Next gen 3D printers are here, but do they bring fresh problems?

The race to the bottom might be coming to an end! Finally, more manufacturers are aiming to release fully developed 3D printers that ‘just work’. In this video, we explore the current 3D printer market and why consumers have been so frustrated, what the new generation machines get right, and what it means for a range of stakeholders going forward.

Be sure to have your say in the comment section!

0:00 Introduction

0:43 A race to the bottom

3:51 Prusa bucking the trend

4:44 A new approach for a new era

8:07 What this means for users

9:44 What this means for tinkerers

10:54 What this means for content creators

11:45 What this means for other manufacturers

13:40 Challenges still remaining

15:41 Conclusion

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[nerdinside]

Bambu Lab X1C owner here. I really did not like how technical it was getting klipper up and running on my previous printer. I don’t care if software is open source or proprietary. I really appreciate that with my Bambu printer I only had to unbox it, turn it on, let it go through a self calibration process and it just works. I haven’t had a single failed print, the firmware updates brought helpful improvements, and the Bambu Studio slicer and Handy mobile apps are easy to use. The printer just works and it’s fast.

[AttilaSVK]

After being unable to print anything for two weeks with an Anet A8, I picked up a Prusa i3 MK3 in July of 2018, and that made 3D printing my hobby (and partially I made a living from it in the past) which I still enjoy to this very day. This experience alone, and the fact that Prusa printers are and will be open source, and that they are based in Europe, not China, makes me gravitate towards them. So even if the Anker and the Bambu could be a better value for the money, I will still go for the i3 MK4.
I like Czech beer, drive a Skoda, so it seems natural to have a Prusa :D

[hereisanaccount]

Please do mention the status of Anker's multiple standing GPL violations in your review. By purchasing some of their machines you are buying stolen work. Keeping in mind, if they do find themselves in actual trouble over it, they will likely bury the product and cease support for it (that seems to be the pattern with companies dealing with that sort of thing), leaving the customer high and dry. There is also no way to inspect their implementation of safety features in the firmware. Sure, those customers won't be digging through the source code, but it does mean nobody can sound the alarm and inform people of found risks. You just have to take their word for it. Creality is doing this as well to this day, willfully violating the license for the software they are using in their products. That isn't a good way to demonstrate that they are worth trusting with what for most people will be a limited budget for a big purchase.

[Clough]

I think you hit the nail right on the head. The X-Plus3 is a great example of a product that desperately wants to be a cheaper X1C, but completely missed what makes the X1C good. Ironically, the plastic bed plate that seems to be such a big liability for the X-Plus3 is actually present in the X1C, but the materials and geometry are different and don't seem to cause issues.

[michaellitzkow]

My concern is repairability and total dependence on the manufacturer for support. It is great to see stuff that works well out of the box, but it also looks like a move toward the "use it until it breaks, then buy a new one" culture.

[miniman]

I will stay thoroughly in the 'tinkering with marlin configs for two full weekends without making noticable improvements' category, but I am very happy that there are printers to recommend to beginners without the added 'call me for 3 hours when something goes inevitably wrong'. The shift in content from 'getting half-baked clone x to work' to learning more about CAD and creative ways to apply it is a welcome one!

[looh]

I'm so thankful to myself for starting out my 3d printing journey with an ANET A8 in early 2017. There's nothing better than bolting together acrylic pieces, wiring a janky motherboard to an even more janky power supply. That's where you really learned how a 3d printer works, all these fancy new printers are beginner friendly, but fail to explain the tech in general tbh.

[AnIdiotwithaSubaru]

I have a new project that my Prusa mini is too small for but i know my cr-10 and sidewinder x2 won't make the perfect print I need.

I'm 99% sure I'm going to get a MK3s... Its not the latest and greatest but its PROVEN. Thats all i care about these days.

Bambu was tempting but i want something that is easy to get parts from anywhere in the world, not just from the manufacturer.

[irlpigeon]

i genuinely appreciate that prusa printers (and many corexy designs) are designed with 3d printed parts in mind. meaning if something breaks, i can reprint it and not worry about the change in mechanical properties from metal to plastic. and this also goes along with those printers being easily repairable through third party vendors. while i will credit bambulab for having very reasonably priced replacement parts, the fact i can only buy through a single source is kind of annoying. also being reliant on the company to design upgrades that fit the printer and my needs rather than being able to use open source designs made by anyone.

before i bought my mk3s+, the p1p was really the only other printer in that price point i was cross shopping, and that was only because it actually had a way for me to buy replacement parts. while not everyone wants to tinker on their printer, right to repair is very important in electronics. both for the consumer to save money on repairs but also by creating less e-waste by being able to make those repairs.

using your own analogy, it would be like buying a car that "just works" until you get a flat tire and can only buy replacements from the original manufacturer. or the new subscription models we're seeing rolled out for infotainment or heated seat upgrades.

[انا_ابراهيم_البناوي]

This is amazing but what I fear is that most new printers will fall into the trap of being way too hard to fix and will be cloud services and will be only available to use through their apps which I HATE and I'm absolutely sure they will try to monetize it and force you to pay a subscription services and have to get the parts from them because if you don't they will brick your printer we already see this with some Filaments that you must have this type of printer If they start doing that I'm going to still hold on to my Ender 3

Edit: To those who say Just don't buy them look how that worked out for farmers who are suffering with repairing their own tractors and farm equipment and have to ship them to John Deere and iPhones if you try to replace your own screen or even the haptic motor your phone will not work even if it's a genuine Apple Part and if you try to repair something like a John Deere machine they will sue you because you don't own the software of the machine you just own the hardware if this keeps on going we will not own anything like what the WEF said you will own nothing and you will be happy

[Cheeky_Goose]

I love the upgradability of the Ender 3 platform. The Prusa mk3 was way too expensive for me, so I got an Ender 3 on sale, upgraded it to a Prusa mk3 hot-end and extruder, and similar stepper drivers. It's not as sleek or premium, but I learned so much throughout the process, I feel like it made me into an expert when it comes to budget printers. If I had to upgrade, I think the P1P and the Prusa Mk4 are very decent out of the box.

Most people are not going to be willing to tinker. Most Ender 3 users never even update the Marlin firmware, so the next generation is going to really help get more people into 3D printing. The biggest issue now is what to do with your failed prints and support material. I have a huge stash and nowhere to recycle it.

[madamimadam]

Our Bambu X1 is so fast and reliable for printing it's hard to look back. However, it does feel too complex to just dig into and swap parts once we do have a breakdown. Still going strong but doesn't feel modular or simple. Paid for itself in weeks BTW.

[zimtage]

If the os isn't open and I can't buy off the shelf parts, I don't want it

[ivailogeimara]

I think that with this closed approach will backfire really quick for the users. You want a feature that could be added with free octoprint plug in? Play $200. You are comfortable with "Slicer A"? Too bad. That works only with brand A.

[LilApe]

Don't know about ankermake, but I know prusa and bamub aren't friends. prusa is pro open source and bambu lab is anti open source(even though they love using open source innovations), to the point of trying to patent features that have been in use for years. They even void your warranty if you mod your bambu priner, such as using the hydra AMS system.

[mark]

I agree. I'm not a tinkerer, I just want to print and some day design my own things.
I bought my first Prusa mini in January. I had such a great experience that I now have a new Prusa Mk 4. I could have been stuck trying to get a knock off working and would have left the hobby.

[VorpalGun]

I'm sticking with Prusa. I love my Mk3s and plan to get a Mk3.9 upgrade kit towards the end of the year. I love the open source approach, not just for Prusa, but in general (I daily drive Linux).

And with my Prusa, should I need to repair anything, I know exactly how it works, since I built it from a kit.

[ColinDyckes]

Tech support would be a start. My Cr10 V3 arrived with one motor with a bent shaft, almost certainly not in transit. Zero response from Creality so had to buy a motor. No problem it you know what you're doing but a problem for complete beginners. Next priority would be auto bed levelling without having to add a CRTouch. My first printer but great when setup properly. YouTubers like you were/are an enormous help!

[stevenhu]

I went the other way, started with Ender, was always fixing it and learned I liked the experience and now I am building a Voron

[RxDude]

I started with the Snapmaker from kickstarter but due to continued problems and very slow prints, it started gathering dust. After seeing many good reviews for Bambu Lab (and also having a DJI drone), I decided to try again with the X1C. What a difference! Worked out of the box and takes between 1/10 and 1/4th of the time to print. Have had for 2 weeks and printing non stop, making toys for my granddaughter and useful parts. I am not a tinkerer, so this is exactly what I wanted. I did have a clogged extruder (due to a stupid mistake on my part), but the online videos were good enough to walk me through taking it off, and I was up and running again in a couple hours. Have some spare parts on hand in case of future problems, and they are priced rather reasonably. I think everyone benefits from competition, so hope others start making printers that just work! Thanks for all your thoughtful reviews and videos, love your channel.