I bought this printer just because it was small. I have it set up on the front counter of my business and have it printing whistles and random stuff for kids all day to generate interest from my customers. It's been working out great! I love this thing. The real work horses are in the back.
FE!N FE!N FE!N FE!N FE!N fume ⚠ fume ⚠fume ⚠fume ⚠fume (toxic) you got the room In your fumes ☠ (yeah) you filled kids mind up with ideas they're highest in the room (it's bad) Hope they make it outta here (good) context : 3D printers can produce fumes while they work, especially depending on the type of filament being used.
i'm considering getting one. i had to get rid of my resin printer because i have nowhere i can use it since i moved out and now i'm back to fdm only. i have an ender 3 and i was able to use it at my last place but where i am now it's the tiniest bit too big so i might just have to make a compromise of having a 3d printer that's small enough i can use it anywhere i'm living at the cost of not being able to print some bigger stuff, which i think i might be ok with. i've also seen these bambu printers can print things like figurines and miniatures at an incredible level of detail that i never imagined would be possible for fdm so it looks to me like it can be an adequate replacement for resin until i can someday print with real resin again. also i've heard that this one is super quiet which is something i've wanted in a printer ever since i got my ender 3 which was my first printer, that thing is loud. if i wanted to print something overnight had to put it in a closet and close the door. is the standard sized one more practical? sure, but it's not as portable and versatile with where it can fit and it's not in my current price range.
@@nobody2021 I just got my a1 mini today and I love it, I only have the stock 0.4 mm head not the 0.2 I'm gonna get later and it's still crazy good detail
I’m a machinist by trade, I’m already spending my day mucking about with g code on mills and lathes, I preordered this for making personal prints and functional prints for work because there’s no fuss to make it work as far as I’ve seen. Anything I need to print will fit in the work area including mill vise soft jaws, and you can’t beat the functionality for the price, you’re absolutely correct 10/10 video
A month ago I had no desire to 3D print. My A1 arrives this week. I am the target audience for this printer. I am a plug-and-play crafter. The hype around the ease of this gadget has hooked me into a world of filament and maker-sites and new RUclips content. Mission Accomplished, Bambu.
Same for me. I have a small business. It'll be a great addition to that. I'll go bigger if I see the benefit, but this one seems perfect for what I need it for.
I still enjoy my A1 Mini, though am jealous of the larger A1. I still like the ease of use and have slowly picked up some skills to improve my quality. I have encouraged others to go with Bambu.
I just got the A1 mini yesterday for Christmas. I’ve never touched a 3d printer or learned nearly anything about them but have wanted to get into the hobby. Yesterday in my anxious haste I set it up and printed my very first ever print with the sample filament. I printed a benchy! I was so proud I took pictures and sent it to everybody!. As a first timer in the hobby I could not be happier. To be honest I was nervous to get into the hobby as I’m not incredibly tech savvy but Bambi labs has made the learning curve ridiculously easy and I am just thrilled!
I've been into 3D printing since 2017. I bought an A1 Mini because it's the biggest bang for your buck for a printer that just works. Whether they'll admit it or not 90% of what most of us print would fit on that bed.
@hobbiehobb I don't disagree with the build volume, but due to security/privacy issues I would not use an A1 or any of their printers in a serious print farm. IMHO, the design intent of the A1 is clear. @newolde1 Yes, yes I do. 😉
I have printers of all sizes, from bambu labs to quidi tech and even the large snapmaker artisan. Even I have fallen into this trap in the past, always wanting the super large build area....for the "just in case" scenario but to be honest.....I have never needed that much space. Things I print are industrial and really fit on anything around 200mm squared. So really this build size will fit 90% of everyone's true needs. Unless you are printing cosplay stuff, smaller printers really will be all you need.
This was my concern to. Wanting a bigger build plate "Just in case". But I already know that if there's to much resistance in actually using the printer due to tinkering, etc. I'm less likely to experiment or "play" with the printer. Ultimately optimizing in order to get people to print more as the primary design principal requires building a machine first and foremost focused on ease of use, print quality and speed. And then figuring out how to do it at the magic sub $300 price point that is well known in the tech space. It's pretty clear Bambulabs has a vision for the company and the 3d printing as a whole. Once the user experience, minimum viable quality and optimal speed goals are met, that's when build plate size followed by material options come into play, and it appears the deciding factor of those last two objectives and limitations are proportionally directed to the machines target price. On the most basic level bambulabs simply wants to get "people" using their printer happily and frequently, that's the jump off point to really expand the market and you can see this thoroughly displayed through the entire A1 mini and AMS lite design on the hardware and software level.
Ben de hobi amaçlı bir 3d yazıcı alacağım. Ender 3 v3 se ile bambu a1 mini arasında kaldım. En büyük tereddütüm a1 mini'nin baskı tablası yeterli olur mu düşüncesi. Hobi amaçlı kullanacağım, örneğin, dc motorları kullanarak el aletleri yapacağım. Bant zımpara gibi. Veya arabamdaki eksik plastik parçalar gibi. Gerçekten a1 mini ihtiyacımı karşılar mı bilmiyorum. Tasarımı çok hoşuma gidiyor ve herkes bu cihazı övüyor. Ama aldıktan sonra pişman olur muyum, daha büyük baskı alanına ihtiyaç duyar mıyım bilmiyorum. Bu yüzden karar veremiyorum. Ne önerirsiniz
I got the P1S and love it. But I do mostly print smaller items. And maybe only 30% of my prints are larger. With even less requiring the enclosure. So if I get a second printer some day I think the A1 Mini is the perfect one. Plus it really looks like such a sweet little printer!
I’m a pretty experienced printer with multiple high end consumer printers in my basement. However I picked up an A1 mini to sit on my desk without taking up much space for quick little prints. I love how quiet it is.
I actually had no idea this was only 269 uk . Thats amazing. I used to be mad about build volume, but a printer that prints out of the box with no fuss is far more valuable.
That's the same thought I had. I have A1 mini AMS mega combo coming this week, but I kept debating if I should keep the order or cancel it because of the build plate size. But the user experience seems far more aligned with what matters to me. As I want to focus on designing and printing not tinkering. I almost got a P1S, because it's on sale for Black Friday. But the A1 mini seems to be somewhat better engineered in regards to ease of use, even though the P1S is pretty easy to use. For example I was just commenting to another user on the ease of changing the printer head. While it's not difficult to do on a P1S it does take noticeably more time and effort. I'm honestly more about ease of use. For example given that changing the printer head is so easy on the A1 mini I'm much more likely to switch on the fly to the smaller .02 nozzle for more detailed prints. Though part of me still has a bit of FOMO in regards to the plate size, but I'm hoping that most of what I'll be printing will fit just fine on the plate and those pieces that don't, I can use as learning experiences to design split objects that I can join together once printed.
@@whyired Ive also looked at the flashforge 5m as that also has easy change nozzles. For what its worth, my brother has had the p1s for a week now and it has been brilliant. Literally prints out of the box. He has however been put off changing nozzles as it’s a bit of a faff
Thanks for the review. I am of the same opinion. I just received the A1 mini and like you I bought it myself. It's too small to be of practical use for most of my purposes but I love 3D printing and I like to try to inspire others to share my passion for it. There is a grade school (K through 8) not too far from me that received five new creality printers to set up a 3D printing station. This was months ago and they have yet to get any consistent decent prints. The cost of each of those machines was the same as A1 mini with an AMS lite. I will definitely be transporting this system down to them to show them what it does. I plan to purchase all 4 of the fuctional included kits and show them to the kids. If you can inspire a child with a 3D printer when they are in grade school the possibilities are endless. One last thing "I'm not saying she's stupid" Is one of the bravest lines I've ever heard from a married man in my life. "There is a very fine line between brave and stupid"
Its not even just for beginners. I've been in 3d printing for more than 6 years now. I'm A college kid who doesn't have the time to work on a printer for hours at a time. I need something that just prints, and prints fast. Its also small enough to fit in my dorm, including the AMS, so its perfect for my engineering projects.
I have a P1S and I still want a A1 Mini! The Bambu Lab ecosystem is great and for the price and it's speed, it would make a great secondary printer. Print the small parts on the A1 while I leave the larger bits to the P1S, get my 3D print even quicker splitting them up :)
@xathridtech727 AMS is quite a big QOL improvment for the p1s even if you dont print multi colour / filiment. I feel its quite overpriced, but keep an eye out for the sales. I bought one with my printer and then a other in the next sale. Out of over 600 hours of prints so far i have onlu done 1 multicolor toy and 2 parts with coloured writing on. Still highly recomend AMS.
That is the reason I purchased the P1S, it just worked right out of the box. I work away from home all week so I just don't have the time to tinker for hours just to get a good print off my printer. Great review.
Cracking review! I've been 3d printing for 5 years and the X1C bambu experience was game changing for me. I've bought a mini for all the small things, but it's clear from this video it also offers the opportunity to get my kids involved, and that's worth the wait and cost.
I agree 100% those little build kits really elevate the experience for a newbie from "toy" to "tool" immediately. The A1 Mini is going to be my go-to recommendation to everyone who asks me about a new printer under $500, and the P1S for $600+. Seeing all these reviews its incredible what Bambu lab is doing and for such a low price point, $299USD is crazy. I print robotics parts and I want to be able to print CF Nylon and ASA but mostly I use TPU as its so durable and the A1 Mini handles that no problem. I have an X1 Carbon and debated getting and A1 Mini for a long time as a second printer. Ultimately decided on the P1S so I can get the hardened steel parts and match the X1 capabilities. But I bet anyone starting an Etsy print shop for all PLA would be happy to buy 4 of these for the price of one X1C.
Great video! I've been 3D printing for over 5 years and i still want one of these, because they are doing something different and it just looks so damn fun. With you on the family stuff also, something like this just lowers the entry bar to getting more people involved!
I have build my own printers for almost 10 years now. My hypercube evo is now under the desk and replaced by two P1S printers. I will miss the tinkering and the feeling I get when I do my first print on a printer that I build my self, but I just love the Bambo lab printers. Its a marvelous piece of engineering.
I am a new engineering student and new to 3d printing as was looking for a quality product to print small prototypes and it looks like this is perfect and well within my budget range. Thanks for the review!
I totally agree with you , as a beginner (but used to send 3d models to print farms) i bought this printer for the ease of use and not the size. I tried it at others places and for my use it's perfect (precise or not , strong , drone parts). Awesome video !!!
This is good for gamers who print minis and single things. The quick change nozzle allows to swap from stock 4 nozzle to 2 which is what they want for the minis. I believe their entire line is great for a new person.
Thank you SO MUCH for making this video. I am just getting started in the 3d printing field and bought a Creality K1. It has been nothing but a headache for a week and a half. I've learned a TON about 3d printing, but have been unable to get the machine to work reliably - out of the box it is unable to even print a benchy with its own brand of Hyper PLA. It has yet to print a benchy though I have gotten about a due out of 150-200 print attempts to come out in somewhat cohesive form. I had been doing research on the A1 and had already rely much decided to get one and return the K1. Your terrific video kicked me right of the edge and made that decision final. THANK YOU!
Well stated. Some people cannot seem to fathom it when they see something in a niche they're interested in that isn't about them and isn't made with them in mind. Their brain breaks and they completely kirk out. Long term, this is great for the hobby, and something more relevant to those folks will be along eventually. For the time being they need to chill tf out.
Just bought one, tired of my old ender 3 standing around collecting dust ever few months, waiting for some part, or calibration. Fingers crossed this will just *work*
My first printer about 6 months ago was the budget version of this - Kingroon KP3S Pro. Its a cheap gantry with a very small foot print but has 200^3mm build volume. I would have bought the A1 if it was available at the time. It’s a great idea
i am a hobby 3d printer, my Anycubic 3D Mega was and is a nice partner for over 6 years now, but meanwhile it lacks a lot of quality of life features, such as auto leveling, multiple colors, web cam, wifi, smart phone support. So I am really excited for this compact all-in-one solution. the price is fine with me. it is "only" double what you usually pay for a simple single color printer, which is fine to me, concidering the multi-color functionality. And as You corretly said - the build volume is absolutely OK for a hobby. There will always be parts too big for your build plate - it is just a reason to learn how to split your prints.
Ordered mine during the watch of this review. I own a Ender 3 v2 which i've modded a lot but i'm just so tired of it. I just wanna send something to the printer. maybe check it online to see how it goes and pick it of the build plate to fit it. This fits all those criteria, The buold volume is a little small but i don't print very large objects anyway. mostly for lego compatible bricks or my RC cars, it's more than functional. great review. thank you
Great points all! My first FDM printer was a Prusa Mini, and the A1 is like the best version of that! Now I'm a X1C user but another great use case for the A1 (sans AMS-lite) is as a 2nd printer for small parts and prototypes, especially if your main printer is doing a 8 hr print or whatever and you need to print a bearing or a gear or something right now!
Yep totally agree. My A1 mini is due for delivery tomorrow. It’s my first printer. The pull is the price but mainly the seeming ease of printing. I just can’t justify the time involved in faffing around with an ender 3 clone. I think Bambu is focusing on being filament sellers. The printer is a crazy price cos they want a new market of users who want the ease of using their filament with the nfc. The filament club is the final nudge to encourage us to buy all the colours we want. I’ve got a stack waiting for the printer 😂
@@thaikerfpv i think it’s perfect for this. No cons in my 2 months of usage. I’ve printed TPU and PLA parts for my drones without issues and without any other experience in 3d printing. Really recommend it..especially at this price.. go for it. If you think you’ll use it to print bigger parts, maybe you should buy the A1. but for fpv parts the A1 mini is more than enough
🙋🏾♂️ - as someone who’s been aware of 3D printing for a long time but had no time, money or knowledge before to get a printer, this printer is exactly what I’m looking for. Also it was the selling point to my wife that we can get it to actually make things, instead of tinkering with the machine itself. I’m sending this video to her. It’s also a perfect start point to learn about the whole hobby as a whole, and I’ll probably get a “more advanced” (as in, more work/tinkering) printer once I learned enough to use them properly
Thank you for this. I'm not into 3d printing but someone showed me this video, and I took a lot from your presentation and the tone of your review.. and, I strongly agree that the world needs a gateway printer. If I had the money I'd love this because I too just don't have the time to learn the field as an expert (I've devoted too much mental energy to other fields). But yeah, definitely taking heart in your approach as a youtuber and I hope to improve my own craft in that area.
Thank you, this is exactly what i wanted to come out of this video, and that is people sharing it with others who aren't quite sole don the idea. And here we are this made my day!
I've been 3d printing for a looooong time. Last year I got rid of my Creality and Prusa printers. I wanted to downsize the number of printers I had anyway. But I bought a P1S with AMS. I found myself needing a second printer to supplement the P1S for quick prototyping prints and other things. The A1 Mini was perfect for this. Although I agree with you, this is still a great printer for even 3d printing veterans. But as long as those veterans are like you and myself and not the snobs that so many of those people are. You know the people.
I started my filament 3d printing experience with a pre-order of the Creality Ender 5 Plus, years ago. I never got good at it. When my pre-ordered A1 mini came it, I had it running in no time and had practically NO failures. It's quiet, consistent, and required NO faffing about. I love the A1 mini, is it small? Yes. Does it matter? No.
Hi mate, loved the the video, honest and to the point. I am in total agreement this printer is something for the family to do. I'm an IT lecturer but always looking for something fun to do with my daughter. Bamboo has just brought the fun back to interaction that Nintendo did with the Wii some years ago. Thanks to your review I'll be looking to purchase one of these. I print animals for daughter who loves it. Now we have an excuse to do more things as a family. Keep up the good reviews :)
I'm printing since 2015, had a couple dozen of printers. My current setup is 2 X1C and 2 P1P and I needed a small printer for small PLA parts to print while the other ones are busy. That's why I bought the A1, even tho it's small, its big enough for small parts I need to make all my Products and don't have to wait till my bigger printers are done, no lost time, more production and still reliable. Perfect for me
I bought and built my first 3d printer in like 2016 and it was so frustrating to figure out how to get it running. I just bought the A1 Mini because it was $340 with the AMS lite and I wanted to finally get into multi color prints. I had a blast the whole process of setting it up and even watched the first benchy I printed from start to finish. It's fast, so easy and creates some pretty phenomenal prints. I wish I could have started with something like this. It's put a joy back into printing that makes it seem more like a hobby and less like a chore. I'm happy this exists and is reasonably priced, because I don't want new enthusiasts to struggle and lose that bewilderment for printing like I had. They'll eventually get curious and expand into more complicated machines but this is a good way to instill a love for the craft first.
Thank you so much! An honest review, just what I needed. I was thinking of building a Voron 0.2 or getting A1 mini, and while the building part is sometimes more fun, having 2 kids and little time, this plug and play approach gives more fun time with family. STEM learning for my sons will expand with this (btw I saw that they sell these MysteryBox kits separately as well). Would love to see more of these kits available in the future. Thanks! Ordered A1 mini ;)
I’m a woodworker who never considered 3D printing. But there are so many workshop related opportunities for someone with a 3D printer. So, I started the research and came across this little machine. I thought it was perfect to get my feet wet and the small size is actually a + for me. Also shocked that this machine is on sale right now for $199. I snatched that up and can’t wait to start playing…um….working with it.
Thanks for the video! You sold it to me. I'm a quadcopter enthusiast and started designing my own frames recently. While frames are carbon, you need a lot of tiny 3D printed auxiliary parts with them and I hate waiting for days for a Shapeways order to arrive or even hours for a local guy with a 3D printer. So I started thinking about getting one myself, but the supposed amount of tuning for your typical Ender just throws me off and P1P/P1S are a little pricey for my needs. And yet here it comes. Pre-order until January here in the EU though.
The Bamboo ecosystem is absolutely great for the hobby! From what I have learned about them, it seems like the perfect setup for anyone who's interested in 3D printing but not necessarily all the heavy tinkering with the printer. If I didn't already have my printers I would definitely be ordering one of theirs as my starter!
I completely agree with everything you said! I got this printer to compliment my Carbon X1 AMS and felt it was a little bit too simple. But I still had fun with it anyway! Subscribed!
Thank you for this video. When I saw the thumbnail & title I thought, "please let this be a video telling 3d printing experts to chill the hell out because this is meant for beginners" and I got to the end and bought one.
I bought this A1 mini secondhand (seller sold it because it was too small) and i love this thing. it works for my small projects really well and its easy to use. Maybe in future i will buy bigger bamboo printer but i won't get rid of this one.
Not just for beginners! I have a P1S with AMS and I love it for being larger and enclosed but it’s so overkill for small prints. I’m picking one of these up to go alongside it! Super easy nozzle changes, I can make this my dedicated 0.2mm nozzle printer perhaps. I can start new prints while my other one is occupied. It’s nice to have a good quality printer without spending another 1K.
I study architecture and for that i use 3D Printing for lots of my Models. Currently I use the Creality Ender 3 S1, its great but to get into the finest of its detail it takes a lot of effort in testing. With your video you greatly encouraged me to buy the A1 myself. I hope to do so in the next few Months. Greetings from Germany.
We tried getting elementary teachers to learn cr-10 in my district but now we are going to start ordering a1 minis. The learning curve is high for somone not familiar with technology and the goal in elementary is to get kids designing, testing, printing. These are the easiest printers to use so far
I started a small business and been using Prusa Minis. The small print vokume is more than i meed for what i do. After buying an X1C, for multi color duty, i was blown away by Bambulab. When the A1 cane out, i knew it was a matter of time before i get one. And i as i grow, more.
Thanks. I've seen this on the clock app and have wanted a ez printer to pop out rpg minis that was mostly plug and play. I am one of those that don't have time to constantly be dealing with engineering and programming. You vid told me exactly what I have been trying to figure out! Now to order this printer for myself! Definitely coming back to your channel if/when I'm ready to upgrade!
I've been printing for years and years and I started by building my own printers. These days my (modified) CR10s is my reliable workhorse, but it's really slow and pretty tedious to calibrate. I'm looking at buying the A1 Mini for its speed, ease of use and good price. I don't care about huge print volumes, I care about being able to print multiple small parts really fast.
Great video. I just had someone ask me about 3D printing and I suggested the Bambu lab A1. I thought that I would look for some helpful videos and yours came up and I shared the link. Problem solved. Thanks
Well that's convinced me! Excellent presentation and editing by the way. As for the product. I had almost settled on a Creality despite other praise for the Bambu, but this makes so much sense. Although new to 3d printing, I'm an engineer and the technical aspects don't phase me. But I've steered away to avoid another absorbing distraction. What I DO want to do is print not tinker. So this has to be the ideal out of the box solution I think.
I bought this yesterday with the AMD Lite included for $300,. This is my first time ever seeing a 3D printer in person, the ability to have multicolor without needing to paint everything myself, along with its ease and ability, it was the right price. It was super easy to set up and use. The quality is great! The only downside is the print area, as discussed in the video. But as this is my first 3D printer I've ever seen, the print area is well enough for me to start messing around with creations. I havent made anything larger than a keychain yet, but the cloud based splicing that bambu offers allowing you to easily make easier prints without having to splice it yourself may be able to make up for the smaller print bed size, ofcouse would require more time because of you needing to remove finished pieces before continuing onto the next by hand. I was happy to pick this up for the price I got it at, and I'm excited to play with 3D printing some more!
My color all in one printer is around $100 and just plain works. Doesn’t matter beginner or 20 yr secretary. I want the same thing so this Mini is it. This printer will cover 95% of my prints. I think this is great for beginners and the experience.
That's why I bought my Prusa Mini and it hasn't disappointed. In years I've only had like two failed prints because of an issue with the printer. This A1 looks like a great successor with all the tech improvements since then.
The i3 mega i bought a few years ago only needed like 2 screws to install it. Then bed leveling. Done. It has a lack of cooling though so i 3d printed a vent system for it using it and now it works great.
I agree, my first Ender 3 Pro was still in the box 3 months before I decide to start getting to just learn initial startup. It was for me to teach myself a new hobby. Now it's a tool for my home.
A great video, straight to the point, no flannel or strange vocals that sound like a synthesiser. I'm waiting for my A1 mini to arrive and will use this video to help me get started. Thank you so much.
I did my first ever print yesterday, on an A1 mini. Actually I did get the print from Makerworld, it printed great. I do want to progress to a bigger, enclosed machine but am learning to walk before I attempt to run. It's on sale at the moment for £170 and at that price if it ever becomes surplus to requirements I can pay it forward to another enthusiastic beginner
I agree with almost every thing you said, I most defiantly agree that the kits are the future of projects for 3D printer users and that this printer has moved the start point for all other manufacturers, how ever i do believe this was made for those of who are already into and have 3d printers, this printer is such a great ad onto to my P1P. Want to print a quick key chain or is there small components to a project that want all fit on a single plate of the larger printer ..
I'm just getting into 3D Printing myself, and I was originally going to get an Ender-3, but my friend mentioned it was only $60 USD more for a significantly better printer. Now here I am looking more into it and printers in general.
yeah exactly this, This is such an easier way to start printiung and to me it's worth the slight price hike! They just upgraded it too with the Slicer app Bambu Studio, now integrating a libray of multi colour prints directly into that app. It's now choose a model, and click print!
"Bought it on my own" and "having fun" are both pretty good endorsements i think. Im still leaning towards a resin printer, but will take a close look at this one
I think actually that the AMS is correctly targeted at the same audience as the A1! They are after newbies who want to start 3D printing, but mainly newbies who have kids, and Bambu are after the kids saying "DAD! Can you please get one of those new 3D printers that can print multicolour toys? PLEASE!!" And dad, who has been thinking about getting a 3D printer for his hobby, now has another reason to convince his partner that he should get one... 😂
Oh yeah, I agree that it;s targeted at the same audience, but when a noob sees that price. I think you'll get more people turned off than, if they showed it by default without the AMS at $300.
This will be my son's first printer.. he is 9. ITS PERFECT. Support innovators like Bambu Labs and reject the companies that just want to copy tech, then drop zillions on the market for almost nothing.. they are cancer on the 3D printer community.
I bought this for .2 miniature prints and the AMS on this is more efficient than the full sized AMS version with faster print speeds, fillament swaps, and even easier hot end swaps! This thing is very specialized, but when you have that small niche in your setup, it's hard to find anything better. My P1s has been converted to hardened extruder and gearing for harder filaments. My Neptune 3 Plus has .6 Nozzle for larger prints. and this thing is used for .2 Nozzle and ultra fine prints of multicolored devices.
I am absolutely the target audience for this. Now I do enjoy tinkering with things but with a 3D printer I don’t want to wait 4 hours to find out I messed up a setting or a print all of a sudden fails because I set something up wrong. I just want something that works well out of the box.
I love your approach here. RUclips and the maker community as a whole think everyone should be like them and enjoy tinkering with everything in order to "learn how it works". While if you are specializing in a field I agree 100%, but if it is a tool for a hobby of yours why? Just why do i need or have to know how everything works? I don't i just want the tool to do its job so i can get to the part of the hobby that I enjoy. These same people are the ones that think DIY stuff saves them money without taking into account the most important currency of all time.
I had the same chat recently about some display Cabinets. ruclips.net/video/yZaTGLhKq3I/видео.html They are really expensive, but there's some 3D printable versions which I backed so i can compare them to these. just to figure out what parts I needed to print for those alternate ones. took an hour. Another hour to figure out which parts and holes I'd need, then I'd need to work out how to get the right sized Perspex. And when they are done, well, they are just gonna look like cheap modular 3d printed eyesore cabinets. so, yeah, nah, I was already turned off by how cumbersome it was, so I'm never doing that video. I'd rather just pay Artis Opus to make them
@mekko1413 totally agree, I have a cheap 3d printer as a hobby machine and while it's true I've learned a lot through (necessary) upgrades and tweaking to get prints right, 6 months in I'm more than a little frustrated that it still won't just print when I want it to. I constantly have to do test prints and watch the first few layers with eagle eyes to make sure someone hasn't gone wrong. There's a lot to be said for a machine built to just work straight out of the box. And easy swappable nozzles? Damn, that's the icing on the cake.
I think the 3D printing space would grow by leaps and bounds if more beginners were bitten by a positive experience rather than giving up on trying to tune a printer before letting it collect dust. Like it not, user numbers will drive the market faster than anything else.
My 3d printing journey started with the Ender 3 Pro. It worked sometimes when I tried following online guides, but most prints would fail at some point or another throughout. I lacked the mechanical knowledge to fix whatever was happening almost every time so some things I just had to accept I couldn't print. But I've mow had my A1 Mini for close to a month and print multiple things daily. It's just a huge weight off my shoulders knowing it'll print right every time
On it's own, it's only £169 now !! which is insane. I just got the P1S and it's incredible, my uncle's 60th is coming up and he'd love this but I can't justify the price of a P1S... however the mini would be perfect for him to get into and totally affordable.
_"On it's own, it's only £169 now !! which is insane."_ Yep, I saw the too, agreed it's an insane price, looking to replace my PrusaMk3, I though the build size was going to be an issue, but I cut out a 180mm x 180mm piece of paper and walked around my flat looking at things I've already printed (none where even close to this big) and what I'd like to print, a 180mm cube is absolutely fine for 99% of jobs !
I have 2 X1's and got this for prototyping. let me tell you something.... this little printer is solid and Bada$$!!!! it is so well built!! quick change nozzles was a clincher. I want to test printing really small things whenever I want
Maybe you already know, but they actually did decide to do what you mentioned. While the A1 Mini page still shows the AMS picture, the purchase page now defaults to just the printer. I mostly print small figures & toys for my kids. So I'm very excited to be swapping an Ender 3 V3 SE for the A1 Mini for the $200 sale. Then I can upgrade & get the AMS lite, further down the road.
I've bought one and I'm super impressed with it so far. I'm quite green to the 3D printing space so I'm surprised that there are complaints about the build space. I clearly need to look more into what people are doing because I can't think of anything I'd want to make (yet) that would be larger than 18x18x18 in a single block. It takes long enough to print something a fraction of the size 😅
Thanks, i consider this printer for my school. I got myself a P1S because i wanted a machine to print riight out oft the box without tinkering around the machine everytime, so i have more time for making my stuff than having to solve issues of my 3d printer. The small built volume scared me first but i think for a school it is not the badest thing if you are a bit limited in space so there arent that much very big prints that take days ;)
Just a head up this is now £169 on sale. I am the target demographic for this printer, last week I had no interest in printing and this week I do because it is a gateway printer, it’s so cheap it looks nice so I can have it in the home and it does what I need to do. It seems perfect so far!
Amazing video review and good on you dad! Yours was the first video I watched to review the A1 mini i've had my sights on since ditching my ender 3 v2. Just purchased!
I got into 3d printing because having prototypes of my designs made was costing a fortune. I learned quite a lot with a cheap printer from Lidl (or was it Aldi?), and really enjoyed it. Then along came covid and my wife's illness and I passed my printer to my son. Now, to the point. I've forgotten a hell of a lot, but, this printer and your video had inspred me to get back into printing my own design. How about explaing a relevant slicer in detail. Really enjoyed your video.
Although I have six printers, my RatRig VMinion tends to be my default go to for high quality fine detail prints. It also has a 180 mm^3 build volume, linear rails, but cost about $600 USD for a box pf parts and two days of build time. I think the A1 is a great printer in a great size. Five of my printers are out in one of the shop buildings, my VMinion is in the office in the house. It's surprising how many things can be done on a smaller printer, my FAB365 Saturn V was printed completely on a printer of this size. I'm tempted to get an A1 as it is far less expensive than most of the "printers for ants" kits like the Voron 0.2 while delivering a lot of usability features. Being able to hop from a 0.2 to a 0.4 nozzle quickly alone is great.
The credit goes to the designer of the model, the tallest component is < 180 mm tall. Better part of a weeks worth of printing even on a fast machine, but a very nicely done model. The only painting needed is for the raised lettering and the flag. I did some painting of the engines and support structures based on photos, just a bit of color, a bit of wash, but nothing complicated. Cheers, thanks for the great videos!@@FauxHammer
I tried to get into 3d printing 7ish years ago. When the printer worked, it was great but, I spent more time working on my printer than printing and that wasnt fun for me so I stopped but, it has always been somethign I have kept an eye on. What Bambu has done is essentially made a 3d printing appliance like a microwwave or an air fryer. It just works out of the box and does so well enough that you are encouraged to learn more and do more with this new tool you have. Sure, I'd love a larger build area but, I'm just fine with this size. You summed it up perfectly in your video. Well done.
You don't really get smell or fumes from FDM printers like the A1 (or any FDM printer) as it doesn't use chemicals and resins (unlike resin printers) . . . my PrusaMk3 is so close to me on my desktop I literally keep hitting my right hand on it as I move my mouse around (yes, yes, I need to move it), so yeah having it on your desktop is not an issue - I'm asthmatic too - never been an issue at all. P.S not sure what country you're in, but the A1 mini is on sale until Dec 3rd on the bambu site for £169 (!!!) rather than £269.
One caveat: My comment about zero fumes / smell with FDM is with reference to common materials (PLA, TPU, PETG - etc) . . . the stuff 99.9% of us use, once you get into exotic plastics with weird and wonderful properties (glow in the dark heat resistent ceramic wood fill ASA with a carbon fibre look 😂) then you probably need to read the product description if you want to be extra cautious, but generally speaking FDM printing and Resin printing are not in the same league when it comes fumes / smell.
I own an Ender 3, CR-6 SE, CR10 V2, Artillery Sidewinder X2 and now I bought an A1 mini. Why? Because most prints are small enough to fit on a 18x18cm bed AND I wanted multi colour printing at an affordable level AND I don't like how fiddly the CoreXY Bambu printers are because of their enclosure. I just love bed slingers for how accessibly everything is. To me this was the perfect printer to get for every job that fits its build plate. Spool changing is way faster than on the other Bambu printers & you don't have all the nasty issues with cardboard spools etc.
My childhood best friend recommended this printer for me. I have only printed a hand full of times in 2015-2016, and a couple of things on his printer. I saw this video and assumed that's the reason he recommended it to me. I guess he got lucky because he'd never seen this video, either. Anyways, it's coming in January. Wish me luck!
No luck needed, just got one to get the kids hooked… with a combined age of 10 they set it up (with supervision) picked their files from the SD and made a town out of the foam populated by the Narlies (the poop) in under 1 hour. I am extremely impressed this printer out of the gate having run 10 other more clumsy and slow machines over the last 3years. This is a very well done video, thank you.
@@MakerBees333 Oh for me, it was luck that I hopped on it tonight, the night that I am actually setting up my order for the printer. He didn't even see this video before recommending it.
I have been 3d printing for a few years now. Started with a used 8-year-old printer, then bought a brand new Anycubic Vyper. Having some fun. But, what I do not want to do is mess around with hundreds of settings. That's not my hobby. For example, when I print a Word document, I don't have to tell the printer what temperature to use or how to do what it needs to do. I just want a friggin print. There are two types of people in this hobby, the tinkerer and the user. Why is it my job to tell the printer whether to use tree supports or any support at all? This little printer is a step in the right direction... and its friggin fast to boot. It is my next printer, as soon as I convince my wife.
The company I work for just bought a X1C to do proto typing and small parts on in our engineering department. I think I'm going to pick this one up to add to our department. The small size isn't an issue. Thanks for the review. ( and yeah I will be making stuff for the grandkids, or get one for them.)
After the I was bitten by the bug by the ender 3 V2 I got a P1S combo to make my life easier. And it really changed my life and point of view. Since I end up printing more small stuff than larger ones, always with multiple colors, I am considering the A1 mini combo as an adition to the P1S with a 0.2 nozzle, ready to go, instead of swapping nozzles, and the P1S can do it's thing...
I am BRAND new to 3d printing and I love my A1 mini. It was crazy easy to set up and get printing. I only make Barbie miniatures, so I did not need a large build plate. I love that it takes up such little space. The only thing I don’t like is that the keypad is very tiny, so difficult to type things in (and as a woman, I have tiny fingers!). I tried using a DS stylus, but it only responds to fingertips. Aside from that, I love it and am having a hoot.
I was worried at the title. But I was recommended this as my first 3D printer by a friend who is into pretty much anything technical including 3D printing. I'll get my feet wet and plan to print a lot of random small things that I'll otherwise has to hunt down in Lidl or online. So yes, I think this IS made for me.
Hahah, that title was towards the eliteists arguing against its worth as a bedslinger back when it came out. I suppose in retrospect. We’ve moved on from here
I have a Monoprice Select IIIP and... the best thing I can say about it is that it works? Sometimes? If you baby it? I'm looking for a printer to replace it and the A1 Mini looks ideal. It's slightly bigger than the Monoprice, which is nice, but not too big because I have limited desk space, and all the things which don't work on the Monoprice were called out here as being great. Ordering soon.
I bought this printer just because it was small. I have it set up on the front counter of my business and have it printing whistles and random stuff for kids all day to generate interest from my customers. It's been working out great! I love this thing. The real work horses are in the back.
FE!N FE!N FE!N FE!N FE!N
fume ⚠ fume ⚠fume ⚠fume ⚠fume (toxic)
you got the room
In your fumes ☠ (yeah)
you filled kids mind up with ideas
they're highest in the room (it's bad)
Hope they make it outta here (good)
context : 3D printers can produce fumes while they work, especially depending on the type of filament being used.
Its going to be my first 3d printer I'm very exited
i'm considering getting one. i had to get rid of my resin printer because i have nowhere i can use it since i moved out and now i'm back to fdm only. i have an ender 3 and i was able to use it at my last place but where i am now it's the tiniest bit too big so i might just have to make a compromise of having a 3d printer that's small enough i can use it anywhere i'm living at the cost of not being able to print some bigger stuff, which i think i might be ok with. i've also seen these bambu printers can print things like figurines and miniatures at an incredible level of detail that i never imagined would be possible for fdm so it looks to me like it can be an adequate replacement for resin until i can someday print with real resin again. also i've heard that this one is super quiet which is something i've wanted in a printer ever since i got my ender 3 which was my first printer, that thing is loud. if i wanted to print something overnight had to put it in a closet and close the door.
is the standard sized one more practical? sure, but it's not as portable and versatile with where it can fit and it's not in my current price range.
@@nobody2021 I just got my a1 mini today and I love it, I only have the stock 0.4 mm head not the 0.2 I'm gonna get later and it's still crazy good detail
Granted its my first print so I lack contrast lols
I’m a machinist by trade, I’m already spending my day mucking about with g code on mills and lathes, I preordered this for making personal prints and functional prints for work because there’s no fuss to make it work as far as I’ve seen. Anything I need to print will fit in the work area including mill vise soft jaws, and you can’t beat the functionality for the price, you’re absolutely correct 10/10 video
Fellow machinist here also. Exact reason I wanna get it! No fuss fun.
I had to fuss with the printer a lot to get it printing even decent benchies.
I have a P1S and am looking hard at one of these. Fellow machinist here too
A month ago I had no desire to 3D print. My A1 arrives this week. I am the target audience for this printer. I am a plug-and-play crafter. The hype around the ease of this gadget has hooked me into a world of filament and maker-sites and new RUclips content.
Mission Accomplished, Bambu.
You'll love it. it does what it says on the box. just click and print!
Any updates on how it turned out for you?
Same for me. I have a small business. It'll be a great addition to that. I'll go bigger if I see the benefit, but this one seems perfect for what I need it for.
I would love an update on your experience, i'm really curious on how it turned out :D
I still enjoy my A1 Mini, though am jealous of the larger A1. I still like the ease of use and have slowly picked up some skills to improve my quality. I have encouraged others to go with Bambu.
I just got the A1 mini yesterday for Christmas. I’ve never touched a 3d printer or learned nearly anything about them but have wanted to get into the hobby. Yesterday in my anxious haste I set it up and printed my very first ever print with the sample filament. I printed a benchy! I was so proud I took pictures and sent it to everybody!. As a first timer in the hobby I could not be happier. To be honest I was nervous to get into the hobby as I’m not incredibly tech savvy but Bambi labs has made the learning curve ridiculously easy and I am just thrilled!
Hope your journey has been going well in the last few months!
I super scared of not being able to work with one, which videos do you recommend that helped you? thank youuu
I've been into 3D printing since 2017. I bought an A1 Mini because it's the biggest bang for your buck for a printer that just works. Whether they'll admit it or not 90% of what most of us print would fit on that bed.
Agreed!
FINALLY - someone else agrees that this is a gateway printer - a no-fuss printer for schools, libraries, and even maker spaces.
thanks.
Your crazy. This is the perfect print farm unit for 95% of what’s being manufactured.
@@hobbiehobbs "you're"
Wait, you're proponing putting a gateway drug in schools and libraries? Shame on you! 😂
@hobbiehobb I don't disagree with the build volume, but due to security/privacy issues I would not use an A1 or any of their printers in a serious print farm. IMHO, the design intent of the A1 is clear.
@newolde1 Yes, yes I do. 😉
I have printers of all sizes, from bambu labs to quidi tech and even the large snapmaker artisan. Even I have fallen into this trap in the past, always wanting the super large build area....for the "just in case" scenario but to be honest.....I have never needed that much space. Things I print are industrial and really fit on anything around 200mm squared. So really this build size will fit 90% of everyone's true needs. Unless you are printing cosplay stuff, smaller printers really will be all you need.
Exactly.
This was my concern to. Wanting a bigger build plate "Just in case". But I already know that if there's to much resistance in actually using the printer due to tinkering, etc. I'm less likely to experiment or "play" with the printer.
Ultimately optimizing in order to get people to print more as the primary design principal requires building a machine first and foremost focused on ease of use, print quality and speed. And then figuring out how to do it at the magic sub $300 price point that is well known in the tech space. It's pretty clear Bambulabs has a vision for the company and the 3d printing as a whole.
Once the user experience, minimum viable quality and optimal speed goals are met, that's when build plate size followed by material options come into play, and it appears the deciding factor of those last two objectives and limitations are proportionally directed to the machines target price.
On the most basic level bambulabs simply wants to get "people" using their printer happily and frequently, that's the jump off point to really expand the market and you can see this thoroughly displayed through the entire A1 mini and AMS lite design on the hardware and software level.
Ben de hobi amaçlı bir 3d yazıcı alacağım. Ender 3 v3 se ile bambu a1 mini arasında kaldım. En büyük tereddütüm a1 mini'nin baskı tablası yeterli olur mu düşüncesi. Hobi amaçlı kullanacağım, örneğin, dc motorları kullanarak el aletleri yapacağım. Bant zımpara gibi. Veya arabamdaki eksik plastik parçalar gibi. Gerçekten a1 mini ihtiyacımı karşılar mı bilmiyorum. Tasarımı çok hoşuma gidiyor ve herkes bu cihazı övüyor. Ama aldıktan sonra pişman olur muyum, daha büyük baskı alanına ihtiyaç duyar mıyım bilmiyorum. Bu yüzden karar veremiyorum. Ne önerirsiniz
I got the P1S and love it. But I do mostly print smaller items. And maybe only 30% of my prints are larger. With even less requiring the enclosure. So if I get a second printer some day I think the A1 Mini is the perfect one. Plus it really looks like such a sweet little printer!
I’m a pretty experienced printer with multiple high end consumer printers in my basement. However I picked up an A1 mini to sit on my desk without taking up much space for quick little prints. I love how quiet it is.
I actually had no idea this was only 269 uk . Thats amazing. I used to be mad about build volume, but a printer that prints out of the box with no fuss is far more valuable.
That's the same thought I had. I have A1 mini AMS mega combo coming this week, but I kept debating if I should keep the order or cancel it because of the build plate size.
But the user experience seems far more aligned with what matters to me. As I want to focus on designing and printing not tinkering.
I almost got a P1S, because it's on sale for Black Friday. But the A1 mini seems to be somewhat better engineered in regards to ease of use, even though the P1S is pretty easy to use.
For example I was just commenting to another user on the ease of changing the printer head. While it's not difficult to do on a P1S it does take noticeably more time and effort.
I'm honestly more about ease of use. For example given that changing the printer head is so easy on the A1 mini I'm much more likely to switch on the fly to the smaller .02 nozzle for more detailed prints.
Though part of me still has a bit of FOMO in regards to the plate size, but I'm hoping that most of what I'll be printing will fit just fine on the plate and those pieces that don't, I can use as learning experiences to design split objects that I can join together once printed.
@@whyired Ive also looked at the flashforge 5m as that also has easy change nozzles.
For what its worth, my brother has had the p1s for a week now and it has been brilliant. Literally prints out of the box. He has however been put off changing nozzles as it’s a bit of a faff
Thanks for the review. I am of the same opinion. I just received the A1 mini and like you I bought it myself. It's too small to be of practical use for most of my purposes but I love 3D printing and I like to try to inspire others to share my passion for it. There is a grade school (K through 8) not too far from me that received five new creality printers to set up a 3D printing station. This was months ago and they have yet to get any consistent decent prints. The cost of each of those machines was the same as A1 mini with an AMS lite. I will definitely be transporting this system down to them to show them what it does. I plan to purchase all 4 of the fuctional included kits and show them to the kids.
If you can inspire a child with a 3D printer when they are in grade school the possibilities are endless.
One last thing
"I'm not saying she's stupid"
Is one of the bravest lines I've ever heard from a married man in my life.
"There is a very fine line between brave and stupid"
Its not even just for beginners. I've been in 3d printing for more than 6 years now. I'm A college kid who doesn't have the time to work on a printer for hours at a time. I need something that just prints, and prints fast. Its also small enough to fit in my dorm, including the AMS, so its perfect for my engineering projects.
A1 with ams takes more space than the p1s with ams, though
@kirikset yeah, didn't realize that until after I bought it lmao
I have a P1S and I still want a A1 Mini! The Bambu Lab ecosystem is great and for the price and it's speed, it would make a great secondary printer. Print the small parts on the A1 while I leave the larger bits to the P1S, get my 3D print even quicker splitting them up :)
Agreed, it’s such a useful side tool and with the AMS lite too, it’s great!
Would you recommend the A1 mini if you’re intending to print mega construx/lego pieces?
I've got an A1 with the AMS lite, but I've just had an A1 Mini delivered today as it will allow me to print multiple parts simultaneously.
I didn't get the ams for my p1s and seriously debating the a1 mini combo since most multicolored prints are smaller or decorative
@xathridtech727 AMS is quite a big QOL improvment for the p1s even if you dont print multi colour / filiment.
I feel its quite overpriced, but keep an eye out for the sales. I bought one with my printer and then a other in the next sale. Out of over 600 hours of prints so far i have onlu done 1 multicolor toy and 2 parts with coloured writing on.
Still highly recomend AMS.
That is the reason I purchased the P1S, it just worked right out of the box. I work away from home all week so I just don't have the time to tinker for hours just to get a good print off my printer. Great review.
Thanks so much.
Cracking review! I've been 3d printing for 5 years and the X1C bambu experience was game changing for me. I've bought a mini for all the small things, but it's clear from this video it also offers the opportunity to get my kids involved, and that's worth the wait and cost.
It really is. I may gift this to my daughter.
I agree 100% those little build kits really elevate the experience for a newbie from "toy" to "tool" immediately. The A1 Mini is going to be my go-to recommendation to everyone who asks me about a new printer under $500, and the P1S for $600+. Seeing all these reviews its incredible what Bambu lab is doing and for such a low price point, $299USD is crazy. I print robotics parts and I want to be able to print CF Nylon and ASA but mostly I use TPU as its so durable and the A1 Mini handles that no problem.
I have an X1 Carbon and debated getting and A1 Mini for a long time as a second printer. Ultimately decided on the P1S so I can get the hardened steel parts and match the X1 capabilities. But I bet anyone starting an Etsy print shop for all PLA would be happy to buy 4 of these for the price of one X1C.
Great video! I've been 3D printing for over 5 years and i still want one of these, because they are doing something different and it just looks so damn fun. With you on the family stuff also, something like this just lowers the entry bar to getting more people involved!
Thanks, glad I got my Point across well about this one
I have build my own printers for almost 10 years now. My hypercube evo is now under the desk and replaced by two P1S printers.
I will miss the tinkering and the feeling I get when I do my first print on a printer that I build my self, but I just love the Bambo lab printers.
Its a marvelous piece of engineering.
I am a new engineering student and new to 3d printing as was looking for a quality product to print small prototypes and it looks like this is perfect and well within my budget range. Thanks for the review!
I totally agree with you , as a beginner (but used to send 3d models to print farms) i bought this printer for the ease of use and not the size. I tried it at others places and for my use it's perfect (precise or not , strong , drone parts). Awesome video !!!
thank you
This is good for gamers who print minis and single things. The quick change nozzle allows to swap from stock 4 nozzle to 2 which is what they want for the minis. I believe their entire line is great for a new person.
Thank you SO MUCH for making this video. I am just getting started in the 3d printing field and bought a Creality K1. It has been nothing but a headache for a week and a half. I've learned a TON about 3d printing, but have been unable to get the machine to work reliably - out of the box it is unable to even print a benchy with its own brand of Hyper PLA.
It has yet to print a benchy though I have gotten about a due out of 150-200 print attempts to come out in somewhat cohesive form.
I had been doing research on the A1 and had already rely much decided to get one and return the K1. Your terrific video kicked me right of the edge and made that decision final. THANK YOU!
Well stated. Some people cannot seem to fathom it when they see something in a niche they're interested in that isn't about them and isn't made with them in mind. Their brain breaks and they completely kirk out. Long term, this is great for the hobby, and something more relevant to those folks will be along eventually. For the time being they need to chill tf out.
Agreed, even this comment section already proves what you say
Just bought one, tired of my old ender 3 standing around collecting dust ever few months, waiting for some part, or calibration. Fingers crossed this will just *work*
My first printer about 6 months ago was the budget version of this - Kingroon KP3S Pro. Its a cheap gantry with a very small foot print but has 200^3mm build volume. I would have bought the A1 if it was available at the time. It’s a great idea
i am a hobby 3d printer, my Anycubic 3D Mega was and is a nice partner for over 6 years now, but meanwhile it lacks a lot of quality of life features, such as auto leveling, multiple colors, web cam, wifi, smart phone support. So I am really excited for this compact all-in-one solution. the price is fine with me. it is "only" double what you usually pay for a simple single color printer, which is fine to me, concidering the multi-color functionality. And as You corretly said - the build volume is absolutely OK for a hobby. There will always be parts too big for your build plate - it is just a reason to learn how to split your prints.
Ordered mine during the watch of this review. I own a Ender 3 v2 which i've modded a lot but i'm just so tired of it. I just wanna send something to the printer. maybe check it online to see how it goes and pick it of the build plate to fit it. This fits all those criteria,
The buold volume is a little small but i don't print very large objects anyway. mostly for lego compatible bricks or my RC cars, it's more than functional. great review. thank you
Great points all! My first FDM printer was a Prusa Mini, and the A1 is like the best version of that! Now I'm a X1C user but another great use case for the A1 (sans AMS-lite) is as a 2nd printer for small parts and prototypes, especially if your main printer is doing a 8 hr print or whatever and you need to print a bearing or a gear or something right now!
Yep totally agree. My A1 mini is due for delivery tomorrow. It’s my first printer. The pull is the price but mainly the seeming ease of printing. I just can’t justify the time involved in faffing around with an ender 3 clone. I think Bambu is focusing on being filament sellers. The printer is a crazy price cos they want a new market of users who want the ease of using their filament with the nfc. The filament club is the final nudge to encourage us to buy all the colours we want. I’ve got a stack waiting for the printer 😂
I really should talk more about the Filament club. I make sure to buy my 8 a month, even if I don't need them.
I am a FPV drone pilot. I've bought this printer exactly because it's small and perfect for my TPU prints. I just love it.
I'm considering to get it for the same purpose, fpv needs. Do you have any cons so far in it?
@@thaikerfpv i think it’s perfect for this. No cons in my 2 months of usage. I’ve printed TPU and PLA parts for my drones without issues and without any other experience in 3d printing. Really recommend it..especially at this price.. go for it. If you think you’ll use it to print bigger parts, maybe you should buy the A1. but for fpv parts the A1 mini is more than enough
@@cianuri thank you brother....
🙋🏾♂️ - as someone who’s been aware of 3D printing for a long time but had no time, money or knowledge before to get a printer, this printer is exactly what I’m looking for.
Also it was the selling point to my wife that we can get it to actually make things, instead of tinkering with the machine itself. I’m sending this video to her.
It’s also a perfect start point to learn about the whole hobby as a whole, and I’ll probably get a “more advanced” (as in, more work/tinkering) printer once I learned enough to use them properly
Thank you for this. I'm not into 3d printing but someone showed me this video, and I took a lot from your presentation and the tone of your review.. and, I strongly agree that the world needs a gateway printer. If I had the money I'd love this because I too just don't have the time to learn the field as an expert (I've devoted too much mental energy to other fields). But yeah, definitely taking heart in your approach as a youtuber and I hope to improve my own craft in that area.
Thank you, this is exactly what i wanted to come out of this video, and that is people sharing it with others who aren't quite sole don the idea. And here we are
this made my day!
@@FauxHammer Glad to hear it, and Happy Thanksgiving.
I've been 3d printing for a looooong time. Last year I got rid of my Creality and Prusa printers. I wanted to downsize the number of printers I had anyway. But I bought a P1S with AMS. I found myself needing a second printer to supplement the P1S for quick prototyping prints and other things. The A1 Mini was perfect for this.
Although I agree with you, this is still a great printer for even 3d printing veterans. But as long as those veterans are like you and myself and not the snobs that so many of those people are. You know the people.
I started my filament 3d printing experience with a pre-order of the Creality Ender 5 Plus, years ago. I never got good at it. When my pre-ordered A1 mini came it, I had it running in no time and had practically NO failures. It's quiet, consistent, and required NO faffing about. I love the A1 mini, is it small? Yes. Does it matter? No.
I am not new to 3D printing and, Yep, like everyone else, I agree, this is a printer for everyone and they need to keep up with the kits.
I just spoke with them about the Kits this morning :)
Hi mate, loved the the video, honest and to the point. I am in total agreement this printer is something for the family to do. I'm an IT lecturer but always looking for something fun to do with my daughter. Bamboo has just brought the fun back to interaction that Nintendo did with the Wii some years ago. Thanks to your review I'll be looking to purchase one of these. I print animals for daughter who loves it. Now we have an excuse to do more things as a family. Keep up the good reviews :)
I'm printing since 2015, had a couple dozen of printers. My current setup is 2 X1C and 2 P1P and I needed a small printer for small PLA parts to print while the other ones are busy. That's why I bought the A1, even tho it's small, its big enough for small parts I need to make all my Products and don't have to wait till my bigger printers are done, no lost time, more production and still reliable. Perfect for me
I bought and built my first 3d printer in like 2016 and it was so frustrating to figure out how to get it running. I just bought the A1 Mini because it was $340 with the AMS lite and I wanted to finally get into multi color prints. I had a blast the whole process of setting it up and even watched the first benchy I printed from start to finish. It's fast, so easy and creates some pretty phenomenal prints. I wish I could have started with something like this. It's put a joy back into printing that makes it seem more like a hobby and less like a chore.
I'm happy this exists and is reasonably priced, because I don't want new enthusiasts to struggle and lose that bewilderment for printing like I had. They'll eventually get curious and expand into more complicated machines but this is a good way to instill a love for the craft first.
Thank you so much! An honest review, just what I needed. I was thinking of building a Voron 0.2 or getting A1 mini, and while the building part is sometimes more fun, having 2 kids and little time, this plug and play approach gives more fun time with family. STEM learning for my sons will expand with this (btw I saw that they sell these MysteryBox kits separately as well). Would love to see more of these kits available in the future. Thanks! Ordered A1 mini ;)
I’m a woodworker who never considered 3D printing. But there are so many workshop related opportunities for someone with a 3D printer. So, I started the research and came across this little machine. I thought it was perfect to get my feet wet and the small size is actually a + for me. Also shocked that this machine is on sale right now for $199. I snatched that up and can’t wait to start playing…um….working with it.
Wow, that’s a crazy good price
Thanks for the video! You sold it to me.
I'm a quadcopter enthusiast and started designing my own frames recently. While frames are carbon, you need a lot of tiny 3D printed auxiliary parts with them and I hate waiting for days for a Shapeways order to arrive or even hours for a local guy with a 3D printer. So I started thinking about getting one myself, but the supposed amount of tuning for your typical Ender just throws me off and P1P/P1S are a little pricey for my needs. And yet here it comes. Pre-order until January here in the EU though.
god I hate Shapeways with a passion
The Bamboo ecosystem is absolutely great for the hobby! From what I have learned about them, it seems like the perfect setup for anyone who's interested in 3D printing but not necessarily all the heavy tinkering with the printer. If I didn't already have my printers I would definitely be ordering one of theirs as my starter!
I completely agree with everything you said! I got this printer to compliment my Carbon X1 AMS and felt it was a little bit too simple. But I still had fun with it anyway! Subscribed!
Thank you for this video. When I saw the thumbnail & title I thought, "please let this be a video telling 3d printing experts to chill the hell out because this is meant for beginners" and I got to the end and bought one.
I bought this A1 mini secondhand (seller sold it because it was too small) and i love this thing. it works for my small projects really well and its easy to use. Maybe in future i will buy bigger bamboo printer but i won't get rid of this one.
Not just for beginners! I have a P1S with AMS and I love it for being larger and enclosed but it’s so overkill for small prints. I’m picking one of these up to go alongside it! Super easy nozzle changes, I can make this my dedicated 0.2mm nozzle printer perhaps. I can start new prints while my other one is occupied. It’s nice to have a good quality printer without spending another 1K.
I study architecture and for that i use 3D Printing for lots of my Models.
Currently I use the Creality Ender 3 S1, its great but to get into the finest of its detail it takes a lot of effort in testing.
With your video you greatly encouraged me to buy the A1 myself. I hope to do so in the next few Months.
Greetings from Germany.
Oh hallo, ich war in Deutschland letzte Woche
We tried getting elementary teachers to learn cr-10 in my district but now we are going to start ordering a1 minis. The learning curve is high for somone not familiar with technology and the goal in elementary is to get kids designing, testing, printing. These are the easiest printers to use so far
I started a small business and been using Prusa Minis. The small print vokume is more than i meed for what i do. After buying an X1C, for multi color duty, i was blown away by Bambulab. When the A1 cane out, i knew it was a matter of time before i get one. And i as i grow, more.
this is the exact printer for me!
have been using prusa mk4s for a long long time and got the a1 now and am very happy with it ^^
Thanks. I've seen this on the clock app and have wanted a ez printer to pop out rpg minis that was mostly plug and play. I am one of those that don't have time to constantly be dealing with engineering and programming. You vid told me exactly what I have been trying to figure out! Now to order this printer for myself! Definitely coming back to your channel if/when I'm ready to upgrade!
A great Video Ross! I love the way that you're passion for 3d printing is being passed on to the next generation. Keep up the good work.
thanks!
I've been printing for years and years and I started by building my own printers. These days my (modified) CR10s is my reliable workhorse, but it's really slow and pretty tedious to calibrate. I'm looking at buying the A1 Mini for its speed, ease of use and good price. I don't care about huge print volumes, I care about being able to print multiple small parts really fast.
Great video. I just had someone ask me about 3D printing and I suggested the Bambu lab A1. I thought that I would look for some helpful videos and yours came up and I shared the link. Problem solved. Thanks
what an amazing video... You saved me a lot of trouble, considering 3D printing. Bambu will be my first try at 3D printing! 👍
Well that's convinced me! Excellent presentation and editing by the way.
As for the product. I had almost settled on a Creality despite other praise for the Bambu, but this makes so much sense. Although new to 3d printing, I'm an engineer and the technical aspects don't phase me. But I've steered away to avoid another absorbing distraction. What I DO want to do is print not tinker. So this has to be the ideal out of the box solution I think.
Man I couldn't agree more. More build kits would be amazing. I've basically got into 3d printing to make stuff with my kid
Just been talking to Bambu about the kits.
I bought this yesterday with the AMD Lite included for $300,.
This is my first time ever seeing a 3D printer in person, the ability to have multicolor without needing to paint everything myself, along with its ease and ability, it was the right price.
It was super easy to set up and use. The quality is great! The only downside is the print area, as discussed in the video.
But as this is my first 3D printer I've ever seen, the print area is well enough for me to start messing around with creations.
I havent made anything larger than a keychain yet, but the cloud based splicing that bambu offers allowing you to easily make easier prints without having to splice it yourself may be able to make up for the smaller print bed size, ofcouse would require more time because of you needing to remove finished pieces before continuing onto the next by hand.
I was happy to pick this up for the price I got it at, and I'm excited to play with 3D printing some more!
I've had a Solidoodle 3 for 2 years now and ordered the A1 Mini because of the sheer value and ease of use. 😁👍
Good choice!
My color all in one printer is around $100 and just plain works. Doesn’t matter beginner or 20 yr secretary. I want the same thing so this Mini is it. This printer will cover 95% of my prints. I think this is great for beginners and the experience.
That's why I bought my Prusa Mini and it hasn't disappointed. In years I've only had like two failed prints because of an issue with the printer. This A1 looks like a great successor with all the tech improvements since then.
The i3 mega i bought a few years ago only needed like 2 screws to install it. Then bed leveling. Done. It has a lack of cooling though so i 3d printed a vent system for it using it and now it works great.
I just got this after I bought the P1S combo for the reason when I'm say printing a box, on the mini I can print the cover! Can't wait to get it!
I agree, my first Ender 3 Pro was still in the box 3 months before I decide to start getting to just learn initial startup. It was for me to teach myself a new hobby. Now it's a tool for my home.
A great video, straight to the point, no flannel or strange vocals that sound like a synthesiser. I'm waiting for my A1 mini to arrive and will use this video to help me get started. Thank you so much.
thanks for watching. but you'll need no help. Just plug it in as the guide suggests and follow the on screen steps. it's so easy
I did my first ever print yesterday, on an A1 mini. Actually I did get the print from Makerworld, it printed great. I do want to progress to a bigger, enclosed machine but am learning to walk before I attempt to run. It's on sale at the moment for £170 and at that price if it ever becomes surplus to requirements I can pay it forward to another enthusiastic beginner
I agree with almost every thing you said, I most defiantly agree that the kits are the future of projects for 3D printer users and that this printer has moved the start point for all other manufacturers, how ever i do believe this was made for those of who are already into and have 3d printers, this printer is such a great ad onto to my P1P. Want to print a quick key chain or is there small components to a project that want all fit on a single plate of the larger printer ..
I'm just getting into 3D Printing myself, and I was originally going to get an Ender-3, but my friend mentioned it was only $60 USD more for a significantly better printer.
Now here I am looking more into it and printers in general.
yeah exactly this, This is such an easier way to start printiung and to me it's worth the slight price hike! They just upgraded it too with the Slicer app Bambu Studio, now integrating a libray of multi colour prints directly into that app. It's now choose a model, and click print!
These two printes have created a new market that wasn't being filled by current offerings.
I am 100% looking at these for expanding my print farm. I keep looking at all of the wasted build volume when I run my files for production.
i do the same, at least it;s not like resin where you are killing the life of the whole screen when not filling that area.
"Bought it on my own" and "having fun" are both pretty good endorsements i think. Im still leaning towards a resin printer, but will take a close look at this one
They are different things, but I wasn't fussed about FDM printing until I got a Bambu Lab.
What a great video. I don’t care about 3D printing at all but you’ve really captured my attention and imagination!
I'm new to 3D printing, and I've just ordered one of these and sent my Ankermake M5C back.
I think actually that the AMS is correctly targeted at the same audience as the A1! They are after newbies who want to start 3D printing, but mainly newbies who have kids, and Bambu are after the kids saying "DAD! Can you please get one of those new 3D printers that can print multicolour toys? PLEASE!!" And dad, who has been thinking about getting a 3D printer for his hobby, now has another reason to convince his partner that he should get one... 😂
Oh yeah, I agree that it;s targeted at the same audience, but when a noob sees that price. I think you'll get more people turned off than, if they showed it by default without the AMS at $300.
This will be my son's first printer.. he is 9. ITS PERFECT. Support innovators like Bambu Labs and reject the companies that just want to copy tech, then drop zillions on the market for almost nothing.. they are cancer on the 3D printer community.
I'm thinking of gifting mine to my daughter.
Appreciate and enjoy your enthusiasm and raw review of products.
I bought this for .2 miniature prints and the AMS on this is more efficient than the full sized AMS version with faster print speeds, fillament swaps, and even easier hot end swaps! This thing is very specialized, but when you have that small niche in your setup, it's hard to find anything better.
My P1s has been converted to hardened extruder and gearing for harder filaments.
My Neptune 3 Plus has .6 Nozzle for larger prints.
and this thing is used for .2 Nozzle and ultra fine prints of multicolored devices.
I am absolutely the target audience for this. Now I do enjoy tinkering with things but with a 3D printer I don’t want to wait 4 hours to find out I messed up a setting or a print all of a sudden fails because I set something up wrong. I just want something that works well out of the box.
I love your approach here. RUclips and the maker community as a whole think everyone should be like them and enjoy tinkering with everything in order to "learn how it works". While if you are specializing in a field I agree 100%, but if it is a tool for a hobby of yours why? Just why do i need or have to know how everything works? I don't i just want the tool to do its job so i can get to the part of the hobby that I enjoy. These same people are the ones that think DIY stuff saves them money without taking into account the most important currency of all time.
I had the same chat recently about some display Cabinets. ruclips.net/video/yZaTGLhKq3I/видео.html
They are really expensive, but there's some 3D printable versions which I backed so i can compare them to these.
just to figure out what parts I needed to print for those alternate ones. took an hour. Another hour to figure out which parts and holes I'd need, then I'd need to work out how to get the right sized Perspex.
And when they are done, well, they are just gonna look like cheap modular 3d printed eyesore cabinets.
so, yeah, nah, I was already turned off by how cumbersome it was, so I'm never doing that video. I'd rather just pay Artis Opus to make them
@mekko1413 totally agree, I have a cheap 3d printer as a hobby machine and while it's true I've learned a lot through (necessary) upgrades and tweaking to get prints right, 6 months in I'm more than a little frustrated that it still won't just print when I want it to. I constantly have to do test prints and watch the first few layers with eagle eyes to make sure someone hasn't gone wrong.
There's a lot to be said for a machine built to just work straight out of the box. And easy swappable nozzles? Damn, that's the icing on the cake.
I think the 3D printing space would grow by leaps and bounds if more beginners were bitten by a positive experience rather than giving up on trying to tune a printer before letting it collect dust. Like it not, user numbers will drive the market faster than anything else.
Oh that's so true, how many people have been put off printing already thanks to janky products.
My 3d printing journey started with the Ender 3 Pro. It worked sometimes when I tried following online guides, but most prints would fail at some point or another throughout. I lacked the mechanical knowledge to fix whatever was happening almost every time so some things I just had to accept I couldn't print. But I've mow had my A1 Mini for close to a month and print multiple things daily. It's just a huge weight off my shoulders knowing it'll print right every time
On it's own, it's only £169 now !! which is insane.
I just got the P1S and it's incredible, my uncle's 60th is coming up and he'd love this but I can't justify the price of a P1S... however the mini would be perfect for him to get into and totally affordable.
_"On it's own, it's only £169 now !! which is insane."_
Yep, I saw the too, agreed it's an insane price, looking to replace my PrusaMk3, I though the build size was going to be an issue, but I cut out a 180mm x 180mm piece of paper and walked around my flat looking at things I've already printed (none where even close to this big) and what I'd like to print, a 180mm cube is absolutely fine for 99% of jobs !
Nice review. I also love seeing my Pocket Copter design in the wild :)
I love it! Was tat yours? I've printed 2 now. one for each of my kids and about 16 of the blades because they keep losing them lol!
I haven't thought about the Nokia N95 in absolutely years. Thanks for unlocking a core memory :D
I have 2 X1's and got this for prototyping. let me tell you something.... this little printer is solid and Bada$$!!!! it is so well built!! quick change nozzles was a clincher. I want to test printing really small things whenever I want
Maybe you already know, but they actually did decide to do what you mentioned.
While the A1 Mini page still shows the AMS picture, the purchase page now defaults to just the printer.
I mostly print small figures & toys for my kids. So I'm very excited to be swapping an Ender 3 V3 SE for the A1 Mini for the $200 sale. Then I can upgrade & get the AMS lite, further down the road.
I've bought one and I'm super impressed with it so far. I'm quite green to the 3D printing space so I'm surprised that there are complaints about the build space. I clearly need to look more into what people are doing because I can't think of anything I'd want to make (yet) that would be larger than 18x18x18 in a single block. It takes long enough to print something a fraction of the size 😅
Thanks, i consider this printer for my school. I got myself a P1S because i wanted a machine to print riight out oft the box without tinkering around the machine everytime, so i have more time for making my stuff than having to solve issues of my 3d printer. The small built volume scared me first but i think for a school it is not the badest thing if you are a bit limited in space so there arent that much very big prints that take days ;)
Just a head up this is now £169 on sale. I am the target demographic for this printer, last week I had no interest in printing and this week I do because it is a gateway printer, it’s so cheap it looks nice so I can have it in the home and it does what I need to do. It seems perfect so far!
Amazing video review and good on you dad!
Yours was the first video I watched to review the A1 mini i've had my sights on since ditching my ender 3 v2. Just purchased!
I got into 3d printing because having prototypes of my designs made was costing a fortune. I learned quite a lot with a cheap printer from Lidl (or was it Aldi?), and really enjoyed it. Then along came covid and my wife's illness and I passed my printer to my son. Now, to the point. I've forgotten a hell of a lot, but, this printer and your video had inspred me to get back into printing my own design. How about explaing a relevant slicer in detail. Really enjoyed your video.
Although I have six printers, my RatRig VMinion tends to be my default go to for high quality fine detail prints. It also has a 180 mm^3 build volume, linear rails, but cost about $600 USD for a box pf parts and two days of build time. I think the A1 is a great printer in a great size. Five of my printers are out in one of the shop buildings, my VMinion is in the office in the house. It's surprising how many things can be done on a smaller printer, my FAB365 Saturn V was printed completely on a printer of this size. I'm tempted to get an A1 as it is far less expensive than most of the "printers for ants" kits like the Voron 0.2 while delivering a lot of usability features. Being able to hop from a 0.2 to a 0.4 nozzle quickly alone is great.
FAB365 Saturn V on something this size is a feat on it's own.
The credit goes to the designer of the model, the tallest component is < 180 mm tall. Better part of a weeks worth of printing even on a fast machine, but a very nicely done model. The only painting needed is for the raised lettering and the flag. I did some painting of the engines and support structures based on photos, just a bit of color, a bit of wash, but nothing complicated. Cheers, thanks for the great videos!@@FauxHammer
I tried to get into 3d printing 7ish years ago. When the printer worked, it was great but, I spent more time working on my printer than printing and that wasnt fun for me so I stopped but, it has always been somethign I have kept an eye on. What Bambu has done is essentially made a 3d printing appliance like a microwwave or an air fryer. It just works out of the box and does so well enough that you are encouraged to learn more and do more with this new tool you have. Sure, I'd love a larger build area but, I'm just fine with this size.
You summed it up perfectly in your video. Well done.
how about the smell or fumes? does it smell? is it safe to use on desktop? thank you for the very informative video
You don't really get smell or fumes from FDM printers like the A1 (or any FDM printer) as it doesn't use chemicals and resins (unlike resin printers) . . . my PrusaMk3 is so close to me on my desktop I literally keep hitting my right hand on it as I move my mouse around (yes, yes, I need to move it), so yeah having it on your desktop is not an issue - I'm asthmatic too - never been an issue at all.
P.S not sure what country you're in, but the A1 mini is on sale until Dec 3rd on the bambu site for £169 (!!!) rather than £269.
One caveat: My comment about zero fumes / smell with FDM is with reference to common materials (PLA, TPU, PETG - etc) . . . the stuff 99.9% of us use, once you get into exotic plastics with weird and wonderful properties (glow in the dark heat resistent ceramic wood fill ASA with a carbon fibre look 😂) then you probably need to read the product description if you want to be extra cautious, but generally speaking FDM printing and Resin printing are not in the same league when it comes fumes / smell.
I own an Ender 3, CR-6 SE, CR10 V2, Artillery Sidewinder X2 and now I bought an A1 mini. Why? Because most prints are small enough to fit on a 18x18cm bed AND I wanted multi colour printing at an affordable level AND I don't like how fiddly the CoreXY Bambu printers are because of their enclosure. I just love bed slingers for how accessibly everything is. To me this was the perfect printer to get for every job that fits its build plate. Spool changing is way faster than on the other Bambu printers & you don't have all the nasty issues with cardboard spools etc.
My childhood best friend recommended this printer for me. I have only printed a hand full of times in 2015-2016, and a couple of things on his printer. I saw this video and assumed that's the reason he recommended it to me. I guess he got lucky because he'd never seen this video, either.
Anyways, it's coming in January. Wish me luck!
No luck needed, just got one to get the kids hooked… with a combined age of 10 they set it up (with supervision) picked their files from the SD and made a town out of the foam populated by the Narlies (the poop) in under 1 hour.
I am extremely impressed this printer out of the gate having run 10 other more clumsy and slow machines over the last 3years.
This is a very well done video, thank you.
@@MakerBees333 Oh for me, it was luck that I hopped on it tonight, the night that I am actually setting up my order for the printer. He didn't even see this video before recommending it.
I have been 3d printing for a few years now. Started with a used 8-year-old printer, then bought a brand new Anycubic Vyper. Having some fun. But, what I do not want to do is mess around with hundreds of settings. That's not my hobby. For example, when I print a Word document, I don't have to tell the printer what temperature to use or how to do what it needs to do. I just want a friggin print. There are two types of people in this hobby, the tinkerer and the user. Why is it my job to tell the printer whether to use tree supports or any support at all? This little printer is a step in the right direction... and its friggin fast to boot. It is my next printer, as soon as I convince my wife.
The company I work for just bought a X1C to do proto typing and small parts on in our engineering department. I think I'm going to pick this one up to add to our department. The small size isn't an issue. Thanks for the review. ( and yeah I will be making stuff for the grandkids, or get one for them.)
After the I was bitten by the bug by the ender 3 V2 I got a P1S combo to make my life easier. And it really changed my life and point of view. Since I end up printing more small stuff than larger ones, always with multiple colors, I am considering the A1 mini combo as an adition to the P1S with a 0.2 nozzle, ready to go, instead of swapping nozzles, and the P1S can do it's thing...
I am BRAND new to 3d printing and I love my A1 mini. It was crazy easy to set up and get printing.
I only make Barbie miniatures, so I did not need a large build plate. I love that it takes up such little space.
The only thing I don’t like is that the keypad is very tiny, so difficult to type things in (and as a woman, I have tiny fingers!). I tried using a DS stylus, but it only responds to fingertips. Aside from that, I love it and am having a hoot.
I was worried at the title. But I was recommended this as my first 3D printer by a friend who is into pretty much anything technical including 3D printing. I'll get my feet wet and plan to print a lot of random small things that I'll otherwise has to hunt down in Lidl or online. So yes, I think this IS made for me.
Hahah, that title was towards the eliteists arguing against its worth as a bedslinger back when it came out.
I suppose in retrospect. We’ve moved on from here
I have a Monoprice Select IIIP and... the best thing I can say about it is that it works? Sometimes? If you baby it? I'm looking for a printer to replace it and the A1 Mini looks ideal. It's slightly bigger than the Monoprice, which is nice, but not too big because I have limited desk space, and all the things which don't work on the Monoprice were called out here as being great. Ordering soon.