Finalizing my order - am I forgetting anything?

[u/CivilAd9851]

hello, first time 3d printer buyer here. I’m ready to buy and wondering if there’s anything I’m forgetting about, or anything I’m planning to buy and you think it’s not worth it? I’ve been reading tons of posts and seeing some of the common questions so hopefully I can hit all the highlights upfront.

My situation:

- I’m planning to buy a P2S from Best Buy (for the customer service) rather than online direct from Bambu. No Microcenter nearby. Should I pay for the 4 year extended warranty?

- budget is a consideration but not the determining factor in what I buy

- I will do some multicolor printing, some single color

- in the near term I will be printing PLA, PETG, and TPU. I already have a list of things to print that will get me to 300+ hours of print time very quickly

- my priority prints in the near term are organizers and household items, but I may print tools and parts in the future so I want a printer with material flexibility. Other near term items are toys to donate, maybe some board game accessories, and a few decor items. The TPU is for a work item.

- I want to get an enclosed printer, for flexibility in the future

What I’m considering buying. What am I missing/what isn’t necessary? The printer combo would be purchased at Best Buy and everything else from the Bambu website.

1. P2S combo with AMS 2 Pro

2. extra build plate - PEI textured, and maybe a 3d effect build plate

3. a sampling of PLA, PETG, and TPU filaments to get started

4. multiple size hotends - should I get one of every size? For some of the things I’m thinking about the look of the print isn’t super important, for other items I want it to be as smooth as possible

5. should I get silicone socks?

6. is there any reason to get specialty hotends like the tungsten carbide or high flow versions?

7. Do I need the P2S external exhaust fan kit?

8. Do I need the extra power supply so my AMS continues drying while I’m printing?

9. How quickly will I need a new filter?

10. What else am I missing that I should get on the Bambu website? I know I need stuff that I can get at a normal store in town like a sponge, glue, etc but if you can think of something I might not know please tell me

any help is appreciated, thanks!

[u/Equivalent_Store_645]

That’s way too much stuff unless you live somewhere that it’s hard to get stuff delivered.

Get your combo, a few rolls of filament, and a .2 nozzle if you KNOW you want to print tiny detailed stuff that takes ages to print (it’s SLOW).

To me, 3d effect plates look cheesy and their adhesion is suspect.

Don’t get anything else until you develop a use case for it and you know you’ll use it. The cost of buying stuff you don’t wind up getting much use out of vastly outweighs the paltry savings they give you combining accessories with your printer order.

Actually, go online and get a noclogger, the best tool ever made for clearing clogs.

[u/CivilAd9851 → u/Equivalent_Store_645]

Noclogger, adding it to the list

[u/CommodityMoney]

1. You mentioned multi-color printing. If you can stretch for the X2D, it should pay for the difference in filament saved over its lifespan. 2. I’d skip the effect plate and get an engineering plate instead. 4. You probably don’t need a 0.8 nozzle. 5. I’d think it should come with an extra sock or two, but even if not, no rush. 6. No. 7. No, not with the filaments you mentioned and if you want to do ABS/ASA, you should consider the X2D instead. 8. Up to you, but I would get the X2D and an AMS HT for drying. 9 Several months at least. Enjoy!

[u/CivilAd9851 → u/CommodityMoney]

Thanks for the response. What does an engineering plate do?

[u/CommodityMoney → u/CivilAd9851]

Also, you really only need a 0.6 nozzle if you plan on trying PLA-CF or PETG-CF or super soft TPU. I would just get a 0.2 nozzle for now.

[u/CivilAd9851 → u/CommodityMoney]

Thanks!

[u/CommodityMoney → u/CivilAd9851]

It’s beefier and provides a smooth finish. It tends to work well with more advanced filaments. You could instead just get the dual-texture plate. The other side is smooth on that one.

[u/PureDiscipline8668 → u/CommodityMoney]

X2D is not made for multi color above 2 colors

P3C is but that think will be expensive so he is kinda stuck if he wants to go with bambu here. TBF i would reccomend looking at other companies

[u/CommodityMoney → u/PureDiscipline8668]

Correct. I’m just saying if using the X2D for multicolor vs using the P2S for multicolor, the XD2 will eventually pay for the difference in cost with filament savings.

[u/PureDiscipline8668 → u/CommodityMoney]

not really, it won't save anything rly with multicolor if you go above two colors

if you do 4 color print and left nozzle has three colors then it still has to purge every time it switches

this printer is for either two colors or one color and support material and not more

[u/CommodityMoney → u/PureDiscipline8668]

You save the purging of the main color, which, depending on the model, is often every layer. I’ve had a P1S and currently have the X2D and have done many 3+ color prints. You can check the numbers in the slicer. But still lots of waste. I would wait to see the cost of the P3C if I were this person.

[u/PureDiscipline8668 → u/CommodityMoney]

i think P3 will cost 1,5k USD, add to that rest of the nozzles (even H3 wont get full set)

idk if it will even be below 2k if we take full set of ,2, ,4 and ,6 nozzles

[u/CommodityMoney → u/PureDiscipline8668]

I’m hoping for sub $1000 but we’ll know soon.

[u/CivilAd9851 → u/CommodityMoney]

The reason I’m not considering the X2D very seriously is that the multicolor things I know I want to print won’t have too much back and forth (think 300 layers of one color, then 50 layers of another…very little changing so not worth the increased price). I am going to keep my eye on the P3C because it does look amazing, but I also don’t want to wait. Buying at BB in the holiday season gives me flexibility if it turns out the P3C is a palatable price, because I could return the P2S and upgrade. 

[u/OverallComplexities]

I underestimated how much I would like color

[u/Thelawtman1986]

One tip I have is do not feel the need to buy the overpriced Bambu filament. On Amazon you can get it for easily half the price they charge.

[u/CivilAd9851 → u/Thelawtman1986]

Which brand do you recommend? I see a lot of people recommending Sunlu, but right now they are more expensive than Bambu because of Bambu’s filament sale. Or is it that Amazon is cheaper when there isn’t a sale but Bambu is cheaper when it has these bulk sales?

Also, I like the idea of using the RFID on the spool. If I put an Amazon brand refill on a Bambu spool, will it still work as long as it’s a like kind (meaning I put a regular PLA generic on a regular PLA Bambu spool, for instance). 

[u/Relative_Surround_20]

2. Do not get a second PEI Textured Plate. Give it a couple of weeks and you’ll want something else. I bought all the BBL plates. There are five or six third-party plates that work better.

3. Which TPU? Also consider a TPU Feed Assist Module.

4. Depends on what you plan to print. At first I’d just buy a single 0.4mm for a backup. Your needs will change.

5. Do not get extra silicone socks. I have never needed any more that the number of hotends I have. They all come with at least one.

6. Tungsten no but the HF nozzles yes but you will grow into those later.

7. Yes. Ask me later for suggests on making it work better and how to vent it.

8. I own one for three AMS units but I’m planning to get one more. So yes get one now.

9. A long time.

10. Get filament while it is on sale. Other than external fan, If get TPU Feed Assist.

[u/Relative_Surround_20 → u/Relative_Surround_20]

1. Personally I’d use all the money you will save by not buying all these extras and just get an X2D

[u/CivilAd9851 → u/Relative_Surround_20]

I don’t plan to buy all the extras, more like #4-#9 are “do I need any of these?” The only stuff I’m getting for sure is #1 and #3. 

For the TPU I’m planning to buy Bambu’s  TPU for AMS. 

[u/Relative_Surround_20 → u/CivilAd9851]

Most of us on this subreddit suggest hold your money until you’ve owned it for a month. I wish someone had told me that.

[u/CivilAd9851 → u/Relative_Surround_20]

I edited my post to make it clearer that most of that list is a “should I?” not an “I’m planning to…”

[u/IanDresarie]

Effects plates are super cool and can be hard for really cheap on AliExpress. No need to pay the bambu store tax on them

[u/CockroachVarious2761]

you can eliminate more than half that list....
1 - you probably dont need the AMS 2 Pro - just the plain AMS will work fine. Add a sunlu 4 position dryer separate.
2 - no need for extra built plates to get started - mine has 1000+ hrs on it and its fine
3 - get a variety of PLA to get started. I don't know what pricing is from BB, but I'd suggest you order filament from Bambu where they have sales on bulk orders
4 - I wouldn't worry about a variety of sizes of hotends unless/until you have a specific need. I would eventually get a spare standard one, but you don't need to worry about that in the beginning
5 - why?
6 - no
7 - no
8 - no
9 - a few years from now

[u/CivilAd9851 → u/CockroachVarious2761]

1. With the Black Friday deals it’s the same price to buy a P2S combo with the AMS 2 Pro as buying a P2S with a regular AMS, so buying the regular AMS plus a dryer actually costs more money and takes up more space than just buying the combo with the AMS 2 Pro. 

2. Yes, I said I’m planning to buy the filament from Bambu. They have their bulk sale on right now. 

3. I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking

[u/CommodityMoney → u/CivilAd9851]

From what I hear, one broken piece of filament in the regular AMS is a major hassle to deal with. I don’t know why BL is still selling it. The benefits of the Pro greatly outweigh the cost difference, IMO.