Bambu Lab X1C 3D Printer Review: Speed at What Cost?

We test and review the Bambu Lab X1-Carbon 3D printer! Since its release last year, it's shaken up the FDM 3D printing world with its fast CoreXY printing capabilities, hands-off accessibility, and convenient features like remote monitoring and automated filament switching. And at its fastest, we were able to print a test benchy in under 14 minutes! Here's what you should know about this printer and a look at how massively increasing print speeds affects print quality.

CT Scans of Benchy prints:
(1/2/3/4 correspond to Silent, Standard, Sport and Ludicrous speeds in the scans)

Shot by Josh Self and edited by Norman Chan
Music by Jinglepunks

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#3dprinting #review

[tested]

CT Scans of Benchy prints:
(1/2/3/4 correspond to Silent, Standard, Sport and Ludicrous speeds in the scans)

[ckoerner]

That CT scan really took this review to a new level. Very cool to see the insides of the model like that.

[codemonkeyk]

You can also load up the AMS with the same filament and have the AMS auto switch to the next roll if one runs out.

[ScottLahteine]

Input Shaping is pretty amazing… it's mathemagical! We added ZV Input Shaping to Marlin in version 2.1.2 and there will be more advanced Input Shaping included in Marlin 2.1.3. This means that even inexpensive machines like the Ender-3 can get smoother prints at higher speeds without any additional hardware, just by updating the firmware. The way Input Shaping works is pretty cool. Basically, every impulse that moves an axis generates ringing in the machine frame with a regular period. So all we have to do is time half of the impulses so that they occur at just the right moment to catch that frequency wave on the return swing, and it effectively deadens the vibration. I'm working on the input shaping code every day so I know it intimately, and yet it still seems like magic. And truly, it is!

[tomhorsley]

My main problem is, the word "cloud" automatically makes me believe that "cloud" word will turn into the "subscription" word some day.

[NinaThoren]

Love that you reviewed this, as someone who does not have a 3D printer yet I have been eyeing this as it seems like it has everything I want so it's very good having someone more knowledgeable give their opinion

[KevOXO]

Hi all, one 'extra' you get from having an AMS is long job run cover or end of spool usage.
My daughter has been printing large scale aircraft parts on an X1C for 5 months 24/7. She sets her alarm for job completion, has build plates ready to go.
Routine being get the completed job out, put a fresh build plate in and send the next plate (In the slicer, you can have multiple plates in one job.) to the printer.
All the filament is same brand, colour and batch so when spool 1 runs out the AMS just switches to spool 2 (Check settings it is a checkbox) so if say 1 and 2 are empty she swaps for full ones.

This is also useful if you are printing functional parts where you don't care about the colour, just fill the AMS with your almost empty of the same type, tell the AMS it is all the same and walk away. If it is a big job then you maybe have to go back to add other end of run filament.
Remember you are trying to save money by using old stuff too short to do a full job, so use a heat box, kitchen dehydrator, oven whatever you have, don't risk a failure with the filament you had in the shed for 2 months.

[aardvarkairsoft]

I love my x1c. Random unexplained failures are exceedingly rare unlike my ender 3. The machine feels like a tool. If I want to have fun with a printer I fire up my ender 3. If I just want to print a part not have to worry about it (as long as support settings are correct) the x1c is hard to beat.

[skyrider]

The X1C is a game changer and I love it. For me a 3D printer is a tool vs. a hobby (of getting the machine to work, and sure, if I have to learn the ins & outs and “tinker” no problem, but I was tinkering more than I was getting value from the tool with my Ender (tinkering 70% + to getting successful prints.
When I got my X1C, the ratio flipped dramatically. 90% + of success as a tool and rare occasion tinkering (calibrating mostly for optimal results vs. just trying to get a successful print with the Ender). Not only is it consistently way more reliable, but the speed & quality of the output is far superior. I’m about to purchase another X1C in a week and possibly a 3rd before the end of the year. I feel the same as you Norm, that this machine makes printing FUN again. I was happy to see Adam jazzed about it too. Cheers!

[stormycatmink]

Another nice feature I've personally had save me a ton of time, is the auto detection of spool issues. I had to respool some filament and ran into a few tangles, and it automatically detected it, paused, let me untangle it, refeed the filament, and it picked up the print where it left off. The print came out perfect, with very little waste. That normally would have cost me several full prints. Not worried about the filament loss as much as the time. Having to start a 10 hour print over three times would have taken forever. Having interrupted several times only added 30min or so.

Also, all the automatic saves a ton of time worrying about calibrating for each filament to get smooth prints. No more trying to dial in the flow rates and temperatures to get smooth prints. It just works, every time.

[gryyphyn]

I've said this before on other X1C reviews and I'll say it again: this is a great TOOL for integrating 3d printing to your other hobbies as a support piece rather than another hobby to collect. I have plenty of expensive hobbies, I don't need another. I need to make 3d print positives for sandcasting metal or test a scale design iteration for my telescope platform. I don't want to have to build and learn 3d printing from scratch with a kit in a box. I want a great tool I don't have to think a whole lot about.

[tekenator]

My buddy just bought one of these a few weeks ago and I was amazed at how fast it prints.

[crowguy]

Speaking from experience running basically a fully automated 16 slot filament shelf is an absolute blast, but with great power comes great responsibility. Another way to mitigate waste are models that just stack the colors. Only colors swaps within layers may cause massive amounts. Vertical swaps once every few layers only need a few swaps.

[erikm]

Just wow! What an amazing review, the 3d scanning of the models in different speed is so next level. This gotta be the best 3d printer review hands down i have ever seen! <3

[nerfthecows]

This is one of best purchases I’ve made. I love the hobby but I work a lot and 90% of the time It takes no intervention….with a 0.2 nozzle I’ve printed 0.5 modulus gears both spur and bevel gears and they are perfect…

[vlaktorbb]

I have a X1C with double AMS, and my experiences have been extremely good compared to other printers i have like a prusa mk2.5 and a sidewinder X1. I have over 500 hours of printing time on my X1C, zero clogs, the only print fails i have had where bed adhesion issues(mostly my own fault) and i can still count the failures on 2 hands. This printer really pushes the market forward, the bar is raised. The competition has work to do.

[boonjabby]

Best feature of the AMS is having multiple colors ready to go for a project. Don't need to get up and swap through your filaments. Effectively making it a true remote start system.
It's one step away from self cleaning the print bed haha

[marijuanas]

I kickstarted this project and have had my printer since September or so and really love it. Glad you guys got around to trying it out!

[jricard]

Excellent presentation! This is the only review I've found that addresses, in detail, the quality differences at different speeds. Print quality is especially important to me since I am a hobbyist (OK to have long print times) who designs engineered parts that need accuracy and good finish. Thank you for being thorough.

[Deathbysnusnu]

One thing I've loved is the ability to easily change layer heights in different parts of the print. I've done tons of multi color prints. I was wondering why that dice took so long. I realized he probably did 100% infill