The One to Beat: Bambu Lab X1-Carbon 3D Printer Review

[@somebodyelse6673]

That's how a review should be done. Gold star, James!

[@g.tucker8682]

That's how a review-review should be done. Meta-gold star, somebody else!

[@jappelable]

couldnt agree more! very straight to the point and detailed

[@jeezustheone]

agreed

[@efejoao]

Absolutely appreciate the professional approach

[@Owendinga]

Completely agree.

[@EEEEMMMMKKKK]

This review was so relaxing to watch. No distracting music just a wise man talking, i am so tired of youtube....

[@mattholden5]

James, I wish news outlets delivered information with the level of candor and transparency you showed in this vid. Thanks for sharing.

[@facilitiesmanagerpatrick4486]

New to the 3d World. Son-in-law bought an original Prusa i3 MK3 a couple of years ago (guess who had to assemble it) for my grandson. New house, new school and new friends my grandson lost interest (he will come back) so I inherited it. Started to play around, watch some videos and actually printed out a few things. Sooooo. Next steps. After watching this video it looks like I will purchase the X1 Carbon. This was of the best reviews to date, as others have said "This is how a review should be" Thanks

[@namedjasonc]

"I haven't been able to test the spaghetti detection," is a flex that hits hard in the 3D Printing community!

[@Sean-f9p]

I had a laugh at this too

[@scottscopters7]

@@Sean-f9p try some ASA with no adhesive

[@navidrezaei9850]

He is not lying. I bought my machine last week and been using it. I love it. It is fast and part looks nice. I hope Bambu comes up with a bigger machine

[@markfletcher6511]

What a review. They sent me one. I tried it. I went out and bought one. Is there any better endorsement than that? Of course, you, as always, did a great job of pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of this machine. I admire your consistent integrity and unending level of thoroughness in covering the details. That is one of the magnificent reasons that I treasure watching your channel.

[@kevennguyen3507]

Why would you even need to buy another one, given this one prints super fast, you wouldn't even keep up with designing. Hmmm...

[@dynedragon9413]

I’m looking forward to getting one myself! How did you get one to review?

[@MoneyMager]

​@@kevennguyen3507 a bit late here...but the company sent him one to test. Not permanent

[@jhawker2895]

Thanks for your review ... I got lucky and purchased my Bambu Lab X1 Carbon with the AMS when it was a Kickstarter campaign at a discounted intro price. I received mine mid-summer last year and although I don't print nearly as much as you do, I have experienced ZERO problems. My printing experience has been for the most part flawless. I am old, as in late 70's, and I find the Bambu Lab support to be wonderful. I asked a few questions when I received the printer just to make sure I was totally prepared to use and not destroy the unit before I could experience my first print. If Bambu labs has any problem in the USA, it's having filament in stock. It seems every time I go to purchase filament it's out of stock. Maybe it's just poor timing, but that is my experience. I also would echo your review and add I love the product, service and I agree that the filament ( when in stock ) is worth the little extra cost to make printing a "Slam Dunk", in MY EXPERIENCE... Thanks for sharing ... Stay Safe and Well...

[@Roadsurfer2k11]

Still out of stock 😂

[@jesperhansen7224]

Probably the best review of anything, that I've ever seen. Clear, concise and no bs. Thank you very much!

[@geoffs7232]

After years of building and constant fiddling with 3D printers, I bought an X1C. It just works!

[@tophatv2902]

amazing

[@tonycerniglia4777]

Bought this machine based on your review. While the machine is solid, I needed to print TPU also. I did the unload etc. etc. and ever since the AMS has been fully uncooperative. Also, their support ticket system is in my opinion a cumbersome disaster and they must respond VERY differently to "influencers". My tickets go several days before any response. You asked for comments, these are mine. Otherwise, enjoy your content FULLY and I will accuse you of being borderline GENIUS, well maybe not borderline, just genius. Thanks James and keep up the awesome work...PLEASE.

[@Clough42]

They've definitely gone through periods where support is very slow (a few days) and other times it's super fast. I make a point of not letting them know who I am until I have to, and I've had both experiences.

[@matthewlee8917]

I bought one because I know I can trust what James says. His approach to everything is very fair. I’m super satisfied with mine.

[@stevenwalsh9303]

First time ever user here. I bought my X1C one week ago. Very happy with it. 90 minutes from the time it arrived to the time I was printing one of my own prototypes. That means I unboxed it. Loaded the software. Imported the model. Sliced it and hit print. Yielding a perfect print. The next day I did a two color print. Within a week I was using it as if it was one of my paper printers. I would say Bambu hit a home run. I’m one of those users you describe that my time is worth way more than anything and even if it wasn’t I would rather tinker with my products than tinker with a printer so the “just works” product works for me. I think the price I paid is an excellent value. I will probably buy a second one as soon as my prototyping cycles speed up or my parts production needs higher output. I will eventually be producing engineering parts for use in the real world so I look forward to larger build volumes and even more self-setting features in the future. Bambu could probably offer a $5,000 product that incorporates everything on anyone’s wish list and it would sell to people like me. In fact, I came into this at $1,500 solely as a test for proof of concept in anticipation of spending $20,000 on something if it all worked out. Well guess what, this unit already does what I thought I would have to spend a lot more to get. Call me a very satisfied customer.

[@jeffb5798]

Prusa MKS3 owner here, and I really liked your review. I think it was pretty fair and unbiased. I'm not in the market for another printer, but if I was I think I would at least consider the X1. In the "But not open source" section, you mentioned that many people's default expectation is that a 3D printer is to be OpenSource. I don't think of it in terms like like. For me, the issues I have with Bamboo is 1) this hobby/industry/community (or whatever you want to call it) is based on Open Source, and the advancements made over the last 10+ years couldn't have been made if it weren't for Open Source firmware and Open Source slicers. My guess is that their firmware relies on innovations made by others, and leveraging innovations made in software that is Open Source, yet closing your own source seems a bit hypocritical and a bit like "cheating" to me. 2) Our hobby/industry/community has grown due to innovations and discoveries made over the years, and with the innovations being openly discussed, shared, and improved on. By closing their source and not "paying it forward", it hurts the industry. PS. you said, "Prusa has set a real precedent in the 3D printing industry by Open Sourcing their printers". Prusa isn't alone in this (there's Lulzbot/Taz, and many others), and they weren't the first, so I wouldn't say they they set the president. I mean, RepRap... _they_ set the precedent.

[@1fareast14]

I'm fine if they steal. I'm not fine if they keep filing patents based on the stolen ip that will be used to kill the competition, just like dji.

[@Mindless_One]

You're 100% Correct Been Printing for 8yrs+, mainly designing custom system for personal use, not having a Open Source Software Options is a absolute Deal Breaker.

[@FrankGraffagnino]

well said!

[@raymonschepers994]

I’m 100% with you on your very polite reaction. Very well said! The very first precedent was set by Ultimaker btw. Don’t get me wrong about my thoughts on the X1, this is indeed the bar that’s set in modern days 3d printing. I’m really stoked about the build in LiDAR and tagged spools that will help set up the parameters of one’s print. There are only 2 points (better just 1.5 actually) of attention to dare criticize the X1 on; -1; It is a bit of a thing that topic you’ve pointed out on the closed source feature. It’s not the most respectful way of entering the market. I do understand that they have a business model to carry out. Too bad that they’ve chosen to drop open source. This will be a dealbreaker for lots of enthusiastic new (or extra) machine buyers. A bit like the AnkerMake story now isn’t it? -1.5; The other point i’d say is the noise level of the machine. It looks like the guys in the Lab made of Bambuuu are very well articulated in the fact that working at 4 times the printing speeds it’s not exactly a focal point to reduce noise levels as this will be highly contradicting on itself. Next to good cooling at very high speeds i can see why this isn’t all that bad and urgent.

[@Declopse]

By innovation you mean company's cloning others by having "open source" allows for taking other work to just sell it your own. To me: open source is just a gateway to get other company's produce the same tech. The real innovation comes from the community's feedback. The companies make those innovation come to life. I think in my opinion that Bambu Lab made a smart move by close source their systems. Allows for other company's to do their job for once and innovate instead of cloning it. Still Creality managed to clone their Corexy printer from Bambu Lab and market it a 100mm faster than theirs. Qidi tech attempted at doing the same but failed in some features. So really competition comes to life.

[@christinaharrod5102]

This machine is amazing and I love it. I have had it for 4 weeks and it has printed non-stop. My students design and model objects, so prototyping is a part of this process. I have 4 other 3D printers in my classroom, all different manufacturers, but this machine blows them away, because of the crazy speed. Most teachers aren't interested or equipped to tinker with machines, so this would be the perfect machine to encourage them to enhance lessons. It is basically plug and play. I can't say enough about the ease and value of this machine. It's actually a useful and reliable tool, rather than a new issue. I LOVE THIS MACHINE!

[@Makerspaces]

Love that you named one "Fear" and the other "Loathing".

[@pieterpennings9371]

I ordered mine yesterday after doing 3 weeks of research and debating between this and the prusa mk4. The speed and quality on this thing got me and the prusa is out of stock until september. I can’t wait for this thing to arrive this week. Great video!

[@dingdongdaddy589]

You made the right choice.

[@SmallProjectCentral]

Just bought one. This is my first printer. Thanks for this video. Made me feel like I made the right decision.

[@Watch4Me]

I am 90 days into 3D printing. A friend recommended the X1 Carbon. It's the iPhone of 3D printing. It just works. I've had to do maintenance which consists of cleaning the Z-axis rods and wiping down the carbon rods for the printhead support. The PEI textured plate does have some adhesion issues (look at me using the lingo like I know what i'm talking about). I now plan to use the cool plate with glue for small pieces that have low surface to plate area. Loving the X1 Carbon. If your time is worth more than a few hundred extra dollars, get this machine now!

[@DonaldATeal]

So professional! No annoying music, just concise, knowledgeable, unbiased input. It's very refreshing to hear an honest and sincere review analysis of a product. This person knows how to say what he analyzed clearly, concisely, and without BS. I look forward to watching more of his KZbin videos. DT.

[@nerdinside8242]

I have this printer with the AMS unit, with over 1,000 of print time. I love it. I don’t believe a single print job has ever messed up. 😊

[@YourComputerExpert]

Does it require a lot of manual maintenance? Tuning rails and such?

[@Israelluna420]

This was the exact review video I was looking for. I’ve been researching for hours on what should my next printer be and this printer sounds like a solid choice. Great video 👍👍

[@maxmustermann194]

I'm using the X1 for my printing service business and it has repaid itself fully within the first 2 months and less than 700 print hours. Couple small replacement parts, otherwise rock solid. No need to say more I think.

[@OccultDemonCassette]

Replacement parts needed within 2 months of use?

[@antoniorios3856]

Yeah, 2 months repairs seems problematic

[@tophatv2902]

@@antoniorios3856 700 print hours

[@gumbykevbo]

@@antoniorios3856 Look into "bathtub curve" or "infant mortality". People assume that something new should be reliable, but that is when the manufacturing defects tend to show up. After that they become reliable for a long time until parts start wearing out. The "infant mortality" is the whole point of warranties. Also 700 print hours in those tw months is beating on the thing pretty hard.

[@ArmySigs]

@@OccultDemonCassette 2 months of doing one print and 2 months of doing ten thousand prints? Time is meaningless, print time is important. 700 hours is a lot of print time.

[@landon1167]

I really like how you took the time to fully explain that they had sent you a unit, their expectations, your own purchase, and affiliate status. While yes, you do have an incentive for people to buy these, fully disclosing the details makes it feel much less like a "money grab" review. I'm not sure if you purchased the second one because you had to return the one they sent or if you just really liked the unit and wanted to remove any possible "obligation" that could be viewed as influencing an honest review before making the video. In short, I appreciate the upfront and honest transparency, and you created a good review!

[@zwurltech9047]

I own the X1C for four weeks now and my experiences with the printer are exactly the same. I was a huge fan of Prusa, but now my MK3s+ is out of work. I've ordered a P1P as second Printer which arrived yesterday. My first experiences with this machine are also amazing!

[@lundebc]

I purchased the Bambulab x1c and have not looked back. An occasional hiccup, usually cause by me forgetting something during the model design. I was tired of having to tune the printers each time I changed filaments, or from PLA to PETG, etc. The X1C just cranks out the parts for my projects, and so much faster than my prior printers. Not having to bed level all the time saves me a lot of time. I love it.

[@stumcconnel]

I've had my eye on this printer for a little while, but seeing this has pretty much just sealed the deal. Definitely wouldn't be the first time I've bought something because I saw you use it (and like it) and you haven't let me down yet!

[@shankleton]

I just pulled out my FFCP from 2016 and was dreading the setup process to print some simple pcb board mounting frames for my Centroid Acorn rebuild of a cnc router. After 4 hours of failures, partly my relearning of everything, I decided to look for a new 3d printer. Low and behold Clough42 had a video just posted a few days prior of the Bambu x1c. Did a little more research, and a week later I was signing the received shipment with the carrier. I should mention I live in Hawaii and everything takes a little longer to get here. I don't think it has stopped printing except to change filaments. Thanks for a great review and getting me back printing again. Of course I had to brush up on sketchup after a hiatus.

[@DCDA-LA]

We've been tested this machine in the studio, the real power is that it only took roughly 1/4 of time to achieve the quality of Markforge(of course Markforge does have lots of unbeatable features) with carbon material, plus just like you said it speed up the iteration process. It's truly amazing in the product development field.

[@SumDumChum]

I'm new to 3D printing world, I've been interested for a decade plus but never took the plunge. I'm BEYOND happy with this purchase. As a 3D Design and Animation major from early 2000's I was the designer slicer and printer except with paper and an exact knife. I've made some really cool stuff over the years but my career took me in a different direction. I just wanted a printer that was reliable with high quality and zero to little desire to tinker. This review just AGAIN solidifies that I made the right choice. Cloud based bothers some but I'm not here to make money, just see my ideas and creativity come to life. I've already found so many uses in the last 3 weeks of printing and excited to see what the next 12 months look like for me. The slicer is beyond intuitive for a newbie and your detail here described is exactly my experience thus far. Fantastic review and honest opinion.

[@Madeinoz1967]

Ive had my X1 for a month now, and is the 5th 3D printer I’ve owned over the last 12 years. It is by far the best printer I own. I print eSun+ PLA with no problems. Ive always used the textured build plate set to 60Degc and zero first layer or adhesion issues. Bambu defiantly has a winner and build quality is fantastic. It’s a set and forget once I press the print button.

[@akierum]

Wait till you need to replace parts, then see what you will do when they will be not available or expensive.

[@zack033zack3]

@@akierum Curious as to what parts you might be referring to? I have interest in purchasing one of these, and definitely looking for any potential reasons not to.

[@GTL05]

A few years ago I decided I wanted a 3D printer but didn’t have a job to get one. Fast forward to 4 months ago I finally have a good paying job and was ready to get one. I was gonna go blind and just get a elegoo Neptune, but I was told by someone do I want to get into working on 3D printers or do I want to 3D print. So I did my research. Your video was one of the first I saw and I instantly fell in love with the Bambu printer. Fast forward again to yesterday and I finally bought one. I can’t wait, I also have bought some filament and the ams hub because I plan on getting more that one. Thanks for the awesome review it really helped me buy my first 3D printer.

[@davidmyhre2720]

I have been printing on a prusa for many years. Thank you James for your honest and sincere opinion on this printer and the other things you do. You are a class act. Thank you

[@jimruddy6083]

Thank you. I was one of the people who asked for this review and got what I expected. No Pollyanna review of "Everything is as good as kittens and rainbows" but "here are some warts and they do not effect the parts which are printed with quality and speed".

[@thelondoncraftsmanworkshop]

You are an unbelievable presenter!! Amazing information and so well presented! Watched the whole video through without stopping as it was really easy to watch! Thank you for all of your information! Ryan

[@dirtapple1716]

I plan on buying an X1C and cannot overstate how much I LOVE that you named your printers fear and loathing. I originally found you via the grinding wheel balancers but am glad I found you again when I was looking to purchase a 3d Printer, keep on kicking ass!

[@danielparagas8504]

Logged in just to say 100% great review. Clear and concise. Pleasure to watch and listen to. Ty

[@jasonh3109]

Great review that is both clear and honest. I LOVE mine. It’s my first printer and I am exactly the person who what’s to print stuff and walk away. I am their market. I too want to know early on in the design process what works and what doesn’t. I’d buy a second unit in a heartbeat. I’ve had a few issues, but frankly I’m taking full responsibility for me being a newb. Every person I show the prints to just drool at the quality. I do get a jammed nozzle at the very end of the completed print when using Bambu ABS-CF. Not sure why but using nylon cf is a win every time. 👍🏽👍🏽

[@NatalieVincentOz]

22:53 I set the chamber fan at ~60%... Doesn't seem to affect quality and it reduces the noise significantly. You can change the chamber fan speed in the device tab of Bambu Slicer and on the temperature/axis page in Bambu Handy. You can also add the setting to the filament g-code, though it would be nice if there was a setting in the UI for this.

[@martingo22]

If you set fan to 60%, how many decibels you meassure?

[@btutte1]

I ordered a new bambu lab x1-carbon today and picked up on some guy tearing down the unit pretty bad. Your comments made me feel a little better. I have ben using a robo for the last 8 years. I hope I have chosen well. Thanks for your comments

[@John-ro2yk]

When I saw the early reviewers prior to production release it looked compelling and so I ordered one. I have had no other prior experience with an FDM printer. I use it in support of my design work and it's fantastic to go from SolidWorks model, to 3MF file to sending the sliced file to the printer and pull out a finished part in 30 minutes. It is an excellent tool for this work.

[@terrysmith8655]

Okay, make that four comments. I purchased three other AMS units so I have a total of 16 filaments available at any given time for the one printer. A nice thing about this is that they are kept in a nice dry environment (I also printed three desiccant holders with the hygrometer in the middle so I can keep track of the moisture level in each AMS unit), and you don't have to go through the hassle of changing filaments all the time. I grant that it is a little expensive, but I find it is totally worth it. Great video by the way 👍

[@jaymzx0]

I've had my X1 Carbon /w AMS for a few weeks now and really enjoy it. The speed and print quality is outstanding. After coming from a partially homebrew i3 variant I spent many years tinkering with, cursing at, and chasing speed or quality - it really is a breath of fresh air. It's like driving a tuner car for a long time and then deciding to get something quick and nice from the factory. You asked for suggestions. For many years my go-to brand of filament came on wide spools (75mm), and consequently, I have a number of them. Unfortunately, wide spools won't natively fit in the AMS. I printed a device to 're-spool' them to standard size spools, but it's a serious pain. Additionally, cardboard spools are iffy and not recommended for use in the AMS. There are rings you can print to stiffen up the walls of the spools and cut down on cardboard dust, but your mileage may vary. If anyone finds themselves in a similar situation, I recommend printing the 'AMS Hydra' mod that can be found on Printables. It replaces the interior chassis of the AMS, so you need to bring all of the mechanical and electrical devices over. It takes about an hour and you can even use the hex wrenches provided by Bambu to do all the work. I'm happy to say after performing this modification, I'm able to print using my existing stock of filament from the AMS without issue. One other quick tip is to calculate the max volumetric flow for your filaments, then simply use that to control the speed of the print. The printer will do what it can to maintain maximum print speed, however, it will limit its speed based on the maximum extrusion volume your filament is capable of. Using this method allows you to simply choose your filament, slice, and away it goes. If you choose a different color or material that can print faster, or needs to go slower (e.g.; TPU), the slicer will automatically adjust speed. There's a fork of the Bambu Studio slicer called OrcaSlicer, and I highly recommend it. It includes one-click calibration models and that makes it very handy. It can also be used with other printers if you still use your old one. It's a little unstable in Linux, specifically with regard to video streaming, but I blame that on the libraries.

[@raymonschepers994]

Thanks mate! Very useful in-depth opinion whereas you bring up a lot of solutions. Class act!

[@formulafoxMusic]

excellent review! my experience so far with the X1 Carbon- I currently have My 3D printer in my bedroom which I don't recommend to anyone having it there. its very noisy and had to set the speed from standard to silent so I could go to sleep, I will be relocating it to the Garage so I can safely print ASA and ABS, which I recommend to anyone printing those materials in a well ventilated area. other than that this machine lets you get back on track, with little maintenance needed. i'm use to a bigger build volume printers with minimum 12"X12"X12" and was originally interested in getting the prusa XL, however the XL still faces the common issue of having to assemble many parts and troubleshooting tedious issues that adds to frustration with a side of gummy bears,( the Prusa XL is great as a hobby) but not as reliable as the Bambu series printers. as a prop maker, spending less time sanding parts before painting them, makes a huge difference in lead times, and that's exactly what the X1 does best. I may have to cut my large 3D models into smaller segments for printing, but I can easily assemble them after and cover the few jointed lines with bondo.

[@EdwardEAnderson]

I bought mine in December, was new to 3d printing, but have about 600 hours on it now, the spaghetti detection and first layer detection have worked great. I love being able to leave it printing at work, and check in remotely after I get home. Your videos showing 3d printing were a big push into deciding to buy it and get rolling.

[@dangerous8333]

You should never leave a 3D printer running while you're away from your home unless you have multiple Fail-Safe protections.

[@EdwardEAnderson]

@@dangerous8333 considering it sits in my shop, I always run it when I’m away from home. What’s it gonna do besides ruin a print or light on fire?

[@skylar-2133]

@@dangerous8333 lol not sure if you are joking or not.

[@KyneticAcademy]

Thank you for mentioning the textured PEI plate! It will be my first 3D printer and I will use your affiliate link when I can.

[@petergamache5368]

Owning one of the early batch Kickstarter printers has fundamentally changed how I think about 3D printing. When designing parts to be printed on older printers (for more than a decade, at this point), I'd always have to keep in mind printer limitations - this is much less of a factor for the X1, since dimensional accuracy stays spot-on with very little effort between different materials, without hours of tuning for each new filament type. If you want an "appliance" that just spits out parts day after day, and reliability, accuracy, and production speed are your priorities (versus cost), the Bambu X1 is a great choice.

[@wildleeunlimited783]

This guy is awesome with clean verbal articulation and a sense of direction with his delivery! Great points mentioned along the way from a barely human standpoint! lol...

[@VagiPeti]

Totally nailed it James! I love your unprecedented quality to details, what doesn't sticking to specs but real life usage. My consideration to buy this printer just increased a lot. I will definitely buy this printer!

[@DennisMurphey]

I am a hobbyist that makes Model Train Parts for 1950s American Flyer. Over 8 years I had moved from the toy M3D to a Cr 1-S Pro with upgrades. But as I now have over 25 parts that people need I end up printing a lot more than usual. And I like the comment about Prototype Print Fix, reprint, iterations. I work the same way and am hampered by cycle time. I am not sure I make enough money to justify this expense but on the other hand, development can get stretched out 4 X because waiting for test parts to print. I truly like all the tech to make the printer autonomous as possible. I am torn. I have $500 I could spend but I have to go back to the CFO for the rest and she just may not understand. Great review, in depth and covered many points we all have concerns over. I had though the CR K1 would work at $600 but clearly the screen, the interfaces, the intelligence built in and the AMD in the future would be a dream. If 3D Printing works in low gravity imagine the print farm for spare parts in the Moon and Mars. Thank You Dennis

[@DaveEtchells]

I've had an X1C and AMS since ~December, and it's been transformative (life-changing?) After years of futzing with the hardware and endless fiddling with settings, I finally have a *tool* I can use to make other things with. It's hard to overstate the difference this has made in what I do and how I use 3D printing. I can actually design something and iterate it 5 or 6 times in a day (I'm a noob Fusion 360 user, so there's lots of iterating ;-) Or if I want a bunch of something (Gridfinity bins, for example), it'll just crank out piles of them. The one downside? I"m spending a whole lot more on filament these days :-0 (But I'm having good success with even cheap brands like bulk-purchase Eryone PLA at $12-13/kg and only minor tweaking and perhaps slightly slower speeds, so that helps with the cost.) The AMS is surprisingly useful, not because I do multicolor prints, but because as you said, I can keep 4 different spools bone-dry and ready to go at a moment's notice. For my usage, it's been very well worth the added cost. I honestly can't say enough good about the printer, and the Reddit community for it is very helpful as well, making it even nicer. The one decision people might be wrestling with is whether to get the less expensive P1P or the X1C. This is purely anecdotal, and could simply be the result of more P1Ps being sold, but FWIW I've seen a lot more P1P than X1C owners asking for help solving print problems on the Reddit forum. Like I said, it's entirely anecdotal, but I can say that I myself have had next to no issues with my X1C/AMS combo. (The biggest one has been trying to run old, brittle filament through the AMS and having it break inside. Once you've been through the process of clearing the resulting jam once it's pretty straightforward, but still a pain. If you have old filament, do yourself a favor and run it as an external spool.)

[@DaveBuildsThings]

Just to add, I bought a P1S about 6 months ago and it has been a work horse. I design a print, slice it and send it over to the printer. The P1S takes over and makes my design (sometimes flawed) and prints it. No hassle with levelling, bed adhesion or anything using a textured plate. I don't print pretty things. I print parts I use in my projects. And this printer does exactly what I needed a printer to do. The ONLY difference between the P1S and the X1 Carbon is the lidar. Nothing more. So yes, your assumptions are really anecdotal. Best money I've ever spent and I'm considering a second one.

[@MickHealey]

Brilliant review James. I bought a Qidi i-fast 7 months ago, and already I'm very tempted by the Bambu X1-Carbon. The fact that you got one for free, then went out and bought another says everything. Although I'm quite capable of tinkering (engineering background), what I actually want is a 3D printer that just gets on with the job, with minimal input from me. I don't need to tinker with my colour laser printer, my oscilloscope, my dishwasher etc. These are all 'tools' that do a specific job for me. I now realise that I want the same from a 3D printer, so that I can get on with the job of designing things, with fairly quick prototyping.

[@bobabbott8370]

I added 1 of these to my business 5 weeks ago. I now have 4 to add to my 6 other QIDI printers. I have 1 I-FAST, I CF-pro and the rest are x-plus 2.

[@dangerous8333]

Hate Qidi. So loud.

[@davej2122]

I just ordered the X1 with AMS. I am a senior field engineer for industrial 3D FDM printers and this machine looks very impressive!

[@WhereNerdyisCool]

If the next version offers a bigger build volume (300 x 300 x 400mm or greater) and it's quieter - plus fixes to the things you highlighted, I'm interested! I have 22 machines in my mini factory in my shop, mostly bed slingers. Full enclosures, fume extraction and fire suppression devices. Print safe! Great video!

[@stephencase5160]

This is one of the most useful 3D printer reviews I've ever seen.

[@MyLilMule]

Great review. There are times I like to tinker (or I wouldn't be a maker) and there are times I just want an appliance that works (which is why I didn't build my own refrigerator or TV). This is one of those appliances that might be a little locked down, but it works, like my iPhone.

[@michaelrosenlof1084]

Want to thank you, James, for all the great information that you provide. I used your affiliate link to pick up an X1 carbon and a couple of AMS units and supplies. I hope this benefits you in someway and wanted you to know how much your efforts are appreciated. All the best, Michael Rosenlof.

[@Clough42]

Thank you! I appreciate your kind words.

[@zwurltech9047]

In terms of bed-adhesion I experienced the same flaws with the cool plate. I highly recommend the "high temperature plate" which works absolutely perfect with PLA, without messing around with gluestick.

[@okflyer777]

I also recommend the High Temp plate. More consistent adhesion / no glue required / yields a dead smooth finish on your part.

[@sabrinafurley3092]

Where did u get the plate any link at all ?

[@trailblazen]

Very Helpful review. I just bought an X1-Carbon Combo myself and this was really helpful giving me a good idea of what to look for.

[@futonmonkey82]

Just something to be aware of... Running abrasive materials through the AMS will eat away at the PTFE tubing inside the AMS. Not a big deal to replace them when needed, but something to look out for nonetheless.

[@christianlopez1116]

How often to be replace? Any issues using AMS with PC CF?

[@A1N0]

The best, most honest and accurate review of the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon I have seen. On the cool plate, I use it all the time and never had a problem with adhesion, never. Clean it, add glue stick, done. Never a problem.

[@twithheldmwithheld8938]

I agree with everything you said. I love my X1C and opted for a 2nd AMS and was considering a 3rd. My 1st printer was a 'tinkerers dream' and I learned a ton, but with the X1C I now spend the spare time I have CAD'ing new projects instead of: print, make adjustments, print, remove failed print, make more adjustments, print again (repeated too many times) on the other printer.

[@imarobobot8795]

Just bought the Bambu Lab X1-Carbon Combo 3D Printer due to your thorough review. Used your link. Thanks for the review.

[@unpopular_mechanics]

My main work/personal fdm printer for nearly 10 years has been a modified Makergear M2. The X1 is the first printer in that time that I felt was worth upgrading to and I was not wrong.

[@Michael-hn8bo]

Got a M2 as well... 7...8 years old now? It's getting long in the tooth and the bambu is looking mighty attractive

[@OlliKoponen]

Started 3D printing hobby in 2014 with reprap Prusa i3 clone and I have had enoungh tinkering with the machines since then. When I read first time about X1C, I was sold. Biggest thing to consider was the price. I`ve had my X1C+AMS since January 2023 and for now, I would not change it to another. Easy and reliable to use, good availability and pricing of spare parts (have not needed to use any, knock on wood), good filaments (havent usea any other brands filaments since then) and the ready to go attitude is things I value. It sometimes sits idle for a ”longer” period but still its ready to go on push of a button. All in all, could not agree more with your review. Just out of curiosity I have been thinking about buying the A1 Mini as a second printer but will see what happens.

[@LEDchip_FLA]

Great job on the overview of the BBL game changing printer. I played around with a Creality Ender Pro before it and the ease of use, quality of prints and the speed is to a whole new level. The only drawback I have seen with my Bambu printer is that when you need to fix a clogged extruder or get rid of a piece of filament stuck in the AMS, it really requires some serious surgery. I am pretty adapt at this stuff, and it even intimidates me. Some of the procedures are just out of reach for most people. I have a ton of spare parts and have not used any of them. Thankfully, it works most of the time!!

[@malcolmbyrd7960]

WOW! What a fantastic, thorough review. Thank you for helping me in my decision making process. Between yours and a couple of other reviews, I’m now not so apprehensive about considering this printer.

[@TheTsunamijuan]

I actually ended up buying one shortly after you responded to my question, asking how you liked yours. But I will likely be another one up, along with a p1p for PLA only printing. So I will make sure to use your affiliate for that :)

[@woodwaker1]

Be careful with purchasing a P1P, if you need spare parts, many are not interchangeable. I wish I had two X1 instead of one each

[@michellemartin123]

Thank you for the thorough review. We're considering the Bambu for our Makerspace. There will be a lot of first time printers trying to figure things out by themselves. This gave me a good sense of what they will need to do.

[@hjjavaher]

I’ve been using the visionminer’s nano polymer adhesive on the cool plate since day 1 and have not had even one bed adhesive issue. It’s worth a try but very expensive

[@ashleys3dprintshop]

I love vison miner NP. It's the only adhesive/release agent I use and its been good to me for years on 3 different types of printers.

[@MrExo_3D]

i have two of them each running 15hrs per day for weeks.. no issues its crazy how good they are

[@martylawson1638]

Pretty much matches my experience with the X1 carbon and AMS. I tended to print thick layers that were limited by melt-rate so I'm not seeing a big speed bump. But the X1 can print just as fast with high resolution settings and holds far tighter tolerances. It's also done a great job printing PC and Nylon so it really expands what materials I can use.

[@NathanGrayW]

Ok I wondered about Nylon since that wasn't listed as "supported" on their website.

[@Reindeer-ry2lf]

Awesome info. I have been using my X1 carbon for a couple of months now. I find it a fantastic printer. I did switch to whambam pei plates and adhesion in awesome so good you have to use glue stick. Thank you for your review and keep the signal 📶 going strong 💪 🇺🇸😎

[@MikeGalusha]

Excellent review. Like others, I wanted a tool, not a science project, I have plenty of those. Being able to draw something up in Fusion and generate a part quickly has really changed things. Last night I tried the auto filament change for the first time, it was essentially seamless and as each part takes just over 500g of filament, this is a massive benefit in reducing waste or partially used spools. This is my first 3d printer, I resisted for years since I have a shop with similar capabilities to yours, I just made most things from metal, but having the x1c has opened up more possibilities than I imagined. I pre-ordered a Prusa XL, it may actually ship soon and I likely won't cancel it, there are features that I think will be very good and I suspect it will be pretty much in the "just works" category as well. Mostly I print PLA as it's adequate for the majority of jobs, but I drew up some fluted knobs for the small Kant-Twist clamps and printed those in PET-CF, no problem. I've had good luck with hairspray on the cool plate, though the Wham Bam PEX plate, no adhesive needed for PLA, provided it's hot enough, 55 - 60C has worked well and once cool, the parts just pop off.

[@MikeGalusha]

@@user-cl3re8xi7y - I just export it as a STEP file and import into the Bambu slicer, There is an option in Fusion for 3d print and you can point it at the Bambu slicer, but I like having them as distinct processes.

[@christiantrab6160]

I bought one of tehse as well - and yes, the hype about this printer is very justified, it works great.

[@rickmellor]

Funny how James has become the most consequential 3d printer reviewer out there and possibly put Qidi out of business. 😉 I’ve had my Carbon since last year and it’s an animal. I’d stopped using my Qidi X-CF Pro and recently decided to replace it with a second X-1 Carbon. I have dual AMS on each machine. I had good luck with the cool plate and PLA, but I’ve switched to the PEI plate because it’s just effortless. I’m excited to try the satin plate when I can get one. I’ve been printing since the early days of reprap and designed and built several machines, had printrbots, prusa’s and others. I’ve used high end Fortus and Objet machines at work for years. The Bambu is an absolute standout and has crossed the threshold between toy and attainable engineering tool. I absolutely love it.

[@markhudson2997]

i instantly bought one after this video I have been teaching myself solid works and fusion and cant afford a mill and lathe to make my parts, so I bought this printer instead to see my parts come to life

[@jonnafry]

Fear and Loathing .... nice naming convention!

[@exoticflorida2360]

I design my own parts and items so speed is so helpful when in the development phase, and then again when you’re trying to crank out volume. I have been working with Creality CR-10 V3 for a few years now and just ordered the X1 Carbon this evening. Looking forward to increased productivity! …but damn I knew I should have added the textured bed!

[@cfxJosh]

I do really like the project based slicer, with the ability to have many build plates in one "File". it would be nice to name the plates and/or attach notes to the plates.

[@charliecloud4996]

I'm still contemplating on the printer but I have got to subscribe to you for your honesty and unbiased review. People claim to be unbaised when reviewing things but their bias leaks through in between. But none here, you stated all the pros and cons and completely left it to us to decide!

[@Ratheon1075]

I love seeing new innovations and development in this space. There is a huge market for a printer that "just works" without much or any tinkering. I think the x1c is a great step in that direction but has missed the mark in a few key areas. The problem with the heated bed shape is an easy fix for bambu labs. Thicker machined beds are the standard for higher end machines and not including one here was a mistake. The cloud integration is the second big miss. There is no need for it and just adds to the complexity. I still think they are great machines and headed in the right direction but I will be holding off on my purchase until some of these and some other shortcomings are addressed by either bambu with an updated model or another manufacturer.

[@sethw1980]

Just bought one online and this is the first video I’ve seen on it. Great job.

[@geraldjustprojects]

You kind of missed a point in the fact of saying that it's not a machine that you should tinker with. It's not about having to tinkering to get it to work out of the box properly. It's about having the ability to do so if you want to. Not only that, but saying that they built up all their software based on all open source software, then decide to close it off for modification is also an issue. The next issue is the fact that they are trying to patent even the most basic elements in some 3-D printing things that machines already do. The thing also about mentioning the QIDI carbon fiber rods kind of seems missing the fact that bamboo also said that the rods are not replaceable. And only after so much pressure to have the part available is when they finally had them. Without the community putting pressure on them they would've never offered that part. The other thing about replacements to is that not everything on the machine is replaceable either. The next thing that they also did it was on their Facebook groups they started banning Post mentioning a fix to a problem that's widely known on their AMS system. And are actively trying to suppress the issue.

[@matthewyeoman1847]

Hey, thanks for being so upfront on the compensation and affiliates and such. Solid stuff.

[@erikdunn]

The Bambu X1C's been fantastic for me both at work and home. It's wild to me that we've gotten to a point with printers where the 'bottleneck' for the printer is the plastic/material itself's volumetric flow - not the printer's speed/quality at speed. Been printing mostly with eSUN's PLA+ for general use parts. But if I want something real fast I'll bump it over to ABS+ which I believe is also from eSUN. Something that many seem to have found is the whatever Bambu's using for their PLA blend - it's very similar to eSUN's pla+ in terms of print speed / volumetric flow. I've had no issues calling the eSUN pla+ "Bambu Basic PLA" in the slicer. Glad to see they're working for you. Curious what mods you'll end up doing to them in the future, if any.

[@dangerous8333]

Gotten to? Vorons?

[@jasonlunardini6163]

Received my X1C with AMS last week. So far fantastic! I did search your channel before purchasing, because I had thought you already reviewed…LOL! Regardless, my home built printers and Enders are all being scrapped for parts and repurposing, in lieu of this (or these) and my MK 3’s. So far I feel, the machines compliment each other for me. The MK3 print a lot of TPU for me, and I am going to keep them doing just that. Thanks so much James!

[@Clough42]

My MK3 is mostly doing TPU these days. It really loves Ninjatek Cheetah.

[@Trainwreck1123]

I heavily appreciate the competition they are bringing to the 3d printing space. Prusa is a great company and I very much believe in their open source principles, but they have been without any real competitors for too long and seemed like they were starting to phone it in with the mk4. All that said, I can't bring myself to buy one of their printers. Requiring cloud connectivity to use features of the printer is a hard no-go for me, plus I just don't have the trust that they will not become scummy like Glowforge did with their whole ecosystem.

[@dangerous8333]

Bambu labs printers are competition for Vorons, not Prusa. My E3V2 with $150 in mods is as good as a Prusa. Therefore, Prusa has had competition for years now. You don't need the cloud to print. Only for firmware, and the camera. Firmware can be uploaded over a phone hotspot. Edit: I don't have one. This is just what I've been reading.

[@alycapo3391]

You don't need to connect to their WiFi you can be LAN only like your prusa. I got one. Now I have 4 other printers I don't use and keep trying to palm off on my other family members

[@Dash199t]

@@dangerous8333they don’t and can’t compete with vorons, because the mission and vision of the products are totally different (which is fine). Vorons are for tinkerers and people who want to have a deeper understanding of 3d printers, where Bambu wants an easy to use, no tinker system

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

Prusa has been selling overpriced printer with 3d printed parts. All they have relied is on false marketing, and this "be so scared of other printers" because apparently that gets beginners. And once you have paid 1k$ for a 300$ printer.. guess you are in the hook to tell everyone how you did not get scammed and its actually totally worth 1k$. For their current MK4 they started releasing fake benchy prints to get to the 12min mark that Bambulabs can do. Its extremely scammy.

[@tophatv2902]

@@Nobody-Nowhere its over for prusa unless they get their act together, pathetic

[@coreyruttle8712]

Thank you so much i got my X1-Carbon AMS combo last week this is a hige help and kind of opened my eyes a bit on what to look out for and also kind of what to expect from my Bambu Lab X1-C. Awesome review brother!!!

[@zviper]

where's, & Las Vegas? lol

[@tonycabero]

Appreciate the no nonsense, factual, experience based review! Nice job!

[@ThantiK]

Their own slicing software is based off of open source contributions btw... Bambu Slicer is a fork of PrusaSlicer.

[@justinlabarge8178]

He said that

[@BeefIngot]

Prusa is inturn a fork of Slic3r and imports many features from Cura. Thats not to say that Prusa is bad, Im just saying, you aren't actually making an argument against this company here.

[@geraldjustprojects]

@@BeefIngot yeah but at first bamboo labs refused to open their slicer. Only after pressure is when they decided to publish the source code.

[@LilApe]

@@BeefIngot Except for the fact that BL actively tried to make their slicer closed source, when they legally couldn't. And was finally forced to open it after prusa and thousands of others called them out on their bullshit over violating APGL. Now they're trying to patent things that have been openly used for years. BL is just another slimy CCP company.

[@BeefIngot]

@@geraldjustprojects That's complete nonsense. Before anyone complained, so by themselves they said they would release ti before any printer went to a buyer, and then did that. They didn't at all try to keep it closed. That's just nonsense spread by dishonest people. At worst you can say their planned date was later than it should have been, but you can't pretend they wouldn't have.

[@jimshafer970]

I have been printing to support my hobbies for nearly 8 years. I own an ultimaker 2+ and an ultimaker 3 that are going past 4000 hours of use and are in need of rebuilds and overhauls. I have used many other printers but have never matched the Ultimakers for quality before. The Bambu X1 Carbon does and it can replace both of the Ultimakers.

[@advicevice]

Print quality wise, easily the best printer I've ever owned. Having said that, the cloud stuff is hot garbage and the LAN features are lacking. I've recently run into networking issues with the printer where the MQTT can't reliably transfer files over the network which is particularly weird because it uses FTP for file transfer and MQTT messages to confirm. I still haven't found a solution to that and have had to resort to swapping SD cards every time I want to print. They went all in on the engineering, but completely half-assed the software side of things.

[@mijzelfmaardanik]

Best review on the Internet ! Of all categories of all time with good music to...(and not during the review itself, which is a good thing).

[@Thorhian]

They send large and encrypted log data to themselves. You may not care, but anyone here who cares at all about their privacy or has security concerns, especially if they are printing proprietary parts, this machine is a no-go without airgapping it, which means you loose plenty of features that rely on the cloud (when they really shouldn’t).

[@2mitts]

number one thing holding me back. May still air gap it and live with the consequences . . .

[@martin2514]

Great comment, I am about to start 3d printing. I didn't even think about the data theft. Thanks for letting us know!!

[@rickstokes2239]

Great - patent theft built in.

[@anythingcompany]

This needs to be pinned on every Bambu review. I was REALLY close to buying one until a much smaller channel mentioned this fact! Liked and commented for more visibility.

[@rickstokes2239]

@@anythingcompany But has anyone checked as to whether this is just performance and system metrics or what else?

[@peggle09]

I am thinking of getting into 3D printing and I know this one is on the high end for a new person. After watching this video I feel like this may be the way to go for ease of use out of the box a great way to start making things for myself and my family. It also sounds like the customer support is great. I am a big fan of buy it once. Thanks for the great video, earned my sub for sure.

[@BrianForemaster]

Buyer Beware, try to contact the company in any way shape or form and get a response, support is horrible so just know this before you buy.

[@sylvainhamel7479]

I use bambuLab liquid glue and I found that 20% glue in water is enough for adhesion when spraying on the plate. It reduces the cost and leave less residue on the part. I’m using the textured plate but when using a flat plate, I just put little more spray 3 to 5 push’s to make it even. Give it a try !!