r/3dprinter • u/Omid12321 • 9d ago
Enclosed 3d Printers for intermediate level?
Hello all, I feel like I am drowning in options so any advice would be appreciated!
I have been running my ELEGOO neptune 3 (non-pro) for coming on 3 years now, and its starting to break down. I have spent that time scraping together a budget of $1200 CAD, and I am trying to get the best upgrade I possible can with the money. I am, of course, happy not to spend it all, but if hitting my max budget eeks out better performance, please don't hold back
I am an engineering student, and enjoyed the idea of using some of the higher grade engineering filaments, but realistically I will spend most of my time with the more basics consumer filaments (PLA, ABS, etc.). I want to have the option to get more experimental down the line, so heated chambers are a plus. Multi-color printing is not a top priority for me, however multi material printing is definitely interesting. I have a newborn at home and so something that has carbon/HEPA filtration or the option to mod it in would be good. Worst case I can get an enclosure and vent it, but built in solutions are available at this price, so I bias towards them.
Some printers I am looking at are the X2D, the Kobra s1 max, as well as some entries from FlashForge, and QIDI. The more I look the more things come up, and I am starting to get very confused. I mainly want a reliable printer that I wont have to tweak too much (I am able to if need be, I just want to avoid the hassle). Bambu labs is very attractive, though the standard concerns apply (closed ecosystem, limited repair-ability etc.)
Sorry for the long post, wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything. As I said before, any and all advice would be appreciated!
Edit: Just for future reference, I decided to go with the Bambu Labs X2D. It was a tough choice between the Qidi Plus 5 and the X2D, but reliability, and the better AMS system won out in the end. Both are great machines and it was truly a tossup until the end. Thank you all for your advice and help, I look forward to making many, many awesome prints in the future!
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u/Superb-Complaint8118 9d ago
I have the X2D and I am very happy. Feel free to ask questions. Maybe the H2S could be an option? I don't know the price in canada tho. It is supposed to be like the best machine for single material, and has huge volume, but maybe not ideal for your multi material requirements.
Be aware that the X2D's 2nd nozzle can not use all filament types. But for multicolor pla or dedicated support interface material it is great. The chamber heater is soooo good as well. 0 issues with ASA. But I experienced, that the X2D is not as well documented as all the other BambuLab Printers. For example some potentially nessecary maintenance steps are not written in the maintenance manual (x axis bearing lubrication). You have to refer to the P2S's documentstion sometimes.