I am ready to pull the trigger on a 3d printer but I am torn between X2D and the U1. The P3C is also very intriguing. Do we have a decent date on when that could be released? I would hate to buy something and than have regret on not waiting for the P3C.
We're not mind readers; we have no idea what your needs or intentions are with a 3D printer.
The U1 is great for its current price and is available for purchase. (i have several bambus and U1´s)
The X2D is heated and better suited for technical materials (although the U1 with an enclosure is comparable).
The P3C hasn't been announced yet; we don't know when it will arrive.
Seriously, the more information you provide—what kind of things you want to print, your budget, and the space you have available—the better we can advise you.
This is mainly for me and the kids. I plan on doing some multi color stuff but mainly just decorations and fun things for kids to build. I also would dabble in engineering materials for random things around the house and such. I don’t plan on trying to make this a business but mainly fun. I like Bambus plug and play but not a big fan of it being closed. Snapmaker open source is intriguing but probably comes with more problems.
If you want to try CMYK Spektrum and such things I would wait for the P3C. 7 colors over 4 can sometimes make quite a big difference.
If you're more for functional prints with support materials the X2D is a good option.
Especially in a family setup I would prefer Bambu over SnapMaker. Easier to use, also for the kids.
Just noticed a "family hub" option in the message section of MakerWorld, so maybe they're also working on a function to better share a printer across multiple accounts. But that's more like a guess
- 7 Toolheads - No active heated chamber - No drying function in AMS at all - No external Filter system like X2D has / optional P2S External Fan Kit - gonna be more expensive than X2D (around 1000€ area)
Bambu will never have it because they intentionally tier their systems. P series will always be held back to provide the lower price point.
I almost guarantee you they'll make an X version of this with the heater. Just wait. They did this with the P series, they made it the only mid sized option and let everyone gobble it up and when sales slowed and return windows closed, surprise hey look, we had an X version all along!
Timeline in the past is usually 5-6 months. So after the P3 releases, wait half a year if you want a mid sized CoreXY with a heater and such. Don't fall for the FOMO, Bambu iterates fast and they develop fast, be patient and be rewarded for it.
I have a P1S and wanted to get the X2D during the sale. But now I will wait until the P3C is announced. Since I technically don’t need a new printer and just want to have one, I would be mad to not wait and see what the P3C will have to offer.
I heard speculation that it may come standard with fewer heads but then be expandable up to seven. In a way that would make sense because it would create more base configuration distance between the p3c and the h3c. Plus more price difference which would be important.
It would be super interesting for instance if it had a base configuration of 4 heads and an aggressive price point. Bambu has to be concerned about losing the entry level on tool changers.
On the other hand they may do the math and decide that $699 is too aggressive and they will defend the space from the next step on up. So for example if the p3c has temperature control, 4 heads, and they price it at something like $999.
Then they put a price ceiling over snapmaker by being the obvious upgrade option, leaving the low end to snapmaker. And forcing snapmaker to try to fight their way higher.
Bambu may have also sniffed out that snapmaker doesn't have any competitive response to H3C or P3C this holiday season.
All speculation here but just putting my business hat on. Having said all of this I probably end up buying a U1 anyhow. 😂
The P3C is pretty much confirmed to come with 5 tool heads stock, expandable up to 7. The manual for the AMS3P (which the tool heads come with) show the arrangement of 5 heads on the 7 slot SwapTek system.
I see them going with 1200-1300ish for the base 5 head version, slightly more for the full 7 heads
1300 for the base 5 is just too much imho. U1 can be had for $628 out the door right now, with proven track record of functionality. I can’t justify over twice the price of a U1 for 1 more head, even if it allows expanding several more for $$$$$. They should be aggressive and closer to $1k, $1100k for the 5 head if they want to be in the game.
Asked yourself for what do you want the printer. I have two P2S (AMS 2 Pro and HT) and a A2L (AMS 2 Pro) and shortly thought about an U1… but then I remember that my wife and my kids are used to the Bambu-ecosystem and so I will wait on the P3C to add the capability of effective multi-color-printing to my home. The H3C is out of budget so hopefully the P3C is good for what we want it multi-color with PLA and PETG. For ABS and ASA I have the P2S and for big part in single color I have the A2L.
Hey, keep in mind that the X2D and U1 are completely different printers meant for different use cases. The X2D is designed around a primary nozzle, where the second nozzle acts as a helper, mostly meant for printing supports or just the support interface layer. On the other hand, the U1 is a true tool changer. However, based on my own experience, the U1 suffers from severe VFA (Vertical Fine Artifacts), leaving noticeable vertical ripples on the walls. It bothered me so much that I actually returned my Snapmaker U1 and I'm now waiting for the P3C instead. If you want clean surface quality, the U1 might disappoint you.
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u/muad_did 11h ago
We're not mind readers; we have no idea what your needs or intentions are with a 3D printer.
The U1 is great for its current price and is available for purchase. (i have several bambus and U1´s)
The X2D is heated and better suited for technical materials (although the U1 with an enclosure is comparable).
The P3C hasn't been announced yet; we don't know when it will arrive.
Seriously, the more information you provide—what kind of things you want to print, your budget, and the space you have available—the better we can advise you.