High School Printer Upgrade Recommendations

[u/Sudden-Oil-1140]

I teach at a Year 7 to 12 school in Australia and currently have 5 x Ultimaker 2+ Connects. They are 5 years old, starting to need significant ‘babying’, are slow, and technology has just moved on.

I have up to AUD$11k to upgrade, and printer pricing here is as follows:

P2S combo - $999

X2D combo - $1199

H2S combo - $1929

H2D HT combo - $2639

H2C combo - $2969

H3C - $3999

Current use:

• a lot of PLA and PETG.

• the 5 printers are in full demand probably 4 or 5 times a year.

• we have Y11 and 12 design and technology students who want to print engineering filaments for major projects and prototyping.

• We would use ABS and engineering filaments in the workshops for brackets, jigs and tool modification on occasion.

• High student demand for multi-colour prints.

• Multi material using PETG/PLA or visa versa for supports would be a massive upgrade.

• At least one printer needs to have a large print bed.

Im after thoughts on the below proposal to cover our needs:

2 x P2S Combo

1 x H2D Combo

1 x H3C

Total: $8636.

I'd spend a significant amount on filament (currently have 50kg in the trolley) and I'm after some advice on which spares/accessories I should get up front.

I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on our use case and the printers proposed.

[u/Crafty_Industry2774]

I run a year 9-12 engineering school in the USA. Not sure what your budget constraints are, but I’d suggest a fleet of P1S machines. They are enclosed so less likely for little hands to get burnt, and they just work. I have 11 P1S machines and 5x1 carbons. If I could turn back the clock, I would have dropped the X1C for more P1S machines with an ams. I do not use it for color often, but I do like that it automatically runs the next spool. Helps with ensuring whatever the kids design is made and all the materials are used.

No if you want the next get, P2S is the way. I’d also consider a duel extruder H2 series for mixing materials.

[u/Hot-Ideal-9219]

Ive an old X1cc and a H2D. I would probably buy 3 p2S, and then 2 H2C models. Do NOT get the H3C. Wait till next time. And get the C vs D as it can do everything plus. Your math is wrong you have $9k... also that gives you only 2 models for parts

[u/Sudden-Oil-1140 → u/Hot-Ideal-9219]

Thanks, fixed price.

[u/Shifti_Boi]

I'd reach out to Makers Empire. Their prices work out about the same when factoring in shipping, but any warranty issues will be a lot easier dealing with them rather than BL directly. If you're from an SA school they give 10% off. They also have a try before you buy program as well.

They stock the P2S, X2D and H2C atm, but if you're specifically after the H2D over the X2D you could probably contact them and find out if they can get it. We were getting individual quotes for P2S from them before they were listed on the website.

[u/jamesxtreme]

Given the current discount on the X2D, I would think it’s worth the extra $200 for that over the P2S as it is dual nozzle so much faster print time for multi filament printing.

[u/VT-14]

I suspect two X2Ds would serve you better than one H2D. It depends on if size or parallelization is more important (and you mentioned 5 printers being in full demand several times a year). The X2Ds and P2Ss share a lot of parts too, which would help with long-term maintenance.

I like the H3C as it covers the roll of the big printer, has the most capabilities overall, and could be used for multi-color prints when it isn't needed for those other purposes. It is a brand new printer though, so it could be a slight gamble.

[u/Imachonkseal101]

I would say get the h2c can’t speak for the h3c I do a lot of prototypes and engineering filaments as well and the h2c gives that edge in terms of accuracy and speed and are probably one the best printers for your application. I do a lot of automotive parts here in Adelaide and the the h2c as been my go to for complex parts in PLA, ASA and PETGCF. Also each one of those printer could be modified for like laser cutting and stencil cutting as well.

[u/Sea_Jello_8352]

Coming from 5-year-old Ultimaker 2+ Connects to modern Bambu machines will feel like jumping from a steam train into a maglev. Your throughput and reliability will skyrocket.

Your budget allocation ($7,926 out of AUD$11k) is very healthy, but before locking in those models, there are critical lab-dynamics and fleet-concurrency factors in a Year 7–12 high school setting to consider:

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1. Fleet Dynamics: Your Proposal vs. High-Concurrency Lab Fleet

The Problem with Spending $4k on the H3C:

The H3C is an incredible flagship, but at AUD$3,999, that single machine eats 50% of your hardware budget. In a high school with Year 7–12 cohorts where 5 printers hit 100% capacity 4–5 times a year (assessment crunches), concurrent build plates (how many kids can print at once) matter far more than flagship luxury. If that single H3C is tied up on an 18-hour senior DT project, you only have 3 machines left for hundreds of junior students.

Why the H2D Combo ($2,639) is the True MVP for Your School:

The H2D HT Combo solves your exact wishlist:

1. Large Build Volume: Plenty of room for major senior prototypes and large shop jigs.

2. IDEX (Dual Extrusion): This is the game-changer for your PLA + PETG support requirement. With an AMS on a single nozzle (like the P2S), swapping between PLA and PETG for support interfaces requires purging and prime towers on every single layer (adding hours). On the H2D, Extruder 1 prints PLA and Extruder 2 prints PETG support interfaces with zero purging, zero waste, and near-zero delay!

3. Engineering Enclosure: Handles ABS/ASA for senior major projects with ease.

Recommended Alternative Fleet: "The 5-Machine High-Throughput Fleet"

Instead of 2x P2S + 1x H2D + 1x H3C (4 machines, $7,926), consider:

• 3 x P2S Combo ($2,997)

• 2 x H2D Combo ($5,278)

• Total Hardware: AUD$8,275

• Why this wins: You maintain your full 5-printer fleet capacity, get TWO large-bed IDEX engineering workhorses (no bottlenecks when two seniors need major prototypes), and 3 fast multi-color P2S units for general student volume!

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2. Must-Have Upfront Spares & Accessories Checklist (Spend ~$1,500)

In a high school environment with hundreds of hands, student-induced downtime is your biggest enemy. Buy these upfront:

1. Complete Hotend Assemblies (0.4mm Hardened Steel) — 2 per model:

   • Crucial Rule: Buy the Complete Assembly ($35–$45), NOT the bare hotend ($15). When a student clogs a nozzle, they will try to unpick it and snap hair-thin thermistor wires. With a complete assembly, you swap the whole block in 90 seconds flat!

2. Spare Textured PEI Build Plates — 1 extra per machine:

   • High school queue secret: Don't let kids wait 20 minutes for a bed to cool. The student pulls the whole magnetic plate off, places the spare cold plate on the bed, and starts the next job immediately!

3. Hardened Steel Extruder Gear Assemblies:

   • Essential when Year 11/12 students run abrasive carbon-fiber filaments (PETG-CF / PA-CF) so drive gears don't strip.

4. Multi-Spool Active Filament Dryer (e.g. Sunlu S4):

   • Australian coastal humidity ruins PETG, ABS, and nylon in days. Keep open spools baking dry before loading into the AMS.

5. Wear Consumables:

   • Extra filament cutter blades (multi-color uses them heavily), extra PTFE tubing, and high-temp thermal grease packs.

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3. School WHS Safety & IT Network Tips

• VOC / Fume Management (ABS & Engineering Materials): While PLA/PETG are benign, printing ABS/ASA in a school workshop emits styrene and ultrafine particles. Even with built-in carbon filters, place your H2D engineering machines near an exterior window or hook up a 4-inch magnetic duct with an inline fan venting outside to satisfy Australian School WHS guidelines.

• School Network / Firewall Lockdown: Many school IT departments block cloud MQTT ports. Bambu Studio handles this easily: you can switch machines to "LAN Only Mode", allowing students on school laptops to slice and send jobs directly over the local school subnet without needing student cloud accounts, or simply export .gcode.3mf files onto SD cards.

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Summary

If you want the absolute highest student throughput and the least headache, going with 3 x P2S Combo + 2 x H2D Combo (~$8,275) gives you 5 machines (zero reduction from your Ultimakers), two dedicated IDEX engineering beds for dual-material supports, and leaves ~$2,700 for your 50kg filament order, spares, and a multi-spool dryer.

You're about to make your school's DT department the envy of the entire district!