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.

[@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

[@mattholden5]

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

[@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.

[@jesperhansen7224]

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

[@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 😂

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@Makerspaces]

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

[@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

[@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?

[@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

[@danielparagas8504]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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?

[@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.

[@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 👍👍

[@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!

[@jeremyelliott9831]

Got one these as a complete beginer to printing. Mostly got it to inspire practicing CAD and to get with the protyping times. I was able to unpack it, load up the filiment and print a few pre loaded widgets within an hour. I'm blown away with the ease, speed and quality of this thing. I don't think I've been so inspired by and satisfied with a purchace in a long time. By the way your videos are fantastic and inspiring as well. Glad I found them. You got another subscriber.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@Thedudeman8282]

​@@akierum as opposed to the other companies that let you buy second rate after market parts that break faster than the original?😂

[@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!

[@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.

[@agtrucks]

As absolute novices in 3D printing, your review was spot on for us and have actually ordered the X1c. I have been. Directed towards cheaper “starter” machines but honestly to spend $1300-1500 for any machine of any type in our shop is not much of a burden. I have all young people in my shop that will embrace the new system and be up and running in a short time. Thank you for a very clear and insightful review. 👍

[@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.

[@stephencase5160]

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

[@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!

[@jerrysisemore8326]

Think I'm going to purchase one. I really appreciate your honest and prefessional review. Moved me!

[@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!

[@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!

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@joostmonninkhof4041]

I just ordered the Combo set package with all the add-ons through your link. I hope it worked! Thank you so much for making this video-it really helped me decide on this unit.

[@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 ?

[@richardmorton1310]

James, X1C user for about a year. Didn't see your review then, but it is spot on.

[@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?

[@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. 👍🏽👍🏽

[@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.

[@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.

[@geoffs7232]

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

[@tophatv2902]

amazing

[@jerryzedler1440]

Thanks!

[@my-days-co]

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.

[@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.

[@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!!

[@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.

[@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!

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@tjay187]

Great review! I print mostly ABS and had issues with adhesion on the textured PEI plate since the very start. Decided to do exactly what is advised against. I rubbed it down quickly with acetone and it has been perfect ever since!

[@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.

[@imarobobot8795]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@artfess]

I like your style. You seem almost indifferent, even slightly annoyed but the you shoot "It doesn't bother me, I'm barely human" like the best standup comedian... Grat presentation...

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@wysguydesignsllc7293]

Thank you James. Purchased one this morning using your link. I absolutely love your videos. Please keep up the good work.

[@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.

[@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".

[@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.

[@willsien]

Hi, James, first big fan, I have learned so much about Fusion on your channel which helps me design my model for 3D printing. I have gone the route of P1P with AMS on both of my machines, I found the same experience with the design aspect as you, I have been able to redesign parts faster, seeing better results from concept and fixing problems faster. For your plate problem, I have used an aftermarket plate I found on the Taobao PEO plate that works great prints just stick (tested with Bambo PLA-CF, Polymaker PETG, E-Sun PA-CF, PLA) no issue sofar. I hope that help

[@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?

[@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.

[@jonnafry]

Fear and Loathing .... nice naming convention!

[@JeffMooredotcom]

"One of God's own prototypes. He wasn't meant for mainstream production!"

[@jserj3290]

Very nice comprehensive straight forward review!!! Best I've seen, even though it's a year old, but still relevant...

[@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

[@tonycabero]

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

[@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.

[@leoquindos]

Thanks!

[@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.

[@smokey8400]

Thanks for a great review! I have had my X1C for 4 months and compared to my last 6 cheap, unreliable printers, its game changer. No more tinkering just printing and yes its fast but the quality of the prints is still amazing. I can't wait to see more Bambu innovation we will no doubt see some even better machines in the future.

[@zviper]

where's, & Las Vegas? lol

[@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 💪 🇺🇸😎

[@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.

[@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!!!

[@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.

[@robbiegrant4977]

Great video. I bought a X1C combo to add to my two Prusa Mrk3s machines. It has been so good I never use the Prusas anymore.

[@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?

[@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.

[@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.

[@hardware4200]

Great review. Lines up with my experiences with my x1c

[@zakaroonetwork777]

Can You Print Offline without any Cloud Service? I don't care about a live camera feed. I do Care about Keeping My Intellectual Designs Private.

[@dynedragon9413]

Yes, there is an SD card slot. 😊

[@ropamart]

You can also use LAN only mode

[@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.

[@TMS5100]

@5:23 it's hard to understate how important speed is. yet thomas salanderer makes excuses for the slow printers he promotes, and claims speed isn't important.

[@No0o0o0o0o0]

You get speed, accuracy and quality. Printing slow for the sake of printing slow was when Tom showed his real color$.

[@LilApe]

Speed isn't important, if you're making mechanical parts. Printing fast means less strength. CNC kitchen and many others have proven this. My MK3 only prints 17% slower than my P1P did, yet my parts were significantly stronger coming off my MK3.

[@No0o0o0o0o0]

@@LilApe I guess you did NOT watch the video. He is saving 4x in time. Iterations, prototyping are faster. He prints earlier in the process, gets feedback and get several samples before he can get 1 on the slow Prusa mk3. Didn't you further down talk about prusa mk4 printing fast and being proud of it? LMAO. So you are are saying prusa parts are weaker because they print quickly? You do realize you dont have one speed settings on a corexy printer. 🤣

[@ashleys3dprintshop]

I have a mk3s+ and X1C. There is a reason I sidelined the Prusa. It was terribly slow. When I saw Tom's advertisement about his fav printer(with affiliate links) and his lack of disclosure it was the final nail in his objectivity. His unboxing and review of the p1p was laughably bad. Speed most certainly makes a difference in printing. So from personal experience I have printed more in the last 10 months on an X1C than years on my prusa. It's not even a close comparison.

[@No0o0o0o0o0]

@@ashleys3dprintshop So you are saying there isnt a 17% difference in print speed between a prusa and a bambu printer? 😆

[@SmallProjectCentral]

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

[@LilApe]

Hard pass. No need to buy a bambu lab when the prusa MK4 is just as fast but infinitely more reliable and silent, with a real support team and proven track record. MK4 is running a 12 min benchy all over YT, with same quality as the 17min benchy on the X1. Had a P1P, it was junk and died within 10hrs of delivery. Took a month to get a replacement stepper motor. BL tried to void my warranty so I just did a chargback.

[@LilApe]

@JJ And yet still looks amazing. Cope harder. Fact remains, the MK4 runs just as fast as the bambu labs, yet is far more reliable and built to last 25k+ print hours, just like the mk3 Don't like the bonkers 12 min benchy, then go back to the one that follows speedboat rules and runs it in 19 mins. only one min slower than the X1, for an "oLd TeCh beDsLinGeR"

[@timr86868]

@@LilApe you’re delusional, lol.

[@LilApe]

@@timr86868 cope harder.

[@LilApe]

@JJ And they all look like dogshit. I JUST sliced a benchy following your rules and got a 14min time in prusa slicer on the MK4 with IS. Amazing how an "old tech begslinger" can print just as fast as a coreXY from the CCP, while being silent and not looking like dogshit. There is a reason why prusa can't be dethroned.

[@personwomanmancameratelevision]

@@LilApe you can find Bambu printers hitting 6 min modded or 9 min stock benchys following speed board rules.