of your word sticking to your guns on keeping your integrity. Solid work, Angus. A voice we can trust.
Possible solution for the size of the footprint:
Looks like that AMSlite unit could be mount upside down directly above the A1. Maybe the cord connecting the AMS to the A1 is long enough? But if you wanted to put this in an enclosure, and went with a diy cabinet approach, I could see some custom printed mounts that would screw to the inner ceiling of a cabinet enclosure and hold the AMS upside down directly above the printer. That would allow for the PTFE tubes to remain at their stock lengths, and potentially help the tubes themselves last longer by removing the bend that otherwise causes the filament to rub harder against the inner diameter, eventually wearing a hole in the tube, as can be seen with the original AMS after a lot of use.
Cool synths oh beautiful I see an ARP and a DX7 oh man that is cool thanks for the bamboo review.
Very helpful 👍
I've already got an X1C and I'm very happy with it, but I'm considering getting one of these on the side once it becomes available without the AMS. That way I can use my X1C for bigger projects and multicolor prints and the A1Mini for small, quick prints. I'm very happy you tested that it works well for printing TPU because that would be one of my potential use cases for it.
I have a Prusa Mini that is also 180x180x180 as a companion to my mk3 and these little printers are great when objects fit (most mine do). I think you will enjoy the a1 looking at the robust build.
Good to see you again Angus (and with a printer review no less.) I dunno seems like an odd choice for Bambu going towards the lower end of the market, considering they've clearly been aiming at prosumer up to this point. I guess the multicolor market must be larger than I thought.
It’s the complete opposite of an odd choice. It was the only price point they weren’t competing in. Why would they release new printers to compete with their printers that are already selling well.
Didn’t go to school for business I take it.
😂
Edit:
This doesn’t signify that the multi color printing market is bigger than you thought, this is them simply making it more accessible to people. Having said that, there has been a market for multi color 3D prints since 3D printing started. Before we just called it PAINTING. 😂 Which I prefer still since the AMS is a polluting machine. I barely use mine. Buyers couldn’t care less if it’s painted or printed in color.
Its concerning how many filament manufacturers dont do what the A1 mini offers. This suggests there may be limitations in spotting differences between batches.
Hey Angus, how is the ams lite's purge amount VS the standard ams? Like if you printed the same model on the A1 and the X1C, which would have less waste material?
This is the most beautiful printer in the world at the moment. Looks like something you would find in Starfield. Great work!
Looks good
Hey Angus, thanks for the video! Curious how this textured, heated PEI sheet requires gluestick for PETG, when others (e.g. Prusa's heated, textured PEI sheet) release PETG without gluestick. What causes the difference in performance/requirements?
Prusa's textured sheet is powder coated rather than using PEI
@@evanbarnes9984 It's not an either/or situation. From their website: "The powder-coated sheet, also referred to as the textured sheet, has its surface covered with a special polymer (Ultem PEI) to ensure perfect adhesion."
The A1 Mini is a good development coming from that Ender 2/ Pro or Prusa Mini. *I always thought these mini printers are the way to go not only for beginners but also for more than 80% of what families print at home!* It was just a question of when Bambu Lab is bringing a Mini of it's own, after Creality and Prusa also did.
The AMS Lite is an interesting idea! *Surely there soon will be mods for packing this thing into a box for moisture protection (with another stand)* but I still don't like the waste which is produced by design!
As an alternative: The Sovol SV 04 IDEX only "can" 2 colors without manually changing the spool (if the model to print fits for that technique), it can 300^3 abd it could be quieter. It also costs about the same as the combo and needs less space.
I hope for Sovol they soon bring an upgraded version with their latest print heads and Klipper like on the SV07.
Cheers
Was hoping that the color change wasn't more wasteful as the AMS system but looks like it is and the system takes longer to switch between colors other wise it would potentially been a really good competitor for some of the things I print.
Me too.
I hate the AMS. Barely use it.
I'm fairly new to the 3d-printing space as I've only had my Ender 3 v2 for about 8 months, but I really like this decision from Bambu Lab.
Every other multi-color printer I've seen are always way over the top, unaffordable, and unreasonably big for the average person. I like the direction that they've chosen to go in with this. Especially with the plans for MakerWorld, and the "Community-Driven Gateway" ideals. In my (limited) experience, 3d-model websites are the one part of the internet that actually needs a big company to make things easier and more organized.
It’s really not a direction.
They just didn’t have anything in that price range yet.
Angus, if you've been having issues with the print for the mouse that's included with the A1 Mini, you might have Joel send you the GCODE file he got from Bambu, because it seems that the way they had it set up through the QR code meant it would fail during printing.
Can you connect the v2 ams as an upgrade further down the road?
My question is can the mast Dutch easily? I actually still use a Ender 3 which I was able to pack in a small case and carry it on the plane. ...but only because it was easy to disconnect the mast.
@MakerMuse can you please check what is maximum bed temperature? on website they mention 80C, it's look a litte low, especialy than even Prusa Mini can go up to 100C.
Great video, I will share on my group and socials.
I'm just curious can we put that hotend and that ams lite to other printer since we can buy the AMS lite separately
Would like a really short review based on single filament use. Is it the best printer available for the price in that situation?
I'm LOLOLOL when you shook the table dude O.o Those units were hanging on for dear lifeeeeeee! Great video tho!
Didn't fall over though! I was impressed haha
One gripe I have is that I learned black filament is hard to read with the LiDAR, I feel like they ditched support for the X1 series. I was told to turn flow calibration off when printing with nylons, just get the P1S if you want an enclosed Bambu printer since the LiDAR doesn’t seem to matter. I would also like to run a g10 print surface, I liked running it on my ender. Might have to try and figure out how to make one?
The added time, plastic and electricity in the color changing system is egregious.
I never use my AMS as it was intended. Too bad they didn’t improve it.
I was thinking of buying a P1s, but with these updates on the A1 I'll wait until the P2s arrives, in the meantime I'm playing with another bedslinger!
First of all, thank you for your excellent review with detailed, testing and attention to small things. Secondly, I wonder what your thoughts are about a reliable method for color printing because it appears that there does not exist to be one. Every option seems to have major caveats what do you think?
I have 2 X1C’s and a P1P and still considering this one for some smaller multi color prints so that they take less time to complete. Seems like a solid option for a smaller printer
How does it take less time to complete? 🤔
@@dangerous8333 Because the filament only has to be retracted a few inches rather than 3 feet. My current 2 AMS units are mounted on a rack over the printers. The filament has to be pulled out of the single Bowden tube completely and replaced by the next filament. On this new setup there’s separate Bowden tubes for each material
Can you use multiple AMS units like the other models?
I've always used the manual tree supports with my x1 because the auto generated always causes issues
Yes, im gonna buy that rigth now
the prime tower is more important than the purge. You can reduce flushing volumes and mostly retain color isolation but without the prime tower, the colors get mixed more.
Ah for fucks sake.. I had such high hopes but the insane amount of waste really kills it. I was starting to think that my IDEX printer was a bit of a waste.. But nope. It still has a place. Just a tiny prime tower and it's good to go.
They really just need to make a printer with several print heads or some kind of mechanism that swaps just the hotend or something.
I'm with you.
I'll still be working on making my IDEX a non bed slinger.
Plus with a 300×300 bed my IDEX can print almost 2 of anything that will print at the same time.
Regarding the last point , there is the Prusa XL which has multiple toolheads , that allows it to make multicolor prints way faster and with less waste , is over 2000$ thought
@@ulforcemegamon3094 Im aware of that one, sadly the price is just way way too high.
Do you plan on covering the Neptune 4 pro? Also love the reviews
Honest as always
great video !!
Still waiting on a 300mm+ X1. Have money. Will give. :P
much want!
If only you knew what the future of 3D printing actually looked like. It will make larger machines look stupid but the Bambu Engineers don't even know what that looks like so I wouldn't expect anything better before the 300mm variant
@@cybyrd9615 Right. I guess we will all be waiting for you to reveal your Star Trek replicator design. Haha
How much does the unsupported side sag?
Can you please clarify about the "genius" spring in the AMS Lite? Does it only tension enough to neatly retract enough for a color swap or do it unload the entire length neatly? Not ideal to have to pull out 2-3 feet of unwound filament if it doesn't fully rewind.
It retracts enough to clear the hotend after being cut, it's less than one full rotation but enough to keep the filament from unspooling.
@@MakersMuse awesome, thanks… so no way it could eventually be supported going into the back of an X/P series with the appropriate 4 way splitter as it couldn’t retract far enough without unspooling?
This makes sense since the Majority of the files on the freeware sites will fit on this build plate. It's too bad that Creality forgot about their Ender 2 pro, Kingroon was never able to get things right with their KP3S.
I would buy this immediately if it came in the transparent prototype version that you guys got!
I don't care about the multicolor honestly - it's nice to know that I can buy that printer and upgrade later. I assume that building an enclosure would be easy due to size as well.
I feel like I'll pick one of these up in a year or two when I get fed up with troubleshooting my ultra upgraded Ender 3 S1.
I really wish I'd saved the money I spent a year ago and waited for this little guy. Standard Ender 3 S1 was about this price (not including the HUNDREDS of dollars worth of upgrades I've made to it)
Honestly, you could’ve started saving money by not upgrading the S1 so much. I see people that obviously can’t really afford it spend money on unnecessary upgrades when all they needed to do was get better at adjusting the printer.
My S1 didn’t need anything but silicone bed spacers and firmware. The e3v2 only needs $150 in upgrades and firmware to print like an mk3. You’re not alone though. Lots of people get sucked into the unnecessary upgrade rabbit hole that TH-cam causes.
Having said that, you’re about to do it again. This is only worth it if you want multicolor for under $500. That’s the only selling point of this. In terms of upgrading, it’s a dead end. Outside of multi color printing is limited in scope.
I have the p1s with ams and agree, the multi colour is not for me. It is great however as you can load up multiple spools of the same filament and not have that anxiety of running out mid print. I have 2 cold white and 2 black spools depending what I am printing.
I'm right there with ya. I wish this was out last year when I bought my S1 Pro. Wish they would fix the poop problem though.
nice review
What about the Eddie current flow calibration sensor inside the hotend ? I mean hey that is revolutionary and should be mentioned
Flipping the PEI build plate over to the smooth side and Pei’s hung it with some steel wool and washing it off adheres to TPU very well. I use it on my enter 5 plus to print TPU liners for arms like a vase