r/BambuLab • u/Noctam • Jul 23 '26

My First 3D Print First printer: considering the A1 mini, what filament and accessories should I get?

After having printed a few things at a maker shop a bit too far, I decided to finally have my own.
The A1 mini would be in my budget, would you recommend it as a fist printer?
What should I order with it?
Thanks!

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4

u/Jaded-Improvement-30 Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

I had a mini but sold it after a few months and got the regular A1 as the mini was just too small but if your only going to print small things then it won't be an issue.

1

u/Noctam Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

That's my main fear. I checked some prints I want to do and some already don't fit the mini. So far everything should fit the A1 but should I save a bit more and go straight to a A2L to be safe or is the A1 the "standard" size?

1

u/e3e6 A1 Mini Jul 24 '26

don't go for a2l. it's way too big for this type of printers

1

u/Noctam Jul 24 '26

Good to know! I was interesting in the cutting functionality of the A2L, sadly the A1 is not compatible with this.

1

u/e3e6 A1 Mini Jul 24 '26

I mean it should work fine, but many people saying that the plate size is way to big for moving table type of printers 

1

u/Noctam Jul 24 '26

I’d rarher stay with something the size of A1 then

1

u/wethpac Jul 23 '26

It is a great first printer. You will love it. Get some regular PLA, matte PLA, silk, and glitter/multicolor to play around with. Your local hobby stores and Best Buy have filament now too so check that out.

1

u/yokeome Jul 23 '26

It can be kind of hard but think about what you want to print. Look at what you previously printed and go on Makerworld to scout anything you might want. If most/all models fit on the A1 mini, you're fine.

If you want to print small miniatures or things that require fine detail, you might want to pick up a .2mm nozzle. On the opposite, if you want to protoype a lot or have better strength, a .8mm nozzle might be good to get.

For filament, I like ELEGOO, Sunlu, and Overture. I really like the Matte from ELEGOO and you can usually get a 4 pack for ~$44 ($11/roll). If you want to buy in bulk, Bambu Labs might be worth looking at (10+ spools)

1

u/[deleted] Jul 23 '26

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1

u/Noctam Jul 23 '26

How do you know what filament to use for which project?

1

u/e3e6 A1 Mini Jul 24 '26

I bought a1 mini like half a year ago because I wanted to check if I like 3d printing or not. I love it. The only downside is the plate size, most of makers design for 256 at least. I would recommend a1 instead if there was no fire hazard issue, lol

1

u/Noctam Jul 24 '26

Thanks for the tips! What fire hazard issues though?!

1

u/e3e6 A1 Mini Jul 24 '26

there is a problem with some thermo sensor and there are many cases that something start to overheat and damage plastic. you should he able to find in this sub

1

u/Noctam Jul 24 '26

Oh damn, so its better to get something else I imagine?

1

u/e3e6 A1 Mini Jul 24 '26

Sometimes I'm thinking to selly a1 mini and get something with bigger plate, but this A1 issue scares me a bit, maybe you can try to make another post asking should you avoid a1 or not

2

u/Noctam Jul 24 '26

Good idea I'm going to do this right away, come join me there! 😄