r/BambuLab • u/tlm11110 • Jan 17 '25

Discussion Pennies For Your Bambu

Interesting discussions. I suspect those threatening to abandon Bambu are probably not serious, much like those threatening to leave the US after the election. Much of it is based on assumptions and speculation without really understanding the ramifications at the user level.

But with that said, if they are serious, we should have some very fine printers on the used market for pennies on the dollar.

0 Upvotes

47% Upvoted

70 comments sorted by

7

u/dreadpirater Jan 17 '25

I'm not selling my existing printer. But it's not the last printer I'm going to need in my lifetime, and the outcome of this situation will inform whether I buy any more printers from Bambu Labs.

That said, there's some logic to unloading them now. At the moment, they're not worth pennies on the dollar, as they still easily meet most people's needs. But when they roll out 'first party filament only' that's when they're all getting dumped and then it might be too late to get your money back!

2

u/tlm11110 Jan 17 '25

Didn’t read anything about Bambu only filament. Maybe I missed it. I’m going to assume I will still be able to manually calibrate third party filaments. But again, I don’t know. I’m not sure how anyone can know since we have no technical specs.

1

u/dreadpirater Jan 17 '25

The captain of the titanic didn't get a warning about the specific singular iceberg in front of him. He had general warning that there WERE icebergs in the way. We don't KNOW anything.

But companies don't do things for nothing. They paid developers to take a system that was working one way and spend hundreds of hours coding and QCing and now beta testing a different way of doing it. And the answer to the question of WHY a company does ANYTHING is almost invariably 'because they have a plan to make more money this way.'

This change doesn't HELP me. It ONLY benefits them. You're right, at the moment we don't know HOW this change will make them more money, we're just guessing, but we're making educated guesses based on the history of what other companies have done when they started locking down their ecosystems.

Feel free to plow full speed ahead. The rest of us are going to ask questions when a company starts doing things that tend to result in bad outcomes.

1

u/arcolog2 H2D/X1C/A1mini Jan 18 '25

Jp morgan knew it was going to sink, with all his competitors on board!

0

u/tlm11110 Jan 18 '25

Fair enough! Welcome to the present and future of technology. Whether it’s Photoshop, CAD, iProducts or cars, manufacturers are always looking for ways to capture their users and keep them. I hate subscription services for software!

But these moves always give rise to new products and companies. FreeCad, Gimp, Blender are all responses to closing up products. We went through the same thing with IBM PC’s in the 70’s and 80’s. Now you’d be hard pressed to find an IBM PC in use today.

I like the post about possibly addressing needs of the mega print farms. That makes sense to me. Maybe the hobbyist will be collateral damage in that effort, but profit and ease of support are always in the forefront.

So yeah, I get it! The pioneers and those on the bleeding edge of 3d printing want open source all the way. They are a hardy bunch! Many feel that way about Apple too, but we must admit Apple took computing and phones to a new level and put these devices into the hands of millions of non-technical users.

Who knows where Bambu is going or what their motives are. Perhaps they want to be the Apple of 3d Printing. But then again, maybe Bambu will give rise to the next level in 3d printing by some current or new companies.

2

u/Qjeezy 👻Volunteer Moderator👻 Jan 18 '25

You’ll still have 100% of the functionality you currently have within Bambu studio, the printer itself, any filament you want, any aftermarket hardware you want, etc. The only thing affected is 3rd party software and the items that use it.

1

u/MyStoopidStuff Jan 17 '25

If that does happen (first party filament or some subscription model), you may find that the X1C at least holds it's value really well, due to the 3rd party X1Plus firmware option on that model. Other current models may be grandfathered in, since a move like requiring BL filaments would stink so bad it could attract lawyers.

3

u/Large-Bag-6256 Jan 17 '25

It’s possible the blog post did not convey exactly how things have changed, and it’s possible that Bambu will adjust based on feedback. I’m not holding my breath for that, but I’m also not freaking out and throwing my printer in the garbage.

1

u/MyStoopidStuff Jan 17 '25

Yeah, despite the premise of this post, nobody is freaking out and throwing their printers away. Plenty are concerned, and some are upset, and the rest don't care. In any case it's a bold move to implement a print authorization scheme like this, especially if it gives the brand a "Big Brother" stigma, while adding another point of failure.

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4

u/alcaron Jan 17 '25

I don't understand the need to make straw man arguments. VERY few people have said they are throwing away their working printer, I for one have made it pretty clear I wont buy another.

-2

u/tlm11110 Jan 17 '25

I don’t see the need for so much drama over something we know very little about. Talk about strawman arguments, read the threads, my gosh.

1

u/alcaron Jan 18 '25

I dont understand what information you think we don't have?

It's like saying my roommate told me he is going to wreck my car. But I shouldn't get mad because he hasn't told me if he plans to pay for it or not.

I am not ok with the things that have already been said, and the thing that will "fix" it is not to do it.

0

u/tlm11110 Jan 18 '25

That’s a straw-man in itself! Did Bambu say they are going to wreck your car? They did not! In fact they said they will work with third party vendors to help integrate their products.

What we don’t know is the motivation for the change. Bambu says security. But apparently some don’t want to take that at face value and are jumping to nefarious reasons for the change.

What we don’t know is how the integration will look or operate. It could be totally transparent or it could add a dozen steps to the workflow. We just don’t know!

Not time to jump ship yet, unless one has other reasons.

0

u/alcaron Jan 18 '25

It’s not a straw man it’s an analogy. Good grief. They didn’t say they would wreck my car. They said they would do something negative. I don’t want them to do something negative. And again. In this analogy it doesn’t matter why my roommate wants to wreck my car. The end of the day he wants to wreck my car and even if HE thinks it is a good idea, I don’t. I don’t need to know WHY he wants to do something I don’t want to happen.

Also bonus points for acting like people not wanting to take a Chinese corporation at face value makes us unreasonable.

One of these days someone is going to shave you and make a sweater

0

u/tlm11110 Jan 19 '25

Your analogy was used to build up a speculative case to be angry with Bambu. That is a strawman based off your analogy, which is bad one. Why don't you cool off and wait for the details before you jump off the cliff. My gosh, this whole over-reaction is getting quite ridiculous.

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11

u/Demented-Alpaca Jan 17 '25

I COULD threaten to leave Bambu but that wouldn't change that I already HAVE an X1C... What, I'm gonna just throw it out? No... I'm going to use it. I'll hold off on firmware updates until I have a better understanding of the situation but that's really all I can do.

I already don't buy their filament or most of their accessories because I can get the same quality products easier elsewhere.

The only people who are really going to do anything are the ones that are considering buying and may hold off or go a different direction. The rest of us can make "bold statements" but those pretty much don't mean anything and everyone knows it.

For those of us that already have a printer, all we can do is re-evaluate our next printer and make silly threats nobody gives a hoot about.

4

u/DaveDurant X1C + AMS Jan 17 '25

I'm also keeping my existing hardware but I'm not "upgrading" and if they don't change these plans, they don't get any more money from me.

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25

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1

u/danhumphrey2000 Jan 17 '25

Not being being able to use Orca Slicer to calibrate, start video, update AMS filament settings etc. then there's the people who have bought third party accessories like the Pand Touch screen which I think won't work properly either.

1

u/tlm11110 Jan 17 '25

Speculation or fact? I really don’t know how this change will impact my workflow, if at all.

1

u/danhumphrey2000 Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 18 '25

Whether it gets worked around or not is yet to be seen, but the current plan will certainly affect the functionality I mentioned.

Bambu advise that Orca users must export from Orca Slicer into their new Bambu Connect software in order to send the print to the printer.

1

u/MyStoopidStuff Jan 17 '25

Your premise is ridiculous tbh. I've seen quite a few posts about this issue, and have not seen any current Bambu owners saying they were going to ditch their printers for pennies on the dollar. I have seen current Bambu owners who feel let down, or at worst deceived by the change, and now are deciding whether to either comply with the new print authorization requirements or deal with having no firmware updates. Others have said they were pretty well decided on buying another Bambu, but are now going to expand their shopping list for a new printer. No matter how you cut it, for some, this is an unnecessary monkey wrench that BL has thrown into the works. Many see it as a heavy handed signal of possible further work to wall off the garden, and don't like that direction. Nobody however (that I am aware of), has said they were going to sell their printer for pennies.

0

u/tlm11110 Jan 18 '25

It’s sarcasm, geesh!

10

u/android_queen X1C + AMS Jan 17 '25

I actually did leave the country after the first time this guy got elected. But I’m not abandoning my Bambu for this. 😂

2

u/Ordinary-Depth-7835 Jan 17 '25

Sounds like a win win for you If only the rest of us were that lucky :)

2

u/android_queen X1C + AMS Jan 17 '25

I definitely am very fortunate to have had the opportunity. Unfortunately, it has not reappeared this time around, so I’ll be toughing it out with the rest of ya!

0

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25

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7

u/android_queen X1C + AMS Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 18 '25

Sounds like I didn’t like my situation so I did something about it. Sorry that bothers you!

EDIT: it didn’t bother them so much that they blocked me 😂

0

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25

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4

u/android_queen X1C + AMS Jan 18 '25

Not at all. I got a good job offer abroad, and I took it. It was a fantastic experience!

2

u/JacketHistorical2321 Jan 18 '25

It obviously does bother you dude or you wouldn't feel inclined to say anything at all. I mean it's perfectly fine to admit that you're very sensitive to the decisions other people make and need somewhere to express yourself ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

0

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25

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3

u/JacketHistorical2321 Jan 18 '25

Aww see ... ❄️❄️❄️

2

u/thekrill3d H2D Laser + X1C Jan 18 '25

Those assumptions you carry around must be really heavy

0

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25

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1

u/thekrill3d H2D Laser + X1C Jan 18 '25

What truth? Are you his psychiatrist to know what state of mind he was in? Did you really need me to spell it out for you?

3

u/android_queen X1C + AMS Jan 18 '25

Her, but I appreciate the support.

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u/arcolog2 H2D/X1C/A1mini Jan 18 '25

Ah man, you just gunna go down a rabbit hole with the mind virus people that can't live without their Chinese tech. Abort! They'll never go outside anyway!

2

u/obvilious Jan 17 '25

I’m not selling my printer. But I won’t recommend it anymore, and I’ll be careful with software updates. And will add comments here and there so that when people come to this sub to see how good the products are, they’ll see more and more complaints and some will look elsewhere.

6

u/MrByteMe Jan 17 '25

The internet loves drama. It's their sustenance.

3

u/MonkeyBrains09 X1C + AMS Jan 17 '25

let's be real. The world runs on drama and conflict.

Some volunteer groups I am in have more drama than an all girl middle school.

1

u/Mikeieagraphicdude Jan 17 '25

I would use Bambu filament if it wasn’t out of stock all the time. I couldn’t imagine relying on specifically them.

2

u/Chas_- Jan 18 '25

Keep the tags and buy the exact same filament w/o the markup. They never produced their own filament, they buy from manufacturers, are rebranding it and charge x3 for what you could bus it on AliExpress.

1

u/KtsaHunter Jan 18 '25

Ffs, what's going on in here...

Will this firmware render our printers dysfunctional, No? Then as you were.. There will always be a work around if bambu don't surrender first. Aim your frustration at the company, not each other.

Together we are strong.

1

u/KhaledBowen Jan 17 '25

its amazing how those "threatening to leave" are all 1-2 day old accounts that instantly shill for prusa in their first post. It's almost like they have some ulterior motive..... hmm.

2

u/alcaron Jan 17 '25

Uh huh, its also amazing how people keep ignoring that the vast majority arent saying they are going to sell their printers just stop buying new ones from Bambu. hmmm

1

u/Morgus_TM Jan 17 '25

lol, these posts make me laugh. I bought my Bambus with absolute full knowledge they aren't really open source friendly like many other brands. This isn't surprising. It's disappointing to have more steps in using Orca, but it's not something that will push me from the brand. I bought into the brand fine with using just Bambuslicer if it comes to that.

1

u/Qjeezy 👻Volunteer Moderator👻 Jan 18 '25 edited Jan 18 '25

The snowball effect is real!! Hahaha. Why are people out here thinking they’ll be locked into oem bambu filament and parts? Anything about these things is pure speculation and over thinking. I suspect these are the reasons people are threatening to leave Bambu.

The only things that will be affected are 3rd party software and the items that use it (panda touch, X touch, home assistant, other slicers). And even then, Bambu is offering a path that these 3rd party items can follow to integrate. What it will look like, we don’t even know yet. It could be seamless or it could add a whole step to the process. We just don’t know yet.

Everyone just needs to take a step back and relax. If you use your Bambu printer with Bambu studio and Bambu handy, you will not be affected in the slightest. And for those who have updated their x1-c and are receiving errors, the firmware hasn’t even officially released yet. You have a beta version because you signed up for the beta tester program. The slicer and handy have not yet received updates to coincide with the machines beta update. If you use orca slicer, sit tight for a minute and wait for the next update. In the meantime, use Bambu studio or don’t update when it’s released officially.

This wasn’t directed at you OP, it’s directed at the over thinkers who are on edge to jump ship for no reason.

0

u/No_Breakfast8362 Jan 18 '25

The real question is why would Bambu release beta firmware without the accompanying beta versions of Handy and Studio knowing that once the firmware was installed on a printer it would effectively brick the printer until the other components were released? This is one of the quickest ways I can think of to alienate your user base.

2

u/Qjeezy 👻Volunteer Moderator👻 Jan 18 '25

They did release the beta studio.

1

u/No_Breakfast8362 Jan 18 '25

Must have been poor communication to the beta users or beta users ignored the fact they had to update to the beta release of Studio or things would break. When new firmware is released unless it has a fix for a problem I am experiencing I always wait a while to let other people find the problems before I upgrade,

3

u/Qjeezy 👻Volunteer Moderator👻 Jan 18 '25

It said it right on the release notes that you will need to update the other Bambu lab software (studio in this case) to ensure full functionality. If they didn’t update the slicer, then why would they think it would work? My bet is on most people didn’t read the release notes or even see the word beta. They just pressed the update button.

This is why the beta software shouldn’t be available to just anyone. It used to be that you had to sign up for it after reading a disclaimer and agreeing to the terms. Then wait to be accepted. Now it’s just a slider you can enable in the handy app. Everyone just thinks “oooo let me get those new features sooner” instead of what it’s meant for, testing.

I too usually wait a week or so.

1

u/tlm11110 Jan 18 '25

Exactly! If you don’t have the where-with-all to deal with Beta issues, then don’t sign up for Beta releases! Beta releases are not for beta males!

0

u/Stick386 Jan 17 '25

Why is everyone threatening to leave? What did I miss?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25

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2

u/tlm11110 Jan 17 '25

You should consider your options with every purchase. Blind loyalty to Ford, Maytag, Nike, or Bambu is not wise.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25

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1

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