Bambu Lab A1 - First Impressions

[@weekendwireless]

This guy genuinely comes across as one of the friendly KZbinrs I’ve ever seen. When he mentioned about doing a live stream and hanging out, I actually got excited 😊

[@jcfpv3454]

We call him the Bill Nye the science guy of 3d printers. He has a great way of doing videos

[@BV3D]

@@jcfpv3454 haha! BV the 3D Guy! 😁

[@Prokastrynator]

Its 3D Printing Jesus, loves you regardless

[@CSY-15]

Hey Bryan, CATIAV5FTW here... Thanks for featuring my jet engine model! I vote for a livestream build! I'll try to see if I can be on during the stream to answer any questions while you build 🙂

[@BV3D]

Oh, that would be amazing! Thank you!

[@c0mputer]

This would be great!

[@coreymac2381]

That hueforge print looks great! Nice review of the Bambu A1. I would enjoy watching you build the jet engine.

[@cataliniliescu82]

Doing the jet engine model assembly live would be great. Also, great first look video mate, really looking forward to your review when that is ready.

[@FilamentStories]

Great information and insights, as always. It's a lot of printer for the price, especially with multicolor printing.

[@ommachining154]

You mean multicolor wasting

[@ronm6585]

Thanks Bryan. Merry Christmas to you and yours. 👍🏻🎄🎅🏻❄😊

[@3DHP]

Great video Bryan, Nice Machine.Hope you and your family has a Great Christmas.

[@Bossen-DK]

As always a fine walk through! 👍 Yes please, do the live stream Brian! Regards from Denmark! 🇩🇰

[@ToddRumbach]

A live Bryan stream would be great. A wobble tower would be a good way to test the location of the AMS. Also, the Bambu channel shows some z stabilizers to help.

[@BV3D]

I'll go look for the stabilizers. I think the reason the A1 goes into Weebles Mode with the AMS lite on top is that the front and rear rubber feet are considerably softer than the rubber feet located right under the gantry. So should I search for "wobble tower" on Printables or MakerWorld or Thingiverse to find the test model?

[@mobilechaosyt]

Yes they updated the top mount to include the z-Axis Stiffener. They also included clip on PTFE tube guides for droopy tubes.

[@evildrporkchop26]

Was waiting for your review to jump on the bambu train! Great work

[@BV3D]

Thanks! (also, *_Evil Dr. Pork Chop_* is a cool name).

[@crabwire57]

Yes! Glad you posted the review! I was hoping you would! As I am planning on picking one of these up, and hoping the jet engine model will be included. I’d like to see you do the video. Cheers!

[@leosiwicki2013]

Love to see you assemble it!

[@JimmyHACK]

My friend did a Hueforge print for me on his P1S. It was so cool I ordered one for myself.

[@unknownerorr2740]

Stream that build! Seems fun, also thanks for this well documented review

[@zimmy1958]

Nice one Bryan.

[@BV3D]

Thanks 👍

[@TheMulletMafia1]

Amazing video! You got yourself a new sub

[@webnyoung]

There is a printer file for gantry bracket/stiffeners online, for use when the AMS is attached to top.

[@clenaghen]

Just ordered the A1 and Bambu now includes a brace support kit to address the weight with the AMS lite top mount kit., fwiw. Also, could you provide a link to the Hueforge painting? Been searching but cant find it.

[@Barbasnoo]

I routinely access the SD card contents remotely for my A1 mini, and my P1S. I use a simple FTP client on my computer to access it over the local network. The speeds aren’t great when downloading time lapses, but it still works pretty reliably.

[@BV3D]

Great tip! I'll give that a try! Any particular login credentials required, or it just lets you in via FTP without a username/password?

[@Barbasnoo]

@@BV3D username is “bblp”. Password is your access code displayed in your printers settings menu. Typically on the network information areas of settings. Port settings need to be “990” in my experience with TLS/SSL enabled.

[@arranwilliams2523]

Just got my new heatbed finally! glad to get printing again and with the voucher i can get the hardware kits i thought were included with the printer but turns out they are not.

[@PriusGuy2004]

Thank you for providing this review and information. I did lots of 3D printing at my local library back in Wisconsin, and they had a few Prusa i3 MK3s printers. They used some Elmer’s glue sticks on the build plates so that the first layer of a print made sure to stick to the plate. Do you have to do something similar with the Bambi Lab A1 printer?

[@aqhan]

Hey, Bambu Lab! If you could release a reliable and affordable filament extruder for making your own filament out of the filament poop that comes out of these printers, you'd make my, and many other people's day! Hopefully one with a grinder already a part of the machine.

[@c0mputer]

People underestimate how hard making a filament extruder is. To have a desktop filament extruder it would need to output filament at least as consistent and high quality as what you can buy off the shelf. Those extruder cost thousands of dollars and consume a lot of energy. Bambu isn’t going to make one that outputs filament that’s “fine”, people would complain all day long.

[@aqhan]

@@c0mputer You can make one yourself for about 600 bucks and I’m sure that with Bambu expertise, they would not have much problem making something better along the price.

[@c0mputer]

@@aqhan I have seen videos of people making their own. The consistency of the filament diameter is the main issue. It works and people can print with the filament it outputs but for a company to produce something that works well enough to put their reputation the line it would have to be easy to use and output filament with a high tolerance. That will just make it expensive. It requires the user to know a lot and feed the extruder with good clean PLA. I just see that as more of a hassle than it's worth considering there are DIY alternatives for those who care enough. But maybe in the future after the DIY sector makes good advancements and refinements will Bambu or another company decide to take it on. I wouldn't be surprised if Bambu is experimenting already. Also consider that they make money selling spools and if a user makes their own spool from PLA of various brands it would be kind of hard to account for that in the slicer as far as temps and other settings go. I really don't see them getting into that any time soon. When you say "affordable" what do you mean? What is a price that you'd complain about it being too high?

[@aqhan]

@@c0mputer You do make fair points, I agree. Have you seen one of the last CNC Kitchen videos. Stefan was testing a really promising kit there. As for the price, I believe that anything between $600-$1000 would be an absolute fantastic offering. And in line with Bambu Lab pricing. I bet there would be lots of us Bambu printer users that would snatch one even if it was sold as a print-yourself hardware kit, like the have the other ones.

[@c0mputer]

@@aqhan Yup, I watched that one a couple days ago, as well as the filament cutter/grinder from Teaching Tech. Those two things are great. I think it's yet to be seen if this is a viable solution for the masses. It's a good step in the right direction though! And kind of ironically, the huge amount of waste made by the Bambu poop is really getting people thinking about waste, so more and more people will want a solution when they see it all piling up. Especially the A1 series which will be in the hands of more and more people compared to the X and P1 series printers. I just don't see a large company getting behind it yet unless they can make a profit from it. I'd love a side project/company of Bambu Lab which focuses on experimenting. Like call it Bambu Shoots, or something where all they do is try things out and see what happens. They could make a filament extruder and people wouldn't expect it to be perfect since it's just an experiment. Not sure if this makes sense.

[@gcmehojah]

Can you buy the vanilla A1 and later add on the AMS? I haven't seen any reviews where that is addressed.

[@BV3D]

Hi! You can buy the A1 without the AMS lite. As I look at their site, it's in-stock, and ready-to-ship both with and without the AMS lite. I _do not_ currently see the AMS lite available for sale alone, but Bambu Lab has said that it _will_ be available. They just haven't said when. I know that buying them separately will cost more than getting them as a combo, but if you're not sure you need the AMS lite, it may make sense to get it without, since the printer on its own will only cost $399.

[@gcmehojah]

@@BV3D Thanks for that info! I don't print a lot of multi color but it'll be nice to have the option at a later date.

[@jmltechsol]

We need a Bryan build stream 🎉

[@Luptonium]

To test the AMS thing I would do a torture toaster. That would be a good test of print accuracy and show flaws you wouldn't normally see.

[@PeterAgostiniJdcap26]

i like the printer not to sure a about a 4 spool contraption because of space limitations. thanks for the review . ps : how do you get g code from computer to printer ? ty

[@BV3D]

I have the printer connected to my WiFi network, so I send the print jobs to the printer from the Bambu Studio slicer. I'm using the cloud print feature, so technically G-code is going from my computer, to Bambu Lab's cloud, then back down to my printer. You can also use LAN-only mode, with your computer and the printer on the same network, and that skips the cloud transfer part of it. And you can also save the G-code file to your Desktop, and copy it to a MicroSD card, put the card in the printer, and then select & print the file from the printer's screen.

[@PeterAgostiniJdcap26]

@@BV3D i like the last option i would use a extender for the card . i like to keep things simple. though the wifi is neat. can you use other slicers like cura with it . thank you have been a big help 👍🏻

[@dugy40]

There’s a problem with the A1 wipers. How do you adjust? How close should it wipe past the nozzle tip?

[@douglasleroy7786]

I’m pretty sure I saw a KZbin commercial for the A1 where a guy prints a drone from carbon fiber infused filament! Interesting that you mention they specifically do not recommend using that type of filament on this printer! Lol

[@BV3D]

The carbon fiber nylon is too brittle to go through the AMS, and would probably require an enclosure. But, Bambu Lab just came out with a carbon fiber PETG that's less brittle, and even though Bambu Lab says it's "AMS Compatible, AMS Lite NOT Ideal", that sounds to me like it MAY work on the AMS lite, but may have occasional feed issues. And you'll still want a hardened nozzle because of the abrasive nature of CF-infused filament. It may be one of those things where if it works, be happy, and if it doesn't, you were warned. 😁 Having said all that, the CF PETG should be OK running in "external spool" mode, where you feed it in independently from the AMS lite.

[@aruizv]

Could you tell us the total height of the printer with the AMS lite on top? Thanks!!!

[@BV3D]

Hi, it's about 31.5 to 32 inches tall with the AMS lite mounted on top.

[@KimKnittig]

Have you tried the 4 in 1 pfte adapter on the p1 series? Thoughts?

[@Captck]

What's the combined height clearance needed with the AMS on top? I can't find that info anywhere and have a certain cupboard space in mind. Thanks

[@BV3D]

I just measured mine, and a height of 32 inches gives about a half-inch of clearance above the PTFE tubes. You'll also need about 27 inches of depth to accommodate the full range of the bed's motion, including the cable. And a minimum of 20 inches width, though 24 inches would probably make the printer more comfortable. That gives extra room for a purge catcher and the gantry cable.

[@MrKlawUK]

whats the other set that might come with the A1? I’m still waiting on mine

[@BV3D]

With the A1, it will either be the non-printable parts (screws, nuts, washers, bearings) for the jet engine model, or it will be the non-printable parts (screws, bearings, electric motor) for the "TT Furious Tourbillon". The Tourbillon model and an assembly video are here on MakerWorld: makerworld.com/en/models/13297#profileId-99236

[@stevenpoole1968]

yes yes yes live stream !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@F.DoctorGT03.]

very informative video, do you think the X bar is strong enough to carry all this weight? Do you think this could damage something else? thank you very much .....

[@andreamencarelli22]

the project kit is random? or i have to chose when i buy

[@BV3D]

It's random. With the A1, it will either be the non-printable parts (screws, nuts, washers, bearings) for the jet engine model, or it will be the non-printable parts (screws, bearings, electric motor) for the "TT Furious Tourbillon". The Tourbillon model and an assembly video are here on MakerWorld: makerworld.com/en/models/13297#profileId-99236

[@MadmanCZ]

Amazing and very detailed video. Your 'it poops' comment made me nearly choke on my breakfast 😂. I own the Ender 3 V2 which I have modified a bit especially the fans so now I print nearly silently with the Noctua fans, how silent is the Bamboo A1? I am seriously thinking of an upgrade and this printer just looks amazing (by specs) and seems to work really well with high-speed. The pooping and wasted material is of concern though.

[@jayinstandarddefinition]

How about printing the clockspring torture toaster as an up/down AMS test?

[@theeightbitdad]

What is the height with the spool holder on top?

[@gmodesike]

You could just say 256mm cubed. :) Love your channel.

[@WhyplayGaming]

I just bought this printer and I can't believe I did as I own a Ultimaker S3. But for the price this printer seems amazing. I'm very curious too see how it compares too the US3. I'm hoping I will love it so much I can get rid off the US3 printer. It's a great printer but I think it's better suited for more of a commercial setting.

[@billcs66]

I have been messing around with reducing the poop. To my surprise I got rid of the prime tower, and some the other tricks. I still get really good prints without the prime tower. Maybe try it yourself, hopefully it will help save you a little filament, and give you a new video.

[@bobandybruhbruh]

Just bought this machine with the ams lite as my first 3D printer. Still considering wether or not i made the right choice as the P1S only cost 60 € more than the combo and even tho i do think the mulitcolor is cool it is not really necessary for me. I would rather spend a little extra for a better print and sacrifice the ams. So how does the quality og the A1 compare to an P1S?

[@MrKlawUK]

but if you sacrifice the AMS the vanilla A1 is 200 less than the P1S..

[@MrKlawUK]

why is a bedslinger so much cheaper than a core XY? I’d have thought the heating might be more complex on a moving base vs static, and you’re swapping two rails for the bed with two for the Y so seems like they’d be pretty similar cost to build? At leats for an open one

[@BV3D]

The drive belting is more complicated, plus all the extra metal for the cube frame of a CoreXY machine. I suspect a CoreXY is more complicated to put together on an assembly line as well. By way of example, the open-frame Bambu Lab P1P (without AMS) sells for $599, which is $200 (or 50%) more than the A1 (without AMS lite).

[@leemontgomery72]

I would actually watch a livestream if you put the engine together. I work for a company that use the Pratt and Whitney engine on a couple of our aircraft and have the files myself and would love to see how it goes together.

[@ljohnso16]

Where can I get that T-shirt. I can't find it just like yours

[@astrolemonade349]

Very nice! What are the blue colors that are mounted on your AMS Lite?

[@BV3D]

Hi, they're both Bambu Lab PLA Basic. The darker one is simply called BLUE, and the lighter one is called CYAN.

[@SpannMagoo]

I need some audible books narrated by Bryan!

[@sabergum]

I think a good model for testing AMS light on and off would be an Eiffel Tower just short of Max height.

[@Dimitris1963]

Thank you for these first impressions! I think your device has a small problem with the fan shroud, the small openings are not as open as they should?

[@dimen363]

Wondering now how does this compare to the other printers of similar price.

[@mrs5850]

Really thrown a spanner in the works. Been saving up for a P1S, now I really don’t know what to do ! It’s a big saving over the P1S. What would you do ?

[@idkwhattohaveasausername5828]

If you’re only printing in pla and tpu, just go for this one. If you plan on printing materials that need an enclosure or a hardened nozzle go for the p1s

[@Condamine123456]

Where can i get that hueforge file

[@susanaguadalupe5805]

Hi Bryan, I love your channel so recently Bambu lab had an anniversary special that put the A1 mini at $200 and A1 at $339. The deal was too good to pass so I went and I bought both of them,. The problem that I am having is. I can't download Bambu studio slicer. I have a hd chrome base computer. I do all the steps in the video but when I want to write a name it won't let me,can you help me please. Thanks

[@shannim5]

Bryan... When you do a comparison between side and top mounted AMS lite, would it be possible to do a comparison with and without recalibrating the input shaping (whatever Bambu calls it)? Theoretically, with it recalibrated, the A1 should compensate for the change in resonance due to the extra mass on top. I'm curious how well it handles the extra 9-10 pounds up top. Thanks in advance!

[@ImaginationToForm]

Bed Slinger Gate. I'm tempted to get it but I'd really would like a non-bed-slinger IDEX.

[@BV3D]

CoreXYdex? I’m trying to imagine how that would work.

[@ImaginationToForm]

It wouldn't have to be corexy for me anyhow.@@BV3D

[@makedaevilmage]

i saw some sprints.

[@BV3D]

YOU watched ALL THE WAY to the absolute end of the video. You're the best! 🤣

[@darklordstudio]

LOL...At 0:39, good one.

[@cameron_bowe]

I just ordered mine! What hotend size would I use for typical 1.75mm filament?

[@crowguy506]

Are they shipping the crappy black sheets again? With Bambu Labs only the gold one actually works.

[@BV3D]

Hi, the A1 has the gold textured PEI sheet. The black textured PEI sheet I showed is currently on one of my X1 Carbon machines.

[@crowguy506]

@@BV3D I strongly regret having bought the black one, since i had only bad results on the X1C with it. I primarily used the cold plate for a year, until my mini showed me that the gold one works much better.

[@BV3D]

@@crowguy506 I used to use the cool plate a lot. They seem to get bubbles under them fairly quickly, but I have a small stack of replacement sticker sheets for them. Seems like the X1 runs quieter with the cool plate than it does with the textured PEI ones. Probably because it doesn’t run the bed very hot, and so the chamber fan doesn’t run as much.

[@crowguy506]

@@BV3D I had no issues with the cold plate besides having to use glue stick. I only re attached the sticker twice after getting bubbly a bit. The gold plate solved everything for me. Noise isnt really a topic, especially since they released the noise reduction for the X1 series.

[@AlexWithAStar]

I used the black plate for probably 5-6 months before the gold came out. The black worked fine, but the gold worked amazingly. Kept the black just in case but probably won't be using it. I however changed the nozzle for the first time recently, and realized my nozzle was bent. that also helped adhesion wayyy more.

[@liesureleeminis8268]

Print a miniature(pochita) id love to see what this can do with that.

[@3DPrintingSevi]

Nice video! What do you think about ender 3v2? 🎉

[@fooman2108]

Because i am a smart-ass.... the multi-colored print you showed looks like something Bob Ross would do (you know, print a happy little tree right here.....) and was thinking get yourself a red, curly wig for that. Ross did say by the time he retired he was VERY tired of the red (Not his natural color), permed hair.

[@BV3D]

There are no mistakes, only happy accidental spaghetti monsters. 😁

[@nofa987]

I can't decide between this and the ankermake m5c - I'm not exactly that experience in 3D printing and will not be printing that much (no color printing either). Prize doesn’t really matter as the difference is just 90€. Any recommendations are highly appreciated! :)

[@subject8123]

I went with the A1. I didn’t like the lack of screen on the M5C, so it was between the M5 and the A1. $50 extra gets me the slightly larger build volume, ability to do multicolor if I want (did one, quite wasteful) but more importantly, I can preload my favorite colors (good black, nice off white, light grey, and a bright color) so I can easily swap between them as I need.

[@dtibor5903]

Of course Bambu said no more bed slingers because the best marketing is hate. But hey, they delivered.

[@DavidMeggers]

Yes. (Livestream).

[@xXKisskerXx]

I like some of the things they are trying to standardize, like hotends and wire management, but I really don't like that they don't.. expand on the 'no more bed slingers' claim. but maybe I am still just sore that I didn't get to review any of the printers, or sample any of their filaments, and then just lost interest in the same ol' designs and sizes. I think tall prints might suffer from AMSlite on top - the wobble might be just enough to cause print problems in taller models, up near that height. personally I am more interested in 2 material prints, without the need for the purges. Things like toolhead changers and dual print heads.

[@TheDreadedSpider-Man]

I got an ad for the A1 when i clicked this lol

[@arctyrus]

Actually they meant to say "No more BAD bedslingers.". And they delivered... ;-)

[@TheWaynecollins]

Please stream the assembly of the jet engine Bryan.

[@DigiLab360]

Prusa should be very, very worried. I'm admittedly a Prusa fanboy and have been for the last 8 years. Yet, I ordered the Bambu Lab A1 right away after seeing the first review. My Prusa i3 MK3+ is now relegated as my backup 3D Printer

[@DogBoy20]

How do you get 3D printing companies to send you printer for free

[@kaasmeester5903]

They wanted good press. I thing they sent one to *everyone*, my feed is completely overwhelmed by A1 reviews.

[@Bastyyyyyy]

start a youtube channel, gets probabyl 15-20k subs, and talk about 3d printers. I bet youll get some offers here and there to review some 3d printers.

[@pimientopicante3870]

I want one tho

[@navigationmanship]

Let me be the first to say when the runout sensor says you ran out... then run out , to the porch, and get your Amazon order for more! 😂❤

[@MakerMindNexus]

LIVE STREAM!!!!

[@BV3D]

OK. I'll have to get some stuff together.

[@rcmaniac10]

print the Eiffel Tower @ 256mm tall

[@adhdengineer]

Give me am A1 max, 350mm build plate and I'm sold.

[@jayson8118]

Honestly don't like their filament changing as it wastes so much filament and their printers are not open source. Dare you to ask them when they are going to make their printers open source ! They hate being asked that .

[@Njk570]

They work. Doesn't matter if they are open source or not. They are a company that creates a product that doesn't need to be tinkered with. Don't like it, then don't buy it.

[@colincampbell3679]

I think it is a waste of time, Bad enough tons of wasted filament it will do doing the purge tower that multi-printing makes with the model. ( enough to make another model ) But this printer goes down a even worse route with also doing tons of filament pooping on top of the model sized purge tower! So with all that filament wasted and the fact it cost so much to buy as a combi system, you be better buying a Creality K1 for the amount this thing costs. Very few people do multi-colour filament printing anyway! If you do some like most of us do once in a blue moon, you do the age old manual filament swap over since the slicer can set the time to change the colour over, you just make a note of the time and switch it. So no I think this is another gimmick printer which sounds cool until you see the price and the tons of your pricey filament it will waste? If you look around there is very few multi-colour printers used or sold now! They went out of favor soon after the idea happened. This fits that now gone odd time when they seemed cool.

[@rereertege7571]

So, the only real criticisms are with the AMS? If one were to use the printer like most printers were used before Bambu made (wasteful ...) multicolour printing so accessible, so just with one filament at a time, then there's nothing to complain about it except the slight inconveniences of the SD card and the bed?

[@eaman11]

Price ofc, other bedslingers are bigger and better for less money.

[@enmanuelhenriquez975]

This review looks like he was forced to say good things of this printer i didn't like👎👎👎👎👎👎

[@BV3D]

Sorry you didn't like the video, but I actually like the printer. I also like the Creality K1, which surprised me.

[@allisterfiend_2112]

What don’t you like about it?

[@aqhan]

This is one of the very handful of channels I trust to be truly impartial. Been watching for a very long time too. How about you?

[@robcaseyire]

Not sure why you have that impression, seemed like a genuine & honest review

[@lucase764]

You will see similar comments to this on all Bambu videos. Not everyone is on board with Bambu's quick rise to the top.