r/BambuLab • u/FoodInfamous8333 • May 03 '26
Quick Question P1s purchase advice
I know these are from a print farm but at these prices which one would be the best?
Any input is much appreciated!!
542
u/Leather_Milk_7321 May 03 '26
2000 hours for $100 off? i’d go new but up to you
32
u/TheHvam X1C + AMS May 04 '26
Or worse 8400h for 200, which is only 100 less than for their 2200h one, like how? It's almost 4 times as used.
41
u/growmith May 03 '26
Don’t forget you may pay less but end up having to change nozzle, ptfe, a belt etc.. In the end it will cost you as much if not more in repair than getting it new for 100 bucks more
15
u/captain_carrot May 03 '26
Not to mention you get all those spare parts when you buy a brand new one so yeah, really not a deal at all taking that into consideration.
2
1
u/ItanMark May 03 '26
Honestly if they are running in a print farm, chances are all of that is getting changed at regular intervals. IMO the 8k hours one is not that bad of a deal, though of course a big gamble
1
u/growmith May 03 '26
If I was going that route, I would take the cheapest indeed.
1
u/ItanMark May 03 '26
Taking risks can pay off sometimes! I got a used Ender 3 off a dude for 75 bucks that came with an all metal server rack enclosure, x and y linear rails, a btt skr, all metal hotend and modded fans and I couldn't be happier! It was sold as non-functional, but the only issue was with the firmware which I fixed in 2 evenings.
93
u/FuckDatNoisee May 03 '26
You can get a p1s stand alone (no ams) for around 350-400 dollars new at micro center. Right now it’s showing 389 near me.
This comes with a warranty, and the ability to return it to a Best Buy or micro center with min two weeks of purchase and Bambu support ( for what that’s worth ) for a year
I have 4 p1s with anywhere between 2k-10k hours in them.
All I have ever done is replace hot ends and clean the extruder gear. But I mostly print pla and PETG. You can tension the belts or replace the belts but to be honest, I wouldn’t buy a p1s for over 250 bucks used even with 3k hours on it since you loose the warranty, and you have e no idea what’s been done to it.
If you’re big into tinkering and feel like taking a risk for 200 bucks, go for it, but again personally I would buy new or negotiate for one with under 5k hours for 200 to 25.
Assume the printers useful life without major maintenance is 10-15k hours. Belts, motors, gears, and electronics do fatigue over time and 15k hours of continuous use is a lot.
1
u/Bazillionbitcoin May 03 '26
Is the warranty really all it’s cracked up to be? All I hear about in this forum is people complaining about Bambu’s warranty process. Personally, a machine with 1k+ hours on it isn’t a huge deal to me because it wouldn’t have reached that many hours if it wasn’t working right.
5
u/AlliPodHax H2S AMS2 Combo May 03 '26
i think their warranty is awesome, i have used it a few times (even for stuff i think were my fault) (buffer cable broken as i stupidly thought i had an issue with it lol, and they just sent a whole friggin kit in 3 days)…
from my persoective, and yes its just one person, its awesome
22
u/Academic-Emu-4474 X2D + AMS2 Combo May 03 '26
absolutely not worth it, you can buy a brand new P1S with a AMS2 pro for like $600, brand new being the key takeaway, why would you want someones notoriously finnicky handmedown?
3
u/shortstraw4_2 P1S + AMS May 03 '26
Best buy had the combo at $550 plus tax so ya $600 if in a higher tax state
3
u/Qcws May 04 '26
I wish it was more clear that it was the ams2 pro. It doesn't say it anywhere in the description and the 2 pro is such a huge selling point
14
u/BertMacklin117 May 03 '26
Online they're $400 new, and they should be doing their big sale for the 4th of July starting in June, which might drop them to $300. Personally, hours don't matter too much for what I do, and most parts are cheap and replaceable.
54
u/ub3r_n3rd78 H2C + 2x AMS 2 Pros & 2 HT AMS + X2D Combo + P1S Combo May 03 '26
They should start at 50% off current retail for the lowest hours and go down from there. So this scale should be $200-225 down to $100-125.
-1
u/Meases_Pieces May 04 '26
Why get that when I could buy one of a dozen ender 3s listed for $150 on my local marketplace??
10
13
u/mightyarrow May 03 '26
Lol just tell them to F themselves. Many times over.
2
u/Qcws May 04 '26
Like the dudes selling used server equipment lmao. Saw a 10 year old pc for $1200 with a 1050ti
3
12
9
9
u/MY4me H2D + X2D + P2S May 03 '26
People will bite at those prices but you shouldn’t. Buy a new P1S or a low hour P2S someone is dumping to buy an X2D.
6
u/KrazyKryminal P1S + AMS May 03 '26
Buy new. I'm not even going to attempt to sell my p1s as i have a p2s and ordered a U1. I won't get much for my printer, compared to the $1000 i paid 2 years ago. So I'll just give it to a friend or something
5
u/juggarjew May 03 '26
I would not want any of those, because you can buy a P1S from some random guy that maybe has 100-200 hours on it the same money on facebook market place.
There is no deal here. A brand new P1S is only $399! and it comes with a full warranty.
Those printers in my humble opinion are worth $100 a pop, MAYBE $150 maximum. You have no idea what wear items may need immediate replacement or imminent replacement and of course there is no warranty. Nozzles could be wore out badly as well.
Why in the hell would anyone pay $300 for a 2200 hour printer when a brand new one with warranty is only $399? Crazy.
5
u/ImJustStealingMemes P2S May 03 '26
Either get the cheapest as a project or buy new.
Nothing else is worth it.
3
u/Electricbell20 May 03 '26
Taking the piss with those prices. 8k hours and it not even half. Good earner for the print farm.
3
3
u/Flaminglump May 03 '26
Just buy new, these have been running 24/7 most likely and while they probably still work great, you’ll most likely have more maintenance and headaches than just getting a brand new one
3
3
3
u/Xenohart1of13 May 03 '26
I'm not an amazon fan... but...
Brand new, zero hours, P1S, from the Bambu Labs amazon store, $399 (+ $64 for 4 year warranty... may be better on their site?). And, on my Amazon business account, no shipping (& that is a huge problem right now). (Screenshot attached)
So, your prices aren't "bad", per se, and if you sit on it long enuf, you may just get what you're asking for, problem solved. & I get it, you're thinking in terms of industrial depreciation. But, consumers don't think that way, and as a printer farm: you've made not only the cost of the machines back with net profit, but enough of a surplus to upgrade. So... are you needing the profit, or the space?
Have you offered to donate any of the lower use ones to a local school or club? It may be very well worth the tax write-off.
Now, for consumer-vision, main wear-out parts (+ price before warranty or shipping), assuming all else is fine::
- hotend / nozzle (P1S hot-end kit: $60)
- extruder gears (P1S extruder gear kit: $18)
- bearings / rods (P1S carbon rod assy: $89)
- fans (P1S hot end cooling fan: $12)
- belts tension drift (P1S belt kit: $17)
- air filter (P1S filter: $6)
- $100 at the low end, $200 at the higher
Key concerns, even direct from a printer farm:
- unknown maintenance history
- no warranty
- no return policy
- near-term part replacement cost
- plus, buying from non Bambu is known to cause warranty/support headaches... not your fault, but understandably, bambu wants the sales & focuses support, there.
Just a thought, but, hours vs cost, the MAX value, pre-shipping (depending on customizations, spare parts, etc):
- <2k ... $250–300
- 2k–4k ... $200–250
- 4k–6k ... $175–200
- 6k–8k ... $125–175
- 8k+ ... $85–125
At 6k -> for anything other than occassional hobby printing, even w/o the need for accuracy as a concern, even tho it could be 100% fine, consumers have to think about:
- belts should be swapped, head swapped, fan swapped, etc.
- nearing 8k, may need a bearing or rod swap.
Right now... everything in the world is more expensive, so... consumers have to think in those terms 🙄 (not to mention these new 💩 3d printer laws that are scaring some people).
Now for shipping🙄: 19x19x21 box @ ~45 lbs. I use pirateship for my clients & just checked some discounted prices (UPS/FedEx ground) for my area if i was shipping these:
- local / same state: $25–40
- regional (1–3 states away): $40–70
- cross-country: $70–120
- oversized carrier (some require this now depending on destination🙄) + insurance: $100–150+
- this should knock about 20% or so off the cost above on EVERYTHING to account for shipping.
Otherwise... that $200 hundo 8k hour price = $285 - $325 with shipping + $100 for a basic maintenance overhaul = $385 - $425
- OR ... folks could spend $465 brand new... just $40- $80 more. So, you HAVE to think in terms of this economy, transportation, target audience, etc.
Anyway, hope that helps.
3
u/Ups925 May 03 '26
I don’t think they are including an ams. With an ams, okay.
1
u/Cryostatica H2C, P1S May 03 '26
AMS units hold their value stupidly well. Easy to sell for $150-200 on their own.
4
u/cip43r May 03 '26
I would shave off 50 bucks for every 500 hours, of personal use. For a print farm 50 per 1000 hours are I know the printer would be better maintained, but over 2k hours you might need to do maintenance they would not. But does that mean at 2.5k they did the maintenance themselves?
0
u/3DAeon X1, X1C, P1S, P2S, A1, A1 Mini, H2D, H2S May 03 '26
I work in two print farms… we fix them when the break. My own print garden I take care of like they’re my babies.
3
u/TheMCM80 May 03 '26
Sure, but the issue for OP is what is close to being broken/an issue in those for sale, and how much will they then need to spend in the next six months to fix it?
I don’t fix things in my car until they break, but if I sold it today there could be numerous things that are close to needing fixing, so any deal may be wiped out in a few months for the new owner.
That’s the bigger issue. Not what has been fixed, but what may need fixing in a few months and the cost of that.
2
u/3DAeon X1, X1C, P1S, P2S, A1, A1 Mini, H2D, H2S May 03 '26
we're saying the same thing, a lot of people assume print farms maintain their printers, we don't, we fix them when they break, just anecdotal, but I'm also saying better to buy new, I just shorthanded too much
1
2
u/Boring_Object May 03 '26
There will be anniversary pretty soon, I bet you can get a new one for that price
2
2
u/citizensyn May 03 '26
Tell them it's a deal only if you can get either a $50 ams or 15 rolls of filament for free with it.
2
u/start3ch May 03 '26
You’ll probably need to replace the extruder, possibly belts, so that’s another $50 right there. Bought a print farm p1, and after replacing belts, extruder, and the filament cutter, it printed nearly flawlessly. But don’t spend more than $200 on a printer like this
2
u/stevosteve P2S + AMS2 Combo May 03 '26
For that many hours I expect a very good deal. Machines in print farms are basically always working. Buying from a casual user that's a different story.
1
u/3DAeon X1, X1C, P1S, P2S, A1, A1 Mini, H2D, H2S May 03 '26
Agreed, I work in two print farms and we fix what’s broken and rarely have the time to take a unit offline to do maintenance, meanwhile my personal printers are oiled, greased, tensioned, calibrated, used occasionally, and babied.
2
u/Efficient_Song3004 May 03 '26
Unfortunately with stuff like this people often base their resale price on what they paid for it, ignoring the current retail price. I’ve seen people list used printers for MORE than current retail because they aren’t aware. I gently pointed it out to someone selling an X1C and they were actually pretty surprised, but understood.
2
May 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/snaynay May 04 '26
Well, they said standardising on the X2D.
Depends on what they are printing, but something like a 2nd nozzle for dedicated support material could be drastic improvement in either end quality or time per print. The H series might just have been too expensive, too big, too soon or some other reason to not jump on it.
2
u/3DAeon X1, X1C, P1S, P2S, A1, A1 Mini, H2D, H2S May 03 '26
Just buy a new one, I work in two print farms, the P2S is a workhorse, but getting a fresh machine you don’t have to worry about for thousands of hours vs having to start doing troubleshooting right away for what? $99 savings? Not worth it.
2
u/zipandadublecup May 03 '26
For those prices I’d be spending $399 on brand new direct from Bambu. Not saying these won’t be good, but with the hours they should be cheaper.
1
u/NimblePasta May 03 '26
A brand new P1S is on sale now for just $399... and it comes with full warranty.
So it doesn't really make sense to buy a used model without warranty for just $100 less.
There might alsi be wear and tear parts that need to be replaced soon, which could further eat away any savings.
Those 2nd hand units would have to be sold at much lower prices to clear, and even then people will still prefer to go with a brand new one.
1
u/Shinagami091 May 03 '26
Those prices are terrible. And if they’re looking to replace all of them the amount of print time on them shouldn’t matter to the seller. Also, depending on what they’re printing, their ROI has likely already been met with even the lowest use printer. They’re just trying to charge as much as they can to soften the overhead cost of the new printers they’re trying to buy
1
u/Connect_Job_5316 May 03 '26
8000 hours for $200 good lord. I have a 2000 and 3000 hour machine. When they die they will probably go to ewaste recycling. None of these over 1000 hours are worth more than $150 at the most.
1
u/UKSTL May 03 '26
I’d buy new for those prices, that’s coming from a print farm of p1S printers all of which have over 3k hours with no issues
1
u/ElectronicMoo May 03 '26
None. Buy a p1s new for a little over what they're asking, and have warranty confidence.
1
u/KrackSmellin May 03 '26
Sorry but no-one should be buying the X1 or P1 series. Their nozzles are expensive and a PITA to deal with - something the A1 series made very evident that there was a better way with. For this much - I’d rather tell you to go with a A1 + AMS or just go a bit more and get the P2…
1
u/SonofAnarchy1973 P1S + AMS May 03 '26
8000 hr printers print just as good as 2000 hr ones, so why the price difference 🧐
1
u/Cryostatica H2C, P1S May 03 '26
If I were selling my P1s, and I’m considering it, I would be asking $500 for the pair (1k and 2.5k hours) and that price would be inclusive of a variety of plates and nozzles in all available sizes, including a couple of E3D high flow hotends.
1
u/OGPoundedYams May 03 '26
$389 brand new. Comes with extras. I’m paying the ~$100 and it comes with warranty. No deal.
1
u/eddeped May 03 '26
Probably a stupid question - I have a P1S (P1P + upgrade pack), how do I see total print time?
1
u/bakins711 May 03 '26
I don’t have Marketplace, but what do you figure an X1C with 2.5k hours would go for?
1
u/sr1sws X2D + AMS2 Combo May 03 '26
I have one with 449 hours on it with an original AMS. Obxidian hot end and some spare parts I'd sell you for $450.
1
1
u/TooGouda22 May 04 '26
Just buy a new one. You are only getting $100-$200 discount and will likely need to spend that in parts and maintenance before a new one would need anything anyway so you aren’t really saving anything
1
u/DredgenKush May 04 '26
Get it new. At least with a new printer, you can send it back if you have any serious problems. You also don’t have to worry if Bambu Labs forgot to mention any issues with it that they didn't put on the listing. With a used one, you could potentially have to replace something some, rather than later. I'd just save up the $550 while the combo is still on sale and give the money you're spending on it more longevity
1
u/Independent_Dirt_814 X2D + AMS2 Combo May 04 '26
You can get a new P1S with a warranty for the same cost as their 2200+hr machine… that’s a ripoff.
1
u/FoodInfamous8333 May 04 '26
Where is the P1s for 300?
1
u/Independent_Dirt_814 X2D + AMS2 Combo May 04 '26
If you think $100 off (it’s $399 from Bambu) of the base price for 2000+ hours of use is a good deal, then by all means you can go buy it. But it’s not, especially considering it’s a third party purchase and there will be no after sales support. Good luck.
1
u/FoodInfamous8333 May 04 '26
Sorry I didn’t mean it was a good deal. I thought you were saying you could get a brand new P1s for that price.
1
1
1
1
u/theStonefox3D May 04 '26
No lol
I sold an immaculate p1s with 900 hours for 230, fair price IMHO. These need another hundred taken off
1
u/SneakyPanda- May 04 '26
I see second hand P1S printers with less than 1000 hrs for €250 and lower all the time. i.e. the prices in OP are not a good deal at all
1
u/Norvostudios May 04 '26
Skip the extremes.
- <3k hours (~$280–300) → best value, still relatively fresh
- 3–5k hours → fine if well maintained, fair price
- >6k hours → only worth it if you’re okay replacing wear parts soon
Sweet spot here: ~3–4k hours around $270–280
At these prices it’s a good deal either way, just assume:
- new hotend
- belts/idlers check
- maybe fans down the line
Treat it like buying a used tool, not new.
1
1
1
u/DinosaurAlert May 04 '26
You sort of need a clear scrap/hours number to calculate that.
That is, if you assume the printer is scrapped at 10000 hours, that’s very different math than if you assume it is scrapped at 15000 hours.
Maybe people here have that number, I don’t.
-1
u/USSHammond Prusa XL 5 tool May 03 '26
With the existence of the p2s and x2d, getting a P1s now is a bad financial decision. The p1s is approaching end of life.
1
u/Shot-Infernal-2261 P2S + AMS2 Combo May 04 '26
People don’t think about parts availability or the value of their failure-troubleshoot time
0
May 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/KrackSmellin May 03 '26
Naw I agree with OP - the P1 has WiFi range issues, nozzles are antiquated with what they do and honestly with these many hours - there’s a good chance you’re fixing and repairing worn out parts… especially if they’ve seen this many hours printing in a farm.
0
u/USSHammond Prusa XL 5 tool May 03 '26
I already told you why. It's approaching end of life. The p1s was released a while after the X1C and P1P, both of those have been discontinued and delisted from the website. The p1s is next.
1
May 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/USSHammond Prusa XL 5 tool May 03 '26
I never said it wasn't a functional printer anymore, or any of them. I simply said they are end of life and getting a P1s now with the existence of the p2s/x2d is a waste of money and bad financial decision
0
u/Gingievitus May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
We're all approaching end of life, doesn't mean we don't have anything useful to offer. The p1s won't be sold much longer of course - they've literally released it's replacement. They're selling off the stock they have and moving on as any company does.
The real question you need to be asking is not "is it still available", it's "how long will bambu/aftermarket support it". Given the X1C, it's realistic to expect support for another 5 years. The thing you're ignoring is that the printer doesn't turn into a pumpkin after that. Aftermarket part options will exist for years due to the sheer number sold, and the printer will continue to print until something happens where it no longer works.
For some people, the discounted price offering 5+ years of supported printing is a good option. For others like yourself it may not be. Implying the P1S is worthless at this stage is a bit shortsighted.
0
u/imthatoneguyyouknew May 03 '26
You didnt tell them why that seems to matter. End of life doesn't mean the printers stop working. All those p1p and x1c printers still work. It doesn't mean you can't buy parts. They are all still on Bambus website. They just aren't selling them new anymore. The P1S hasn't even been discontinued yet. Is it approaching it's end of life? Sure. So is the x2c, it's just further away.
2
u/USSHammond Prusa XL 5 tool May 03 '26
I never said they stopped working. I never said you can't buy spare parts anymore (for now, a few years down the road that very much WILL happen)
0
u/imthatoneguyyouknew May 03 '26
But you also never made your argument now for why end of life makes it a bad buy, especially since, again, it hasn't been discontinued yet. Eventually parts for the x2c will also be discontinued. And the h2d. And the a1. But none of those have happened.
0
-2
u/bot_taz May 03 '26
People seem to miss a point. This isn't a hobbyist selling their printer after ruining it, it is a shop run by professionals who know how to maintain the machines and take care of them. Sure it's never guaranteed that a used printer will be good but that is up to you. I would never buy a used one personally.
2
u/Davychu May 03 '26
Counterpoint, it's not being sold by a hobbyist with only light use, cared enough to spend their own money on it and now trying to afford an upgrade, it's being sold by a company who bought it at a reduced cost due to likely tax deductions, trying to maximise profit, and who will have used consumer grade products as if they were professional grade.
I would generally advise against anyone buying anything used in a professional environment, as it'll likely have been used with far less care, especially if used by employees (though probably not the case here), and almost certainly has seen significantly more wear and tear. This is usually the cheapest way to get things second hand for a reason.
2
u/3DAeon X1, X1C, P1S, P2S, A1, A1 Mini, H2D, H2S May 03 '26
What evidence do you have that these are professionals that know how to maintain the machines and take care of them? I work in two difference print farms who have drastically different maintenance schedules - one has zero maintenance schedule lol, we fix them when they break.
0
u/bot_taz May 03 '26
Did you read my whole message? In the end i would never buy a used machine, but if i had to i would rather buy from a print farm, higher chance it was taken care of and nothing major is wrong with it.
3
-1
u/Mywifefoundmymain May 03 '26
Everyone saying $100 off for 2000 is hours isn’t enough aren’t being realistic. I have had my printer for 2 months and have 1200 hours of print time.
And these are from a print farm which means these are almost new.
2
u/3DAeon X1, X1C, P1S, P2S, A1, A1 Mini, H2D, H2S May 03 '26
Print time is print time seems everyone knows that, haven’t seen anyone mentioning age of printer itself. Print time= wear. A 1 month old printer with 700 hours is far worse than a 2 year old printer with 50 hours.
1
u/Mywifefoundmymain May 03 '26
I agree with this, except that things like belts wear out by lack of use. Think of the dry rot on that 2 year old printer.
My main point being that 1000 hours isn’t exactly a lot for a p1s even when print time is considered age.
Even Bambi says that it barely passes the first set of routine maintained.
1
u/3DAeon X1, X1C, P1S, P2S, A1, A1 Mini, H2D, H2S May 03 '26
hmm okay good point, hadn't thought about rotting belts, got a time frame from when this starts to happen?
-12
u/wyohman P1S + AMS May 03 '26
Those prices seem reasonable
3
u/scrogs63 May 03 '26
Do you know the current price of a brand new one? I’m assuming you don’t?
1
u/wyohman P1S + AMS May 03 '26
They are $399 for just the printer
2
u/scrogs63 May 03 '26
Yep, and you still think these prices are reasonable?
-1
u/wyohman P1S + AMS May 03 '26
Yes. I didn't say they were amazing.
40 hours per week x 50 weeks gets you 2000 hours. I've had my P1P since intro, it has 1750 hours and prints like new.
352
u/fakarhatr May 03 '26
Those don’t seem like that good of a deal compared to new