You all need to chill out. It’s not a review of the XL. He did mention it would take a lot of prints to make up the cost difference. He did speak about the fuzziness from the XL. He had a great time using the printer. Which is awesome to see considering the initial reviews were rough. Stop hating it because it cost what it does, and enjoy the tech behind it. I can’t afford it, but I love how much less waste it uses. Cost wise the X1 has a lot more to offer, but for multicolor the XL is awesome. I loved the video. I learned more about an issues with the Bambu AMS from 2 years ago that launched with the first gen of machines. I have seen a lot of people commenting on the issues they are having. I’ve been happy with my A series AMS. This machine is so cool. I just wish the price was more affordable. Great video!!
No, for multicolor the XL is not awesome. There are more errors, fuzzy print quality and overall worse results for both a business and a hobbyist. In no universe are these two printers comparable and I suspect this guy either got a payment from prusa or has no experience in 3D printing.
To be honest, this video adds literally nothing to the space except fuelling an ongoing culture war. Comparing a tool changer to a filament switcher does nothing, saying one is faster or slower depending on what’s being printed adds nothing. Comparing the price of a printer focused on affordability and ease of use to a 5-headed tool changer designed for multi material capability and size adds nothing. There is no new information here, and it’s designed from the very title to rage-bait engagement. Enjoy your table discount though I guess
@PioneerPrint3D sounds like you are the one who doesn't know what he's talking about. In recent videos buyers have said the multi colors are more efficient than Bambu. You're probably just a fanboy.
@@krollmond7544 I can tell from your comment that you don't own either of these machines. I own both and he's correct. The prusa is SHIT. When it works its great but it has many issues that require tuning constantly and it is NOT a business machine like my bambu machines are. Bambu JUST WORKS. Prusa needs tuning.
One thing I have found that helps feeding with the AMS is to use an xacto knife and spin it inside the ends of the PTFE tube. This creates a beveled inside which helps the filament feed smoothly. I don't have any trouble with my AMS feeding.
We all know that XL and X1 have completely different use cases. But if you want to make comparisons, here is another one. You can buy 5 P1S+AMS combos (or 3 X1C+AMS combos) for the price of single prebuilt 5-tool XL with enclosure and still have over $350 to spend on gummy bears. See? It really makes no sense to compare these printers, because XL is made for different market.
An entirely fair comparison to be making. I wonder though, if you are running a business (assuming if you are aiming for that many machines that is likely the case), how long until the waste and time difference washes out the price difference? The XL can fit 9 of my Can Cup design (non-handle) on a single build plate. That is 40g of waste for a Single build plate of prints. (Likely less w/ purge to infill actually.) The P1 or X1 printers can only fit 4 and would produce an estimated 173g per plate of waste. Idk, it is hard to say what really makes sense. With 5 P1Ses you'd get 20 prints in 2 days, but have over 800g of wasted plastic. I cannot say what is the right path for anyone. For me I can print bigger things that I've wanted to mix materials or colors on and was unable to do before. A simple fact that entirely eliminates the Bambu option from the race.
@@PommelKnight Are you pricing it correctly? I live in Canada so when I put an XL with all 5 toolheads + enclosure + shipping it comes to over $6700 CAD (I can honestly buy 3 X1C combos and change for that). I also think it's not a fair comparison in any sense you put it since its a tool changer vs a multi filament and the build volumes are vastly different. Honestly apple to orange comparison whatever way you look at it. I could see certain scenarios I would take one XL and many I would take 3xX1C's depending on the application and build volume restraints.
I own a p1 with AMS. I think is a great printer and it’s nice that the filament is in an enclosure keeping it dry. I tend to print only layered pieces as it does produce a lot of waste and takes a long time. That being said I can’t justify the price of the XL as it’s 5 times the cost. Nice video by the way 😊
I think it is worth noting that the issues you had with the AMS are likely due to the AMS not actually being compatible with carboard spools. Definitely worth checking out the printed upgrades.
I showed the almost full Prusament Plastic spool slipping in the exact same way in this video. I've tried printed adapters, I've tried Bambu filament, I've tried plastic spools, they all slip, they all have issues. Relying on tiny gears and tiny rollers with tiny motors to spin filament thousands of times just isn't a great system. I'm heavily considering the "Python" mod that completely rebuilds the AMS with larger gear drives.
@@MandicLabs I have these issues with my AMS too and i don´t had any cardboard spool loaded in there yet. The issue that i get the most is that the motor on the particular slot did overheat. Your Results in case of speed and waste are also valid for the mmu3 even if the difference is not that huge but still very significant. Even if you try to tune in the profiles on the X1C and get some color bleeding in the printed part, the mmu3 still has half of the waste then an AMS for the X1C. I think this could possibly be seen at any of the newer multi color systems. Only the ERCF seems to be on par with the MMU3 so far and with toolchanging systems like on the XL on the top of all.
I did the rough math on the break even point in filament waste on those machines. Comparing a fully decked out 5 printhead Prusa XL vs a Bambu X1C Combo. Given those mug prints, it would take about 1000 prints until the cost of waste from the X1C makes up for the price difference. At 2 days per print that would be about 6 years of non stop printing. However Prusa XL also has local bed heatup which drastically reduces the greatest consumption of electricity. If you assume the Prusa Bed draws about half the amount of the Bambu bed then you would break even at about roughly 5 years. After that the Prusa is profit. So if you have an active printfarm, high electricity cost and intend to use the machine for a long time then it would make financial sense. Ofcourse variables will vary between different types of prints and locations.
@@josephpuentes7576 Yes but the biggest issue for printfarms isn't machine cost but maintance overhead. The less often a machine breaks down, the more machines you can keep operating by yourself. This is why I switched away from Creality after running more than eight machines cause it was a never ending nightmare to fix things.
@@Janovich I don't know if to believe, I watched a video of a guy who tested Creality for half a year and had problems with fireware, extruders, then other things were solved by new version of sowftware. Somehow it doesn't seem to me that Creality is "maintenance free".
I do in one way prever the Prusa XL multi toolhead, but on the other hand I prefer the price of my cheap A1 with AMS. I know its not really apples to apples and of course some types of pritns will be way faster on a multi toolhead printer, for instance if you print a wheel with a different color on the outside, then it would have to swap filament for each layer. But on the other hand, as an amateur, I cant really justify 3000 EUR for a 3d-printer :P While I do love 3dprinting, I do hope multi toolhead printers become more affordable.
The issue I think you’re having is that it was cardboard spools in the ams. I’ve tried various brands kinky polymaker and others and they are all the same. They slip like hell, chew up and cause the ams to slip, particularly when it’s rewinding the filament during a colour change. I’d be very interested you doing the exact same print with either Bambu spools (or any plastic spools) or do the same print again but with some printed spool outer diameter rings on those cardboard spools - I’d bet them ams would be more reliable in this scenario.
Was going to say the same thing-cardboard spools will cause problems. And yes, plastic spools that aren’t the right size will also cause problems. For cardboard, at least do the electrical tape trick, then at least the rings over the cardboard, or (what I did today) respool onto used Bambu spools. I have had good agreement with estimated Bambu Studio slicer time and actual time… as long as I deal with the Polymaker cardboard spools with the methods above. So it’s not fair to include delays due to that. Of course Prusa’s method will be faster with less waste. That’s a given.
Love my x1c had a few issues with the ams because of filament breaking. I now only buy from bambu lab and no problems now. I use mine for work not as multicolor priority though. Just changing filament constantly it's amazing. Really wish prusa set up a warehouse in the States nothing bites more than when I'd get my "free filament" and still need to shell out 30$.
Excellent video! Sorry for the lengthy comment in advance. I was initially leaning toward the Prusa XL, thinking it would finally meet my needs, but after watching your video, I’m now unsure about whether it’s the right choice for my specific requirements. To give you some context, what I primarily need from a 3D printer isn’t necessarily speed, but precision. I often prototype intricate parts that must fit together with tight tolerances, so accuracy is key. I was initially drawn to the Prusa XL for its build volume, which I thought would be ideal, as my typical print heights range from 2” (50mm) to a maximum of 14” (356mm). While I mostly work with single-color prints, I’m also open to multi-color or multi-material options when needed, like the XL promises. However, the most critical aspect for me is achieving a smooth surface finish akin to SLA prints, but without the associated hassle of maintaining an SLA printer. I’ve heard that the Prusa XL’s slicer now includes the Arachne perimeter generator, which promises improved print quality, and that was something I found promising. Based on your extensive experience with various machines, I’d love to hear your thoughts on which printer would best meet these needs. Specifically, I’m looking for precision, ease of use, and the ability to deliver professional quality prototypes, without the maintenance demands of an SLA system. I trust your judgment and would greatly appreciate any suggestions or guidance on what to consider next in my search. Should I keep waiting or should I take the plunge? Thanks again for all the valuable content you create, it’s been a huge help!
I'd love to see a comparison with the A1/A1 mini only because it is a different style of color changer with even a color mod for the K1 series printers
As a Bambu user there are things about the XL w/5 tool heads that I'm jealous off. And... there are things about my X1C I consider superior to the XL... which is pretty much exactly what I'd expect! These are different machines and something are great for some people, other things for other people. A Pickup Truck is a great vehicle for some people because of the bed to haul stuff around. Others don't need that and want a smaller car that's more fuel efficient. You can't compare a truck and a sedan and say: This is clearly the best for everyone all the time. XL = Faster, less waste in multi-color, bigger bed, better true multi-material X1C = Faster for single color (I think), much cheaper, up to 16 possible colors, enclosed print area What's best? Depends on your needs For me the X1C fits the bill much better. For someone else it might be the XL. Choice is good. Competition makes every one work a bit hard to improve their products. This is a good things.
I would add more weight inside the spools in the ams(slippage due to less weight on the rollers as a print progresses). Makerworld has some models were you put desiccants beads inside a container and retrofit it inside the spools.
The issue with your X1C is having the AMS on top of the printer. Mine it to the side. In addition, add a spacer to the top glass. Load/unload issue solved.
X1 has a spacer on top for the glass and extra length / guides added to the PTFE tube for a much straighter shot in and out of the machine. That is NOT the issue. It slips just trying to feed filament in and out of itself, before it ever gets to the machine.
Is there a multiple filament printer that uses multiple nozzles mounted in an array on the gantry? Seems like that would be more simple and efficient compared to both of the above designs. No need for a hotend changer, potential to use only standard components, and no need to purge filament between color changes.
It's a shame you're having issues with your AMS I've had three AMS's for over a year now and the only issues I've had is when I've left filament in them that becomes brittle and breaks inside. I then have to take the AMS apart to get the broken filament out, but that's it.
Thank you for this video, I was looking for something like this! A real direct comparison on which to choose if I have enough money but wnat only one printer that prints
Should I convert my Bambu AMS unit to the Python version by Humebeam? As seen in this week's video from Modbot: ruclips.net/video/goK40_EG1VE/видео.htmlsi=0UKRrkn0MlUBbBU_
I did the python mod and it made the world of a difference. I almost sold my ams because it was such a headache. I did the python mod as a last ditch effort to even like the ams and it worked. I'm able to use my favorite filament from Atomic Filament now as well as any that I want. And I didn't go with the enclosure just yet either. Ypu won't be disappointed with it.
@@Armor3dprinting thats funny i have 2 x1 carbons one purchaced last year christmas time 1200 hours no ams issues and the other one a kickstarter unit with 2300 hours on it no ams issues
@@krollmond7544 Many people do the X1C can print in many more materials since its heated and enclosed. Its way faster in single color/material printing so prototyping is far superior. And it gives you the option to use the AMS and print multi color which for me Ive never had an issue with as long as you use plastic spools. And again its far cheaper and you could have 3 of the absolute beast bambu machines vs a single XL😂
@josephpuentes7576 can you do TPU with PETG? Don't think so. We can't even combine PVA with other materials on our AMS. Plus the XL is faster than AMS when it comes to multi color. And it's bigger, so I stand corrected. I don't care how much X1C's you can buy for the price of an XL, all that waste could buy a couple more XL's lmao.
@@krollmond7544 It can do them seperately Ive never attemtped to do them at the same time Im not sure if in the software you can have it change temps automatically for materials. It still prints in those materials better than the XL as its enclosed and heated so youll have a much easier time printing in those more annoying materials. And it would legit take a decade for the waste to ever reach the price of an XL😂 Rather have 2-3 printers for that decade instead
@@krollmond7544Also the X1C has a camera so you can monitor your prints dont think the XL has that, and the AMS system is also enclosed with swappable dessicant so it keeps your filament dry
I'd kill to have an xl since I do a lot of multi color prints and have experienced the same ams issues you have but Since I can't afford a $4,000 printer, I ended up getting an a1 combo that solved all the x1 carbon related issues I was having. Only downsides are the poop and exposed rolls of filament. The x1 also had a nozzle wiper issue that would cause purge to be dragged across my prints, ruining them. The a1 doesn't have any of these issues and handles multi color more efficently since it doesn't have to completely retract the filament every time.
7:41 i get these issues exclusively if i run cardboard spools without any plastic edges around them. If you run them bare it wears on your motors and has feeding issues. I don't like having to slip on plastic runners around them but when they glide easily, i never have the issues.
Just ordered the Prusa XL with 2 heads. Never done 2 colour print before. How am I best designing and splicing with 2 colours? How does the slice know what print head to pick for which colour?
Personal experience with the XL 5 tool: It's overpriced, wobbly (someone didn't think through the giant lead screws), loud, slow, and fails to produce multi-color prints an AMS can do, never mind the multi-material tasks I bought it for. MIne came in wiith a busted PDU, took 3 days to convince Prusa to send a replacement PDU. 3 months later, the thing hasn't produced a single multi-tool print that has clean surface quality and good tolerances. My favorite example was when the XL randomly started printing in the middle of the board, several hours into a print, then the tool changer slammed into he wall of the printer so hard it dropped the nextruder on the bed. Another time it stopped dead halfway into a 2 day print with a USB read error. The drive read fine in my workstation, I copied the file back over just in case, nada. I even tried forcing a power loss recovery. So now I have a half printed top half of a lady we are using as a vase. I'm currently arguing with Prusa over the 3 weeks they say it will take to refund my money. I bought this for the business, I'm likely replacing it with another SV08 with a stealthchanger. I would not recommend the XL, and based on my customer service experience, I would not recommend Prusa, period. I genuinely don't know who the XL is for. It's WAY too expensive for hobbyists and not reliable enough for a business. It's literally cheaper and faster just to run the prints on a faster printer and paint them, and in my experience, you get nicer quality prints.
I want an XL but gotta save for that. I will say my AMS has feed issues too when using cardboard spools. Even if I used the printed rings. When using Bambu spools I have no problems at all and a 34 hour print generally ends up a hour or two faster than the slicer estimate. But I hate your limited to Bambu spools. Makes me want the python upgrade.
What’s it like after some time? I’ve got a few Bambu Lab machines and a FF CP2, but I always think about this machine and wonder if it’s worth a look. I mostly want the bigger build plate and the tool head changes will make using different support materials really nice
Are those cardboard spools? I bet that's contributing to the AMS issues. You can print adapters to go on the sides to make them function better in the AMS.
this is a great comparison, another comparison is that the X1 only fits 2 of those models while the XL can fit more, i do hope on the future we can compare the XL to other toolchangers either commercial or self built
I forgot to mention that. Filling the bed would obviously add print time but you'd end up with just 40 grams of waste for a LOT more prints. If I was running a business selling multicolor prints, the XL would pay for itself rather quickly.
That is usually the thought, but I've collabed with Joel '3DPrintingNerd' Telling a couple of times now and it didn't really do anything for my growth. I really need to collab with someone outside of the 3D Printing niche most likely... Thank you!
I got my X1C through the Kickstarter, and even then I felt the AMS was a gimmick. There's really only two use cases were it seems realistic to me: swapping spools when the filament runs out - which didn't exist back during the Kickstarter - and for people who frequently switch spools - by which I mean, someone who frequently prints one thing in, say, black nylon and then another thing in white ABS and so on. Multi-colour and multi-material through a single nozzle is just never going to be efficient. Of course, when I print things I almost always either don't care what colour it is because it's purely functional (like a shelf bracket) or I'm planning on painting it, so my need for multi-colour is almost non-existent. That certainly biases my opinion. But if I ever did decide I had a real use for multi-colour or multi-material, I'd get a tool changer or an IDEX printer.
I often print cases for small electronics projects, and it's nice to be able to print text on the front of the case. Not worth buying a multi toolhead machine for, and while it's possible to manually swap filament for a couple of layers, it's a PITA. For that (and for having my most used filaments "on tap" in a drybox), an AMS is well worth it. I use a Prusa Mk4 / MMU3.
I have an P1sS AMS and have never had an issue he might have the older version of the AMS, and even with the waste cost you forget the XL is like 3 X1Cs 😂 in price. Also the X1C is not only cheaper but can print more materials since its enclosed.
What is the comparsion with only one color, and aiming for quality. I appreciate the speed of the newer printers. Quality though is far more important in my mind. And I often think you have to slew down some of these newer printers to maintain high quality and accurate prints.
Great question, in this case I saw improved quality from the XL, but this is worth testing further at some point. Maybe with my wife's P1S as my X1 is getting tired and I think may need an overhaul.
Dont know what to say, if tuned in the X1 can do way better prints as seen with your X1 profile, but yes in terms of multicolor printing the XL wins in all terms, the overhangs still look pretty bad though. My AMS is running pretty fine, most of the time I have issues with bad spools. The XL comes still with a .6 nozzle or? So if you want clean overhangs with a good tuned .4 nozzle the time will increase drastically I think.
I have to be a little bit nit picky. The AMS specifically says not to use carboard filament rolls and it looks like all of yours were cardboard. I use the bambu filament and ive never had a single filament feed issue.
I didn't hear it mentioned, but the other big difference between the XL and MMU type systems is the color accuracy. There is never enough purged with MMU's to get a true color printed. The XL colors are true.
I honestly feel like you only need 2 extruders instead of 5. Hear me out. If bambu added a second extruder to the X1C and the AMS changes the filament on the extruder not being user it would be a better printer than XL.
No. Simply for the fact that you can’t compare a Prusa and Bambu Machine that easily. A 2nd extruder would do nothing for the waste amount if you print with 3-5 filaments. Especially not with an AMS like system. Plus you could load each extruded with a completely different filament. Haven prints with PLA, PETG, TPU and maybe some PC parts would be impossible with only 2 extruders. Also, as long as it’s not multicolor, you usually buy Prusa if you need high accuracy. As even the MK3S+ has better accuracy then any Bambu machine. On the other hand you buy Bambu for Price to Money value printing. There are also other differences which may favor one or the other or even completely other brands. Biggest downsides of Bambu, even tho I like my X1C, is the propriety hardware, closed system even tho they heavily took from the OpenSource community and their cloud. On the other hand, PrusaConnect is also giga garbage.
It already is a better printer its way faster in single material color, way cheaper, can print in more materials since its heated and enclosed, and the AMS at least for me has had 0 issues with using only plastic spools
I have to run rims on my polymaker spools in the ams. it just hates the cardboard rims on those. they never rewind correctly without some 15 min print rims/adapters
I personally stayed away from AMS because i could care less about multi color prints, but if they generally are that annoying to use then i can understand why a lot of XL users are doing a lot of multi color prints. To me it seemed like wasting its potential, but hey its your 3D printer and you can do whatever you damn well please which is the beauty of 3D printing! Awesome review, those cups look beautiful!
I have a P1S AMS though its only a month old so maybe this AMS system is newer and better, Ive used only bambu lab and esun plastic spools and have NEVER had an issue
@@krollmond7544 How old is it? Maybe the since I have a newer one its like a newer version? Or maybe quality control was lacking and you guys got unlucky
just one question: most reviewrs of the XL on youtube are not happy with the printing quality they get, a part from whispyness/stringyness, what is your opinion on the final quality?
I’ve not got nearly enough prints in to make a true determination. The whispy-ness is a non issue to me. 30 seconds with your hands and a heat gun and that’s gone. And that same issue existed on the Bambu with the same filament. The overall print quality was excellent aside from that. Great layer stacking, no color bleed, great alignment between tooheads. I’m hoping that recent firmwares and hardware improvements have fixed a lot of problems but only time will tell
hey man, I think this opinion is good, I never thought of this, and yes the build is sturdy, maybe one day you can make a comparison. I’m sincere, I’m only hobbyist and actually this is the first time I thought of this. Best wishes. Edit: subscribed and love ya vibe and explanation. Can you make a tower comparing one head and multihead? I wonder how the homing accuracy is! It’s the main since the head will one day be changed😂
Actually the big issue comparing to a bambulab printer ist the closed source firmware. As X1C, P1P and P1S are optimized for higher print speed, they use nozzles with higher flow. You can not use ramping to get a nearly perfect tip on filament unload. However, there is the Revo Panda for theese printers, so using this with a standard revo nozzle (instead of the high-flow) would actually allow ramping, so you reduce filament changing time by a lot. Just look at the mk4 with MMU3. However, even with ramping you might have errors on reloading from time to time. With over 500 filament changes on the object shown in the video, a failiure rate on reload of only 0.1% would result in every second print failing. The MMU3 has a cutter and a failure routine using it if reload fails. Thats where Bambulabs closed firmware sucks. You can not implement your own failure routine and external cutter to retry filament load automaticly. Which would increase multicolour printspeed by a lot. Realy a lot. Just by swapping the hotend to a Panda Revo (about 130€ on aliexpress, got one on last sale with coupons for just 102€) plus standard flow Revo nozzle (about 25€) and an external automatic cutter (DIY about 20€) - and some firmware adaptions. But the last two points actually massivly cripple the Bambulabs printers. We need an "official" Bambulab upgrade for a Revo hotend and external filament-cutter. This would increase the multicolour printspeed by a lot - and reduce waste by banning cut&poo. But we are dependend on Bambulab to do so. There are some videos comparing the XL to an mk4 with MMU3, also comparing the Bambulab printers to the mk4 with MMU3. As the mk4 (not the mk4s, Prusa even recommends buying a standard flow 0.4 nozzle if using the MMU3 on the MK4S) uses ramping, the time to change colour is drasticly shorter than using an AMS and cut&poo. Also of course all the cut&pooed waste isn´t there. Still, the mk4+MMU3 isn´t as fast as the XL for changing filament of course. Also it produces a bit more waste. But it is much more near to the XL than to the Bambulab printers. With the ERCF for Klipper printers, you can add automatic filament changes to every Klipper-Printer. As Klipper printers are fast printers, they mostly use cut&poo (upgrading the printhead is actually recommended by the ERCF project). However, if using a revo hotend you alternativly can print a bit slower using a standard-flow Revo for multi colour and don´t need cut&poo. Still, you could do a cut of the filament tip if reload fails. So you do not realy need a toolchanger to reduce printing time and filament waste. While the comparision between using an AMS and an Prusa XL is interesting, I personaly would prefer a Prusa MK4+MMU3 in the comparison. The XL and the X1C are totally different products in totally different price range targeting different customers. Imho comparing the mk4+MMU3 and the Bambulab X1C would be much more interesting.
Ok I really appreciate the aspects, as well as testing, specifically against the performance of the X1C, because as of right now those are the two big contenders with my next printer purchase. Having real world experience and demonstration between the two was awesome, thanks so much! Also, your animals are adorable, can they be my friends? ;-D
Aftermarket options exist and Prusa now has their enclosure, but I do agree, I wish it was just standard. The majority of my print work is with ASA so for now, the XL is relegated to just fun projects.
2 месяца назад
As an engineering sub-contractor I'll go for Prusa. Who knows where my designs will end up with Bambu.
I have four bambu printers but would love to have an XL with all 5 toolheads. And I say that as someone who thinks the MK4S is disgustingly overpriced and a horrible value. Prusa nailed it with the XL and especially the toolhead changer.
@@MandicLabs I think it would be a very interesting comparison between the bambu mmu and potentially even the toolchanger as you can mess with the firmware to have minimal wastage. Maybe a waste comparison and a time comparison. If you think it's a good idea
Apple and Oranges? 5 tool heads that don't need to have filament run back and forth to 1 that will need to. Then you use cardboard spools that aren't supposed to be used in AMS anyway (Yes, I saw the portion about the plastic spools). The bambus with any AMS, including the lite, are extremely wasteful of filament so I'm not surprised that the XL created less poop. Then, can we talk about the cost difference as well between the XL and X1? Not trying to be a fanboy here but I do think an apples to apples comparison would the right thing to do. Well, I guess you can't really do that as there aren't that many tool changers in the world so...... Anyways, I do enjoy your stuff, just this one struck me as being a bit unfair.
They are two different classes of machine, but they are two that people WANT to compare. There really aren't Apples to Apples to compare. The X1 doesn't yet have an enclosed Core-XY printer with a MMU system to compare against. Creality's isn't out yet, Phrozen's is delayed, and Anycubic's is a bed slinger. Commercially available toolchangers? I know of 2, and the XL is one of them. The rest are open source projects or industrial machines at big price tags. Let me ask you this, would you say comparing an Ender 3 with a Mosaic Pallette to a X1 Carbon w/ AMS is Apples to Oranges? I absolutely would, but that doesn't mean that the Orange isn't replacing the Apple, or that folks don't want to see it. I'm not trying to claim that folks should ditch the X1 and buy the XL, clearly that is a massive jump. However I do think that comparing them has value and that some folks will find it interesting. Even if it is just a way to highlight technological differences and what we'd like to see the next Bambu machine be.
I’m not doing content like this on the main channel anymore. That is going to be focused on making things with 3d printing and bigger projects. This channel is where the techier side of things will be. Need to not confuse folks who just want to see things get made with every other video being some dive into the tech.
Dunno, would still choose X1C... Prusa XL costs C$2700 not including taxes, import fee and shipping (probably looking at C$3000+). X1C Combo cost C$1869 only not including taxes.
The X1 prints way faster in single material/color the AMS system at least for me has been flawless, it is enclosed and heated so it can print in many more materials and of the thing is much cheaper
@TranquilityTerrace it wouldn't even be a contest, imagine the XL for only $2K with the enclosure included. I would never recommend an AMS over a 5 head toolchanger for that price. Bambu would get shit all over.
I dont understand why youre having AMS issues. That sucks. I have 78 AMS units in my farm now running 24/7 and they rarely every give me an issue. I do run a "shortstack" (not shortstack exactly but something similar) plus 2 prints that magnetically stick to the back on the printer to hold the PTFE tubes straight going into and out of the hubs on all my machines. I also have risers on all my printers too to help keep the bend off the PTFE tube in the printer.
All these great benefits of the XL at 4x the price...lol 2 different classes of printers Im sure if Bambu made a multi tool head printer you could so a more sensible comparison. For 1300$ the X1 or even the p1s at 850$ are worth every dime
Very good video, but you can't compare pears with apples, Prusa XL is an apple and Bambu Lab's AMS systems are pears, regardless of whether they are the top of the range by brand, it is about making an analysis of the Multicolor system with 1 extruder as Bambu AMS does and the MMU3 from Prusa. I have hardly seen any comparative videos of the MMU3 multicolor system. The Prusa XL is Multi material in each extruder and not just multicolor.
I bought a Snapmaker J1 instead. 2 color/material printer. The XL is overpriced. If I need more than 2 colors for a small production run I would glue the parts together.
I hope you get better soon sir. That voice is rough brother, get some of that kanjang cough-syrup. works wonder for that throat :) get well sir. best wishes from Norway :)
You are not wrong. I'd imagine Bambu themselves agree, otherwise why would they go through the trouble of making it? I didn't have at on of time on the AMS Lite + A1 combo but it was a smoother experience than the AMS in that limited time.
No they really won’t. I’ve respooled to Bambu spools. Used Bambu filament. Plastic spools from different brands. Printed “rims” for cardboard spool. Taped the edges of cardboard spools. NONE of them “fix” anything. I literally showed a plastic spool slipping in this video. The original AMS is just a lacking design. Bambu themselves know it, do you think the AMS Lite is totally different just cause it was cheaper?
For $3k one can get 2-5 filament swaps a gram on the AMS or 2000-5000 swaps a roll multiplied by 30 to 300 rolls. (*assuming a $100 a roll or $10 a roll) at *worst 60000-150,000 swaps* with insane $100 a roll filament😱 or at *best 600,000-1.5 million swaps* for $10 a roll filament. 👈 Shrink prime tower to 15-20 size 10-15 volume(that eats a lot of waste), turn on long retract(retracts filament before cutting) and reduce flush volumes(no need to purge a lot depending on colors used) to get another 30-70% savings. Bonus you can kill the prime tower all together and make a sacrificial part that gets all the purge. Do not use purge to infill on the main model and maybe use purge for support. Let's just say you would need nearly a *half ton of just waste to get to the break even price* of the XL vs a Bambu printer. This type of content has been circling for years and YTers refuse to be honest about the actual numbers but filament waste has been a silly argument to get an XL over a less expensive printer. Use the money to get multiple printers or save your money for filament. The XL main feats outside of bed size is rare multimaterial prints if you can find the right mix, and speed of filament swaps. Saving on waste is not a huge benefit as you can see above.
So the X1C Can be expanded to print 16 colors, don't think Prusa can do that. I like the enclosure of the X1C for ASA/ABS printing and some toxic vapor control. X1C has a better price, and replacement items are cheap. Looks like they are using hardened steel nozzles for printing carbon fiber or glowing material whereas the Prusa ... brass that will wear down quickly when printing those materials. I like X1C forward thinking for reading spool labels and setting configuration, Prusa looks like they were lazy on the software end setting up their machine. I do like the Prusa support and community on their web page whereas the Bambu's community forums are non existent. I like how Prusa prints its own parts from it's own printers, and develops as much as it can in-house to control supply and quality. Both look like great companies.
Home filament extrusion is just nowhere near that reliable imo. Hopefully some day, for now it is such a labor intensive process to prep, clean, and extrude your own spools that the time doesn’t add up.
Why is the Bambu x1 being compared to the XL? In my eyes they aren’t comparable in many ways. Especially function and price. Multi-material became popular because of Bambu and now it’s the main talking point! a $5k machine should be compared to another $5k machine 🤷🏽♂️
You all need to chill out. It’s not a review of the XL. He did mention it would take a lot of prints to make up the cost difference. He did speak about the fuzziness from the XL. He had a great time using the printer. Which is awesome to see considering the initial reviews were rough. Stop hating it because it cost what it does, and enjoy the tech behind it. I can’t afford it, but I love how much less waste it uses. Cost wise the X1 has a lot more to offer, but for multicolor the XL is awesome.
I loved the video. I learned more about an issues with the Bambu AMS from 2 years ago that launched with the first gen of machines. I have seen a lot of people commenting on the issues they are having. I’ve been happy with my A series AMS.
This machine is so cool. I just wish the price was more affordable. Great video!!
No, for multicolor the XL is not awesome. There are more errors, fuzzy print quality and overall worse results for both a business and a hobbyist. In no universe are these two printers comparable and I suspect this guy either got a payment from prusa or has no experience in 3D printing.
@@PioneerPrint3D Ah, the suspect with no evidence. Stay a while. You’ll learn the moon landing was real, and flat earth doesn’t exist. ✌️
To be honest, this video adds literally nothing to the space except fuelling an ongoing culture war.
Comparing a tool changer to a filament switcher does nothing, saying one is faster or slower depending on what’s being printed adds nothing.
Comparing the price of a printer focused on affordability and ease of use to a 5-headed tool changer designed for multi material capability and size adds nothing.
There is no new information here, and it’s designed from the very title to rage-bait engagement.
Enjoy your table discount though I guess
@PioneerPrint3D sounds like you are the one who doesn't know what he's talking about. In recent videos buyers have said the multi colors are more efficient than Bambu. You're probably just a fanboy.
@@krollmond7544 I can tell from your comment that you don't own either of these machines. I own both and he's correct. The prusa is SHIT. When it works its great but it has many issues that require tuning constantly and it is NOT a business machine like my bambu machines are. Bambu JUST WORKS. Prusa needs tuning.
One thing I have found that helps feeding with the AMS is to use an xacto knife and spin it inside the ends of the PTFE tube. This creates a beveled inside which helps the filament feed smoothly. I don't have any trouble with my AMS feeding.
Maybe use a smooth (non-stepped) cone drill bit?
We all know that XL and X1 have completely different use cases. But if you want to make comparisons, here is another one. You can buy 5 P1S+AMS combos (or 3 X1C+AMS combos) for the price of single prebuilt 5-tool XL with enclosure and still have over $350 to spend on gummy bears.
See? It really makes no sense to compare these printers, because XL is made for different market.
An entirely fair comparison to be making. I wonder though, if you are running a business (assuming if you are aiming for that many machines that is likely the case), how long until the waste and time difference washes out the price difference? The XL can fit 9 of my Can Cup design (non-handle) on a single build plate. That is 40g of waste for a Single build plate of prints. (Likely less w/ purge to infill actually.) The P1 or X1 printers can only fit 4 and would produce an estimated 173g per plate of waste. Idk, it is hard to say what really makes sense. With 5 P1Ses you'd get 20 prints in 2 days, but have over 800g of wasted plastic. I cannot say what is the right path for anyone.
For me I can print bigger things that I've wanted to mix materials or colors on and was unable to do before. A simple fact that entirely eliminates the Bambu option from the race.
Depends where you are from, you can buy 2 X1C with AMS and have some 500e left over if you go for assembled Prusa XL with enclosure.
@@PommelKnight Are you pricing it correctly? I live in Canada so when I put an XL with all 5 toolheads + enclosure + shipping it comes to over $6700 CAD (I can honestly buy 3 X1C combos and change for that).
I also think it's not a fair comparison in any sense you put it since its a tool changer vs a multi filament and the build volumes are vastly different. Honestly apple to orange comparison whatever way you look at it. I could see certain scenarios I would take one XL and many I would take 3xX1C's depending on the application and build volume restraints.
@@PLr1c3r I'm in Europe, it's 3800 assembled with everythong included.
@@PommelKnight Hm, I also live in Europe and if I configure the Prusa with 5 heads and assembled I come to 4689 euros
I own a p1 with AMS. I think is a great printer and it’s nice that the filament is in an enclosure keeping it dry. I tend to print only layered pieces as it does produce a lot of waste and takes a long time. That being said I can’t justify the price of the XL as it’s 5 times the cost. Nice video by the way 😊
I think it is worth noting that the issues you had with the AMS are likely due to the AMS not actually being compatible with carboard spools. Definitely worth checking out the printed upgrades.
I showed the almost full Prusament Plastic spool slipping in the exact same way in this video. I've tried printed adapters, I've tried Bambu filament, I've tried plastic spools, they all slip, they all have issues. Relying on tiny gears and tiny rollers with tiny motors to spin filament thousands of times just isn't a great system. I'm heavily considering the "Python" mod that completely rebuilds the AMS with larger gear drives.
@@MandicLabs I have these issues with my AMS too and i don´t had any cardboard spool loaded in there yet. The issue that i get the most is that the motor on the particular slot did overheat. Your Results in case of speed and waste are also valid for the mmu3 even if the difference is not that huge but still very significant. Even if you try to tune in the profiles on the X1C and get some color bleeding in the printed part, the mmu3 still has half of the waste then an AMS for the X1C. I think this could possibly be seen at any of the newer multi color systems. Only the ERCF seems to be on par with the MMU3 so far and with toolchanging systems like on the XL on the top of all.
Ercf? What does that stand for?@@MAKEORAMA
@@wiesman2613 Enraged Rabbit Carrot Feeder
I did the rough math on the break even point in filament waste on those machines.
Comparing a fully decked out 5 printhead Prusa XL vs a Bambu X1C Combo.
Given those mug prints, it would take about 1000 prints until the cost of waste from the X1C makes up for the price difference.
At 2 days per print that would be about 6 years of non stop printing.
However Prusa XL also has local bed heatup which drastically reduces the greatest consumption of electricity.
If you assume the Prusa Bed draws about half the amount of the Bambu bed then you would break even at about roughly 5 years.
After that the Prusa is profit. So if you have an active printfarm, high electricity cost and intend to use the machine for a long time then it would make financial sense.
Ofcourse variables will vary between different types of prints and locations.
Yeah but that basically means Prusa is only really viable on print farms bambu lab beats it in every single other regard
@@josephpuentes7576 Yes but the biggest issue for printfarms isn't machine cost but maintance overhead. The less often a machine breaks down, the more machines you can keep operating by yourself. This is why I switched away from Creality after running more than eight machines cause it was a never ending nightmare to fix things.
@@Janovich I don't know if to believe, I watched a video of a guy who tested Creality for half a year and had problems with fireware, extruders, then other things were solved by new version of sowftware. Somehow it doesn't seem to me that Creality is "maintenance free".
@@Odisovic Thats what Im saying. Creality becomes a maintenance nightmare when you have more than a handful of machines.
@@Janovich I misunderstood you, sorry ;)
Great video, I would love a Prusa XL to test the terrain I design. I currently have X1C and it has been a game changer for prototyping and workflow.
Prusa vs Bambu is like Mercedes vs Kia
I do in one way prever the Prusa XL multi toolhead, but on the other hand I prefer the price of my cheap A1 with AMS.
I know its not really apples to apples and of course some types of pritns will be way faster on a multi toolhead printer, for instance if you print a wheel with a different color on the outside, then it would have to swap filament for each layer.
But on the other hand, as an amateur, I cant really justify 3000 EUR for a 3d-printer :P While I do love 3dprinting, I do hope multi toolhead printers become more affordable.
The issue I think you’re having is that it was cardboard spools in the ams. I’ve tried various brands kinky polymaker and others and they are all the same. They slip like hell, chew up and cause the ams to slip, particularly when it’s rewinding the filament during a colour change.
I’d be very interested you doing the exact same print with either Bambu spools (or any plastic spools) or do the same print again but with some printed spool outer diameter rings on those cardboard spools - I’d bet them ams would be more reliable in this scenario.
he literally said he gets the same issues with plastic spools and showed a plastic spool slipping in the video?
Was going to say the same thing-cardboard spools will cause problems. And yes, plastic spools that aren’t the right size will also cause problems. For cardboard, at least do the electrical tape trick, then at least the rings over the cardboard, or (what I did today) respool onto used Bambu spools.
I have had good agreement with estimated Bambu Studio slicer time and actual time… as long as I deal with the Polymaker cardboard spools with the methods above. So it’s not fair to include delays due to that. Of course Prusa’s method will be faster with less waste. That’s a given.
@@diannafiredalI have an P1S AMS have only used bambu lab and eSun spools and its worked flawlessly
Love my x1c had a few issues with the ams because of filament breaking. I now only buy from bambu lab and no problems now. I use mine for work not as multicolor priority though. Just changing filament constantly it's amazing.
Really wish prusa set up a warehouse in the States nothing bites more than when I'd get my "free filament" and still need to shell out 30$.
Excellent video! Sorry for the lengthy comment in advance. I was initially leaning toward the Prusa XL, thinking it would finally meet my needs, but after watching your video, I’m now unsure about whether it’s the right choice for my specific requirements. To give you some context, what I primarily need from a 3D printer isn’t necessarily speed, but precision. I often prototype intricate parts that must fit together with tight tolerances, so accuracy is key. I was initially drawn to the Prusa XL for its build volume, which I thought would be ideal, as my typical print heights range from 2” (50mm) to a maximum of 14” (356mm). While I mostly work with single-color prints, I’m also open to multi-color or multi-material options when needed, like the XL promises. However, the most critical aspect for me is achieving a smooth surface finish akin to SLA prints, but without the associated hassle of maintaining an SLA printer. I’ve heard that the Prusa XL’s slicer now includes the Arachne perimeter generator, which promises improved print quality, and that was something I found promising.
Based on your extensive experience with various machines, I’d love to hear your thoughts on which printer would best meet these needs. Specifically, I’m looking for precision, ease of use, and the ability to deliver professional quality prototypes, without the maintenance demands of an SLA system. I trust your judgment and would greatly appreciate any suggestions or guidance on what to consider next in my search. Should I keep waiting or should I take the plunge?
Thanks again for all the valuable content you create, it’s been a huge help!
This is the reason why I want to build a Voron Stealthchanger. Six toolheads for not only multi-color but multi-material for supports.
I'd love to see a comparison with the A1/A1 mini only because it is a different style of color changer with even a color mod for the K1 series printers
As a Bambu user there are things about the XL w/5 tool heads that I'm jealous off.
And... there are things about my X1C I consider superior to the XL... which is pretty much exactly what I'd expect! These are different machines and something are great for some people, other things for other people. A Pickup Truck is a great vehicle for some people because of the bed to haul stuff around. Others don't need that and want a smaller car that's more fuel efficient. You can't compare a truck and a sedan and say: This is clearly the best for everyone all the time.
XL = Faster, less waste in multi-color, bigger bed, better true multi-material
X1C = Faster for single color (I think), much cheaper, up to 16 possible colors, enclosed print area
What's best? Depends on your needs For me the X1C fits the bill much better. For someone else it might be the XL. Choice is good. Competition makes every one work a bit hard to improve their products. This is a good things.
I would add more weight inside the spools in the ams(slippage due to less weight on the rollers as a print progresses). Makerworld has some models were you put desiccants beads inside a container and retrofit it inside the spools.
A good look at the XL Vs Bambu. Like you, the AMS seems possessed some days. It's not printed any multi-colour since my 5TH XL arrived in February.
The issue with your X1C is having the AMS on top of the printer. Mine it to the side. In addition, add a spacer to the top glass. Load/unload issue solved.
X1 has a spacer on top for the glass and extra length / guides added to the PTFE tube for a much straighter shot in and out of the machine. That is NOT the issue. It slips just trying to feed filament in and out of itself, before it ever gets to the machine.
Is there a multiple filament printer that uses multiple nozzles mounted in an array on the gantry? Seems like that would be more simple and efficient compared to both of the above designs. No need for a hotend changer, potential to use only standard components, and no need to purge filament between color changes.
It's a shame you're having issues with your AMS I've had three AMS's for over a year now and the only issues I've had is when I've left filament in them that becomes brittle and breaks inside. I then have to take the AMS apart to get the broken filament out, but that's it.
Thank you for this video, I was looking for something like this! A real direct comparison on which to choose if I have enough money but wnat only one printer that prints
Should I convert my Bambu AMS unit to the Python version by Humebeam? As seen in this week's video from Modbot: ruclips.net/video/goK40_EG1VE/видео.htmlsi=0UKRrkn0MlUBbBU_
I did the python mod and it made the world of a difference. I almost sold my ams because it was such a headache. I did the python mod as a last ditch effort to even like the ams and it worked. I'm able to use my favorite filament from Atomic Filament now as well as any that I want. And I didn't go with the enclosure just yet either. Ypu won't be disappointed with it.
@@Armor3dprinting thats funny i have 2 x1 carbons one purchaced last year christmas time 1200 hours no ams issues and the other one a kickstarter unit with 2300 hours on it no ams issues
main issue for prusa XL is in price of XL you can have 2 X1C3 with quantum of materials to print with
Who cares? From what I've seen it outperforms all the Bambu printers in terms of size, speed multi-material and even multi color printing.
@@krollmond7544 Many people do the X1C can print in many more materials since its heated and enclosed. Its way faster in single color/material printing so prototyping is far superior. And it gives you the option to use the AMS and print multi color which for me Ive never had an issue with as long as you use plastic spools. And again its far cheaper and you could have 3 of the absolute beast bambu machines vs a single XL😂
@josephpuentes7576 can you do TPU with PETG? Don't think so. We can't even combine PVA with other materials on our AMS. Plus the XL is faster than AMS when it comes to multi color. And it's bigger, so I stand corrected. I don't care how much X1C's you can buy for the price of an XL, all that waste could buy a couple more XL's lmao.
@@krollmond7544 It can do them seperately Ive never attemtped to do them at the same time Im not sure if in the software you can have it change temps automatically for materials. It still prints in those materials better than the XL as its enclosed and heated so youll have a much easier time printing in those more annoying materials. And it would legit take a decade for the waste to ever reach the price of an XL😂 Rather have 2-3 printers for that decade instead
@@krollmond7544Also the X1C has a camera so you can monitor your prints dont think the XL has that, and the AMS system is also enclosed with swappable dessicant so it keeps your filament dry
I'd kill to have an xl since I do a lot of multi color prints and have experienced the same ams issues you have but Since I can't afford a $4,000 printer, I ended up getting an a1 combo that solved all the x1 carbon related issues I was having. Only downsides are the poop and exposed rolls of filament. The x1 also had a nozzle wiper issue that would cause purge to be dragged across my prints, ruining them. The a1 doesn't have any of these issues and handles multi color more efficently since it doesn't have to completely retract the filament every time.
Hopefully Bambu releases tool changer machine later this year.
@@DonMacKenzie1 rumors are they will!
There are addon mods for AMS Lite with dry enclosures.
Just came across this YT channel today. Loved it, the way you present the content is very good, without any wasted time. And I loved the animals haha
7:41 i get these issues exclusively if i run cardboard spools without any plastic edges around them. If you run them bare it wears on your motors and has feeding issues. I don't like having to slip on plastic runners around them but when they glide easily, i never have the issues.
Just ordered the Prusa XL with 2 heads. Never done 2 colour print before. How am I best designing and splicing with 2 colours? How does the slice know what print head to pick for which colour?
Your lab assistant is a good boy.
Personal experience with the XL 5 tool: It's overpriced, wobbly (someone didn't think through the giant lead screws), loud, slow, and fails to produce multi-color prints an AMS can do, never mind the multi-material tasks I bought it for. MIne came in wiith a busted PDU, took 3 days to convince Prusa to send a replacement PDU. 3 months later, the thing hasn't produced a single multi-tool print that has clean surface quality and good tolerances.
My favorite example was when the XL randomly started printing in the middle of the board, several hours into a print, then the tool changer slammed into he wall of the printer so hard it dropped the nextruder on the bed. Another time it stopped dead halfway into a 2 day print with a USB read error. The drive read fine in my workstation, I copied the file back over just in case, nada. I even tried forcing a power loss recovery. So now I have a half printed top half of a lady we are using as a vase.
I'm currently arguing with Prusa over the 3 weeks they say it will take to refund my money. I bought this for the business, I'm likely replacing it with another SV08 with a stealthchanger. I would not recommend the XL, and based on my customer service experience, I would not recommend Prusa, period.
I genuinely don't know who the XL is for. It's WAY too expensive for hobbyists and not reliable enough for a business. It's literally cheaper and faster just to run the prints on a faster printer and paint them, and in my experience, you get nicer quality prints.
I want an XL but gotta save for that. I will say my AMS has feed issues too when using cardboard spools. Even if I used the printed rings. When using Bambu spools I have no problems at all and a 34 hour print generally ends up a hour or two faster than the slicer estimate. But I hate your limited to Bambu spools. Makes me want the python upgrade.
You can just transfer the filament into Bambu Spools
What’s it like after some time? I’ve got a few Bambu Lab machines and a FF CP2, but I always think about this machine and wonder if it’s worth a look. I mostly want the bigger build plate and the tool head changes will make using different support materials really nice
Thank you so much for your POV on these two printers. I have been wondering about the durability of the Bambu Labs...
Are those cardboard spools? I bet that's contributing to the AMS issues. You can print adapters to go on the sides to make them function better in the AMS.
yep
I literally showed a plastic spool doing the exact same thing in this video…
@@MandicLabs yeah. I commented before the video finished. :p
Imagine owning a printer that doesn't work properly unless you use the "official" filament from the manufacturer. What is this 2013?
@@andy_warb you don't have to use 1st party filament, please don't spread fud
this is a great comparison, another comparison is that the X1 only fits 2 of those models while the XL can fit more, i do hope on the future we can compare the XL to other toolchangers either commercial or self built
I forgot to mention that. Filling the bed would obviously add print time but you'd end up with just 40 grams of waste for a LOT more prints. If I was running a business selling multicolor prints, the XL would pay for itself rather quickly.
@@MandicLabs Better comparison is A1 combo. Prusa XL cannot print engineering material. Can't wait for Bambu tool changer.
Coming real soon Hopefully.
@DonMacKenzie1 XL has an enclosure so you are incorrect about that.
ChaChing. Yes only $600 more for enclosure. A1 costs same price as XL enclosure?
@@DonMacKenzie1 who the fuck is talking about the A1? Did I bring it up?? I don't give a fuck how many A1's you can buy for $600. Jesus Christ
A collab with a larger content creator would be sweet for exposure. Your channel deserve more subs!!
That is usually the thought, but I've collabed with Joel '3DPrintingNerd' Telling a couple of times now and it didn't really do anything for my growth. I really need to collab with someone outside of the 3D Printing niche most likely... Thank you!
I wonder if a non-3D printing channel would work better
@@therick0996 That's a really good point.
Mandic! Thank youu~epic unboxing-🤓
Much appreciated!
I got my X1C through the Kickstarter, and even then I felt the AMS was a gimmick. There's really only two use cases were it seems realistic to me: swapping spools when the filament runs out - which didn't exist back during the Kickstarter - and for people who frequently switch spools - by which I mean, someone who frequently prints one thing in, say, black nylon and then another thing in white ABS and so on. Multi-colour and multi-material through a single nozzle is just never going to be efficient.
Of course, when I print things I almost always either don't care what colour it is because it's purely functional (like a shelf bracket) or I'm planning on painting it, so my need for multi-colour is almost non-existent. That certainly biases my opinion. But if I ever did decide I had a real use for multi-colour or multi-material, I'd get a tool changer or an IDEX printer.
I often print cases for small electronics projects, and it's nice to be able to print text on the front of the case. Not worth buying a multi toolhead machine for, and while it's possible to manually swap filament for a couple of layers, it's a PITA. For that (and for having my most used filaments "on tap" in a drybox), an AMS is well worth it. I use a Prusa Mk4 / MMU3.
Great video. The tool changer really seems like the way to go. Theres just too much potential for error with the ams and so much waste.
I have an P1sS AMS and have never had an issue he might have the older version of the AMS, and even with the waste cost you forget the XL is like 3 X1Cs 😂 in price. Also the X1C is not only cheaper but can print more materials since its enclosed.
What is the comparsion with only one color, and aiming for quality.
I appreciate the speed of the newer printers. Quality though is far more important in my mind. And I often think you have to slew down some of these newer printers to maintain high quality and accurate prints.
Great question, in this case I saw improved quality from the XL, but this is worth testing further at some point. Maybe with my wife's P1S as my X1 is getting tired and I think may need an overhaul.
You do know you aren't supposed to put cardboard spools in the AMS, right?
Dont know what to say, if tuned in the X1 can do way better prints as seen with your X1 profile, but yes in terms of multicolor printing the XL wins in all terms, the overhangs still look pretty bad though. My AMS is running pretty fine, most of the time I have issues with bad spools. The XL comes still with a .6 nozzle or? So if you want clean overhangs with a good tuned .4 nozzle the time will increase drastically I think.
I have to be a little bit nit picky. The AMS specifically says not to use carboard filament rolls and it looks like all of yours were cardboard. I use the bambu filament and ive never had a single filament feed issue.
I didn't hear it mentioned, but the other big difference between the XL and MMU type systems is the color accuracy. There is never enough purged with MMU's to get a true color printed. The XL colors are true.
Yooooo literally last night I assembled a flexispot e5 with my Ltt driver to put my prusa xl on lol
Hahahaha, great minds think alike!
I have watched a few of these XL videos and you are the only one that has mentioned and shown the center bolt calibration.
I honestly feel like you only need 2 extruders instead of 5. Hear me out. If bambu added a second extruder to the X1C and the AMS changes the filament on the extruder not being user it would be a better printer than XL.
No. Simply for the fact that you can’t compare a Prusa and Bambu Machine that easily.
A 2nd extruder would do nothing for the waste amount if you print with 3-5 filaments. Especially not with an AMS like system.
Plus you could load each extruded with a completely different filament. Haven prints with PLA, PETG, TPU and maybe some PC parts would be impossible with only 2 extruders.
Also, as long as it’s not multicolor, you usually buy Prusa if you need high accuracy. As even the MK3S+ has better accuracy then any Bambu machine. On the other hand you buy Bambu for Price to Money value printing. There are also other differences which may favor one or the other or even completely other brands.
Biggest downsides of Bambu, even tho I like my X1C, is the propriety hardware, closed system even tho they heavily took from the OpenSource community and their cloud. On the other hand, PrusaConnect is also giga garbage.
It already is a better printer its way faster in single material color, way cheaper, can print in more materials since its heated and enclosed, and the AMS at least for me has had 0 issues with using only plastic spools
I have to run rims on my polymaker spools in the ams. it just hates the cardboard rims on those. they never rewind correctly without some 15 min print rims/adapters
Never had much luck with those. Tried them and electrical tape rims too. As I showed, even mostly full plastic spools do it. 🤷🏻
Did the XL have the .6mm nozzles? or did they have the .4mm like the BBL? I am assuming you have the .4mm nozzle in the X1C - Great Video!
XL ships with .4 now. I have some bigger nozzle but haven’t installed any yet.
Why don’t the print tower be something ancillary yet useful? has to be some use for a multicolored cylindrical tube or series thereof
When do you Plan to Upload the highflow nozzle Video?
I personally stayed away from AMS because i could care less about multi color prints, but if they generally are that annoying to use then i can understand why a lot of XL users are doing a lot of multi color prints. To me it seemed like wasting its potential, but hey its your 3D printer and you can do whatever you damn well please which is the beauty of 3D printing! Awesome review, those cups look beautiful!
I have a P1S AMS though its only a month old so maybe this AMS system is newer and better, Ive used only bambu lab and esun plastic spools and have NEVER had an issue
@josephpuentes7576 the AMS at our job seems to have the same slipping issue talked about in the video, but it sounds like a hit or miss.
@@krollmond7544 How old is it? Maybe the since I have a newer one its like a newer version? Or maybe quality control was lacking and you guys got unlucky
@josephpuentes7576 it's new
just one question: most reviewrs of the XL on youtube are not happy with the printing quality they get, a part from whispyness/stringyness, what is your opinion on the final quality?
I’ve not got nearly enough prints in to make a true determination. The whispy-ness is a non issue to me. 30 seconds with your hands and a heat gun and that’s gone. And that same issue existed on the Bambu with the same filament. The overall print quality was excellent aside from that. Great layer stacking, no color bleed, great alignment between tooheads. I’m hoping that recent firmwares and hardware improvements have fixed a lot of problems but only time will tell
i had issues with cardboard spools on my bambu so i just buy from vendors that have plastic spools if i want to mitigate downtime
hey man, I think this opinion is good, I never thought of this, and yes the build is sturdy, maybe one day you can make a comparison. I’m sincere, I’m only hobbyist and actually this is the first time I thought of this. Best wishes.
Edit: subscribed and love ya vibe and explanation. Can you make a tower comparing one head and multihead? I wonder how the homing accuracy is! It’s the main since the head will one day be changed😂
if you like using cardboard spools, you should look at using the Python mod for the AMS to get rid of all your spool/unspool issues.
Actually the big issue comparing to a bambulab printer ist the closed source firmware. As X1C, P1P and P1S are optimized for higher print speed, they use nozzles with higher flow. You can not use ramping to get a nearly perfect tip on filament unload. However, there is the Revo Panda for theese printers, so using this with a standard revo nozzle (instead of the high-flow) would actually allow ramping, so you reduce filament changing time by a lot. Just look at the mk4 with MMU3.
However, even with ramping you might have errors on reloading from time to time. With over 500 filament changes on the object shown in the video, a failiure rate on reload of only 0.1% would result in every second print failing.
The MMU3 has a cutter and a failure routine using it if reload fails. Thats where Bambulabs closed firmware sucks. You can not implement your own failure routine and external cutter to retry filament load automaticly. Which would increase multicolour printspeed by a lot. Realy a lot. Just by swapping the hotend to a Panda Revo (about 130€ on aliexpress, got one on last sale with coupons for just 102€) plus standard flow Revo nozzle (about 25€) and an external automatic cutter (DIY about 20€) - and some firmware adaptions. But the last two points actually massivly cripple the Bambulabs printers. We need an "official" Bambulab upgrade for a Revo hotend and external filament-cutter. This would increase the multicolour printspeed by a lot - and reduce waste by banning cut&poo. But we are dependend on Bambulab to do so.
There are some videos comparing the XL to an mk4 with MMU3, also comparing the Bambulab printers to the mk4 with MMU3. As the mk4 (not the mk4s, Prusa even recommends buying a standard flow 0.4 nozzle if using the MMU3 on the MK4S) uses ramping, the time to change colour is drasticly shorter than using an AMS and cut&poo. Also of course all the cut&pooed waste isn´t there. Still, the mk4+MMU3 isn´t as fast as the XL for changing filament of course. Also it produces a bit more waste. But it is much more near to the XL than to the Bambulab printers.
With the ERCF for Klipper printers, you can add automatic filament changes to every Klipper-Printer. As Klipper printers are fast printers, they mostly use cut&poo (upgrading the printhead is actually recommended by the ERCF project). However, if using a revo hotend you alternativly can print a bit slower using a standard-flow Revo for multi colour and don´t need cut&poo. Still, you could do a cut of the filament tip if reload fails.
So you do not realy need a toolchanger to reduce printing time and filament waste. While the comparision between using an AMS and an Prusa XL is interesting, I personaly would prefer a Prusa MK4+MMU3 in the comparison. The XL and the X1C are totally different products in totally different price range targeting different customers. Imho comparing the mk4+MMU3 and the Bambulab X1C would be much more interesting.
Ok I really appreciate the aspects, as well as testing, specifically against the performance of the X1C, because as of right now those are the two big contenders with my next printer purchase. Having real world experience and demonstration between the two was awesome, thanks so much! Also, your animals are adorable, can they be my friends? ;-D
Get the X1C
wish i had to money to get the XL, i am happy with my MK4 (soon MK4S). Do you also listen oi and ska? hehe. cheers
btw how come you are using grid infill?
I don’t, ever. These prints used Rectilinear.
@@MandicLabs awesome, thanks!
My one concern with the XL is the lack of an enclosure, which I need for most of my prints
Aftermarket options exist and Prusa now has their enclosure, but I do agree, I wish it was just standard. The majority of my print work is with ASA so for now, the XL is relegated to just fun projects.
As an engineering sub-contractor I'll go for Prusa. Who knows where my designs will end up with Bambu.
Bambu allows for printing in more materials is quite a bit cheaper and do to it being enclosed and heated it prints in said other materials very well
@@josephpuentes7576 this guy has a hard on for Bambu
what that price with 5 head, i can get like 6 unit A1 combo. which can output 5 time more . price too high imo
I have four bambu printers but would love to have an XL with all 5 toolheads. And I say that as someone who thinks the MK4S is disgustingly overpriced and a horrible value. Prusa nailed it with the XL and especially the toolhead changer.
Prusa XL is a beast!
Maybe a video of the enraged rabbit carrot feeder v2?
Been on my list so long that I had a V1 kit I got rid of when V2 launched... Yea, I should really consider that. Same with the MMU3 on the Mk4...
@@MandicLabs I think it would be a very interesting comparison between the bambu mmu and potentially even the toolchanger as you can mess with the firmware to have minimal wastage. Maybe a waste comparison and a time comparison. If you think it's a good idea
Apple and Oranges? 5 tool heads that don't need to have filament run back and forth to 1 that will need to. Then you use cardboard spools that aren't supposed to be used in AMS anyway (Yes, I saw the portion about the plastic spools). The bambus with any AMS, including the lite, are extremely wasteful of filament so I'm not surprised that the XL created less poop. Then, can we talk about the cost difference as well between the XL and X1? Not trying to be a fanboy here but I do think an apples to apples comparison would the right thing to do. Well, I guess you can't really do that as there aren't that many tool changers in the world so...... Anyways, I do enjoy your stuff, just this one struck me as being a bit unfair.
They are two different classes of machine, but they are two that people WANT to compare. There really aren't Apples to Apples to compare. The X1 doesn't yet have an enclosed Core-XY printer with a MMU system to compare against. Creality's isn't out yet, Phrozen's is delayed, and Anycubic's is a bed slinger. Commercially available toolchangers? I know of 2, and the XL is one of them. The rest are open source projects or industrial machines at big price tags.
Let me ask you this, would you say comparing an Ender 3 with a Mosaic Pallette to a X1 Carbon w/ AMS is Apples to Oranges? I absolutely would, but that doesn't mean that the Orange isn't replacing the Apple, or that folks don't want to see it.
I'm not trying to claim that folks should ditch the X1 and buy the XL, clearly that is a massive jump. However I do think that comparing them has value and that some folks will find it interesting. Even if it is just a way to highlight technological differences and what we'd like to see the next Bambu machine be.
Oh, how I want this printer!
It still hasn't settled in that I have it now... Time to start planning big prints!
@@MandicLabs 💯 excited to see what you do with it 🥰
Think about the money. I don’t actually do multiple colors so I can’t speak for the multiple prints.
damnit Alan, please, i really cant afford an XL, stop making it look so good, I'm already so poor
why didn't you post this one to the main channeI?
I’m not doing content like this on the main channel anymore. That is going to be focused on making things with 3d printing and bigger projects. This channel is where the techier side of things will be. Need to not confuse folks who just want to see things get made with every other video being some dive into the tech.
@@MandicLabs ok, thanks for the clarification!
Your dog is adorable
Thank you!
Dunno, would still choose X1C... Prusa XL costs C$2700 not including taxes, import fee and shipping (probably looking at C$3000+). X1C Combo cost C$1869 only not including taxes.
over 50% faster on stealth mode!
You forgot to mention that the Prusa is more than 2X the cost of a Bambu with a 5 head configuration. ; )
If Prusa XL would lower the price then Bambu Lab X1 would be history for sure!
The X1 prints way faster in single material/color the AMS system at least for me has been flawless, it is enclosed and heated so it can print in many more materials and of the thing is much cheaper
@josephpuentes7576 dude, stop lying lol. You're just acting like an arrogant fanboy.
@TranquilityTerrace it wouldn't even be a contest, imagine the XL for only $2K with the enclosure included. I would never recommend an AMS over a 5 head toolchanger for that price. Bambu would get shit all over.
I dont understand why youre having AMS issues. That sucks. I have 78 AMS units in my farm now running 24/7 and they rarely every give me an issue. I do run a "shortstack" (not shortstack exactly but something similar) plus 2 prints that magnetically stick to the back on the printer to hold the PTFE tubes straight going into and out of the hubs on all my machines. I also have risers on all my printers too to help keep the bend off the PTFE tube in the printer.
All these great benefits of the XL at 4x the price...lol
2 different classes of printers
Im sure if Bambu made a multi tool head printer you could so a more sensible comparison.
For 1300$ the X1 or even the p1s at 850$ are worth every dime
hey I was tested! 😂
That printer is just too damn expensive. Each of those print heads is also an extra $250.
Also comparing apples to oranges.. neither is competition for each other.
Very good video, but you can't compare pears with apples, Prusa XL is an apple and Bambu Lab's AMS systems are pears, regardless of whether they are the top of the range by brand, it is about making an analysis of the Multicolor system with 1 extruder as Bambu AMS does and the MMU3 from Prusa. I have hardly seen any comparative videos of the MMU3 multicolor system. The Prusa XL is Multi material in each extruder and not just multicolor.
I bought a Snapmaker J1 instead. 2 color/material printer. The XL is overpriced.
If I need more than 2 colors for a small production run I would glue the parts together.
Bambu give us some big printer also! hurry up!
Very nice
I hope you get better soon sir. That voice is rough brother, get some of that kanjang cough-syrup. works wonder for that throat :) get well sir. best wishes from Norway :)
1:03 LTT screw driver cameo 😂
damn I'm so jelly I want one so bad!
4000$ for kit with enclosure.. i can buy almost 9 bambu a1 combo printers in that price.
@DekelElz I swear these are the most fucking annoying comments whenever I click these videos.
And none of them will print TPU with PVA supports.
@jacobstr truth lol
Jean 😻
We all know the star when we see her. 😹😻
AMS lite > AMS imho
You are not wrong. I'd imagine Bambu themselves agree, otherwise why would they go through the trouble of making it? I didn't have at on of time on the AMS Lite + A1 combo but it was a smoother experience than the AMS in that limited time.
solid comparison between the two. the toolchanging on the XL is a game changer, the price is totally justified
Can you 3D Print a Cats Whisker for a radio LOL
5000$ and no standard enclosure. yeah.... good value
You will have to use Bambu spools printed or nonprinted, All your ams issues will vanish.
No they really won’t. I’ve respooled to Bambu spools. Used Bambu filament. Plastic spools from different brands. Printed “rims” for cardboard spool. Taped the edges of cardboard spools. NONE of them “fix” anything. I literally showed a plastic spool slipping in this video. The original AMS is just a lacking design. Bambu themselves know it, do you think the AMS Lite is totally different just cause it was cheaper?
If it makes you feel better 3d systems cant give you an accurate print timr either on a 800k Pro 800
Wonder how must waist it will take to make up the extra 3k
For $3k one can get 2-5 filament swaps a gram on the AMS
or 2000-5000 swaps a roll
multiplied by 30 to 300 rolls. (*assuming a $100 a roll or $10 a roll)
at *worst 60000-150,000 swaps* with insane $100 a roll filament😱
or at *best 600,000-1.5 million swaps* for $10 a roll filament. 👈
Shrink prime tower to 15-20 size 10-15 volume(that eats a lot of waste), turn on long retract(retracts filament before cutting) and reduce flush volumes(no need to purge a lot depending on colors used) to get another 30-70% savings.
Bonus you can kill the prime tower all together and make a sacrificial part that gets all the purge.
Do not use purge to infill on the main model and maybe use purge for support.
Let's just say you would need nearly a *half ton of just waste to get to the break even price* of the XL vs a Bambu printer.
This type of content has been circling for years and YTers refuse to be honest about the actual numbers but filament waste has been a silly argument to get an XL over a less expensive printer. Use the money to get multiple printers or save your money for filament. The XL main feats outside of bed size is rare multimaterial prints if you can find the right mix, and speed of filament swaps. Saving on waste is not a huge benefit as you can see above.
Bro dont they have to say its a paid promotion ? Blatant ad
All the bambu fanboys super salty in here.
They can't stand seeing a prusa be better
So the X1C Can be expanded to print 16 colors, don't think Prusa can do that. I like the enclosure of the X1C for ASA/ABS printing and some toxic vapor control. X1C has a better price, and replacement items are cheap. Looks like they are using hardened steel nozzles for printing carbon fiber or glowing material whereas the Prusa ... brass that will wear down quickly when printing those materials. I like X1C forward thinking for reading spool labels and setting configuration, Prusa looks like they were lazy on the software end setting up their machine. I do like the Prusa support and community on their web page whereas the Bambu's community forums are non existent. I like how Prusa prints its own parts from it's own printers, and develops as much as it can in-house to control supply and quality. Both look like great companies.
waste is a non issue because for the price of XL you can buy a few P1S's with ams and a artme filament extruder for recycling waste imho :)
Home filament extrusion is just nowhere near that reliable imo. Hopefully some day, for now it is such a labor intensive process to prep, clean, and extrude your own spools that the time doesn’t add up.
@@MandicLabs it is simple enough if your input are bambus purges and mostly pla ;) artme is quite reliable in this context.
Why is the Bambu x1 being compared to the XL? In my eyes they aren’t comparable in many ways. Especially function and price. Multi-material became popular because of Bambu and now it’s the main talking point! a $5k machine should be compared to another $5k machine 🤷🏽♂️